The New York Herald Newspaper, October 6, 1875, Page 7

r CANAL FRAUDS. Report of the Board of Canal Investi- gating Commission. GEORGE D. LORD'S CAREER. His Aptitude far Raising Bills and Making Money. The Canal Investigating Committee have submitted their fifth report to Governor Tilden, which relates to the Buffalo contracts; and embraces the following points :— On the 19th day of February, in the year 1868, the State entered into a contract with George D. Lord to keep in repair section 14 of the Erie Canal for the term of four years and ten months, from and including the first day of March, 1868, for the sum of $44,400 a year, Mr. Lord was “to dredge out the deposits in the canal at Buffalo and Black Rock; also to dredge out the de~ posits between Guard Lock and Black Rock Harbor, and between said harbor and railroad bridge.” This work was to be done previous to the opening of naviga- tion in 1868, Mr. Lord binding himself to maintain meanwhile in the Erie basin a channel 300 fect wide and 13 4-10 feet deep; to dredge out of Black Rock Harbor at least 20,000 cubic yards of material, and out of the Ohio basin 10,000 cubic yards each year. A few weeks after this contract was signed the Legis- lature appropriated “for excavating and dredging Ohio basin, in the city of Buffalo (whenever the contractor shall clean out the same to the uniform depth of ten feet, as required by his contract), the sum of $12,000, or so much thereof as shall be necessary to give a uni- form depth of thirteen feet of water in the said canal.’ Under this legislative modification of Lord’s repair contract the State, in the following month, entered into a contract with John Hand, of the city of Buffalo, for ‘dredging the Obio basin, in the city of Buffalo, the three feet in depth below the base or bottom line to which the repair contractor of Section No, 14 is re- quired to dredge said basin,” On the 12th of May, 1869, the Legislature appropri- ated $52,500 for dredging Black Rock Harbor, Erie basin, and for deepening slip and protecting dock of the Ohio basin, In July following the passage of this act, pn the 16th, the Stajg signed two contracts with John Hand, one for dredgMg the channel around the north end of Erie basin breakwater, in the city of Buffalo, and the other for removing deposits from Black Rock arbor. On the 9th of May of the following year, 1870, the Legislature appropriated the sum of $6,000 “for exca- vating and removing the material in the Ohio basin, in the city of Buffalo, to make thirteen feet of uniform fepth of water therein, to be done under the existing tontract of John Hand, and to cover the expense of re- moving all the material in saia basin as it existed at the ‘ate of such contract.” In the winter of 1871 George D. Lord solicited Mr Lewis J. Bennett, one of the partners of John Hand, to apply to the Legislature, of which he had just been slected a member, for relief under their several con- tracts with the State, pee the pretext that they had got been remunerative, Lord stipulating that he should receive two-thirds of whatever sum was allowed them, ind that Bennett should not have any trouble or ex- [seer ¢ in procuring the appropriation, Mr. Bennett as- mnted to this proposal, On the 19th of April, 1871, the Legislature passed an act requiring the Canal Commissioners to take testi- mony as to tho sufliciency of prices fot dredging in Black Rock Harbor and Erie and Ohio basins, both ander the contract of John Hand, aud ordering said Dommissioners to allow such additional price as shall feimburse and be a reasonable compensation to said ‘ontractor, On the 7th of July, 1871, the Board of Canal Commis- | sioners, consisting at that time of W. W. Wright, John D. Fay and George W. Chapman, met at Buffalo, an: without taking any evidence of the expenses incurr ‘n the prosecution of these contracts, awarded to the slaimants, upon the Ohio basin and the Erie basin con- iracts, the sum of $29,676 10, which was over and above jhe sum of $24,861 52, which was paid to them under ‘heir contracts, The only witnesses examined were Lewis J. Bennett and John Hand, two of the claimants; William Richard- von, a partner of Bennett; James 8. Hayden, a fellow iredging contractor; J. F, Bein, at that time assistant mgincer in charge of the work’ covered by the Hand pontract, and Oliver Cornell, one of Bennett’s work- ‘wen. It appears from the evidence that the award of the Commissiouers was founded upon purely fictitious charges. The whole amount of this award, with ghe accumu- lated interest, amounting to $33,782 36, was paid over to Jarvis Lord, as President of the Monroe County Bank; no part’ of it was ever paid toJohn Hand; Thaddeus C. Davis received of it {rom Lord $10,600, of which he gave Lewis J. Bennett $3,000 only, revaining the remainder, $7,600, for himself. On the 23d of May, 1872, the Legislature appro- priated “tor dredging out Black Rock Harbor the sum pf $10,000, under the present contract for doing the same,” and notwithstanding its alleged unprotitable- ess, ‘the contractors went on with the work till the appropriation was exhausted, which occupied until the month of July, 1873, Emboldened by his previous success, it occurred to George D, Lord to ask from the Canal Commissioners another award “for the relief of John Hand’? Lord again sought Mr. Bennett and proposed to obtain for him another award on the same terms as the last, The arrangements for the meeting of the Canal Commissioners, the procuring of testimony and ail the trouble and expense incident to the preparation of the case for this second award were managed by George D. Lord, Wiliam H. Bowman as his atworney and Thaddeus C. Davis. The Commissioners met at the Tift House, im the Apeity of Buffalo, on the 27th day of November, 1874; the Board of Commissioners at that time cousisting of Alexander Barkley, R, W. Stroud and James Jackson, Jr. The only witnesses examined were Lewis J. Bennett, William H. Douglass and William Richardson, Bennétt’s partners; Oliver Cornell, one of Beunett's workmen, and J. Frederick Behn. Upon the testimony of these Witnesses the Commissioners made an addi- tional award “for the relief of John Hand” of $36,855, On this work Bennett testifies that but for what they were obliged to pay to the agents of the State to get hat he called “fair play,” their contracts would havo been profitable; that it never occurred to him to ask relief from the Legislature; that when he prepared jis claim for the first award he regarded it as final; tha@he was instigated to make the second application by Lord and encouraged in it by Davis; that he was not asked te make up his bill until after the testimony before the Dommisxsioners had been all taken; that when the bill was forwarded to Lord at Rochester, it was returned to tim through Bowman, who instructed him that it was pot in accordance with the evidence taken before the Canal Commissioners, and required him to take it back for correction; that he did take it back; made a new bill, greatly increasing all the amounts as in the pre- vious award, and sent itto Rochester. When Bennett ‘vext saw it, it was in the hands of Davis. ‘The proof that every cent of the $70,637 36 awarded to these conspirators was in excess of what the law fropristed for their relief, and was obtained upon purely ictitious and fraudulent charges, is that Bennett's time books show that the whole number of days on which a firedge was employed on the Ohio basin was 240. Mr. Bennett claimed $3,150 as interest for three years on $15,000, the assumed cost of machinery, tools, &c., ased in the Obio basin, and $9,000 for depreciation of the machinery during the same period, whereas the machinery and