Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1838-09-03
ABUSE OF POWER.

ABUSE OF POWER.
The New York Express furnishes the following
narrative of facts, which carries sufficient com
mentary upon its face for all rejecting minds, with.
the addition of word from us.
"A merchant, who has paid thousan of dollars
Tor duties on goods Imported by him, and who, Tor
the liSi five years, has always paid cash, even when
entIIclto bond, anti last spring found it convent.
tent, 1T HAT time, to give bonds and not ed down the
time of ther becoming due adding by :nadvertence
three DAYS OF grace. On The day he believed the frs,
bond 10 be due, he his clerk TO The custom house
At an ediy hour to take up said bond, when after
considerable search and delay, he was told the
bond had been due three days ago and left wi the
DstTiCt Attorney. The clerk immediately went to
the U. S Court and offered The amounr Of The bond
but demanded three dollars and Sixty Two cents
cost, which he refused to pay whou, first seeing
hls employer On retiring, he was asked if he would
return, to which he replied he would
The merchant, on hearing these rash proceed
lngs, called on some OF the Custom House officers 10
inquire II such charges had to be submitted to- hay
ing no notice Of the bond becoming due, and none
OF us laying over. The answer was, that the pres
ent Collector always haudcd over to the District At
tofney Immediately any bond that paid on
the day II became due. and that there remedy.
but the cost demanded must be paid. The merchant,
therefore. went himself 10 the District Attorney and
rendered the amount of the bond, with costs first de-
nauded, but charged two dollars and sixty two
cents more, on account of writ being taken a.
gainst him since the clerk left there IN the morning.
The merchant paid the charges, received his bond.
/ and went home. There to his surprise, was a pub
lie officer waiting for HIM, who served the writ
him. and told hun he his prisoner. The mrr-
chant then produced his bond paid, and mentioned
that he had paid all costs demanded. But this was
not sufficient; he was ordered to appear in the U.
). Court the next day and pay dollars and SIXTY
two cents more, othe~ Use writ would also be serv-
ed on the security. Tins being complied WITH tho
matter ended. the merchant having paid eight dollars
and eighysrx cents for the lesson that there are
days of grace with men who abuse their power OF
office in manner that would be disgracefu TO any
country.
"Wha adds to the aggravation Of this insult is,
that while the clerk inquired for the bond at the Gus
tom House, a merchant whose politics might have
been better known, called for his bond, which had
been due, rs he was told, Tor several days. aud OBJ
tanned II without cost or being first made prisoner"
We shall not express the Indignation which the
foregoing facts well calculated TO excite in every
mind not steeIed to the common instincts Of justice
by partizan prejudice. Suffice it to remark, that
if this early day, the discretion conferred for wise
purposes upon Executive officers is to be perverted
INTO the means of favor,ism on the one hand, aad
oppression on the other, boosted theory Of G.
quail political rights is as - sounding brass and a
tlnhing cymbal." 1t is not worth the parchment
on which it is engrossed-a perpetual satire upon
the practical operation of our laws.
The narrative suggests another re1ecton-Ifthe
Sab Treasury scheme should be adopted, it is APP
parent that the Receivers General aud their subor-
dinates must necessarily be allowed wide latitude
in the performance Of their several duties, which it
will be impossible infinitely to define. Is rot be
feared that they will abuse this DANCE Discretion
by Eavorng the supporters and BY depressing tho
opponents of the administration, for the time being,
and thereby bring the patronage OF the government
INTO conflict with the healom of elccions!" May
they not receive bank no as from clanorous part,-
IAN oihe ADMINISTRATION, while they will Eigpssy exact
specie from oppoucnt,-and in a variety Of ways.
favor the former and harrass and perpl the latter
And if they may do this, is il not certain that they
'oW do it Every man becomes tyrant. in pro-
portion to the absolute power with which he is cloth
ed or if there be ilus,rious exceptions TO the
remark. their rarity proves its general business
And as il is equally truth hat those who tyrapnze
their dependents always servile sycophants
to their empoyers,in their super-serviceable zeal
anticipating rather than waiting for their orders
there can be doubt that every Receiver General,
with his whole corps of assistants, and tho trained
bands OF spies who 10 be sent annually through
out the country, that the public moneys are
Safe will be so many eleciioneering agents. using
the powers with which they may be invested for the
good Of the party" upon whose continued ascendant
eythry may be dependent for their salaries and Their
bread. And we have never heard of the application
OF the scourge to any official delinquent, 10 any
pIunderer of the "Spos," who has used his pow
discreeHy-rhat is who has brought the pat
ronage of the government into conflict with the
freedom of elections" for the benefit Of the "pow-
ers that be-" The motive, in such cases, always
shields the criminal from punishment-and not
uniIequently ensures him reward. This IS point
OF view in which the b-Treasury scheme IS not
often discussed there being so many othe, aud more