Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-06-02
SPEECH OF MR.. HOLMES, OF MAIEp.

tation, this prnstraton at all principle, this concen-
trsfion vt all Executive power in single Chief
Once the people of the United States would never
have made their rights and liberties question of pro
ft and loss But. even making il a mere matter of
calculation repast the qnesIion--what have
gsined' Draw y"ur comparisons between The pre-
sent and last years expenditures, and with all the
subtlety oad cunning which belongs To the head of
tho Treasury. and what 90 you make? The attempt
to siie the truth has been detected, and II IS mani
fest even 20 tho eye of supcrcf observer that your
expenditures are, and must be- necessarily nore.--
The fact has been proved beyond controversy But
whether less more, is not the question. The ques-
ton is have the expenditures be they what they ma
been prudent or prodgal. more, or just much, as
the public exigences roqures Ifmy agent last year,
expended Slo0,OOe all for my benefit, have no
right TO blane him; if hc this year has expended less
than half that sum- mud has wasted in this eXpend
turc one half Of this il is a lame apology to
comparison Of the two years. We ask you, then,
what Hns wasted in the last year Of Mr. Adams's al
rninistrstions Put your finger upon the single item
DO you rctort the question: We are ready with tho
answer. In Che removal and appointment of f,reio
MINISTERS IN the reerss of the Senate forty thousand
collars have bcoR drawn from the treasury against
the law and the constitution without any earthly be
ncfit, and for other ostensbe purpose but to ro
ward pstisans far less qualified than their prcdeces
10 the collecting Of the revenue that search
ing operation" what have you gained? Fifty addl-
tionei officers in this single department.
Sir, IN the faithful execution of this duty of col
Ieeting money aud payment into the treasury tn meet
the exigencss of the government. and discharge the
national debt. the people have a deep interest This
duty requires no, only perfect fidelity, hut long expe-
r'eace The complicated machinery Of the system is
no! TO be learnt IN day-it requires years. Now,
lou make general cbange here even If you supply
The place OF those removed with the best men, 1t is
morally ecrtoin that, from their want OF experience
nothing out miracle you from losses.
Take the al New York where more than one
thlrd Of y"ur Whole revenue is effected; all your
principal and twenty five of your subor dnate officers
nisPsced, and about the number have been add
cd. Here, besides the chief officers. Won find fity
fp mar taI
concern, important To the interests Of the country
Will ani say, IN sober earnest, that all this was
for the puohc good! Undnr the arrangement and
soverc discipline of Mr. Thompson, every thing vas
done with perfect sys e-scaFcey an error esca ped
the government peTfreiy safe and no one but
he who shed tor nm opportunity to vnlate the laws
had the least disposition 10 complain. Nov, why is
irv whole system su5vcrtcd' Why is this dangerous
experiment attempted. when all was 81 wcN before?
II is for reason under heaven but to reward the
ninions of The pre>eat administration
Sir, If your party had taents and, a general re-
mark, DO think they over burdencd is il DOS
sibie that machine, complicated as the Treasury
Department, can be successfully managed with raw
hands' Can mere land lubbers' naviga the ship
IpI this question experienced esnlen Sen
st,rs; and ask them frankly, If, in all this they can
any thing 81 public good?
What has been gained, I ask. in removing one
thousa nd connected with the Post Office Dem
Mr NJ Loan was partiSan. and certainly he ha
done nothing TO throw the influence of his Depart
into the hands Of tho late Admins raiion
PfoscuprrA gould have induced this universal
arc worth even less than dollars a-PrREnolumeDis
rot hiZzaed for the Chieftaif is hunted SoUrn &C -
!erocous wild beast, aud every hole pverv crrnor =;
soarchnd for this small game. All this suppose is
'.oirenchment, and yet we learn that more officers
D1usi be provided, or this sRpient chief of this now
department cannot make the machine work Now
this Is not strange at all. The General Post O9ce
Is IN utter confuson-eyery thing is 10 error and .sx
4nd seVcns' the Assistants and Clerks have been
running agaiDA each other, and have got into sucI
confusion that they don't know where to 90 ar 0ybat
to do and very prudenty conclude therefore to stand
still, aud do nothing
But this il not ALL they re asking fnr noonov NJ
Mclean had made the Posi- Office suppor, tselc and
It has hitherto produced surplus. In one wear ye
hnd that there Is likely TO be a deficit of SIoo 600
bow now does this come to pass' This on. siion il
easily anewered--h Is By removing the experienced
and faithful. and placing IN their stead those who
cannot or will not fulfil their duties II is ronored
too that contractors have been boyond
their contracts At any raI e. we arc reduced IN ts
must add one hundred thousand dollsra n tLo
finds Of this Department. strike of some FORTY mr.
fay routes and-thus deprive he people in the sent
tcfcd settlements OF the means Of information or the
Eilchine must stop This is another of the OBJECTS of
th's retrenching, reforming AdminiSt ration
Two or three examples will serve to illustrate this
Coz vat OF this Administration Florida is territo
~ not ten years old. The President was its Grst
Governor, and when he left the government il is 10
be presumed the officers satisfactory At the
last election this territory had no political influence
whatever. 1t had no vote could il command one
~ SHo'o e,se is preferences LOT one or the other
o the candidates could therefore have no effect on
the election. Yet, we end that removals here bavo
beea made with the same relentless prescription as
bad eeen IN Its powor TO setile The contest Re.
@sVas-Nayy Agent and Store keeper at Pensa coin:
surveyor OF i've Oak timber, and Agent for ts Pre-
SeFvetlSn Postmaster at Pensacola and Marshal
too CsnmandeEs Of Revenue Cutters; Law AGENT,
Indian Agents United States Attorney Collector and
NsEshsl, At Key West; Surveyor of Pernandina:
Postmaster ~ st. Augustine, and Collector at Ann
iachieoloiEteen! and four other Executive npno,nt
Bsnts naAs sinoe the 9Th Of Msrch last to supnlV
Yseaneies created by bic removnlsl Now. vg6ay
other motive could have induced all this but that Of
yded EOT any where else1 F'
VIII so nov INT" an opposite extreme of the Uni
tcd Stsfes-inio Maine. Whom we arrived here a,
ne commencement OF this session every United Suites
lire. psYhaps worth ten dollars was in the hands r
the fnesds Of the administration, except two, rhore
SO the Marshaiqnd the Collector OF asss ma 1uoddv
These two have been since reformed" 7 will Give