The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-05-22


this isiion than by every preceding one. la
The fret sir years OF Gen Jacksons administration.
1900 posinasten were removed. and when Called
upou BY computes Of Congress 10 LEI The reasons BIO
made public, the righ, Of Congress 70 make suen N'-
quiy was denied. xhst had became OF the PROMISES
soemnly made 10 tbs eounlryi II u ~ss right during
Mr. Adams administration. that when officers wefe re-
moved the reasons should be assigned. Is u not right
nov Has The VI the power Of removal. i"sde
lees The right OF the people 10 know the manner ~ which
,he President exercises the powers conferred upon hni
In the last few months, have Van kenssrlaera
veteran Of tic revolution. removed from the office OF
post muster AlblnyS Skinner from that office ~ Bal
innore Where, repeat, were the pr,m'ses Of MI
Van BJren IL 10 not pretended that tsn kensssiaef
or Skinner had been unfAi,hfal For what then sere
they rcnosed To cary out that psny prescription IA
1880. which Mr. Van Buren, in 1925 solen,niy con-
ds,naed aud reIndated But there u stl stronger
evidence against Mr. Van Bnren--eyidenco winch
proves beyond all controversy thst he not only forgot
his promises. but became himself the tool To carry ou
the parry prescription which 9th rs might Advise, Oi
oi his o~a mouth shall he I've condemned, Soon after
Mr.. Van buren, WIS sppontvd Secretary Of State. he
received from gentleman Luuisisns, . letter re-
| commenting removals and appointments. To which
letter hr made the following reply
WAsHISoroS, April 20, 1929.
my Dear Sr--I have The honor Of acknowledging
the ieccip Of your letter Of the 2lst ult and of a
forming you ,htt the removals and appointments you
recommended were made on the day your letter was
| received
"wah grea, respect, your friend &c
| M VAN BUREN,"
| 81 Have the laws been faithfully exscoteJ If
the, have BEEN the million aud fourth dollars which
we're taken by Ssanwout. would nov be in4vour Trea
sury. He con,igued in office from 1884 " 1897,
without exsctr.g official bond. The co nmii,ee Who
the dedication. have re,ored that had his
accounts been examined according law he could not
have taken such All amount without detection. The
glsrng negligence on the part Of public officers is
enough. Il hardly necessary say that The laws re-
qnre public officers, receivers, &c 10 make stated Pc
rodical fetnrns, and that individuals have
been coutinued in Office after they failed To discharge
this duty.
! 4th Has this administration. kaoci1eiy, counte-
nanced dishonesty in public ofIcersi Have dishonest
men been continued in office, after they became disho.
nest I Let facts answer these questions
/ On the 9th Of March, 1874. VIM p Harris, receiver
OF pablo money the land Office in Columbus Mis-
sssipp informed by the Secretary Of the Treasury
that his for Novenber, December and Janua-
~, in arresr, and that poactua observance OF
that duty Indispensable" On the 2Sih March,
1894 the same complaint il made 10 him by letter On
| February 6ih 1895, Mr. Woodbury. hskes the came
complaint that his returns for November and Decen-
ber were anear and that punctualty was lpdsPen-
sable" Ga Feb 2Sih and March i7th, 1885, the same
complaints again made o., 25lh June. 1885 Mr.
Woodbury. again addresses q letter to Mr. Harris,
planning that from Nov preceding (ail tie money
received 10 seven months heng then IN his hands and
unaccoun'ed for he had failed make his returns aid
that unless they transmttd y retnn OF mall. he
would report him to the President" On August, %,
he writes him that uncss he sends on his returns by
10Th October next no will I've dismissed from Office"
On October 10. 1895, the clerk e-a,noe
into The accounts Of receivers. &c writes letter the
Secretary Of the Treasury, from which the following is
/ an extract:
| CoLuMsus, (Miss) Oct. 10. 1895
/ Sir have the honor 10 report that Wiley Harris,
Esq. receiver OF public moneys at Colnnbns, has not
complied with the requirements Of your letter OF 2Slh
August. and that his returns for May. june July, Au
gust and September, are iu arrears According 10 re-
iurn for April there on hand tho sum Of 81 H.
! 059 03 on the 30rh OF that month Yet his succeed
ng deposites made the 9th and l lth May we're no
more than l4O.00D, when, according 10 the regula
lions, the whole should have been deposited His
previous dcposires made in January, February, March
and April all very far short Of the money hand at
the end OF the previous month
i Respectfully submitted,
j @ J. MEG, Clerk"
On the l2h October, 1885. Mr. Harris being still
4 defsul'er for large amount, Mr. Woodbury. writes
him. rs To his and that Of his friends"
he will be continued IN office until 18Th November next
that unless he pays oil that he by that tne he
Will he removed from Office however painful to the
! President and The Department" On November the
2Sth, (arT he had written him he should be Ienoved)
he writes Mr. Harris that he why he
does not depose IN hank. the whole Of money
IN his hands February 4th. 1886. aud March 2sth
most heavily Of his making his returns, and in both
letters, says he will he under the necessity Of reporting
him TO the President On June OH. he writes to Mr.
Harris again, and tells him that The end Of April,
there IN his hands, 81 ,59i70. and asks "why
he does not pay over the whole amount in his hands,
instead Of part in conformity explicit and frequent
isrctions that point. and says, :" il is painful 10
be obliged to ask so often for explanations" On Sep.
tenber 2lst 1896. Mr.. Woodbury. accepts Mr. Harris's
rcngaanon. Mr. Harris a defaul.er 10 the amount
Of S03.l7s0S
The above extrsc,s arc from Mr.. Woodhury's own
etters-they iot arguments dednctons but they
are facts aud speak for themselves. What. fellow
ct'zens, do they prove Too much for the honor Of
our country. They prove that Mr.. Woodbury., with
the knowledge and consent Of the President, continued
Mr.. w p. Hairs IN Office years after he kneD
him to have taken the public money; from 1891 to
August, 1888, he was VIGOROUSLY defaul,er. Mr..
/ Woodbury. wrote him twenty letters during the
time, IT. every one OF which he complains of his con-
duct. He him first, that he would be reno, cd
on 10Th October, ls35-rhen 18th November,
1885 unless his returns on. They were not
sent on. and yet Mr. Harris continued ia office.
Was this ho"est--was il right! THIS administration
has, as YOU see. k"oninPiy permitted VIM P. Harris to
take $l09l7s0 % Of the public money. It proves Mr.
Woo lbnry dishonest and unworthy to be trusted Yet
Mr. Woodbury. continued Secretary Of the Treasury
But why was Harris continued in office after he became
defaulter! The following extract from Mr.. Cai-
bone's letter, who then member OF Congress. TO
the President OF the United States. will tell The let
Ter is written in behalf Of Harris, and is dated
AZ CoLUMeUs, Sept. Is, 1885
Dear Sir"-Sp.akng Of Gen Harris, he calls him
" Of the main pillars Of the Democratic cause. aud
Of the earliest aud distinguished friends Of tho
Administration in Mississippi His family and
neef,ons are extremely influential and all Of them
cooperating tcnh us ia the ariuous struggle are
nor making. They true Democrats aud the Bank.
Multiplying and White parties would shout victory at
any blow aimed them"
Signed, JOHN +. H. CLAIBORNE.
Directed to His Excellency, the President of the
United States
The secret is told "a pillar Of Democracy. with
family and connections extremely influential and all