The New York herald., 1878-03-28
WILLIAM NJ. TWEED.
Opinions of Leading Officials on
His Proposed Release. =
C0lIPTR0LLER KELLY EXPLAINS.
Implied Bad Faith on the Part
Of the State.

ihc letter OF Comptroller Keiy to tho Attorney Gen.
erai demanding pcremptorily tha release OF William
81. Tweed IRON prison, AS published In yesterdays
HgKALD, excited great interest not only among the
politicians proper. but also among the pcOple sencr
aiy throughout the city Al tho City Hall, the Court
House aud other places where public men most do
consregstc 1t was tho chief topic Of converse
ton, and opinions varied considerably a. to
the justice OF the demand thus made upon
the leading prosecuting oihccr Of the State
while not few wcrc wiling TO give "the old mani
his freedom tho majority of persons did not ooucds
with the spirit Of tho Comptroiers letter. and pre-
ferred to lot the law take It's course.
As the business OF the day around the various
municipal cnices about closing, aud tho discus
sion IN regard 10 This ncngrossing topic among the
heads Of departments and the attaches grew
Interesting. reporter OF HERALD sought the
leading onlclais and obtained from them tho follow.
ing expression OF opinion:-
COMPTROLLER KELLY OK TWEED.
Comptroller Keny was called In tho sfternoos
and asked there any other for rwoed's
rcleaso than those contained tho published card %
the Attorney General
Mr. Kelly gave brief history Of tho occurreuceo
which led IN TO beiicve that. In all fair play Tweed
should bc released lie said his position in thh
long ago. no rested tho reasons why Tweed should
be released chiefly the aters willingness do all
that tho state required OF him, anu the under.
standing which uad been entered into between Attor.
ncy General Farchild aud Tweed TO the torms ot
tho releuse Liant spriug," said Mr. Kelly, "Attor.
Dsy General fa'rcnili called on me st tnis
Tweed provided Tweed would make a iuil
surrender OF his properly and give such rnformatou
would enable the state 10 and hold the guilty
parties whose names had so lar boon kept secret The
Attorney General went 10 soc Tweed and had con.
versation with MIN ON these vital points, but when
Mr. FaircnIld callod again ou me he said Tweed
haa not acted frankly shat he mud refused to the
oi all The parties concerned IN certain rnudu-
lent transactions, ana that no could not therefore
como 10 terms with nm. Furthermore. tue Attorney
General informed Tweed that unless tho latter wac
prepared to make fuil statement useless ioe
INN 10 sook another inerview. subsequently Mr.
Tow nscnd called asked what was The
purport tho Attorney Generals visit As there was
nothing secret about Il. and US II was public business
/ repeated Just what had occurred Townsend
required OF him. Though nc did not tell mo that he
had seen Tweed, had reason 10 know that ho hsd;
tho Attorney General asked oi him. You remember
tho SENSATION when the HERALD published Iweed's
confession after u had boon the Attorney Generals
hands for Two months. 1t WAS beloved then the
only copy OF tho confession was that which had been
given TO Mr. Peckham anu by Pcckhaln hAndod over
TO Mr. Townsend, but the iuil story pub<hed
tho HERALD. Now, In tho light OF that statcmens
Is PLAN that Tweed carried out his part
OF she agreement, and not 0uiy confessed, but was
willing to become witncss Tor Iho state IN tho suits
General wanted nim. feel persuaded, therefore ,n.s
Tweed nas Deen unfairly dealt with ; tuat tue state
has broken ialtn WIN him, and tnA. me oris.na
maker asking Tor rwesds release. ana az
Twoed Is now Wiling TO adhere 10 The compact
US At nrst suggested, and anxious TO do all ne
can to make atonemout, believe that the
| time has come when he should be released
| There has been abundance o testimony TO SHOW
shat Twcod c,n bo reed upou as u w,tnoss Tor tho
State HIS Iotter 10 Charles OConor, with facts
coucernug which tho public iaInar, owed that
he eant 20 do just what the state dcmanded Of him.
| INTERVIEW WITH MAYOR xLY.
Mayor Ely WINS iound at his residence In East
Twenty tn street, Ho stated that no mad not
at his ONCE during tho day, he had beon out Of
the club littlo whic ago that Mr. Kelly has
written a letter 10 tho Attorney GonersI askius
promise previously made, but l have not
| yet read tho letter l certainly do no. knov
Twccd have heard people say 80, but do not know
" to be fact. As 10 It's being good poncy or not u
just now. until have considered this phase OF ths
question fully. Had bcen down town to-day
what bis motives were IL wrl.,us the letter but in Tue
absence OF any light on the subject prefer to wall
VIEWS DISTINCT ATTORNEY PHELPS.
The reporter next caied upon District Attorney
Phelps, who stated that Whatever HAD transpired bs-
| tween the Attorney General and hr. Tweed Or The
| iaitsr's counsel was iact unknown 10 him "You
viii remembor, he continued that by special enact.
ment OF the Legislature 1872 tho Attorney General
OF the state empowered TO employ private coun-
sol assist In prosecuting these ring irauds Most
| of tho work done by Mr. OConor and Mr. Peck
| ham, and hence do not know officially what has
bccn done IN the Attorney Generals ofnce
As TO the promises which Mr. key claims have been
mado by MI fairchd, this Is question 10 DO settled
| between those two gentlemen MI Fsirchiio ms
| denied that he ever made such a promise. II the
| Attorney General had made such ~ promise Nr.
Schoonnaker. his successor In oico, would consider
himself IN duty bound to carry out such an srrangs
mont entered into with his predecessor But have
received orders this subjec: and reauy ut all
times carry out whatever tnstructions may b0
| sent to by tno Attorney Generals oflce. One
thing Is sure, however that Whenever Tweed should
DO released the owl actions instituted by the State
he bo immediately arrested again criminal pro-
ceedings pcnuing against him on the part oil the
county oil New YORK. Tho State OF New York prose-
cutoI him u we'll as the county Of Now York bus
such action did not nvsdate any proceedings on the
part oil the county. Nevertheless, should DO in-
structed 10 enter mol pros IN all OF these suits my
duty Is simply 10 obey."
CORPORATION COUNSEL.
Corporation Counsel Whitney was found at the
rooms OF tho Bar Association, In Twenty ninth
street. but no declined express opinion regard
to Mr. KclIy's Icstcr, because no might called upon
| toact In the nattcf nimscn n -.'s-'-- :