boats were actually in use only 240 days. Che same dredging machinery was employed upon tho work in the Krie basin. Ho claimed $2,800 for two rears’ interest on $20,000, its assumed value, and 8,000 for depreciation, although the toial number of jays it was employed on this work was but 149, The same dredging machinery was employed in the Black Rock Harbor. Bennett claimed $4,200 for three years’ Dterest on its assumed value of $20,000; $9,000 for its depreciation during the same period, whereas the total aurmber of days of its employment on this work was wut 309. The amount paid by Bennett for towing, according to gis time book, was $4,464 65; the amount claimed by tim was $7,007 75. ‘The total days’ work performed by his dredges, accord. ‘ng to his books, were:—In the Ohio basin, 240; Erio in, 149; Black Rock Harbor, 309; making in all 698, jow, Mr. Bennett testifies that $100 per day each wag {ull compensation for the use of his dredges and appurte- vances, ‘This rate tor 698 days would yield on the three sontracts $00,800. He actually received, at his contract prices, $74,446 52, or $4,446 over and above what his books thow his dredges would have earned, supposing their vork had been hired by the day at full prices, Here follows an extract from the testimony of Mr, Bennett, substantiating the allegations regarding the tredging trauds, It ears from the testimony of Mr. Thaddeus C, Davis that, besides acting as counsel in this last award both for the State and for the clalmants—taking down the testimony, writing or recording all the papers and rawing tbe award—ho paid the expenses of the Com- issioners during their sojourn at Bulfalo on this busi- bess, including a “wine supper” at the Tit House, at h were several invited guests, including Mr. Bow- man, attorney in fact. On the 10th of February following, by direction of George D. Lord, Bennett met Bowman at the oflice of the Canal Commissioner at Lockport, to receive the award, For greater convenience in discharging various obligations which Lord and Bennett had respectively incurred in obtaining it, Mr. Jackson, the Canal Com- waissioner, issued seven certificates of indebtedness, Bumbered as tollows:—No. 179, $2,500; No. 180, $2,000; No. 181, $9,355; No. 182, $4,000; No. 188, $1,000; No. 4 $16,000; No. 186, $2,000, Total, $36,860. No, 184, for $19,000, ‘and 183, for $1,000, were given to Mr. Bowman fo Lon, ' Mr, Bowman infor us that the certificate for $1,000 haa been made at request and was retained by him from Mr. Lord’s sha as his compensation. The remainder of the certificates ‘were taken by Mr, Bennett, It is but justice, however, to Mr, Bowman to state that he bas returned this certifi- cate for $1,000 t6 the commission for cancellation and NEW YORK HERALD, WEDNESDAY; OCTOBER 6, 1875.--QUADRUPLE SHEET. Surrender, The extess, over and above one-third, to which he was by his contract entitled, he claimed as indemnification for the portion of his share of the first award which Davis and Lord bad withheld from him, Some days after the division Davis called at Bennett's office, whee the latter says he handed Davis a envelope, without any ad containing one of the $2,000 certificates, When asked how it happened that he gave $2,000 to Davis in addition to what Davis had rev recelved, Mr. Bennett said;—‘l looked yo] it that [ got a large number of certificates, and he had been friendly, Although he had not made any claim against me for it, I felt that I ought not to have it all. o is all, I thought 1 would be as friendly as he had sn.” ‘The financial results of Mr, George D. Lord’s career as a legislator and contractor with the State in connec- tion with these transactions up to the present stage of First—Contracts for dr Ohio basin. Erte basin, Black Rock Harbor. Second—Legislative awards un- der the John Hand Relief act. First award and interest, $33,782 36 Second award.....y++++ 36,855 00 Third—Direct claims of and awards to G, D. Lord, Claims filed and paid under chapter 653 of the Laws of 1871. $12,431 61 Award for alleged = age under Repair Con- trast Relief act of 1870, 40,000 00 our narrative may be briety stated as follows : ging. $17,979 53 . 16,881 99 39,686 00 $74,446 52 70,637 36 52,431 61 . $197,515 49 Deducting, for dredging below 10 feet in the Ohio basin... Making an aggregate of... 2 —every cent of which, so far as we have been able to.as- certain, was paid, or is charged against the State for work that was fully covered by the repair contract of Lord, under which the State was paying him at the rate | of $44,400 a year, George D. Lord’s connection with the contracts arded to E. W. Williams and Charles D, Skisner, and his influence in beguiling the State into the further | expenditure in Buffalo harbor, aggregating already over $1,000,000, will be treated in another report. Meantime we deem it our duty to invite your attention to another transaction, in’ which, indeed, George D. Lord plays | only a subordinate’s part, but in which devices for de- frauding the State are employed, unlike any to which we have hitherto called your atten- tion, The testimony before us establishes the facts that Jarvis Lord, the father of George D. Lord, and George W. Phelps, in April, 1869, were rival bidders for a valuable repair contract; that Phelps submitted, in the name of his nephew, Charles F, Braman, a bid which was accepted, to keep section No. 4 of the Erie Canal in repair for a period of four years and eight months, at the rate of $34,000 a year; that Lord offered, it Phelps would repudiate his bid and | allow his (Lord’s} to be accepted, to divide with him the profits they would make on the transaction, which he estimated for the term of the contract at from thirty to forty thousand dollars; that, Mr. Phelps declining to en- tertain this proposition, Mr. Lord proposed to pay him and also to protect him and his bail from any suit or other expense that might grow out of its non-tulfilment, This latter agreement was reduced to writing and de- vered to Mr, Phelps, A copy of it will be fouhd amoiig e papers annexe This proposal was also declined. Mr. Phelps testifies that the effect of this definitive refusal to unite with Mr. Lord in his scheme to defraud the State, was so effectually resented by Mr. Lord that he felt himself obliged very shortly to apply for the cancellation of his | contracts and to withdraw from all further canal con- tracting work on the New York State canals, under a conviction that Lord’s influence over the canal officers, | of the western division more especially, mado it im: possible for tim to compete honestly for work on any- thing like equal terms. For a circumstantial detail of | the facts in this case, you are referred to the affidavit of | | George W. ang and the correspondence of Jarvis | Lord, George D. Lord and others hereunto annexed. | The report isesigned by Messrs, John Bigelow, D. Ma- | gone, Jr.; A, E. Orr, and J. D, Van Buren, Jr., the Com- missioners. THE CENTENNIAL RIFLEMEN, PREPARATIONS FOR THE COMING YEAR—MEET- ING OF THE AMERICAN RIFLE ASSOCIATION, ‘The members of the American Rifle Association held | their regular monthly meeting in the Bennett Building | yesterday afternoon, General A. Shaler presiding. After | | the regular routine of business had been transacted, | General McMahon with others present placed before | the meeting the contract which the association pro- | pose to submit to the State, The contract demands | | that the State pay to the organization the sum of | $4,000 for the use of the range and counters for the National Guard, for three days of the regular season, extending from the Ist of June to the 1st of September, The protests against decisions rendered in the