Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-03-14

tanned in place because they possessed ex-
Itensive political influence, and were useful
and active partizans. Whether such NAL
administration constitutes official corruption
in those superior officers Of the Executive
departments who knew OF and permitted IN
their subordinates the conduct which has
been referred to, is a question which the
committee submit 10 the House and the
country at large.
PAar V. Facfs connected icih the foregoing
| defiicaiions, and deemed materiaI 10 dtUtfope
their true character.
| In conclusion, the committee cannot for
bear remarking, that, during their whole IN
vesti CATION, they have not found the case TO
which the laws, az they already exist, do not
apply, or in which they are defective. rhe
perman nent provisions Of the laws constitute
every necessary check upon collectors, re-.
ceivers and dsbursers Of public money and
the checks which by law have been, and may
bo, created in the discretion the Executive,
have only to be attended TO and applied ny
those whose duty it is TO suPerlntend the
| execution Of the laws, to ensure faithfulness,
and detect derllectons or defalcations IN pub
lie officers.
H Indeed in all the new recommendations
which have been proposed by tho President
or the Secretary Of the Treasury, the com.
| mitiee has found either what already exists.
or what might have always been prescribed
and enforced in the form Of Treasury regula.
tons, and which, If reinforced, would have pre-.
vented the late defalcations and these new
Recommendations can, indeed, be regarded
as SO many proofs of what regulations in res
pect to the late deiaultiDg collectors, receiv.
ers, sc. have been hitherto wholly neglected
by the present Executive and heads Of de-.
partments.
PARr vi. Mr.. Hopkins's special concurrence
IN the report Of The committee appended there
10 by rote Of the committee.
have not had the requisite time for scru'
tinizing the report OF the committee with that
care and attention which its length and I'm
portance deserve, pnd which | would have
desired ; and should have preferred, for this
reason, to present the journal Of the commit
tee, without comment, to the House OF Rep
resentatives. But rs conflicting opinions
prevail in the committee, and are to be sub.
mitled to the country in the shape Of formal
reports, consider it my duty to say that
| concur with the committee in all the conclu-
sions at which they have arrived, SO far as
those conclusions apply to the extent and
charat ter Of the defalcailons Of Samuel Swart-
won't and Willam NJ. Price.
should be faithless TO my duty, and do
violence TO the most conscientious conyic-
lions of my judgment, ifI did not also declare
my entire concurrence in those conclusions
Of the committee which relate to the conduct
Of the late naval officer of the custom house
at New York TO the late and present So
licitor of the Treasury 10 the Secretary
and accounting officers OF the Treasury De-
partment, including the late Comptroller Of
the Department !; and in that part of the re-
port which reviews the conduct Of J. lIoyt,
the present collector of the customs at the
port Of New York.
GEO. w. HOPKINS,
Member Of the Committee.