The New York herald., 1871-12-30

National.
Our new Legislature meets on Tuesday
next, and from the start, between the Grant
Conkling Murphy vs. Fenton-G Greeley republi-
cans, lively time is expected. The great
revolution of last November in the city and
State has given the republicans, not only the
Assembly and the Senate, but two-thirds
united, they can pass their whole budget of
reform measures, whatever they may be, over
the Governors veto if necessary. The first,
and we presume the decisive, struggle between
the Conkling and Fenton men will be upon the
choice of the Assembly Speaker There will
be, as usual, and we expect this evening"
party caucus of each House for the nomination
of its officers, and from present appearances
the contest in the Assembly caucus will be be-
tween the friends OF Alvord (Fenton man) and
Henry Smith of Albany, (Conkling many.
Mr.. Alvord is a prominent man in our State
affairs. He has been FIVE times elected a mem
Der of the Assembly, has been twice chosen
Speaker Of that body, and has served, as Lieu
tenant Governor, one term as President of the
Senate. He is man Of decided abilities,
keen politician, a good debater and an expert
in legislative business; bnt his adversaries
say that he carries the mark of the "Ring,"
and that he has been too deeply concerned in
the trades of Tammany to pass inspection as
reformer. Mr.. Smith, of Albany, is also
man of ability, lawyer distinguished in his
10 a tnn wha
larity has twice elected him as a republican
to the Assembly in districts strongly demo-
cratic. But the objection which overtops all
his merits with the Fenton-GreeIey men lies
in the fact that Mr.. Smith is identified with
the Conkling- Murphy men, and goes with
against all comers.
The republican Assembly caucus will settle
this Speakership question, we suspect, in
favor of General Grant and against Mr..
Greeley; but we do not believe that this set
tlement will be satisfactory to Mr. Fenton
Mr.. Greeley or their legislative followers, who
have been cut off from the roast beef and plum
pudding of the Custom House. In yesterdays
Tribune our chopfallen philosopher of Chap
paqua gives most dismal howl over those
Custom House spoils of which he has been
deprived; and this dismal howl is doubtless
intended as the war-whoop to his friends at
Albany. The result may possibly be the de-
velopment in the Legislature of an inde-
pendent anti-Grant republican faction, which
will play into the hands of the democracy by
making the veto of Governor Hoffman effec-
tive. But we shall see.
For our new Senate the presiding officer is
provided in the democratic Lieutenant
Governor, Mr. Beach, elected last year; but
on the other officers of the body there
will, it is thought, be stiff republican
fight. Mr.. Greeley and his friends have
resolved to move heaven and earth to defeat |
Terwilliger for the Office Of Secretary, and for
the stupendous reasons-frst, that Terwilliger,
under Collector Murphy, has had full swing in
the Custom House, and il all the time on the
side of Murphy, Conkling and Grant; and,
secondly, that he has declared it as his opinion
that Horace is an old humbug. Still, it is
possible that the Grant republicans may be
strong enough in Senatorial caucus to nomi-
nate Terwilliger; and so, in addition to
Fenton- Greeley bolt in the Assembly, we may
have q similar bolt in the Senate, out of which
of the division of our city spoils and plunder
in the new charter to be given us. Before we
can begin to form an estimate as to what this
new charter will be we must have the organi-
zation Of the two houses. No doubt the Gov
ernor in his Message will have model charter
to recommend; but it is not likely that the
republicans in either House will pay much
attention to the Governor if they can get along
without him.
In the organization of the two houses we
apprebend that the Fenton- Greeley faction
will ''come ont of the little end of the horn"
The ''seven great party principles, as defined
by John Randolph five loaves and the
two fishes"-are in the hands of the Conking
men, and they who hold the plunder hold the
balance Of power in this business. Further
more. Mr. Greeley has been writing another
Presidential letter, which will be apt to
operate against him and all his followers at
Albany. In this letter to Missouri democrat,
in speaking of the Presidential man for the
democracy, Mr. Greeley says, II am not the
man you need :" and so far we think he is cor
rect in his view Of the situation. He suggests,
too, that even if elected President by the aid
of the democrats, his election would place all
concerned 'fn false positions" and in this
idea we also concur. So far, then, Mr..
G. reeley does not hurt himself as foolish old
man with the ''buzzing bee of the White House
in his ear" But when he says to the Missouri
democracy, 'You must take some man like
Gratz Brown, or Trunibull, or General Cox,
late Secretary of the Interior, and thus help
to pacify and reunite our country anew" it
appears that he is ready for any move
whereby, in the defeat OF General Grant, he