Jenks's Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland [Me.]) 1799-1802, 1802-04-12
VOLUME ".

! ought 70 be remembered, that it is The prevail
ing policy of governments to keep diplomats
agents &c all courts where they have important
relations.
As TO the navy agents, it is efficient to FAY.
tEat they were temporary peFions who grew up
out of our rupture with France who, when
then were appointed, were ufeiul 70 scceIsrzte
naval preparations at as many points as could
DC advantageoufy occupied, and that il was
only proper C. ddcontinue them when an ac-
notation had been effected, and after they
had had time enough to wind up the affairs Of
their agency. This was not the cafe previous
70 Mr.. JetFerfon's Administrations. II other in
ltances of removal, he Only did it to make way
tor members Of his own fee1, and it will NOT be
Pretended that here there was any foundation
tor the charge under examination.
AS to the inlpeaor of the Revenue the cafe
in brief Rands thus When the excl. on diailI.
ed fpirits was eRablfhed, three different de-
fcriptons Of officers were inaituted to carry Il
into effea. Supervisors, Infpe6ors, and Coilec.
tors were diit,ibued TO dianfs, furvevs and
diViiions, ore TO each. A diAria comprehends
an entire fate a furyey fome large portion
Of it or number Of counties divihon for The
mot part a fugle county. In fome of the
the furveys-the duties of infpeeor being an.
rexed to thofe Of fnpervifor 10 larger ones
there were Inspectors more or lefs numeroux
according to their extent. AS other internal
revenus were efsblilhed, they were put under
the management Of the fine officers. The
bare Itatement OF the fan flaws the necel1ity Of
thoie officers. The revenus of no goyernmenr
were perhaps ever collected under more finn.
pie organization, or through lmaller number
Of channels 1t is no aliedged that the fra
and lat iclaGes Of officers were unnecefarv.
Il is only e sheinddle CATS that any ipecious
OHjetfIon can b. made. Let Us conjecture the
reaions for employing them,
In Tome of the ltAtes great oppoGrion was
eXPefed, and was ada4!y experienced. In
fuch ltates elPeclLly 1t was evidently uieful 70
have the exertions If fome men Of weiant and
character in tkeir fphere of moderate extent. to
reconcile the ddcontentsd 70 arrange the de-
tails Of buineis, and 70 give energy 10 the
mcalures for COLLECTION. In others, GmiEar
officers were probably ufsful in the early Rsges.
for the purPole e essbliihing the details implv.
The fubdiViiiOn was in all cafes favorable II
active and vigilant iuperintendence. Nor
does it require extraordinary penetration 70
diiceTn that the policy was wife at the tins
when the mealures were adopted. lis poFi
bic that upon the complete establishment oftha
plan, when all oppoEtion had been vanouifhed.
and when the collection has become an affair
Of mere rotine, that this intermediate clafs
may have ceaIed to be eGential. But tIl tlIa
had become perfectly evident, it would have
ben premature to alter the original pIan.
Though il be true, that lome years have elapf-
ed filce the excite law was paHed, il Is not very
long fnce it has been III full and un;nterr,,pted
Operations. Other laws introducing ether
brancI res of internal revenue, have been fub.
fequenty pailei from time to tims, and the
agency of the fame officers have probably been
found uietul on theIT hrf introdu zion and eye
cution. Hence it is eaGly accou ted for thar
they were not before diicontinued, If indeed
experience has th-wn that they are not ttill ne.
eeAary, which IS itfelf blematisaI.---Nothinr
is more eafy than to reduce the number Of
agents employed ia any bufnels, and vet for
the buGnets to 60 on wi,h the educed number.
But before the reduction is applauded, il oughf
to be afcertained that the bufinefs is as well
done as il was before. There il vide differ
ence between merely getting along with buff
neis and doing it we'll and efeaaally.
Theie oblsrgations fuficiently thew that in
Tie IAktdACGS ~ftSAA bSGll |ihCAy LlSrG IT'S no
evidence Of a dhpoGion ia the preceding Ad.
mnRrations, improperly to multiply Offices
and officers. AGING under diF-rent circum.
lsances, they conducted as thofe circumstances
dictated and in all probability, in 4 manner the
bef adapted to the advancement of tn pub.
lie fervice. A change of circumstances, NAV
in fouSe inaances have rendered con,inuanca
Of fome of the agents thus employed unneeer.
faTy and the Prelent Chief MagiGrale NAV
even right in df-oninung them ;--but il IS
not therefore right 70 attempt to derive from
this any plea Of peculiar merit with the people
and it is very far from right to make il a topic
of aauder on Predecefrs. Perhaps however
this is TOO rigorous combustion, ard that no.
thing more was intended than TO fst of to tie
bea ajvAatage,the pet'- ryices Of petty talenis.
If this was the true aim, it is to be regret.
ted that il was not II managed As to avoid the
appearance Of defgn to depreciate in The
public eaimatinn, the men who went before
Had this dehcacY or oaurion been o5feru~d the
attempt would have attrA6led neither notice
nor comment.
Commas ard noints he f-ts rralatv -;aL.