The New York herald., 1876-12-03
Expiration To-Day Of the Term of Cor
pOration Counsel Whitney.
DUTIES OF THE OFFICE,
The Comptrollership and Mr..
Thayer's Chances.
SHgRIFP.ELECT REILLT's APPOINTMENTS.

Within tho next month many changes may take
place In our city government while after the lst OF
January, 1877, 1t Ia undispuied that . considerable
number OF heads will tall under thc political axe To.
day the term tor which Corporation counse. Whitney
was appointed exprca The appointment OF sue
SCISSOR lies with Mayor Wickham and the Board OF
Aldermen, In similar 10 that affecting the
pontment Of Comptroller, commissioners and heads
OF departments MI Whitney was appointed TO h!l the
uncxpired or Mr.. E. Delaheld Smith. II will be
recoiiectcd the latter gentleman removed
der charges preferred by tho Mayor and approved by
i Governor rilcen.
I: ns, OF appontees In the ofce OF the Corporation
Counsel was printed in the HERALD some few days
since. The patronage and emoluments are consider
able The salary of this oicial is sl5 900 per annum
and two assistants receive $40, 600 each
POWERS CORPORATION COUNSEL
also considerable aud his legal responsibilities
the legal adviser OF the Corporation, OF gravo char
The charter Of 1878 thus lays down the powers
and duties OF this bureau OF our city government
SECTION S6.-The Law Department. shall have the
charge and conduct OF all the law business OF the Cor
poration and It's departments, and OF all law business
in which the city OF New ork shall be interested,
except as herein otherwise provided; the charge and
conduct oil tho legal proceedings necessary IN widen
ting, opening or altering Streets and the preparation
OF all leasos deeds ana other legal papers connected
with any department. No officer or department, cx-
cept as herein otherwise PROVIDED shall have or en-
ploy attorney or counsel but II shall be the duty
Of the Law Department 70 furnish every department.
and officer such advice and legal assistance counsel
Ur attorney In and out OF court as may be required
BY such officer or department. and Tor that purpose
The head Of the Law Department may assign atior
icy 70 any department. that ho shall deem 10 need
tho came, and may appoint the attorney for the COL
lection OF personal
SEC. 81 The head OF tho Law Department shall be
sailed Counsel to tho Corporation" He shall hold
ms oice tor tour years and until his successor IS ap-
SEC. Sa There shall be two bureaus IN This depart
mcnt the chief officer OF Of which snail be called
The Corporation Attorney" and the Chief officer CT
Tho other ol which sharbe called the "Pubc Admin
strator" Such chief officers shall not their
own any tees emoluments in addition TO their
saaries and they shall pay into tho treasury all
and commissions received by them from any source
whatever; such payments shall 10 made monthly and
shall be accompanied by sworn statement In such
form the Comptroller shall prescribe, and that such
Btatement, with detailed st Of costs, commissions,
Monthly in ne c as All
70 recover penalties Tor violation of any law or ord
hance shall be brought In the name OF the Mayor,
Aldermen and Commonaity OF the city Of New York,
md not in that OF any department, and sha be
o 60
SAID action shall be paid into the Treasury Of tho
Hly. Tho Counsel 10 the Corporation shall, once in
three months report to the Comptroller the of
parties to- aud the objects Of all suits pending in his
department. when commenced and the number de-
sided ended aud in what manner, during tho past
thrco months.
1t will thus be seen that the ofice Of Corporation
Counsel 10 Of the most important In city gov
ernmenL Corporation Attorney Boyd and Public Ad-
ministraor Sullivan have boon appointed by this
parlment large amount OF business is yearly
acted through these two bureaus, particularly that
rrcsidcd over by Mr. Boyd. This gentleman received
b appointment through great efficiency exhibited
whilo chairman of the celebrated Committee on
DISCIPLINE Of Tammany Hall. which eIlectualy dis
posed OF John Morrissey, Thomas A. Ledwith and
others The position is variousy estimated being
worth from So, 900 10 $50, 600 per year.
