Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1838-05-31
'rHyENTY-TIErM CONGR ESS.
SECOND SESSION.
BROKEN DOSES-DOSE 9th.
From Ma. BoNp's SPEECH.


but To enlist the praise of that fault fntlirg era
leave Tor those who were familiar with the motives
and political currents OF that day 10 arconnt for this
The committee said OF it" The efficiency of this
branch OF the public service is in condition highly
improved and improving" NV first remark ON this
IL, that the Post Office Department passed into the
hands OF General jackson in healthy and efficient
state few years. under his reform. reduced il 10
chaos and Insolvency. The details of this misman-
agement have been long since proved. The evi
dence Is on file here aud in the Senate. with the
ports OF the several committees appointed to inycsti
gate its abuses. | refer gentlemen TO the files and
VIII not dwell on the various abuses which were de
signa,ed aud established. Their enorm,y coupled
with the fact OF the borrowing money, on public
| count, by the Postmaster General. without law or
authority, alarmed the country. But bad as all this
was, and used, rs the pecnniary patronage had hecn,
To confer personal benefits on iavouritcs, until the
disorder and insolvency OF the department be-
came apparent, still the political which had
been made OF The appointing patronage dis
| closed, and now will be- The present Post
master General Amos Kendall. tells us in his ac-
account OF the late destruction Of thai Department by
FIRE, that all the books, papers, and files OF the De
partiuent were saved except files of the ap
pontmcnt Office and that these were DESTROYED .
In the first SIX years Of General Jacksons Admin
isiraton, about 800 posimastcrs removed from
Office. and IN most OF the cases, without thu assign
ment OF any cause. When certain members ofthe
committees of the Senate and House. appointed, in
/ iooo-- 4, 10 Inc abuses oil that Depart
ment, attempted to- get the files and correspon-
dence of this Appointment Office" with a view to
ascertain and report whether the FOR those re
movas we've prompted by high and just public con
slderaons, orby mere party political expedency
they were denied The right by the head of the De-
parlment, and by the friends Of the Administration.
who composed majority one of these commit
tees Was not this inquiry just refer you, sir
10 Mr.. Benton's famous report aud bill, providing
torthe disclosure OF reasons in case of removal sn
,nI,s NJ
marks, aud to those of your friends in the debate on
! Mr. Saunders resolution, which | have already
quoted. But, above all | refer YOU to the remarks
OF the ilustrious Madison, unrvaed he WASH the
knowledge OF The letter and spirit OF our Constitution
and laws, and in purity and honesty of purpose. As
early as 1888, III the memorable debate on the power
OF The Executive TO remove from Office, lac moi
only denied the right to eXerciIc this capricousy
and without assigning adequate reasons, but he
Thought II would be such bold assumption of law
less power that he thus expressed himself: ~
own 1t is an abuse of power which exceeds my ina
sinatlon, and OF which can form rational con
ceptIon."
But when Mr.. Van Buren, and Mr. Benton (bo,h
/ OF whom were on the committee which reported the
bill to prevent the abuse Of this patronage of ap-
ponnent) came INTO power, they changed their tone
II not their principles. Removals from Office i,nn,e
diaey followed and they deny any obi CATION TO as
sign reasons Is II not strange, too, nay, is not
mysterious, that IN the con1agraou of the Post or
lhe ohiy papers ana HieS should be those fea-
ting to the exercise il not the abuse, olthe power of
removal from offce-the very papers which the Post
master General refused suffer the Committees of
Investigation To examine
said Nj. Van Buren, changed his tone on this
SUBJECT will AT once prove it. The Journal of
the Senate shows that he of the Select Com
mlttce who reported the bill already referred to- He
entered the Office of Secretary of State with the com
| mencement OF General Jackson's Administrations
And one OF hs first official acts was The removal Of
meritorlous clerk from his office in that Department
and posture refusal 10 assign any reason for IL i,
| Ine gentleman removed is IA member OF this
House, and the voice of the People has sustained
hin whom the despotism OF Executive patronage
songh 10 destroy.
The manner in which this patronage is abused,
andthe readiness and almost Geographic despatch
with which the wires Of party machinery are felt
throughout and from the most distant parts of the u
Mon, may be imagined after reading this laconic
note written by Mr.. IAN Buren, soon after enrcring
on The duties OF Secretary of Stateto gentleman IN
Louisiana.
WASHINGTON, April 90, 1929
| Ny Dear Sr:-l have the honor of Acknowledge
ing the receipt Of your letter of he 2ls u and OF i-
forming you that the removals and appointments
you recommend were made on the day your letter
was received With respect your friend. &c.
| NJ. VAN BUREN,"
And, so FAR from being wiling to reduce The mum
Der Of clerks in his Department. as the People were
induced to believe would be done, Mr.. Van Buren,
when called on for that purpose, The whole affair
through a new medium, and replied: My opinion
is, that there can be reduction in the number OF
officers employed in the Department lofState) with
out detrmeut 10 the public interest ~ And yet the
Rerenchment COMMITTEE, when Mr.. Clay was in
that Department, reported " that they felt sat
lsed thai, had the officer at its hea coucurred with
them IN opinion they might have presented a
plan for not only gradual reduction ofthe number
OF clerks bur Tor actual Increase in the efficiency
\ OF their labors'
| But other discrepancies between the professions &
practice OF these refornlers remain to be noticed. 1t
Will be found that the repor, of the gentleman from
New York, (Nlr. Cambreeng,) and his friends, con
demned 1.-The practice introduced by the Secretaries
OF the Departments, OF sending the reports Of their
clerks or heads OF bureaus, instead of con,ensinp
them, aud making them substantially their own com
municaiion.' This practice, If bad, has never been
corrected, but is daily INDUCED by all the Depart
mens, as the answers TO the calls and resolutions of
| Tins House abundantly show. But still more re
| inarkable commentary follows. When the Depart.
ment OF " ar passed into the hands of John H. Eaton
a Jealous reiormer, he, too called upon to carry
out ms retrenchment system, and reduce the number
of his clerks, in the ument of the public expecta-
ton, which he and others had excited. To the sur
prise OF all he referred The subject to the clerks them
! setrcs aud here, sir is his reply:
"WAR DEPARTMENT JAM 81 1880
| Su:-l have tue honor to lay before you reports
from ne Sererdt bureaus connected with the War De.
parIment, the subject of resolution of the 9Th
INST referred to me by the committee on Rerreuch-
men. Respectfully, j. II. EATON"
! CHARLES A. WIcKLrFFE, Esq"
These bureaus, so far from agreeing to part with
any Of their cscacteons, actually asked Tor an add
uonal supply. Thus ended that farce!
! 4nOfher PrecfDf-'Tbe retreuchment ren,rt al