matches | shot at Creedmoor since the last meoting, made by Messrs, Adam and Robertson, were allowed, Those made by Cameron and Canfield were disallowed, ‘The Treasurer said that there still remained in the treasury the sum of $2,253. General McMahon then arose and stated that the room in which the members of the association were at present compelled to meet | was entirely too small to accommodate them, and | moved thatlarger quarters be engaged in the samo iJ building upon the other side of the hall. Major Fulton seconded the motion, and it was unanimously carried, Major Fulton then arose and verbally tendered his $9,000 if he would not sign his contract with the State, | | John Quinlan, | Doyle, William B, Finley, resignation as Secretary of the organization. Major Fulton’s resignation was accepted. Captain Story and Colonel Gildersleeve were both nominated to fill the vacant place, As soon as Colonel Gildersteeve heard his name announced he declined the honor most emphatically, General McMahon pressed his acceptance in the strongest terms, whereupon Colonel Gildersieeve arose and gave his reason for de- | chning in language equaily strong. Major Fulton im- | mediately arose and insisted that Colonel Gildersieeve — | should not dechne, for during the forthcoming inter- | | national contest to be held in 1876 they needed a secre- | | tary who was known everywhere among riflemen as | | | | | | \ | | Colonel Gildersieeve was. The meeting clamoregl wildly | for Colonel Gildersleeve’s acceptance, and the Presi- | dent was authorized to cast the vote. Ofcourse Colonel Gildersleeve was elected, A long communication was then read from General Hawley, of Connecticut, and a member of the Centen- | nial Commission. General Hawley stated in his letter | that there was a long stretch of territory along the Del- aware River, not far from the Exposition Buidings, where a convenient range could be easily constructed | for the international match of 1876, He also said that | the Centennial Commission held the idea as a good one, and that after he had submitted the question to them at | their next regular meeting he had no doubt that he | would be able to communicate something more definite, Colonel Gildersieeve then said that inasmuch as the Tiflemen abroad were waiting day after day to hear | | Something of the preparations for the grand Centennial match, he moved that the Executive Committee of the American Rifle Association confer with the Centennial Commissioners and return a report at the earliest prac- | ticable moment. Carried. Then followed the auditing of several bills, after which the meeting adjourned, A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY. TWO SONS IN NEW JERSEY ACCUSED OF MUR- DERING THEIR AGED FATHER. The examination of James, Thomas and Lawrence Goodwin on the charge of beating and inflicting fatal injuries on their aged father, at No, 28 Railroad avenue, Jersey City, took place yesterday before Justice Keeso- Lawrence made the following statement:—Last Friday a week ago, when I came home from work I was met in the hall by my mother and sister Annie, who told me that my father and Thomas were then fighting; went in and saw Thomas sitting at a window and bleeding profusely from a wound in his head; father was stand- ing in the door of the room and was calling | Thomas’ dead wife all sorts of names; there was bo | blood on father; James was standing in the middle of the room; father and Thomas were drunk; James was | not so bad, but nearly 80; Thomas’ shirt’ was torn; so was father’s; I wentup to the old man and quieted him; James went out, and as soon as I had my supper 1 went out, as I did not want to have anything to do with them; father was taken ber the following Monday abd complained @ great deal; he was arrested several times for drank- ness; when intoxicated he was very quarrelsome, Thomas Goodwin testified ;—I remember the fight last Friday; when I went home my father was noisy and struck me with something; I did not strike him; I was drunk, but [knew what I was doing: Lawrence was there and told me I ought to be ashamed to act so; don’t remember anything about father being kicked at that time, James was then called on for » statement, and he said that he heard the old man “jawing’’ Thomas, and saw him rush at him, Thomas catled on James to take tho old man away, James did so and placed the old man in the bedroom. Lawrence — was thereupon discharged i? Justice Keese, while James and Thomas are held to await the action of the Coroner's jury. The wife of the deceased and his daughters cast the blame on the old man and denied that he was beaten or abused. Dr, Prendergast, on the other hand, states that he was called on to atiend the old man on Saturday night and he found him suffering from external injuries. The pulse was very low. He called again on Monday and was informed that the old man died about noon. be refused to give a certificate, 8 an examination of the dase satisfied him that tho old man died.from violence or neglect. He therefore re- Ported the case at the Second precinct station aud the Sons Were arrested soon afterwar A WOULD-BE SUICIDE RESCUED. Yesterday afternoon a respectable looking man passed into the ferry atthe foot of Cortlandt street, and going throngh one of the cabins in the ferryboat Jersey City stepped across the chain and deliberately | walked overboard, By great exertions he was drawa | out of the water, but in an almost exhausted condition. He gave his name as Jacob Stewart, but he would not state the cause which led to his desperate purpose, Ho was co veyed to the Twenty-seventh precinct statio and tha,ce to the Park Hospital a TAMMANY HALL. Meeting of the Committee on Organization. Reconstruc‘ion of the Second and Seventeenth Districts. A REFORM REVOLUTION. ‘The Tammany Committee on Organization met yester- day afternoon at Tammany Hall, with John Kelly pre- siding, in order to take action on the report of the Committee on Discipline, which had been ordered to report to the committee in reference to the reorganiza- tion of the Second and Seventeenth Assembly districts, ‘The minutes of the last meeting having been read and confirmed, the following report of the Committee on Discipline was presented, read and adopted :— REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON DISCIPLINE. New Yorx, Oct. 5, 1875. To rus ComMiTTER ON ORGANIZATION OF TaMMANY ALL :— ry ‘Sub-Committee on Organization and Discipline of General and Assembly district committees, to whom was referred the reorganization of the General Commit- tees of the Second aud Seventeenth Assembly, districts, beg leave to report:— ‘hat your Committee, in accordance with a resolu- tion adopted by the Committee on Organization, met and conferred With a committee of three, representing e factions existing in the Second Assembly nd the gentlemen composing the said com- mittees after a conference agreed upon the names of fourteen persons as members of the new committee and were unable to agree upon the remaining nine to con- stitute tire committee, Your Committee consulted a number of prominent and influential democrats of the Second Assembly district in the selection of proper per- sons to fill the nine seats in the General Soeruitne: which the said Conference Committee were unable to agree upon, and report theannexed hist as a General Committee for the Second Assembly District for the re- mainder of the year 1875:— ‘That your Committee also met and conferred with a committee oi three from the two opposing factions in the Seventeenth Assembly district, That the said Conference Committee afler a meeting agreed upon the names of seventeen individuals as members of the new