The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-11-25

New York City Politics.


THE NEW DEMOCRATIC COMMON CoUNcII-cAuCxs
MovEMENTs-PRosPRcrs AS TO THE CLERKS OF
THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN AND BOARD OF AS
sIsTANrs.
The democratic caucus of members Of the Com
mon Council have been in session, and the members
are holding consultation respecting the few appoint
ments placed in their hand, By the recent election
1t will be reoollected that the amended charter OF
the city (passed by the Leg ssture, and adopted by
the people in lS49) conforming to the ideas Of ex-
Mayor Morris, takes away all the executive powers
formerly possessed by the Common Council, and
vests them in the Mayor, the heads OF depart
ments, and such of the executive officers as shall be
from time to time created by law" The 9Th sec
ton of the charter in addition to the foregoing de-
clares that neither the Common Council, nor any
committee or member thereof, shall perform any
executive business whatever, except such as is, or
shall be, especially imposed on them by the
laws of the State, and except that the Board Of
Aldermen may approve or reject the nominations
made to them, rs hereinafs er provided" The 10Th
section provides that the heads of departmen ts,
except the Croton Aqueduct Board, (who are ap-
pointed by the Mayor, with the consent of the
Beard of Aldermen,) shall be elected every three
years by the people, and that the heads of depart
ments shall, with consent of the Board of Alder
men, appoint the officers, clerks, and other en-
ployees in their respective departments
1t will be seen from these provisions Of the char
ter, how much restricted the Co mmon Council is in
the matters of appointments to Office. The head
of departments being all in the hands of the wings
except the Commissioner of Streets and Lamps, to
which Henry Arcularius, (den has been chosen
in consequence of the death iof Heman w. Chuds,
<whig,) the small office seekers among the demo
Gratis have only Mr.. Arcuarius to look to for the
qualification of their longing desires for situation
under the city government. The applications to
the new Commissioner, we learn, have been MI
merous beyond expectation or precedent; and not.
outstanding the patronage of that department Is
very large in the employment of street cleaners,
dirt cartmen, lauplighters, and others of the la
boring class, Mr.. Arcularius finds it impossible to
satisfy, by promises or good will, more than small
proportion of those whose votes will be SO nscesss-
~ to the democracy, at future elections.
The two Boards of the Common Council have,
however the choice of their own clerks, and other
officers of their respective boards. Mr. Valentine,
Clerk Of the Board, being democrat, m old Knick-
erbocker, famA with the duties Of the office, and
having been continuedin Office under every change
of politics in the Board, nothing is said, far as
we know, of any democrat attempting to displace
he WILL matter of course, be continued in office.
His place is . very snug one, and the following
statement of the pay Of the Clerk, as We find it in
his own manual for 1850, will make the mouths Of
many democrat water while he casts his eye at
the forbidden fruit
ANNUAL COMBINATION.
David T. Valentine Clerk Of Common Council $500
Board Of Supervisors 300
preparing minutes for
81 allowed by virtue of Common Couu
Gil, approved July %, 49,. 500
Total. Observation-Disclosures. $3.50
The salaries of the several officers, paid out ofths
city treasury higher than that Of the Clerk Of
Recorder, Register, County Clerk, and Surrogate,
receive $3, 900 each per annum while the pay Of
the Corporation Counsel and District Attorney may
be counted by Thousands, over and above that Of
those mentioned.
The Office of Clerk of the Common Council has
been in but few hands for the last thirty years
Gen. Jacob Morton, originally federalist OF the
school Of Washington, Hamilton, and Jay (and who
ran q close for Congress against that philoso
pher and democrat, Doctor Samuel i Mitchil, Ia
April, 1900. when he Was oea'en by lesi than 100
,yetes) held the Office Of Clerk for twenty years
under the various vicisssudcs of party Whether the
successive parties of federalsts, republicans, Gin
tonians, bucktails, peoplesmen, Jscksonians, Van
Buren, democrats, or wings, held the regns
power, il was ali the same to General Morton
His position in the City Hall was as safe
as his military one of Major General OF tae
FIRST division Of New York ARTILLERY: both
Offices, civil and military, remained in his hands
until be was suddenly removed by death, on the Sd
day of December, 1886 General Morton had per-
formed duty as an officer Of the New York Artille-
ry every year since the adoption OF the federal con-
stitution. He was Assistant Marshal, under Gene
raj Morgan Lewis, at the grand reception Of Gene.
raj Washington, as first President OF the U nited
States, in April, l7e9 Beside the clerk'hip OF the
Common Council, General Morton had held vari.
Gus civil offices at different periods OF his Life, and
discharged them with ability and integrity.
The Beard of Aldermen which had been elected
In April 1885, was at first equally divided between
the democrats and whigs-but the death OF Alder
man Samuel Purdy, OF the Tenth ward, Che rider
of Eclipse, so famous in the sporting worid) and
the absence at the south, on account OF al health
Of Alderman Samuel Judd, Of the seventh ward
threw the power into the hands Of the wings
eight to six). After considerable m ane avrng and
promising several candidates their support, the
wings, by the advice Of the late John "A; uranam
Thomas Bolton, an old Clin.oaian, who, from lslc
to 1913 had been eleven times elected Assistant Al
derman Of the FRS. ward. The election OF Mr.
not been publicly named as a candidate; but the
idea of the Aldermen and other wiseacres was that
Mr. Bolton, from his antiquarian character, wa
Just the man to succeed Zen: MJr,Vn' ana 20 nSn'
although the democratic minority In the boart
of Aldermen assented TO the election OF Mr. Boil
ten the party would not consent that he should 70
main In II on their accession to power in the Com
mon Council, in 1889. They. therefore removes
him. and appointed SamuelJ. Willis, whom tn,
wings displaced in May 1872, and appointed JOSEPH
r. Taylor, now City Comptroller, in his place. 10
semi Hoxie wanted the office Of Clerk very mucl
at the time; but he was outmanaged by Mr.. lay
Tor rare event in the political history Of city
as Mr. Hoxie has been noted for good luck in hi
Operations when the wings have been in power
In 1855, the democrats having majority I
the board, turned out Mr. Taylor, andre-appointe
samuel J. Willis, Mr.. Valentine being all alonl
continued as assistant clerk, commencing unie
Gen Mortoa.
The native Americans, on taking possession
the CITY Hall, in the spring. Of 1874, turned gu
eyery democrat they could reach, except Mr. Naer
tine ifhis sfce was an important or lucrative one
They retained Mr. Valentine as assistant clerk,
being necessary for the Aldermen to have some on