Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1835-02-11
REPORT UPON EXECUTIVE PATRONAGE.


some Of the most elaborate and able reports |
ever made in either branch Of the National Lee |
gislature. Conspicuous among them will stand
the Report on Monday made by MIR. Calhoun,
from a Select Committee appointed, upon his
motion, to inquire into the extent and operation
of the constantly increasing patronage of the
Executive of the United States. In presenting
the Report Mr. Calhoun said that it had the u
unanimous assent ofthe committee every point
OF it hut one, and on that one a single member
of the committee only dissented
The Report was read at the Clerks table,
chiefly by MIR. Preston and Mr. Southland. The
reading of it occupied more than two hours
Its great length leaves it doubtful when we may
be able to publish it at large, and at the same
time makes it an impossible task to give, in the
brief space of time allotted to us after hearing
it read any thing like a satisfactory condensed
view of it. We shall endeavor only, therefore.
to trace its general outline, promising that it is a
Report in part only, and not dehntive:
The Report sets out, very properly, with an
effort to ascertain the present ertent of the Elk
ecutive patronage, For this purpose. the re-
turns of the year 1884 not being complete, they
take the year 1888 as the year atfording the ne
cessary data; which data are, first, the revenue
Of the General Government from all sources;
secondly the expenditures Of the Government,
exclusive OF payment of the public debt; and
thirdly, the number of persons who, as officers:
agents, contractors, or in other forms, are in the
| receipt of the public money. The revenue OF
| 1893 the Report states to have been over thir-
ty FIVE millions of dollars; the expenditures, eX-
elusive of public debt, to have been nearly TWEEN
ty-three millions Of dollars; and the number OF
| persons who are recipients of the public money
to have been sixty thousand two hundred and
odd, of whom belong Gas nearly as we could
catch the numbers) to the Civil List IL, l44; to
| the Military and Indian Departments 9,643; to
the Navy (including Marine Corps $685. and
to the Post Office 1917; all of whom derive
their places directly OF indirectly from the Exc
cutive, and, with the exception of the Judicial
officers, are subject to removal from office at
! the will and pleasure Of the President. II 10
these be added thirty-nine thousand five nun
| ared and forty-nne pensioners, an aggregate
appears OF one hundred thousand and seventy
nine persons in the employ of the Government,
or in the receipt of money from the public trea
sury. If to these be added the countless host OF
those who are seeking to displace the present
recipients and beneiciaries some idea may be
| formed of the extent Of the influence in the
country of the patronage resulting from such
| large disbursements OF money, in which so ma
ny individuals are interested.
The Report then proceeds to shew the great
increase of the public expenditure in the eight
years, from 1925 to 1888, inclusive, carrying
with it corresponding increase Of the number
and compensation of agents. officers, contrac-
tors, and others, depending for subsistence upon
the Government and OF course upon the patron
| age of the Executive. Before institutng this
comparison, however, the report adverts to the
trapid increase, by Indian treaties, OF reserua
| ti0ns of lands 10 Indians to be disposed OF by
them only with the consent of the Executive,
I than which il is difficult to imagine device bet
| ter calculated to enlarge the Executive patron
| age. The practice of remoring from office per-
sons pho are WeH qualified for and have faithful
| ly performed their duties, in order to introduce
| of in thar tsa1 " m n
vera practice OF recent date-is also the sub
| ject of grave censure in this view Of the Re-
| port. Cases, it is true, may be found in the ear
| ly stages of this Government in which removals
| from office have been made, but they are 50 few
in number as to constitute instances rather than
practice: and it is only within few years,
| that an opportunity has been afforded Of test
| ing the practice as system by its effects.
| Formerly, the patronage Of the Executive
was confined, in point of fact, to the power Of
| nominating persons to fill o casional vacancies
in the public offices. Under the contrary prac-
tice, the Offices of the Government, instead Of
public trusts whose faithful execution is mainly
TO be held in view, come to be considered as the
spoils of victory after a political contest-the
rewards for faithful service in the ranks of par
ty the recipients of which become the corrupt
and supple instruments of power, &c.-and, by
the hope Of like reward, is created host of hun
cry, greedy, and subservient partizans, ready
practice, therefore, the Report goes on to say,
is system to encourage vice and discourage
virtue, and must end, if not reformed, by over
turning the Government and raising despot-
ism on its ruins. Faithful, performance of duty
being no longer recommendation to continti-
ance, the public officers consequently feel their
dependence on the mere pleasure of the Exec
utve, and resort to all those acts Of compliance
and subserveney which they learn to consider
as recommendations to his favor. &c.
The Report then adverts to the circumstance
of the increased power which the Executive has
acquired by the control which late events have
given to him The public funds. Without
mooting here the question Of the legality or ille
gality OF the action ofthe Executive in removing
the public moneys from deposte in the Bank Of
the u States, the Committee say that there can
be no doubt upon the mind of any man that the
removal ofthe public deposites has increased the
power Of the Executive, by placing the public
funds under his sole and unlimited control, as
they must continue to be until otherwise provid-
ed by some action on the part Of Congress-ifI
indeed any act of Congress can be passed Of
greater effect in this respect than that which. !
at the time the public moneys were removed,
directed where they should be kept. The Re-