Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1837-03-23

his acts, and his acts, or opinions which never
were disguised or doubtful, would not have
condemned him in the opinion of the Com
mittee, if they had taken the trouble to in
vestigate them.
ais not" (says the rcport,) "the President
of the United States, and every officer with
in the reach of the people, removed for opin-
ions sake. 1t is true, it has often been said
to remove meritorious officer is high mis-
demeanor, and he that makes a removal on
that ground makes an attack upon the public
lbcrty-ls this true:" This sentiment think
was expressed by Mr.. Madison, with this ad-
diiion sand if il be the President of the Uni
ted States he would merit impeachment, and
man did not refer to Offices who depend on
the suffrages Of the people, but those officers
appointed by the President, or the Executive
departments. Every man who is appointed
to an Office under the Government, must give
up other employments in whole or in part, to
attend to its duties; and it requires considera-
bic experience for an officer to acquire a
knoUledge of his duties; IL is, therefore, sun
Just, oppressive and proscrptive," abruptly to-
remove a meritorious officer for opinions
sake. To shew the absolute absurdty and
ruinous consequences of the system, if car
ried to excess, let us suppose an extreme
case. The President has the same power and
right to remove the officers Of the Army or
Navy, as he has to remove the officers in the
civil departments Of the government. Sup
pose he should take the responsibility upon
himself, to strike from the list of the Army
and Navy every officer who differs from him
in opinion on politics, what would be the stu
alton of those indispensable arms of our ma
tional defence, and what the situation of our
country? 1t is q melancholy fact, that enough
has been done within the last eight years, to
create so much alarm in these departments
of the public service, that few opposed to the
Administration, dare, openly, to avow their
| sentiments.
i The report states case, which, as regards
i the one under consideration, has not the least
! foundation in truth-and proceeds on the as
sumption that the removals and appointments
made here, were made sat the request of a
majority of the people of this district, fully,
fairly and openly expressed" and Oh this
false and groundless assumption, come to the
conclusion, that "TH be true, the Collector
as well as the Secretary of the Treasury, are
hl,p hac hnv ,,s,1v q Al
into execution the will of those whose voice
they had no right to disregard" Suppose Il
be not true what then? And it can be proved
to be untrue by the testimony of a very great
majority, not only Of the people of this dis
trict, but by a very great majority of the ad-
ministration party, who we're not consulted,
and loudly declared their disapprobation of it
as soon as it was announced.
"Thus far (the report Of the committee
I states, they have proceeded upon the grount
that the memoriast was actually removed
from office, but this they say) was not the
fact. The appointment of weigher and gang
er, the memorialist received from the late
Collector, Mr. Ellery. The moment that
! Collector resigned his office, that moment the
memorialist ceased to be an officer of the
customs" Ifthis hypothesis be correct, how
happened it that the memorialist remained
J attached to the Custom House department,
doing the duty of weigher and guager for
! eight or nine months after the resignation OF
Mr.. Ellery, and the appointment of Little
field, and actually gauged and weighed car,
r 90 by the express order Of the latter, and
made return to him Of the same within three
days of the time when he had notice Of hi
removal from office? The committee in ev
, dence of the correctness Of this doctrine, re
|, fer to the circumstance that, Sat the close o
j.. each Congress, all the officers which have
been appointed by the two Houses,close then
), political existence" That is probably the
fact, and there is good reason why IT should
be so. When the term for which each Con
prcss are chosen has terminated, the func'
tons, powers and duties of the Congress ceas'
y cs 10 exist. and there are no duties for then
officers to attend to, and they being chosen
or appointed to act only during that term
when that expires, they, of course, close the''
political existence as officers Of Congress-
Il is not SO with the Custom House establish
mcnt. The subordinate officers, after thcl
have received their nomination by the Collec
tor, and approved by the Secretary Of tn
, Treasury, are not the Collectors officers, bu
officers of the customs, and in case Of tn
4, death or resignation of,he Colector,the Gus
tom House depattment is not defunct, no