committee and were unable to agree upoti the re- maining filteen to constitute the committee, Your Committee consulted a number of prominent and influential democrats of the Seventeenteenth As- sembly district in the selection of proper persons to ill the fifteen seats in the General Committee which the said Conference Committees were unable to agree upon, and report the annexed list asa General Com- mittee for the Seventeenth Assembly district for the remainder of the year 1875, hace ed submitted, W. C. CONNER, MAURICE J. POWER. HENRY D. PURROY. WILLIAM A. BOYD, Chairman, SECOND DISTRICT COMMITTEE, Patrick Lysayht, William P, Kirk, Martin J. Keese, Jeremiah Murphy, James Dunphy, Constantine Donoho, Harry Howard, Edward Henry, Patrick Diver, M.D. Downey, Michael W. Bowen, Hugh Kane, Wilham Vail, Andrew. White, Bryan Ganghan, Robert M. Dore, ohn” Powers, Timothy J. Donohoe, George G. Fuessel, John Mftclel, Patrick J. Murphy, ‘Thomas J Nealis, SEVENTEENTH DISTRICT COMMUTER, Frederick Smythe, Patrick H. Power, Charles McIntyre, William Joyce, John G. Carey,’ Lawrence Morrissey, Charles C. Duif, Cornelius J. Kane, Francis Biessing, John Dugan, Jr, George Greener,’ Thomas Kerrigati, Martin Buckley, Audrew Heid Patrick J. Bermmpham, Roderick F.’ Farrell, Willlam Coney, David ¥, Baker, Arthur Flynn, ' James Connolly, Matthew Quinn, Richard Clemens, Michael Deane, Leo C. Dessar, Peter MoCullough, Fréderick Meyer, John jaines B, Brady, William B, Nassau, James P. Campbell, Edward Schreyer, REVORM MEASURES. A regollktion was also prepared to be presented to the General Committee, calling the attention of the various | members of the different conventions about to be held to the necessity of selecting and nominating none but good and responsible persons for all offices for which there are vaéancies, but more especially to the absolute requirement that exists that only those citizens | whose record is sans reproche should be accorded nomi- nations to iegislative honors, whether in the Senate or Assembly, owing to the well known desire on all sides that there is for apurifaction of this branch of the government, A resolution offered by Mr. Delany in regard to the action of the State Assessors, and calling upon the next Legislature to pass a bill for the better equalization of assessmonts, was referred to the Committee on Legisla- ture. After the transaction of a vast amount of routine business on adjournment wus had. ‘THE NEW COMMITTEES ORGANIZING. Just previous to this the General Gommittees of the Second and Seveateeuth Asssembly districts, as newly constructed, the members of which who had been duly notified to be in attendance were taken into the base- ment and reorganized under the supervision of the Committee on Discipline. That of the Second Assembly district still remains under the control and mi ment of Alderman Patrick Lysaght, who nominated Patrick J. Murphy for Chairman, Thomas J. Nealis as Secretary and Andrew J. White as Treasurer. These gentlemen were duly confirmed. The representatives of the district on the Committee on Organization will be Patrick Lysaght and William Vail. The Seventeenth District Committee was given over to Frederick Smythe, who was also made Chairman, with Leo ©, Dessar as formigenst and Reter McCullough Treasurer, The dis- trict will be represented in the Committee on Organiza- tion by Frederick Smythe and Maurice J. Powers. These arrangements were fully confirmed by the Com- mittee on Organization. THE DEMOCRATIC COUNTY COM- MITTEE, The Democratic County Committee met last evening in Irving Hall, There was a large attendance of the delegates, and Ira Shafer presided, Emanuel B. Hart, in behalf of the Executive Committee, reported, in regard to the contest in tho Thir- teenth Assembly district, -in favor of ad- mitting the delegation headed by Joseph Hart. This report met with somo opposition from the other con- testing delegation, and, on motion, the dispute was re- ferred to a committee, consisting of Messrs, Andrews, Wood, Ransom, O’Brien and Munson, to hear both sides and report back to the body. The report of the Executive Committee on the dates and places of hold- |« ing the primaries and conventions was adopted. The following are the places for holding the Civil Justice | conventions :— District, 1—No. 130 Greenwich street. 2—Brookes’ Assembly Rooms, Broome street. 8—No. 755 Broadway, corner of Kighth avenue, 4—Germania Assembly Rooms, No, 201 Bowery. 6—Clinton Garden, No. 126 Ciinton street 6—Thirty-sixth street and Second avenue, 7—National Hall. 8—No. 316 West Thirty-sixth street. 9—125th street and Eighth avenue, 10—Kureka Hall, 147th street and Third avenue. It was announced that the Senatorial Conventions would be held at the times and places appointed by the Executive Committee at its meeting on Monday even- ing. The Executive Committee also reported resolu- tions, which were adopted, with the reports fixing the amount of assessment on each delegate to the Convention at $5. The committee which was appointed to settle the dispute in the contested district returned without having ac- complished their object, and on motion the matter was referred to Benjamin Wood as a special committee to arbitrate upon the question and select the delegates from both sides proportionately, James D. McCiel- jand then offored @ series of resolutions, which were adopted, declaring that the Tammany Hail General Committee had omitted to denounce the reduction of the laborers’ wages or rebuke the Com- missioner of Public Works for this reduction, that Join Kelly smothered the resolutions favorable to the labor- ers, proclaiming the reduction as a fixed policy of Tam- many, and inviting the laboring classes to unite in one determined effort to overthrow their common foe by organizing in their respective localities, @ meeting then adjourned. SIXTEENTH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT. RATIFICATION MEETING. The democrats of the Sixtcenth Assembly district held a large ratification meeting last evening at Academy Hall, No. 807 Third avenue, on the occasion of raising a new banner bearing the names of the State officers nominated at Syracuse, Dr. August French presided, and addresses were delivered by Abram 8. Hewitt, Major James Haggerty, James E, Morrison and others, Resolutions were adopted sustaining the policy and course of Governor Tilden and ratifying the nomination and piatform adopted at Syracuse, One of the resolutions related to the Eight Hour law and the wages question, and urgea upon the leaders to take such measures a would Tesult in an honest recogat. tion of the rights of the workingmen, and of the carry- ing out of the time-honored maxim that a fair day's work is entitled to « fair day’s wages, REPUBLICANS ARMS, Yesterday a meeting of the sub-committee of the State General Committee was held at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, The attendance of members was unusually large and comprised the following names:—Jobn Birdsall, Glen Cove; Silas B Dutcher, Benjamin W. Wilson, David Williams, Brooklyn; Austin Leake, Alonzo By Cornell, Jacob M. Patterson, Jr., Gilbert J.. Huntor, Henry J. Leask, Wilham A. Darling, New York; Wil: liam H. Robertson, Katonah; Lewis F, Payne, Chat- ham; John F, Smyth, Alvany;; Gilbert Robinson, Jr., Troy; John B. Clute, Schenectady; W. 0. Squire, lion} George N. Crouse, Syracuse; John’ N. Knapp, Auburn! Georwe Hyland, Jr, Dansville; Boniamin Devoe, Bing: hamton; Henry A. Glidden, Albion; James D, Warren, Buffalo, and Henry A. Glidden, the secretary, ‘Tho business done was of @ purely routine nature, Reports from different parts of the State were read, in which was set forth cheering prospects for the