WHO BE rng NEXT CORPORATION couXsELs
OF course II is not yet definitely settled TO whether
or not MIR. william whitney viii succeed himself as
next Corporation Counsel 1t Is conceded by the
legal profession and others who ought TO know that
the gentleman has conducted tho business his oce
with credit his reputation and benefit 10 the city
but such qualifications DO not always determine a po-
luicai issue There Is doubt that Mayer Wickham
wishes appoint Mr.. Whitney; but then tho question
arises, Will the nominee be confirmed by the Board
majority Of that Board is controlled BY Mr. eohn Kelly
subject to his orders and entirely dependent him
for future political Advancement, as far the outlook
Tor next year is concerned. Politics mighty
tAin however, and can torctel what changes
the ides of next November may bring forth.
Tho contest over the Comptrollcrshp may havo a
great deal do with the rcappoinimcnt OF Mr. Whit
ncy Both nominations may be confirmed at the next
meeting OF the Board OF Aldermen Under existing
circumstances certain that compromise DO
made with Mr.. John Kelly In order to connrma-
tion at the hands OF tho Aldermen, or the nomina-
enters upon his functions as Mayor OF this city.
THE coMpTRoLLERsnIr.
The local statesmen around tho City Hall have
ceased their spcculaions TO the probabilities OF who
will bc our Comptroller They all seem to DO
James s. Thaycr Mayor Wickham is out OF town,
and will be back until Tuesday next In the
whilo It 10 presumed that change in tho present
pect OF affairs will take place. IL is conceded on all
sides that Mr.. Thayer would make an excellent head
OF tho Finance Department. but the question
arises Will he prove acceptable to Mr.. John Kelly 7
If not then no stands as much chance OF being
confirmed by tho vote Of tho fourteen Tammany
Aldermen OF receiving the vote OF tho
plcetors of this State on Wednesday next
Tor President Besides. Mr. Thayer s placed in very
n Tsisn,ed by the Aldermen the Gentleman re-
ccvcs gra,uitous insult How can no very well refuse
70 accept until after the place Is iuy rendered TO him
by n confrmatory voter 1t was stated positively
Yesterday afternoon that Mir. Thayer would decline
account III health Then dangerous issue arises
10 the chances OF confirmation OF Mr. William O. Whit
ncy Ior Corporation Counsel in case his nano is sent
m by Mayor Wickham. IL is well known that the
Mayor icos great interest IN the reappointment OF
MIR whitney, and all dealings with Tammany Hall will
be based upon the idea that tue Aldermen must gvo
ihcir votes to Mr. Whitney in return for the Comp
trollcrship As tho now stands Mr.. Kelly and
his fourteen City Fathers TO hold the winning
cards 1t is not Improbable, therefore. taking this
view OF the controversy, that Mr. Thaycr may with
draw aud q new name be sent into the Aldermen.
THE eHERIrP's OFFICE
IL is stated that Sbcrn-clcct Bernard Reilly will
,ext week make the appointments FOR his three years
lerm OF Office. There Is always u great scramble
among local politicians for these appointments
W,tbn the last thrco of the shrieyny or This
county much carelcssness Inns been exhibited In tho
selection many oil the sherins subordna,cs Hence
n rortap amount OF dsrcputc has characterized the
management OF the department Under the operation
Of tho same principle Shcrns O'Brien, Brennan and
Conner have been brought into countless difficulties,
which would have occurred II proper officials had
always been selected as their assistants Evidences
of This assertion may bc mentioned In con-
ocction with the Broadway Theatre shoot
ing anray under Mr. oBrien, the escape OF
Henry W. Genet and tho Imprisonment OF MT Bren-
nan wlth his deputy, William H. Shields, and the escape
Of William NJ Tweed under Mr. Conner. These arc
hut very OF the peculiar difficulties mus encoun
tered Hundreds OF suits have been commenced and
re now on the calendars OF the courts against these
hrcc shcrls in many the result OF carsiessncss
~ want OF exnsrcnco OF their deputies IL VIII DO
nany years before these tgations are finally settled,
ss srlts sui roman pending against sr. James Lynch,
VINO was elected Sheriff some niicen Years ago. Much
many deputies. Mr. John Kelly had only twelve, when
hus,ncss was much better than II IS now MI conner
~..ut,,o,t uhout thirty. CON-