The Constitutional Convention of 1821, in deference to strong public demand, had abolished that disgraceful anomaly, and by section 6 of article 4 had provided that "the Secretary of State, Comptroller, Treasurer, Attorney-General, Surveyor-General and Commissioner-General shall be appointed as follows: The Senate and Assembly shall each openly nominate one person for the said offices respectively; after which they shall meet again, and if they shall agree in their nominations the person so nominated shall be appointed to the office for which he shall be nominated. If they shall disagree, the appointment shall be made by the joint ballot of the Senators and Members of Assembly. The Secretary of State, Comptroller, Treasurer, Attorney-General, Surveyor-General and Commissioner-General shall hold their office for three years, unless sooner removed by concurrent resolution of the Senate and Assembly." [Illustration: John A. Collier (signature) _10th COMPTROLLER_] The Legislature, on the 13th day of February, 1823, elected, in the manner provided by law, William L. Marcy, a lawyer and a Democrat, of Albany, to succeed Savage. There was a contest in the caucus over his nomination, his opponent being Genl. James Tallmadge, a man of conspicuous ability and influence in the Senate. The power of Mr. Van Buren, however, turned the scale in Mr. Marcy's favor. The only public position which he had previously held was Adjutant-General, but from that time on his name is closely linked with the history of the State and Union. He was Comptroller for six years, Judge of the Supreme Court for two years, and United States Senator for two years. He was three times elected Governor, and defeated in his fourth run for that office by William H. Seward. He was appointed Secretary of War by President Polk in 1845, and Secretary of State by President Pierce in 1853. He had for years, under Mr. Van Buren, been a leader of that most influential political body which has become known to history as the "Albany Regency." The remaining members are understood to have been at that time Silas Wright, Azariah C. Flagg, Edwin Croswell, John A. Dix, James Porter and Benjamin Knower. The records of the State show that these men, while building up a compact and powerful political organization, did not neglect their own personal and political advancement.