Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-11-06

power Oh human dCtloHs aiS Sonseit SNA A'." ~
many engines of corruption the moment they
are authorized to print "by authority" Yet,
the "people's men, in the Senate, are anxious
to increase the number of these corrupt ma
chimes, provided they have the selection OF the
editors Ito, be corrupted They propose, tha'
"the number OF papers to be selected to pup
lsh the laws, sc. shall not be less than '"'es
in each State, and may be equal to hall the rep
resenta,ion of each State in Congress-; IN eacn
Territory, one and in the District OF Columoia'
three, the selection to be made by the SENATORS
and Representatives from each state, ana .,le
Delegates from Territories: the papers IN 'he
District Of Columbia by the secretary OF o'a,e'
he giving preference 10 those having inc
greatest number of actual suhscribers.f'' In
other words, as they have exhausted their Pfi-'
yate resources in establishing ealumniator-
general at Washington; they wish 10 create
branches in each Of the States, at the public ca
,,eose. for the innocent, purpose doubtless, of
enliph,ening the people in the choice OF Presl-
dentf 1t will be remarked, however, that they
do not restrict themselves to the selection OF
papers "haying the greatest number OF actual
subsc ribers:' this wholesome regulation is con-
fined 10 the Secretary of State. The wisdom
and disinterestedness of the contrivcrs Of this
i
that the members of Congress in each State,
must necessarily be convened whenever print
er Of the laws is to be selected, and it cannot
be expected that they will render such impor-
tant service, as to give their advice 10 the
people gratis
The committee, after the fashion Of certain
speech compiling Senator, have made POM
pous display of long extracts from books in the
Of hpr nft hp
munlcating information, ignorance of which,
in any member Of Congress, would be culpable
One of these is a long list of revenue officers,
and their emolumcn,s, taken from aregister
annually published "by authority" for the in
formation of the people, which the committee
call the blue book" nickname suggested TO
the learned chairman by the color OF the cover,
but certainly unfit to be employed in State pa
per, and unworthy the dignity and gravity OF
(" the mos enlightened deliberative body in the
world" Apparently astonished at their disco
very, the committee exclaim, ga formidable list
indeed formidable in numbers, and still more
from the vast amount of money in their hands.
The action Of such body Of men, supposlng
them to be animated by one spirit, must be ire
mendous in ali election: and that they VIII be
so animated is proposition too plain to need
demonstration" They inform the Senate, that
this branch Of The Executive patronage will in
increase, mot in arithmetical ratio, but IN geo
metrica progre ssion; and an increase almost
beyond the power Of the mind Ola Senator to
calculate or comprehend" After this ii might
have been supposed, that they would recon-
mend reduction d the formid able list" or,
at least, curtaiIment of the emolamenls as the
"natural remedy No such thing. They on
ly propose, that the President shall lay before
Congress, once in every four years, the accounts
of the collectors and disbursers of the revenue,
and to yacate the Offices of such as have failed
| to account according to law-that upon noml-
nations to fill vacancies, occasioned by remov-
ais. the President shall state the reason of such
removals-and to repeal the act OF 18th May,
1920 limiting the term ofotfice o. certain OIL
cers;' that is, they recommend no change IN
the existing law, except to continue In office,
during good behaviour, district attorneys, col
lectorS Of the CUSTOMS naval officers, surveyors
of customs, navy agents, registers and rccelVc
ers of the land Offices, aud certain oihcerS OF
the general staff of the army, whose terms OF
service are now limited to four years
Another bill provides ".that no person shan
receive the appointment of Postmaster, where
the emoluments exceed certain amount per
annum, except upon the nomination OF the IRE.
sident. bv and with the advice and consent OF
the Senate The Executive patronage is thus
to be reduced, by taking the appointment OF de-
putty post-masters Except the small try) from
the Postmaster-Generai, and vesing the power
in the President and Senate-the same Presl-
dent, whose spirit they say, ''will animate
the actions of officers appointed by him, in
the elections of State and Federal officers and
the very Senate which they report unfit to be
trusted, because, they say, that until 1.-THE axe
is laid to the root Of the tree the constitu-
lion and the President elected by the People,
"patronage will penetrate this body, subeue its
capacity OF resistance, chain it to the car OF
power, and enable the President to rule as east
~, and much more securely, with, than without,
the nominal check of the Senate"
The " tremendous power" Tin elections) OF
the cadets and midshipmen youths between
fourteen and twenty-one years Of age,) is ano-
Their of the evils which "sully the purity OF our
institutions, and endanger the liberties of the
country" and has, therefore, not escaped the
Vigilance of the Peoples" committee. On
this subject, they propose brace of bills, not
| to diminish, but TO distribute the contamina,-
;,o ;nA,e,ce of Eyerut,ye DatrOnape among the