coming campaign, Reports were also given verbally by each member of the committee present in reference to their Various districts, . ‘The sub-committee, to whom was referred the ques: tion as to whether it would not be expedient and for the best interests of the party that the First, Fifth, Sixth, Fighth, Fifteenth and Eersotemmah should be re- organized, simply reported progress and asked to be continued in order that they mignt accord a hearing to the parties interested. They were continued accord- ingly and the committee adjourned. THE LIBERAL REPUBLICANS. ‘The Liberal Republican Assembly Convention, called | last evening, proved very lame, In many of the As- sembly district headquarters no meetings whatever | were held, In others few persons were present, and the conventions adjourned without nominating, Ex-As- sistant Alderman Jeremiah Murphy was nominated at the convention in the Second Assembly district, At a meeting of the nominating convention of the Nberal republicans of the Kighteenth Assembly district, held at headquarters, No, 453 Fourth avenue, on Tues- day itary nominated {01 October §, Mr. Christopher Pullman was | ir member of Assembly. CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. Yesterday afternoon a meeting of the Executive Com- mittee of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was held ot its headquarters, Mr. Townsend Harris in the chair, There were also present Messrs. Henry Bergh, Frank Leslie, Nathan ©. Ely, John M. Bixby, N. M Beckwith, N. P, Hosack, El- bridge T. Gerry, Frederick Gallatin, Royal Phelps and James Stokes. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read, a letter was read from Sister Laurentia, of the St. Vincent's Hospital, acknowledging the receipt of $3,500 from the society as a contribution. This was the hos- pital in which the late Louis Bonard died. The counsel reported the favorable decision of the | courts in the cases of the hog slaughterers and the cider press dog; reported a second contribution of $1,000 from Mrs, Harriet Cook, of West Goschen, Conn; reported that the little girl ‘Mary Ellen” bad been provided with a comfortable and happy home; also reported that, with the advice of the Parent Society, kindred societies had been organized at Omaha, Neb., and at Chariceton, 8. 0. In all, thirty States and Terri- tories were now at work in the good cause. Branches had also been organized at Nyack and at Delhi, N. Y. A letter was read from General L. P. Walker, of Alabama, promising to push the work in that State and obtain the necessary legislative seernene Re- ported that an eloquent sermon had beet recently reached against Cruelty to animals, by the Rev, B. Russell, of elhi. An animated dis- cussion took place in respect to the use of severe bits and check reins upon carriage horses, and the followin; baa wag ed :—Resolved, That the President authorized and empowered td issue and serve a notice upon offenders against the laws for the preven- tion of bhi ag animals using a severe bit and accumulated check rein, and that if said notice be disre- garded that he shall be at liberty to proceed by law against the party or parties persisting in using such bits or check reins, A DIPLOMA POR MR. BERGH. Alarge and beautifully engraved diploma to Henry Bergh from the Royal’ Society forthe Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, together with a letter from the Secretary John Colam, were produced, stating that it was the highest distinction and honor his society could bestow, and that the new diploma was only iutended for persons who really have contributed to the success of | the cause by self-denying efforts, The diploma is signed by the Earl ot Harrowby and the Baroness Bur- dett Coutts. A letter was read from the Pennsylvania society, asking that a combined effort be made to pro- vent the cruelties inflicted upon cattle in transit, The President reported that he had made soph: cation lo the Commissioners of the Centennial Ex- Dition for space in which to show to the world the prog- ress of the work of humanity in America, A letter was read which the President had addressed to Mr. James | Gordon Bennett on the subject of “Pigeon Slaughter.” It was reported that there had beon no ‘Dog law’ this summer, and, singular to say, hardly a case of even al- leged hydrophobia, Mr. Perry presented the society | with a set of “New York Statutes at Large.” A vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Frank Leslie for the valuable aid he rendered the society through the medium of bis publications, During the summer the President had visited several cities and towng and, after delivering | lectures, assisted in the formation of societies. A pamphlet on the “Horse, His Comfort, Discomfort and Torture,” by the president, was ordered to be widely circulated. The superintendent reported that since the Ist of May the agents of the society had pros- ecuted 203 cases of crucity to animals; 984 disabled horses had also been suspended from work. Of these 605 were lame, 282 were sore; thirty-eight horses were overloaded, and fifty-nine were sick. 139 animals were removed during the same period in. the ambu- lances of the society, Messrs. L. Boyer, Douglas Mer- ritt, E. L. Finch, ©. E. Lauremee and Kilian Van Rensselaer having been elected members the meeting adjourned. A PLEA FOR THE MARINES. The United States frigate Colorado entered com- ‘ mission as,the receiving ship of the Brooklyn Navy Yard on October 1, and since that time numerous complaints have been made by the marines on account of the treatment they have received from the hands of their superior officera, The marines in the first place assert that they are kept on duty for three and even four consecutive days, their regular period of service, according to the regulations of the United States Navy, being only twenty-four hours at a time. Again, in a circular issued by the Navy Department at Washington, dated September 1, 1875, will be found the following clanse:—*Men or boys enlisted for general service are never, under any pretext whatever, to be detailed as servants for officers.” It seems, from the best authority, that on Sunday last three marines were ordered by their superior offi- cer to fill his bath tub, an order which they at first hesitated to obey, because it was detailing them to a menial service from which the government had wholly exempted them. Noticing their hesitancy, the ma-_ rines assert that Officer Bishop commanded them to goatonce before the Logs ord sepscyery his order with such violent threats that they all three obeyed, despite the fact that they had been on guard duty for three consecutive days previously. The marines also state that the language their superior uses in address- ing them 1s very profane, and that his conduct toward them is habitually brutal. If the above statements are true, it behooves Captain Bain to investigate the con- ditign of affairs upon bis frigate, and do all in his to institute an immediate change. PUBLIC SCHOOL SCANDALS. ACTION OF THE GRAND JURY AT JERSEY CITY. The Grand Jury in Jersey City has devoted the past two days mainly to the investigation of the frauds in the Board of Education. Several members of the board and employés were examined. A man named | Sheridan gave evidence in regard to the bids for coal. It now appears that, according to the opinion of Cor- poration Counsel Lewis, given as far back as February to the board, it has been acting in deflaace of law, The question was submitted to Mr. Lewis whether, in case @ deficiency in | the appropriation at the end of the fiscal | ear, ‘such deficiency could be made up legally by pay- Ine out of the appropriation of the next year, thereby