Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-03-19

er to correct errors, il such there be.
In concluding this paper shall be nerm;,
ted to make few remarks, which are founded
on my own experience, in this office. have ~
lation to it, and are dictated by regard n
the public interest. They rest on eleme n,,r,
truths, which cannot be questioned by any,
one.
All the duties which arc to be performed h.,
any individual, of whatever nature thew NAV
be, or whatever may be his station, have, in
certain respects, a connection with each other
They require his superintendent, engage HE
attention, and consume his time. Beyond ,
certain limit, no one can go, and if he bcstow.
alarge portion on inferordetails, it must take
an equal share from the higher, and operate
in the degree, to their prejudice If they
exceed his faculties, he must neglect some
portion, and whatever he does neglect, is sure
to suffer. Such neglect and loss must of ne.
cessity, fall either on the public interests or
on his own, and if on the former, the greater
will the injury be IN proportion to the impor.
lance Of the trust which he holds.
BY the higher duties OF this Office, the grea,
interests of the nation are placed, in their
most important branches, under the care Of
the chief magistrate. Of these the internal
administration by the expansion Of our sys.
TEN, with the increased number of our peo.
pie and states, becomes daily more interest.
ing and arduous. Extending as our relations
do, to every part of the inhabited globe, and
to every sea, It is, nevertheless by no meansthe
most difficult Our position is in many re.
spects peculiar, regarding which, and the cir
cumstances attending it, there is no govern.
ment on earth which have more extensive d,l,
ties to perform, than our own. If the per.
SON in this office is animated by a Just sense
Of these duties, he will have little time for in.
ferior concerns either Of his own or the pub.
lie. The higher duties are sufficient to EN-.
ploy the whole mind, and unceasing labors,
of any individual, however aided he may be.
in the several departments, by experienced
and enlightened men. The control of the
establishment alone, with its ne
cessary disbursements, to avoid waste and
ruin, must addmuch to his cares. An agen-
cy Of this kind, with the responsibility attend
ing it, extending in the execution 20 details
which must be confded to others, and with
which he can have little knowledge, must aug
ment greatly bis embarrassment and seAei-
tude. Others, it is true, may be placed in the
station, under more favorable circumstances.
than have fallen to my lot. The House is
now finished, or nearly so; the Notifications
are fixed, and some of them completed, and
others much advanced, so that no trouble or
interruption can proceed from those causes
Still think that other and higher duties and
cares of the trust, under the happiest circum.
stances in which our country can be placed,
are sufficient for it, and that the public inter.
est will be injured by committing to the per.
son in it, this kind of agency. /, think also,
that the agency itself may be better executed
in regard to its immediate effects, by being
to an officer, recognized by law,
with specified duties who shall be c ompen.
sated for his services, and subjected, as 9TH
er officers are, to the superintendent and
control ofthe Chief Magistrate.
Other strong reasons may be urged to prove
that this agency ought not to be committed to
the Chief Magistrate. All the duties which
ire enioined on him, IN that office, by the con-
,titution and laws Of the Union, are perform
ID by him personally, with such aid as he can
procure from the compensation allowed to
lin, or from his friends, gratuitously. A slight
new of these duties will show that they are of
great extent, aud Of high importance. The
messages to Congress during the session com.
prising only such asgave generalyiew ofow
affairs, foreign and domestic, and which orr
yinate with the Executive, merit III them
selves that character. The replies to calls for
and the intercourse with the mem
,ers individually, their number having much
increased Of late on the affsirs of the states
md districts, to which they severally belong,
i'd an important item. The supervision and
control of the several departments, so as to
preserve efficiency in each, and order and
consistency in the general movement of the
is a third. Whether the public
interest does not require that provision should
,e made by law, by special organization in aid
If the Chief Magistrate, in the discharge of
hese duties, Is subject into which do not
inter. we'll know that they are ofgreatex
ent, OF high importance, and heavy burden.
The mere signature of patents, added to that
# commissions for the army and navy, and Of
Mediterranean passports, consumes time,
which, with one nearly exhausted by other du.
les, is severely felt.
There is another subject on which think
proper to make few observations. The q.
iafety of this spacious and valuable building
merits particular attention. The ordinarydo-
nestics, whose other duties engage their
whole time, are not equal to it, even when
he Chief Magistrate and his family are pre-
tent. A private dwelling, whose exposed
parts are occupied by the family and its domes-
les, at all seasons, and by night as well as by
Jay, may be protected by them. But they
cannot be relied on for the protection of this
arge public edifce. No establishment ne
;essary for the management Of the internal or
household concerns would be equal to it.
rhe first floor is unoccupied by night, there
,eing no rooms on it adapted to such pur-
,ose 1t is therefore, assailable by robbers
nd incendiaries, almost without the possibil-
ty of prevention or detection. In the abb
ence ofthe Chief Magistrate, tits, Of course,
'roportionably, more exposed. It's though.
hat it cannot be considered secure, unless it
$ protected by watch, in like manner with
he public Offices, especially in the summer,
when he retires to his private residence.
List of vessels building and ordered
o be built at Plymouth (Eng.) Dock
Yard st. George, 100: Loudon, no.
Hindostan, 80; Cerberus, 4s; Gree,
IS; Proserpine, 46, Statira, 46; Tigris,