Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-06-19
.tr1De,unttU SIA WtQ,
FRIDAY MORNING., JUNE 1o, 1888.


at ono time, prevailed in Richmond, that he was to
snpercede Maj. Gibbon, the Hero of Stony Point. as
the Collector OF the CUSTOMS for this Port The
a.r and style of the contradictions was ca !cuated and
we think designed, to impress this itea--that his
feelings of deiicacy and propresy, would never per
r'it him. ss much to wish to be the instrument 81
dspacing man to whom the country owed SO deep
debt OF gratitude. Tie ruinour was stirmati-
Zed as highly malignant nnd cruel to Mai Gibbon: so
1t was characterized by him who had witnessed witt,
STINT Appreciation. the removal Of Melville, Client
worth, Barbee and Others also distinguished soldiers
fthc Revolution 1t struck Us that there was much
hollow pretcnsion in the article, and we stated as
very sufficient reason why Mr. Ritchic- would not
succeed Mni. Gbbon, that the Collectorship was
incompatible with his Office OF Public Printer. and
that the latter was much more lucrative than the
former. The statement repeated by the Balti-
more Patriots IN reply to which paper, Tie Enquirer
OF Tuesday has the following
"The BALI Patriot only exposes selfto duculc by re crho
ing an assertion from another Coalition PRINT, which is entitled
To no s Of confidence The Editor of this Paper does no, re-
ceive fourth or pcrhapsa fifth much for p,blr printing
of Va, the collector uf this port derives his Office II S
utterly untrue That the Office public printer is vastly moro
proahie than tie colecorsp This Of misrepresen,a
on has been often exposed upon evidence than our
OWL taat any man ought to lie ashamed 10 repeat il"
We have put ourselves to the trouble of siftinr
this matter and we find ourselves horne ont in o,,r
original statement; as the editor of the Enquirer
very vel! knew W. should be, when he penued the
above insiucere statement
By examination of the register we find that the
gross profits of Maj. Gibbou's Office for the wear
1893, amounted to Sl,799, from which, must be de-
Quoted 500 for house rent, (aud here in justice to
MAJ. Gibbon we take occasion to contradict re-
port assiduously circulated, that he had improperly
charged The Government with the rent of the Gus
tom house Office. Upto September last. Maj. Glib
bon year for year, paid that rent out of his salary
amounting to about $500 per annum.) Upon fur
Their enquiry, we found that his receipts for 1874,
exceeded those of ordinary years, aud that upon an
average, flle gtoss receipts were about 600 per
aIl.itIn This point determined weat to the aud
ltors Office and required HIM give statement Of
. R1tchies gross receipts Public Printer for the
same year. They are as follows:
Annual Salary of the Public Printer $4,000
Amount paid for extra printing at last
session of Legislature ee37 80
S4,S37 50
we understand that III some years tits amount is
exceeded. ct athrms this gentleman of Admirable
caSdor' the Editor of the Enquirer docs not recoire
joa'ffh or perhaps TIN as much for the Poblic
Printing Of Virginia as the Collector of this Port de-
rvesfrom his Office. This really, going the whole
hog; nevertheless, mean not to accuse the Edi
tor of the Enquirer of intentional n1cndacitv We
really believe him incapable of wful and deliberate
ia'ehood however ingenousiy in matters of political
concernment, lie may ''wi.ip the Devil round the
stump" We rather irclnc to believe him Iaboripo
under some strange haucinatiou az to this matter or
else, (Which we deem the most probable conicc.ure)
the untoward events ut Washington, tho necessity he
thinks he is under of defending this frantic Admins
ton wlosc course lie in tru. utterly disapproves)
at any rate until the public pulse better fcthesc
thiigs we say, have so bewldcred and pcrpexed the
worthy Editors mind, of the strongest texture
mat be bangs away random. To n man 10 whom
majoritys so habitual, and by whom it is so dearly
beloved, the predicament IN which the Editor of the
Inquirer finds himsclf-comn,i,ted TO dcf.nd and
sustain crazy Administration, whose acts arc sol
mad, that it Is impossible the country can lone tule
rate tne'nAtr. Ritche's predicaruen we saw is sol
cohtoundng and embarrassing, that it ought in rca.
son, to excuse much.
"eknow howhe will try to get over this siatcracnt
and sustain I'VE think he will quHfy that Eaie) his
o"h-namciy by reducing The nett profits of his Office
TO an amount That shall correspond with his assertion
above made Buthe may pare them down as he
PfeaSeS and yet he viii be unable to make good the
assertion that bis profits four OF iye times less
IMAM Maj GIBBONS, unlessbo proves s for aught we
know ne can do this that the public printing brings
nm "rScfy IN deJt If he shall do this, how much
cause Tor admiration of bis patriotism will the world
nave In iis pcrsistipg for Is years together, in do
ing the public printing at Toss, when too, there
were many Printers in Richmond willing to take
tie eurthen oRbis shoulders But badnane spart--we
eccvc We hazard but little in saying, that the extra
printing pays all thcexpeDres, and tina. the salsrvog
SEOoO' IS lett cfeqr. Wemay be mistaken, bu certain
" not WILDLY. Another strain ner l,od Ia ro-o..