The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-07 00:00:00

the arbitrator of the balance of power in
Europe. France had become the pivot upon
which peace or war turned ; she could make

the balance bend to her will. But when the
Emperor joined England against Russia, pro-
tected Prussia in her attack against Austria,
and placed Italy under one crown, he destroyed
at one blow all that the ancient monarchy had.
realized, and France lost her• supremacy.—
coreespowiew of the Westminster Gazette.

COMMISSIONER ROLLINS ON CORRUP-
TION.

Commissioner ROLLINS his rec3ived a snub from
he Secretary to the Treasury, who returned his

Letter embodying his reasons fur resigning the C mm-

missionership of Internal Revenue with the follow-
ing enlorsement :--" Thursd iy evening, June 11.
—The within communication, just handed to me,
although bearing date of the Bth instant, is consi-
dered partial and incorrect in its statements and dis-
respectful to the President. It is, therefore,
returned to Mr. RoLuNs.—H. M'CuLLocA, Secre-
tary to the Treasury." The Commissioner was,
however, not to be thus easily suppresses, so he
sent the letter back again with this further endorse •
went :—" Unless the Hon. Secretary shall point out
wherein the enclosed communication is either par-
tial and incorrect' in its statements, or unjust and
disrespectful to the President,' I must consider its
return to me as unjustifiable, and the reasons there-
fore other than those assumed." Mr. M‘CuLLoca
then gave his reasons at length, to which Mr. ROL-
LINS returned a searching reply, bringing forward
facts to show that many of the most corrupt arc
assessors and collectors, especially in New York,
over whom the Commissioner has no control.

Whether Mr. ROLLINS' motives be wholly dic
tated not by disgust of a corruption which
he cannot counteract, and, indeed, in a degree
while in office, must be a party, his action
deserves the support of the country, for it aims
a blow at the wicked system so injurious to
the Public Service of the United S ates. The result
of the War has made the Treasury Department the
most important of the Government, and that one,
above all others, which requires the greatest capa-
city and the most sterling honesty for its manage-
ment. The Debt and the Revenue of the United
States have grown up so suddenly it need not sur-
prise that the machinery for the management should
as yet be imperfect. The Secretary of S Late has
long ranked next to the PRESIDENT, for he is a real
Minister, with well-established power from precedent
and usage extending over a century. The foreign
affairs of the United States have not increased in
importance further than in the increased weight a
nation now so powerful must exercise. But though the
internal affairs of the United States, more especially
cmnected with revenue, have become of vital in-
terest, the Secretary of the Treasury Department
counts for less than any other. It is almost im-
possible for the Minister of Finance—if the United
States can be said t) have one—to embody in legis-
lation his own policy, however well digested. It
must be scrutinized by the House Corn nittee of
Ways and Means, of whom the Chairman exercises
the chief influence, and be is selected by the Speaker.
It is only through hilt that the Secretary can act,
yet though he controls, it by no means follows that
he is chosen for any aptitude on financial questions.
Even supposing that he works hand in glove with
the Treasury Minister, the measures have first to
be discussed in the Committee, and after under-
going this ordeal to be brought into the House
which they cannot reach without material changes.
Whose the measure is—what portion is due the
to the Secretary of the Treasury—what to the
Chairman of the Committee, ant what to the Mem-
bers of the Committee, the Representatives can-
not tell, and the bill is therefore wanting in
the weight which could not fail to be given
to it if known to be the production of
a responsible Minister selected for well-proved
qualifications. Thus a measure is brought forward
for which no one is responsible, to be discussed by
Representatives who, in all probability, will have
no seats in that House, when all its defects have
become apparent on trial as a law. But this, grave
as it may be, is not half the drawback. It is one
thing to pass laws for which no one is responsible,
it is another and more serious thing to execute those

laws, and here at least the responsibility ought to be
fire I. Not a bit—for the President, the Secretary,
and the Senate play battledore and shuttlecock with
it. The Secretary tosses it to President, the Pre-
sident to the Senate, the Senate back to the Secre-
tary, an l all agree in attributing the thieving and
plun ler to the system. But it is a system that suits
the politicians, and, therefore, however injurious,
not easy to get rid of. The PRESIDENT—although,
as Mr. ROLLINS declares, he has removed many
efficient Republicans-=has never been known to re-
move an inefficient Democratic Revenue officer, and
ANDREW Jo lINSON complains that the Senate refuses
to sanction the suspension of a Republican for mis-
conduct. When plunder is the order of the day and
nobody is responsible, it could scarcely be expected
that the Secretary should not put some of the good
things in the way of his friends. Mr. ROLLINS
asserting that, as an honest man, he cannot
' continue in such a Department, throws the blame
on the PRESIDENT, but Mr. M'CuLLocti main-
taining that it is, in part, due to the want of
harmony between the PRESIDENT and Congress,
and mainly to the blunders in legislating whereby
duties too high are attempted to he levie I; returns
the letter. A quarrel between Congress and the
PRESIDENT can scarcely excuse the whisky ring for
I its outrageous plunder, nor the revenue officers for
participating in the dishonesty. But such will be
the answer to complaints, so long as the nation
cannot put its hand on the responsible persons. In
the meantime the Ring triumphs, and with it grows
the spirit of corruption. The tax upon spirits as
n ew collected forces every distiller into joining the
organization or ruin, and therefore it makes a
whole class dishonest. As the revenue which ought
to go into the Treasury mainly goes-to the ring, its
power is enormous, and it keeps up a complete
machinery to carry out its nefarious designs. Every
year of such a system tends more and more to de-
moralize the people, and it is a good thing for the
country when men like Mr. Rollins come boldly
forward to make a stand against it. While all
acknowledge the evil, the Republicans blame
the PRESIDENT, and the Democrats the Radical
Senate and the party in power. But the mischief
in truth springs from the want of system,
the nation not having as yet had time to inaugu-
rate one, consequent on the suddenness of the
change wrought by the war. No reform will avail
which does not erect the Civil Service into an honour-
able profression which young men will be educated
to enter, and to which they will look for their ad-
vancement in life, and on this the natioa seems
inclined to insist. Congress may endeavour to
burke Air. JENCKES' Bill, and may strangle that
which the chairman of the Committee of Ways and
Means has taken so many months to prepare, but
the people are becoming aroused to the over-ruling
necessity of breaking down the system of plunder
now growing into such gigantic proportions, and
the action of Mr. ROLLINS has done much to attract
towards it public attention. He has forwarded a full
reply to Mr. M'CuLLocif, and we presume he has
been able to maintain the position he first assumed.
Mr. SCHENCK, who endeavonrel to reform at least.
the Revenue Department by erecting it into a sepa-
rate bureau, and by making its head responsible for
the conduct of the officers employed, was check-
mated in the House ; and although we go for the
total reform of the Civil Service, yet even this
instalment in breaking down the whisky-ring
would have been acceptable, but the Representa-
tives could not see it, though, as Mr. SCHENCK said,
it embodied the very soul of his measure. It is
mere vanity for him or for the Secretary of the
Treasury to attempt to estimate revenue until they
can be certain that the sums collected will pass
into the Treasury. The Managers of the whisky-
ring are much more masters of the financial posi-
tion, and Mr. SCHENCK ought to ask them what
portion they intend for the Public Service. While
all this muddle is being made by the Government
and the House, it is believed that Secretary
11‘CuLLocti is to be got rid of by the PRESIDENT,
whose organ, the National Intelligencer on the 15th
June, came out with an article demanding the