"FORT WASHINGTON, _Sept. 30, 1875_.
"DEAR SIR,--The thing I apprehended, when suggesting doubts as to the
expediency of removing Smith, begins to develop itself.
"All outside counsel, _i. e._, Barlow, Carter, and the like, are
henceforth to be excluded from any city defence against jobbery. The
new corp. counsel and his clerks and employés inside of the office are
to conduct all the city's business.
"The earliest fruit of this will doubtless be the recovery of
$100,000,000 against the city in the water-meter case. This was one of
Tweed's last contracts. Plenty more of like sort will follow.
"Browne's[67] article cannot be got into any of the city papers. Many
conjectures as to the cause might be indulged in. But one is that,
it being very long and requiring an extra for its publication, the
printers think the reformers ought to be paid for.
"I know no one who is able and willing to contribute to the cost, and I
am not inclined to incur additional expenditures whilst standing alone
in that department.
"Yours truly,
"CH. O'CONOR."
"_Gov. Tilden._"