The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-01-16

the same class Of people fed and clothed In the
North.
MORE REFORM NKEDkD.-While the attention of
citizens is directed to the many subjects of re-
form, that will be pressed upon the State Legisla
ture and Convention the present winter, 1t may not
be amiss to include one, in which, for years past there
has been probably much, il not more corruption,
than any to which public attention has been yet
called
For many years past, the struggle among poll
tcians to get the Office of public administrator, has
been intense, and the successful candidate was al
ways considered lucky fellow. 1t would appear,
from the returns that annually emanate from this Of
fee, that the incumben.'s fees are small, and, to
Judge by the amount they receive, if we take those
statements as basis for forming an opinion Of the
value OF the Office, one would suppose that no pro-
fessonal man wsuld accept the Office but this is a
mistake. The Office of public administrator, ma
naged for some time past, is an exceedingly lucra-
tive one; and this ucrativeness does not arise from
the regular fees which the incumbent receives, but
comes almost entirely from perqusites Or in plain
er language, pickings and stealings This appoint
ment is made by the Common Council. and the IN
cumbent, generally, is a man Of the law who re-
cevesi it, as do all others who get office under the
Corporation through pc litical influence
We are credibly informed that if an investigation
were made into the manner that this Office has been
carried on for length Of time, the result would be
that it would astonish the most incredulous.
When an individual dies within the limits of the
city, having relative, his estate and property 10
taken possession of by the public administrator. He
takes the necessary steps to pay of all debts
owing by, and to collect all sums owing to
the deceased, and settle up the estate and dis
pose Of it as the law directs. But it is seldom
that debt can be collected of the puDlic'
no matter how clear it may appear to the admins
traitor, without having recourse to law. The con-
sequence is that there is an immense amount of
litigation and the costs and counsel fees which the
administrator ncurs in defending those suits, and
IN prosecuting others, which he brings against per-
sons indebted, or apparently indebted to deceased
persons, frequently, if the estate be small, swallow
II up, and if it be large, take considerable portion
Of it. The public administrator does not openly or
directly receive any portion Of these COSTS but the
suits, in which he is party always prosecuted or
defended by a legal gentleman who, it generally
happens is his partner IN business or rela-
tive In this way il frequently happens that small
estate Of four five hundred, one thousand dol
lars, will be completely wasted and used up in litiga-
ton. In one case, we are informed that an estate
of four hundred dollars was taken possession Of by
this functonary. and great portion Of 1t was
pended in litigation, that the funeral expenses
of the deceased were not paid.
We dc not intend in the slightest degree to mpute
any official malfeasance to any person that now or
ever held the Office Of public administrator in this
city We presume that they are all men OF integri-
ty, and gentlemen. But it is our duty as a public
journalist, to point out all abuses and if there is
abuse connected with this Office, and If we should
succeedin drawing public attention to it, and arrest
ing it. we will have but fulfilled duty, and thai
is all we wish. s#ie2s
IMPORTANT MOVEMENT FOR OREcoN-N appears
by the following extract from the Newburypor
Herald Of the llth instant, that the ENGRAVING party
will leave that Place early next month. Its chiei
feature will be the emigration Of lady to teach
school in the wilds of Oregon. When the yankee
women take it into their heads to colonize and
civilize country, the work is more than ha If &C
complished. nag
The brig Henry. will sail from this port, early in
February, for Columbia and the Sandwich Islands
ton Of opening school IN the Willamette settlement
and in the multitude books which are found among
there be doubt that her wishes will be grated
have book: which they are willing 70 give Tor the bsnsd
Of the youth Of this infant colony send them to the
place them in the charge lady referred to above
ADDITIONAL FROM rHR CAPE OF Coop HoPE.-W'
have received the Cape Town Gasstte of the oath o
October. 1t is not late as have before receiv
ed, but il contains some very interesting intelli
gence.
According to the following extract, the slave trade
on the coast is carried on rather extensively, q
times.
! (From the Cape Town Gazette, Oct. Al
In the Gazette Of the A.A July last we gave .sticu
kidnapped, and having fallen into the hands Of sav
Dealers in bay contiguous to the Natal territory; an
have been that known By the name Of ST. Lucia FroA
since received We find that the chiefs loca
bay being veil known to have been formerly The resor
| Of persons engaged in that lawless traffic.
But the most important piece Of intelligence IN
this paper, is the progress OF British annexation anc
British aggression that section Of the world. i
will be recollected that few months ago we pub.
ish some accounts Of the operations of England In
that quarter. The policy Of that government il
clearly illustrated in the annexed extract:
From the Cape Town Gazette, Oct a4l
wool and cotton hold the rank and that the
acture thereof both for homo consumption and export
has mainly tended to bring the mother country to that
state Of unsxamplsd prosperity which she at present
enjoys. 1915. est94
* relates to the former We must own that great Gre
dit due to the wool growers Of this colony, for the
great improvement which has taken place both In the
quality and quantity Of their asscssi indeed our sx.
ports OF wool have acquired importance which II has
oen been pleasing duty to notice, and which has
raised to be Of our main staples Nor 10 this i'd
transory, for II 10 apparent that the
sumption goes hand in hand with the increased supply
and from al accounts there u likelihood whatsvsr Of
the market being overstocksd.
BY the snserseios Of Natal, phich psssesses all s Cd
pawisgss If tropical climate, another branch Of colonial
industry b opened up promising to be at least mpor
tant that Of which have been treating, viz cotton
II has been with great satisfaction that have occa
sonaly diverted to the spirited exertons Of the plan
tiers; With the gvew to apprss them how greatly thi,
article looking up in the English market, now hay
before them the following particulars connected with the
| increasing demand for the same
This state Of things Ia Great Britain highly sstis.c