New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-04
.N UNEXPECTED APPOINTMENT.

AN UNEXPECTED APPOlNlMhNl
. rnsoN,s FAILURE TO FIND BUSINESS MAN
WHO WOULD ACCEPT THE PLACE
ono 90. good deal of surprise in political ana
,nsinsss circles late yesterday aIternooh' "h,n !"
90. announced that the Mayor haa appoin''u us
,,vate secretary S. Hastings Grant, as inc heau u
a rYronce Department, to fill the vacancy causeu
- the rssipnation of Controller Camppeil. MI.
Giant was for nine years previous 10 the nrs' Vi
Ionrarv last. the superintendent OF the rlou"co
rxobange. and is known among the meih"ets 40
rossass;nq a good deal of financial ao'lity' ana as
h.,ng an excellent statistician. But TO tue re-
mainder of the business community ne was 0o
.,or,,velv unknown. Hence good deal of astonlsh-
pa. pa "a. felt that the Mayor should not have APP
nointed to so important position some hhahcior
r. uas hetter known to the general public The
Never and Mr. Grants friends are confident. how
80 that the new Controller will make success
full official. ,....
Tho Mavor offered the position to several business
;,,a,ces who are wel-known to the pubic
os snccessful and substantial men, but IL was oo-
a1,nad Inv eachm turn. There we're various objections
nrOed by them against acceptance. III is ques'i'"
,r the minds of competent LAWYERS wheh the Term
of office of the new Controller viii END. some are oi
the opinion that the term expires on MAY - i0of
Ill others are equally confident that 1T
of the succerdipg Controller Will expire four years
tr,u, Nov I 1885 The uncertainty rs TO the
noct condition of the Finance Department, and the
rrohohiitv tnat more rreOulartits might be DIS
ovar.d nc the Commissioners OF Accounts were
deoed sufficient reasons by some for not con-
senting 70 accent the appointment. Another iact
considered was. that the bond OF the ControHer nas
been increased by the action OF the Aldermen from
500 600 to 5000 600 Nosuccessfui business man. II
was said. would think that it would pay him oglve
mn his business for the COMPARE lively short time
dnrnr which he would hold the office of Controller,
with the drawba mentioned.
NO LACK OF CANDIDATES.
There was no lack of candidates for the Office.
More than thirty have either solicited the appoint
ment or sent friends to plead their cause with the
Mayor Mr.. Edison has from the outset sand that he
would not appoint politician. The appointment
he considered purely personal one be appre-
ciated its Importance. and would appoint no
one in whom he had not s,the utmost confidence.
There have been many names mentioned in connec-
ton with the position. The Mayor has consule ed
with friends and given the subject much anxious
tboncht since he received Mr.. Campbelps resgna-
t,on on July Of to take effect on August /. His
announcement that he would not appoint
nolitician has saved him a good deal OF annoyance
st the hands of delegations urging some
ambitious statesman for the place. There have
been lew names mentioned, however. OF men who
would be deemed competent TO I'LL the oihco with
honor Among the names brought prominently for
ward early Yesterday were Z. V. Loew, president Of
the Manufacturers and Builders Fire Insurance
Company y; Andrew L. Soulard. president of the
Sterling Fire Insurance Company, and Colonel L. T.
Wood, the Mayors brother-In-law.
CoNGRATULATING MR.. GRANT.
The announcement of the appointment of Mr..
Grant was made by the Mayor at p. m. The
secret had been 80 well kept that no one around
the City Hall had any suspicion that Mr.. Grant
was to be the man. In fact. 1t had been asserted
with good deal of positiveness that T. V. Low
was to be- appointed. The news spread rapidly All
the prominent members of the various departm enis
hurried IN and congratulated the new Controller
President Reilly was one of the rst to shake hands
with Mr.. Grant and wish him success IN his new
position. He was followed by Aldermen Kirk
Duffy, Seaman, Smith and Jaehne. Then came
s. pervisor Costgan. of The City Record, Marshal
McDemott. Civil Justice NortOa, Deputy Con-
troller Storrs and Others until the main room in the
Mayors set was crowded.
Mr.. Grant was asked when he would be sworn
into Office. He replied:
"Not until tomorrow. My bond must be pre-
pared and the necessary suretles obtained"
Department.
II shall make none at present Whatever
changes are made will be after Que consideration
and only because l find them necessary"
Mr.. EPSON on THE APPOINTMENT.
Mayor Edison seemed pleased at the solution of
what has been to him puzzling problem. He
has been indisposed since Monday He contem-
plated going out of town for a week under the
advice Of his physician, but late in the afternoon
had not made up his mind whether he would do 30
OF not.
You have finally settled the question of the
Controllershipi" 7" remarked reporter of The
TRIBUNE to Mr.. Edson
Yea" he replied, II requested at least six WELL
known business man can accept the appointment
Ihey adeciinedit lido notsay this todetract in any
way from the merit OF Mr.. Grant thought Of him
among the hrst' put did not see how could we'll
spare him from the position he has hedn
"Why did the persons to whom Won offerod tbo
position decline so honorable an appointmentfp
1.-The most important reasons were as fo,Iovs
There Is some uncertainty as to the term
oil Office some lawyers holding that it expires on
May /. 1884, and Others that 1t does not pre until
December TO- 1884. Ii the short term lie the limit.
no would wish to sever his business connection
Tor 80 brief time. Then there is the cloud now
hanging over the Finance Department Tina
caused several to hesitate. think, however, tina
this should have had no effect. The Commissioner er
Of Accounts have made an exhaustive ex
animation of the Department In connection
with the coupon frauds They are en-
gagged. and have made great progress
in examining the various classes of bonds issuet
from time to time. and extending back into the oil.
ring. Their examination is nearly complete. Thel
nave found no irregularities aside from the coupon
frauds. These will be thoroughly exposed. Hence
sne new Controller will 20 into the Department o.
Finance with clear understanding of its condi
tionn 'o''
lou have, Of course. the utmost cnnHdenne 1,