Morning journal and courier., 1885-01-03
THE NEW YORK MUDDLE. Mayor Grace Takes the ReIns o
 Government.

Government.
 NEW YORK, Jan. 2.-The muddle in which municipal matters were placed as a result of the action of Mayor Edson and the board of aldermen on Wednesday in the appointment and confirmation of Rollin M. Squire as com missioner of public works in place of Hubert O. Thompson in face of the injunction of the Supreme court, became more mixed yesterday, when the city had three Mayors, all present in the Mayors office all acting of fcially as Mayor and two of them acting at once. Alderman Kirk was the first. He took the oath of office shortly after midnight, in order to fill the interregnum between Mayor Edson's retirement at midnight and Mayor Grace's accession to office at noon. His first act was to appoint Colonel E. T. Wood, ex-Mayor Edson's brother-in- law, corporation counsel. The next Mayor was Adolph Sanger, president of the incoming board of al dermen. He also claimed to be acting mayor in the interregnum and such reappointed the present corporation counsel, Lacombe. Neither Mayor Kirk nor Mayor Sanger able to affix the official seal to their papers, because the clerks who had cndfR0 OI Iuc Sdl0 III WHICH Gue Seal IS kept would not give it up. They were appointed by Mayor Grace at his first term reappointed by MayorEdson, ,and knowing they to were be reappointed by Mayor Grace, were bound to try and please him and not the two pro tenn. mayors While these little things were talk ing place, EColonel Wood went over to the corporation counsel's office and tried to take possession. MT. Lacombe was there with big force of clerks. He refused to give possession, not recognizing Kirk's right to appoint Wood. The colonel said he would not try to take possession by force, but would try quo warranto proceedings. The two mayors remained in the mayors office until noon, when MT. Grace took peaceable posses sion. This morning an order, obtained from Judge Truax yesterday, was served upon Colonel E. T. Wood, requesting him to show cause why he should not be enjoined from any attempt to take possession of the office of the corporation counsel, except by the process of writ of quo warranto Mayor Grace entered his office at 11:3O a. m. His first act was to swear in commissioner of deeds. He said: 'I shall not make any appointments to-day unless I appoint two commissioners of accounts I consider that the appointment of Colonel Wood by MT Kirk yesterday is of no validity, and consider that MT. Lacombe still has the legal title to the office of corpo- ration counsel. I shall not make any ap- pointment in his place for the present." The new commissioner of public works, Rollin M. Squire, appeared at the office at noon to-day. He had a cordial hand shaking and brief con versation with his predecessor. The latter then turned over to him the papers and other effects of his office and escorted him on a tour through the building, introducing him to the heads of bureaus and other attaches as they went along. It is stated that MT. Thompson gave up the office under protest and will con test the legality of Mir. Squire's appointment in court. Mayor Grace said this afternoon that he recognized the appointment of MT. Squire as commissioner of public works, whether the acts of Mayor Edson and his al derman were or were not in contempt of court.