reducing the next appropriation." This question Mr. Lewis answered with a decided negative, and quoted the city charter to show that only the sum appropriated by the Board of Finance to each of the boards, and no more, shall be spent for the purposes of the city gov- ernment. The opinion concludes in these words:— “Not only shall the Board not exceed its appropriation, but it shall not incur indebtedness beyond its abilit to pay, which ability is fixed by the appropriation, It is not lawful to discount the future by obligating the city beyond the present ability of the Board to pay.” fhe however, was not to be thus curbed in its career of extravagance, and the publication of the foregoing opinion was suppressed. But for the Poa sistent efforts of Mr. Hollins, who obtained a eo ‘om. the records of the Corporation Counsel’s offi and handed it to a Herauo representative yesterday, it would not now appear. After the opinion was pre- sented a resolution was offered in the Board to have a Dill lobbied through the Legislature granting an addi- tional appropriation of $30,000, Mr. Lyon, President of the thought this was a bagatelle for a city containing 80 many taxpayers, and he moved to in- crease the sum to $51,000. Mr. Hollins loudly pro- tested, but the resolution was ae oy all the mem! except Mr. Hollins voting for it, The investigation will be resumed this evenin, WORK FOR THE CORONERS, James R. Graham, a child living with his parents at No. 553 West Twenty-sixth street, died yesterday, un- dor circumstances that will necessitate the holding of ‘an inquest, At three o'clock yesterday morning an unknown man was found dead on the front steps of No. 43 West Twonty-thir. street, Tho body was in a sitting tare. Deceased was about sixty years of age and Tad evidently died of heart disease, William A. Gurnsey, of No. 11 Sullivan street, died very suddenly at No. 125 Varick street yesteraay, ‘hitmore, oewaiiges, one of the unfortunate men who was hurt by the ling of asafe in Broadway one day last week, died at his residence, No. 308 West Twonty-frat street, yesterday morning. An inquest will be heid in a few days by Coroner Croker, JERSEY DICK TURPINS. According to the experience of Mr. P. Vanderveer, a Jersey farmer, residing in the vicinity of Westfield, Union county, the race of Dick Turpins is not run out. A few nights ago he was pounced upon at a lonely point by three highwaymen and ordered to “pony up” under peril of his life," He was dofencoless, and handed over ail he possessed, some $30, The villains then lashed | prosecute the parties. | from Judge Nelson and several prominent gentlemen in his horse unmercifully and disappeared in an opposite direction. CRIME INVESTIGATORS. What the Legislative Committee Heard Yesterday. Horrible Statistics of Ob- scene Literature. Yesterday's session of the Committee on Crime, held | in the Aldermanic chamber, was mostly devoted to the | obstructions placed in the way of justice through the District Attorney’s office. Mrs. Caroline F, Roddy re- hearsed again her remarkable story, and Mr. Anthony Comstock, the prosecutor of the venders of indecent | literature, showed how it was that men arrested for that” vile offence could not be punished in New York city, owing to the disinelination of District Attorneys to Mrs. Roddy was the first witness, and related in detail the circumstances connected with the theft of a number | of bonds of southern railroads belonging to her, by George A, Everett, in Detroit, while she was on her way to Chicago, A STARTLING TALE. The testimony was in effect that she was induced to go to Alabama by way of Chicago, to see afer her in- terest in the Selma and Gulf Railroad; while in Detroit her trunk was broken open, and the bonds, a certificate of marriage with P. D. Roddy, and other valuable pa- | pers were stolen; on arriving at Alabama she discovered her loss, returned to Detroit and placed the case in the hands of a detective, who arrested Everett, and dis- covered that the bonds and papers had been sent to | Frank W. Brooks, of New York, Everett was placed | under $75,000 for trial; but the bail’ was reduced to | $45,000 bail, and he got out, She afterward procured the | arrest of Brooks in this city, and also the extradition of Everett to New York, and procured an indictment | against them in January, 1873; she made repeated | attempts to have them brought to trial, and pro- | duced voluminous correspondence between herself and | District Attorney Phelps and Recorder Hackett in re- gard to the matter, She had paid $150 herself to havo Everett brought to this city, on the representation of District Attorney Phelps that he did not want to put the county to the expense; for eighteen months she could not have the case brought to trial, and had suf- fered all manner of abuse from the friends of Everett and Brooks, HER ARREST AND ACQUITTAL, At this time she caused the arrest of P. D, Roddy, who, she said, was her husband, for abandonment; two | or three weeks afterward Roddy had her arrested for perjury, theft and conspiracy to blackmail. She was | arrested by Captain Byrne, who, she alleged, treated | her in a most brutal manner, and locked her up with a drunken negro; for thirty-six h@ars she was without food, After remaining several weoks in prison she secured counsel; the private counsel of Brooks and Everett conducted the prosecution against her; she was acquitted, and a nolle prosequi was entered on another indictment against her; he then left the city for a short time, and on her return learned that a nolle prosequi had been entered in the case of Everett and | Brooks; she had heard nothing of the case since; as a | part of the prosecution against her, Brooks and Everett and her husband Roddy published articles in which she was described as a blackmailer, a confidence woman and asa lobbyist at Washington. She produced legters | Washington, saying that she was of good character. She also produced letters from Roddy, in which he called her his wife, and addressed her in the most affec- | tionate terms, She said that at the time Roddy had | her arrested she had been his wife for five years. MR. SULLIVAN ON THE STAND. Mr. Algernon 8, Sullivan was the first witness:in the afternoon, He said he had been sent for by Mr. Thur- low Weed, who had been deeply interested in this case. Mr. Weed begged him to see that no injustice shouki be done in this case, which, ho said, bad enlisted his profoundest sympathy. The result of the trial for | larceny was that Mrs, Roddy was triumphantly | acquitted, and tho indictment for perjury was not | pressed to trial, as Judge Sutherland declared other cases required previous attention, Assistant Dis- trict Attorney Lyons, who was supposed to have charge of the larceny ‘case, did ‘hot try it, but bad Mr, Fullerton and Mr, Davenport as special counsel for the | purpose. Immediately after Mrs. Roddy’s acquittal he addressed two letters to the District Attorney's office, one to the District Attorney and the other to Assistant District Attorney Lyons, ae, urging them to bring the other cases to a speedy tri A short time after the date of these letters Assistant | District Attorney Russell sent for him ana informed him that he had made up his mind to enter @ nolle rosequi in the cases still pending against her. Mr. Russell substantially admitted the innocence of Mra. Roddy, saying that the proceedings against her did not | meet his approval. Mr. Sullivan: declared that he never gave any au- thority or consent to the nolle prosequiin the case against Everett and Brooks. Mr. Townsend offered finally as evidence copies of the indictments, nolle prosequi, &c,, in these cases, i} Mrs, Roddy was recalled. She