Year: 1876

There will be no very marked changes in
the State government at Albany with the
incoming of the new administration. Gov
ernor Tilden will retire. but his place will
be filled by Governor Robinson. who is
already well known at the State capital,
both as legislator and State officer, and
who has been part Of Governor Tilden's
administration. Lieutenant Governor DORIS
heimer retains the position he has occupied
for the past two years, and the Senate, over
which he presides, is the same as last year,
with the exception Of the two new members
Mr.. Sprague, of Buffalo, elected to fill the
vacancy occasioned by the resignation Of
Senator Rogers, who ran on the republican
State ticket for Lieutenant Governor, and
Mr.. Wagstaff, of this city, who succeeds the
late Senator Booth. There will be but few
changes on the Governors staff, and proba-
bly, one of those old stagers of the Assembly,
Hustled or Alvord, will reappear in the
Speakers chair. There will be a new Comp
troller in place of Governor Robinson, but
who is to be the appointee. So there will
be no great revolution at the State capital
either socially or politically when the new
year and the new State administration come
III together.


The majority of the Senate is politically
opposed to Governor Robinson. But the
republican Senators will make a mistake if.
on that account, they offer factious opposi-
ton to such reforms as the people have
indorsed by large vote, or if they obstruct
the thorough reorganization of the Insurance
and Bank departments at Albany. The
constitutional amendments adopted at the
last election by large majority provide for
the appointment by the Governor, with the
consent of the Senate, of a Superintendent
of Public Works and Superintendent of
State Prisons, to take the place of the pres
ent State Prison Inspectors and Canal Com
missoners. This is measure looking to
economy and efficiency in the government
and the Governor will no doubt promptly
appoint the new officers. If. his nominees
are properly qualified and acceptable persons
for the positions the republican majority OF
the Senate will scarcely venture to refuse to
confirm them. Legislation will be necessary
to fix their salaries and carry out other de-
tails, but this can be done subsequently.
The change in the system of canal and State
Prison management indorsed by the people
should be made Immediately. The offices
of Superintendent of the Insurance Depart
ment and Canal Auditor are vacant and the
term of Office of the Bank Superinten-
dent has expired, the present Superinten-
dent only holding over until his successor
shall be appointed. 1t is notorious that
the Insurance and Bank departments
have been scandalously mismanaged, and
the republican Senators will be held respon-
sible by the people if they refuse to allow
those departments to be thoroughly
formed. One of Governor Robinson's ear
liest acts should be the appointment of
Bank Superintendent who will protect the
depositors in savings banks, and an Insur-
ance Superintendent who will see that un-
sound life insurance companies are not per-
mitted to prey upon the public. If the re-
publican Senators refuse for partisan pur-
poses to confirm proper nominees for these
positions the political complexion of the
State Senate will be changed by the people
next year.