The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1837-04-07
STARTLING FACTS.
The following is an extract from the Repbrt
Of Mr.. Wise's Committee to examine in.
to the Executive Departments.

OF M wise COMMITTEE TO examine ln-
to the Executive Departments.
notwithstanding the committee refused 10 in.
quire INTO the appointment and removal OF officers,
yet several instances o. retaining corrupt and frau.
dulent officers whose mafeasance was made known
10 the President and Heads of Departments, have
been proved beyond cavll or dispute.
The clcarest case Of this kind and there could be
none clearer, Is the case OF Joseph W. Reckless, a
collector Of Perth Amboy, New Jersey. He was
charged on the th!rd OF January, 1885 win the
gro>srst official misconduct as a collector. The
cbdfges we're OF ombczz.ement and raud, and the
I specifications were nude. HIS excuses and apollo.
gios Tor his misconduct were proved to he know
( ingy ana wiIfully false, before a commissioner ap-
pointed BY the department to take dispositions IL
the case and 10 report thereon. Iie actually con
iessed himself 70 be guilty of The most serious
charge OF fraud, aud offered no testimony or ex.
cuse which could in any respect, be considered
exculpatory or 10 paIIiatlon. This evidence
was fully reported 10 the department most false
ard exparie abstract OF that testimony vas laid
before the President by the Secretary OF the
Treasury, containing scarcely any ct the evidence
on une OF the main charges and only the exculpa-
+ tory testimony on another; the President, however
as proved By the Secretary, aud Mr.. Pcarce, read
all the evidence IN the case aud vet he made
decision 10 higrant contradiction TO The testimony
o. one OF the Witnesses. (Brniy,) making hun &C.
knos ledge Shathe expressly testified 10 the contra
y found that to be merely irregular v hich was
proved and confessed to have been corrupt; and
what vas more shocking still TO all moral seuse,
he acquitted the officer, aud vet ordered him 10 pay
back tie money which he had emb, II led and de-
randcd the Gorernmsnt o., according TO an &C
count thereof by the comptroller. The amount
involved IN tbs case was small, bang onS
three four hundred dollars. Bat though ii was
bot petty larceny II the inferior officer, 1t was The
grandesl dcrelICtian Of duty and injustice 20 the
Government on The part Of his ~upttIors, the Pre-
sdcn, and Secretary. This officer, thus retained
10 place, i Is barely necessary to add, Is and was
a stated ty Mr. Parker verbally, warm and &C
I've partisan o, the present and coming Admins
tralou, taking Jealous par, in political ceilings
aud arrangements in New Jersey
{ Another 0! precisely similar character was
proved IN the instance 81 refining land receiver
Spencer, at Fort Wayne, Indiana. after lie had
been proved guilty OF official neglect ia not max.
ing his depusiies, Of retaining balances due the
Government for unreasonable periods o. time, OF
receiving prei ial.ed BANK notes OF The eenomina-
ien OF five dollars, aud Of sharing The money
brought 10 hls Office 10 pu'cha>, The public lands.
Another Instance l. tie case OF Samuel Own, q
register Of tic land Office 10 Mississippi, DO has
been repeatedly charged aih the grossgst otfic al
scunduct aud violation OF las in purchasing
aud at sales o: the public lands under his super.
uende.oc: Of which the President mas been in.
formed BY responsible person, and vet no nqui-
~ even into his conduct has been instituted.
a mos, iagrant instance of retaining an incom-
peieni nncer Is proved IN the OF Herring, BIO
was al the head OF the Iudan bareau He was
considered 80 incompetent, by the Secretary OF
Nu, that the Secretary sought at the session Of
1881 80 10 create new officer, that of Commits.
.iouer of Indian Affairs, in order to suprrssde NJ
Herring. or take the superintendence OF those at
alrs from hls care He, Herring, was then re.
c,iving salary Of fourteen or sixteen hundred
dollars; the Commissioner Of Indian Affairs was
to receive $1,000 per annum. The Secretary APP
piled 10 the respective Choirmen OF the two Com
mittcoss on lndlan Atiairs Of the Senate and
House to have the law which be drafted, passed,
creating the new office. The Chairman OF the
S4na,es committee objected, among other reasons,
that Il created II might be dlledwi an 'ncapaple
person Pledge was given tLat 1t should be well
filled.
The Office was created and the same Mr. Her,
= .
And it viii be found, on a strict examination OF
all the testimony, that not ouy prostItuted poIiti.
cal partizaus, as IN the case OF Hooker, have been
appointed 10 oihcc--,hgt faithful and efficient Off.
GERS, as in the case o, Melville have been remoy.
ed from office tor opinions sake the want OF po-
litcal .ntiucncc--,hat fauhless and fraudulent
and corrupt cfhc1rs, as Reckless, Spencer, and
Gwinn. and incompetent officers, as Herring, have
been retained in office after full know ledge Of
their corruption and incompctency by The Presi-
dent and heads of Departments; but that an Off
Ger has been paid for services be never rendered,
has been appointed for months before he entered
ON the duties of his office, served during part of
that time in the Stale leg lslalnre OF Vermont thus
holding State and Federal office at the same
time in violation of the State Constitution (see the
Constitution of the State of Vermont; ] that all
these facts were known 10 the head Of the Depart
ment when he aion ed the account, and that the
seconnt itself was permitted to be filed in such
farm As TO coreea ana suppress these facts, aud %
suggest on lis face reasons for SLOWING IL, which
could not be proved by the person to whom II Was
allowed"