stated that Mr, Phelps, . from the time these cases began until they ended, HAD PERFECT CONTROL OF THEM, and did not allow his assistants to interfere with them; however, on one occasion Mr. Russeil called her into | his office and told her that it was a very unpleasant thing for a lady to prosecute such men as Brooks and Everett, and advised her to compromise the case; ‘she had offered to compromise the case for $3,000, and he strongly urged her to accept the offer. She declined to do so, and thereupon Mr. Ros- sell grossly abused her and insulted her with the toulest epithets. Mrs. Roddy offered to produce testimony in support of that statement, but the committee ruled it out as irrelevant, She came to New York to —. music in 1867 from Harkerstown, N. J., where her family ‘had lived for hundreds Gof Apt She made the acquaintance of a lady whom she accompanied to the opera and to the theatres, and who introduced her to General P. D. | Roddy, of Alabama, He said he was a divorced and showed her a certificate of divorce. We had A COURTSHIP of about six weeks, and he alleged that the marriage must be private, as he had committed a murder. We were never publicly married, but signed an agree- ment of marriage. We lived for five years together as man and wife, but Mr. Roddy raised cruel conflict. between my con- jugal love and my property. He wanted me to wear ‘hoo ae and took possession of all my property. | Some of the bonds I had recetved from him were gtven | for cash advances, which I had made to bim. When I | was robbed I took the name of Shotwell, in order to | eit him the disgrace of dragging his name before tho ic. Mur. Townsend read a letter sh owing that Mr. Roddy had committed a breach of trust in using her railroad — bonds for the pur} of raising funds. is letter was written by one of the directors of the Selma and Gulf Railroad, SOME QUEER THINGS. Mr. John EB. Beall, a lawyer (another of Mrs. Roddy’s counsel), was simply called to sbow that he also did not gtve his consent to the’ nollie prosequi against Brooks and Everett, Mr. Beall claimed a paper which he found in the District Attorney's office, and which was an agreement on the ot Mr. Roddy to deliver to her the stock above alluded to (bonds of the Selma and Gulf railroad to the amount of | 50,000), This paper he never secut as the District Attorney declined to give it to him, rs. Roddy hada bundle of very important papers which were taken from her upon her arrest, This contract was in the bundle, and he was denied access to the ip mod by Assistant District Attorney Lyons. After some days he ‘was allowed access to them, and then he saw that the bundle was addressed to the counsel on the other side. | It was @ curious fact that the bundie was mach smaller when the witness saw it again than when it was first pro- duced in court. o ANTHONY COMSTOCK'S STORY. Anthony Comstock said he was the Secretary of the Association for the Suppression of Vice. He made it his special duty to prosecute dealers in obscene litera- ture and immoral articles. He found more difficulty in this city to procure indictments than almost in any other in Chr and at the request of Mr. Townsend read a list of offenders who had been indicted at his instance | and never tried. In the first case, in 1872, the goods that had been deposited with the clermof the District Attorney as proofs of dealing in immoral articles could not be found on the day of trial, and the latter, aes proved a failure. In the next case, one Far- rell, indi in May, 1 & bench warrant was issded, but somebody Informed him of it and he ab- sconded, One Sickels had a factory of immoral goods and had some twenty little children to work for him. He was indicted here, bailed and went over to Brooklyn, where he started the same business. The witness pur- sued him all over the country for two years, obtained his price lists, &c., and at last had him convicted in Springfield, Masa. ‘After great difficulty one Simpson was sentenced to State Prison for dealing in obscene literature, While he was in State Prison his clerk carried on the busi- ness, and he had him indicted in Decembgr, 1872, but this Indictment was never tried, for the nm, as As- sistant District Attorney Alien told him, that SPELLED WRONGLY in the indictment Ho was never permitted to go be- Grand Jury to procure another jndictment, ‘his year he obtained ne ‘i against him and as emg so that nothing was done on the old charge for three years, Thomas Hotmen printed 148,000 indecent books for one Farrell, This man Holman was for twenty-five years a member of the Baptist Churob | CHURCH MREMBRRS AND IMPROPER ROOKS. Mr. Townsend—Do you find many members of churehes who indulge in ovscene literature? Mr. Comstock—Yea, sir. (Langhter.) I found one | they would find that all the signatures were 7 Garvin, refused to try dicted in 1872, but the indictment was mys¢ teriously changed in the District Attorne: office, and consequently he was never tried, books printed by Holman were bound by some twenty little girls in the employ of Charles and Joseph Dar- row, and in the bindery it was noticed that all these lit- tle girls had, through their occupation and through the sight of the lewd pictures in the books, learned to use the foulest terms in their conversation, The Darrows were arrested, but never tried. ‘The witness said here incidentally that Judges Hack- ett, Benedict and Sutherland always supported him, but he found the greatest opposition on the part of Mr. Comb, the clerk in the District Attorney’s office, and ‘on the part of some of Mr. Garvin's assistants. James Reilley was arrested in June, 1872, for selling obscene books, was convicted, but sentence was sus- pended, and the man was never punished. In August, 1872, he went wi Captain Byrne te Amity street, where a man who called bimself Dr he den was caught in the act of performing an operation upon @ girl named Barbara Voss, At the same time Thomas Savage, who had brought her to the abortion- ist, was arrested and held in bail bat no indictment was ever found against him. Selden was never tried. Dr. James Brien, of the “Clinton Medical and Surgical: Institute,” and the witness tried to have the charter of that institute revoked, through the Attorney but never succeeded in doing so, Mr. Comstock the committee to send for a copy of this charter ana the same hand. The following are some of the Kier’ under which this man circulates obscene backers J. Brien, KE ‘Tremaine, M. D.; Lacilie Du Mar, Jobt Harvey, M. D.; Robert Bell, M. D.; Professor W. Dra er, E. Worthington, M. D.; Martin Dutton, M. D. cad Moore. He was even under bail for a long tim but had not yet been tried. The next case of a dealer {n obsoeno literature, ont Suelbach, was a very aggravated bay but when the witness called upon District Attorney Phelps to urge » speedy trial, he said IT HAD ALREADY BREN FIXED” by Assistant District Attorney Nolan, The man wm never tried, A number of saloon keepers were arrested for keep ing obscene pictures on the walls of their premises, | among others a man named Clark. The chief cleri of the District Alorney’s office, Clark, asked him t¢ compromise the case, but the witness refused to do so, These men are still to be tried, To give an idea of the extent of this vile trade Mr. Comstock stated that in the iast three years twenty: two tons of indecent books, pictures and immora) articles had been seized by’ him. These bad goné among the very best schools aad semmaries in thé country, and among the children of the very best families. Very often lists of children im all the prin+ cipal seminaries and young ladies’ boarding schoo were selzed, and the manner in which the dealers procured