Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-01-27

trate Of this. nation, that in relation to u.s.
ling of important public Offices IS thc n u
critical, the stiikely to be a',es-d :.
the one which this house ought most se spa
pulously to watch. Because, these anro; u
ments are the avenues Of corrupt inaarnas
And Of all species perhaps that's the N.Y.. N.Y..
dangerous, which keeps men, then actns =
{ high official stations, subjecteo such ar ~ (,
huence, by not only, the actual perception -
the profit Of the places which they f.od bp,
by the assurance Of further lucrative al
yancement, III case of continued fdeltv =
him who holds the distribution OF oifIic.s
Under this aspect, sir, | do not hesi,me,o
declare my opinion that a high misdemesn.
or las been committed against this na,io,
concerning which it is the .bounden dut, q
| this house to enquire, and either to remov.
the ground OF suspicion, or establish the fac
before the world. This is the charge which
! ! expect to substantiate--1 hat the collector.
ship efhe1 fort Of Boston md CAQrkstsva,
| beipg atlace q sreaitru md imbortam,
and also Of ample cmohlmeat, has been moi,
! far more than tpv0 gears Kept in a manner "a.
cant, and c0er since lsiim the conditisn Of
a siuecttre, in tie hands q The then incum.
bent, after the executive had Jul mtormatisa
! of the Jacf, FIR the purpose Of keeping The
| said o6ice IN 1rserve, FIR Henry Dearbsra,
long a member Of The present administrator
then and nozo seer et1,y at zvar.
The facts, expect, and am prepared
! prove are:
1st. That in November, 1896, BENJAMIN
Lincoln, esq. collector OF that port did
write to the president of the United
States, stating his iuf1mities and ad.
vanced years, and requesting leave to
resign at the end of that year.
! I'd. That lie did receive an answer from
the president in December following,
expressing high. sense Of bis reyo.
/ lutionary services and requesting lit
tie Longer time to look out fora suita.
bic character to fill the said Office, and
limiting the time to the LIST Of March
J then following-,iz March 1907
"beyond which he assured lin he
should not be detained" That gen,
Lincolnin reply, consented to continue
until the lastiof the said March
Sd. That no appointment in March was
made, and that general Lincoln didon
! the 30th of September, 1907, wrlteo
the president stating his inGrmltles and
! inability to perform the duties Of his
oaice, aud again requested TO be re-
/ lieved from his Office, at fartherrstbT
the end Of that year. That TO this he
never received any answer.
4,h. That lie has been continued through
another year, without any reason IS.
signed for such continuance, 10 a situa-
ton totally uoable to perform any q
his duties SO much SO, that he has
not been in the town of Boston since
June last.
So far the facts are to be proved, as !
/ have reason to believe, in court of law.
The next fact | have no doubt, will be made
out perfectly to the satisfaction of the hous:
andnation.
5th. That this Office has been thus kept
in effect, vacant for more than two
years, for the purpose of gratifying
favoiite Of the executive Henry Dear
born secretary st war, by that appoint
ment, and that, for him, it has been,
In this manner reserved.
! need not Use any arguments to shew
that these facts, if they be proved, constr
tute to say the least a high nnisdemcanoF,
into which this house ought to enquire ana
/, to take such course thereupon as to its Wis
dom shall deem expedient, under the h5"
duties imposed upon it by the constitution
| am instantly impelled to this duty, of
paragraph in paper, the National Intel,
i ligencer Of this day, which 1 now hold u