these names was very ingenious. The dealot would send to each principal a circular stating that he was about to publish a United States of all boys and girls in schools, &c., offering to five cents for ig 4 name sent tt him, These lists of names would henceforth become @ matter of merchandise and other Uealers would pay high prices for obtaining them, In 1872 there were twa ge factories in this country where immoral goods were made, Mr. Comstock finally said that a large number of case’ were ready to be brought before the Grand Jury as long ago as June iast, but no indictments could be procured through the District Attorney’s office on tha plea of too great a press of other business, The committee, after privately examining specimens of immoral gooas which Mr. Comstock had brought i him, adjourned until Friday morning at eleven o’clocl SENATOR BOOTH’S INVESTIGATION. The business of the Senate Investigating Committee proceeded yesterday morning at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, Senator Booth was the only member present, the other two having in their first session deputed him to con- tinue the examination, Warden Quinn was the first witness called. He had read Mr, Laimbeer's statements at (he last session and wished to correct that part of his own testimony which they affected. His former oath was to the effect that he had not taken any one out from the Tombs. He now recollected, however, that he had taken Miss Shotwell directory | outon one occasion to the Safe Deposit Company, on Broadway, with a lady friend.of hers named Woodley. He afterwards accompanied them to a broker's office in | Wall street aud then up Broadway to do some shopping, after which he returned them to the prison. The cir- cumstance had been called to his mipd by his family, otherwise he would not have recollected it. He also now remembered having admitted some of Coroner Croker’s friends to see him after the hours allowed by the rules of the prison, Michael Daly, now Deputy Sheriff, whose business it is to convey convicts to Sing Sing and to take prisoners toand from the courts during their trial, was next sworn, He testitied to having accompanied Coronet Croker to his house in Lexington avenue, near Fortieth street; the Coroner's wife was sick, and so he allowed him to remain with his family until about eight P. when he returned with him to the prison; he tre: | him better than the other prisoners because he was # friend of his. James O'Rourke, Warden of Bellevue Hospital, testi- fied to the number of persons in his employ there. Mark Pinley, Deputy Warden of the New York City Prison, gave some unimportant testimony in regard ta the rules of the prison not having been changed, except as to the admission of fruit into the premises during his term of service there. ‘The investigation was then adjourned until Thursday, at hall-past ten A. M. HUNTER’S POINT JUSTICE. ‘The Grand Jury of the Long Island City Court, of the August term, indicted John Horan, the City Treasurer, for embezzling certain funds of the city. When the in” dictment was handed in District Attorney Downing moved that the indictment be sent to the Queens County Court of Oyer and Terminer for tral, and sup- posed it had been so ordered. But on the assembling | of the City Court this week for the October term it was ascertained that Judge Pearse, the prosiding Judge of that Court, had informed the defendant's counsel that he desired to hear them in reply to Mr. Downing's mo- tion for the removal of the indictment, At the opening of the Court, the Hon, James W. Covert and J. Ralph Burnett, Esq., Corporation Coun- sel, were prepared to move for the trial of the indict- ment The District Attorney explained his surprise that the indictment had been retained in the City Court, andargued that no Court of Oyer and Terminer or Court of Sessions ever heard any argument upon such a motion, but invariably sent such cases to the Court in which the district attorney desired that they should be tried, as by the statute they are compelled to do ‘He then moved on the affidavits of Corporation Counsel Noble, and one ot the Police Commissioners, which set forth that certain books had been abstracted {rom the ‘Treasurer's office and from the City Accountant's office, and thatthe Grand Jury were um&ble to obtain them, nd further, that His Honor, the preskling Judge, Knew of their contents, as had acted as deputy for the City Treasurer, and was a material wit was in the case. To this Mr. Covert replied that Judge Pearse’s information had been obtained while acting ag counsel for the prisoner, and it was a privileged com- mentation, Mr. Svert ae Roa ee of his ma a Mr. Burnett, to t in his judgment, the presiding sedge’ was not a material witness, and also that jurors of Long Island City were competent to try the case, and averred that the prisoner preferred to be tried by'a jury from Long Island City rather than be- fore one taken from the county at large, The District Attorney replied that it was an outrage ‘upon justice for Judge Pearse or any other judge to pre- sido at the trial of a cause when it was alleged that he ‘was a material witness on the one side, and when he had been counsel for the prisoner on the other side, The District Attorney addressed the J udge in very decided language, Lg “For Your Honor to deny ‘y my motion, is simply to place yourself in a ion Soro ss Saree ae ee also that the City the trial; that the jurors had taken sides or and inst the prisoner, and that the trial of the prisoner there would be the enactinent of a ludicrous which would disgrace and bring shame upon uny which claimed to be a court of justice. The discussion Vee most of the day, and was exceedingly bitter and acrimonious on both sides, Judge Pearse finaliy decided to retain the indictment in the City Court, a decision which caused considerable surprise even among the Judge's friends. ECONOMY ACROSS THE RIVER, Ata meeting of the Board of City Works yesterday it ‘was resolved that ‘in the judgment of this Board, the city should refuse to make any local improvements, un- less in case of insurmountable necessity, for a period of at least one year.’ Tho Mayor, Comptroller, Auditor, Corporation Counsel and Chairman of the’ Fingncd Committee of the Board of Aldermen will confer with, the Commissioners of City Works for the prompt exe- cution of this measure of economy on jursday (to- morrow) afternoon. Commissioner Fowler, who pro- sented resolution, stated that the assessments for local improvements collected during the over and bove interest on bonds, reaches about $) 006, 000. By suspending further issue of bonds in thie direction the debt of the city will be reduced $1,000,000, AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCH TECTS. ANNUAL MEETING OF THE NEW YORK CHAPTER. The New York chapter of the Amorican Institute of Architects held 1ts annual meeting yesterday at No. 123 Broadway. Reports were presented by the treasurer, Library Committee and other standing committees, Tho following officers were elected for the enguing ear:—President, RM. Hunt; Vice Emlen . B. Post; Secretary and A. hoor sort Treasurer, Henry Porabech Ksee tive Comm RM. Up R, M. Hunt, Henry, bac John, Carl Pfeiffer, N. i Brun ANAS. Brose Com- Tnittees on education, admissons, examinations and om library and pablications were also Cage rhe niath anna convention of the American Insti- rostorday, fae er) This man Holman printed joks for Hynes & Foley, and these men could never be tried, for the then District Attorney, tute of Architects wilt be helt in Balt on the 17th pa Ny and ‘ committee was Ras no- Coseaty arrangements for a sul of the New York chupien 5 nitty ¢ AP be ——_ = —