Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1839-04-29
LXNCIIBURG, APRIL ID, Ism.
THE DIFFERENCE-Fact, for n. p


THE DlFFERENCE-Fa Facts for Tie p,o,,.
One OF the most serious causes of comp,,i,,
galnst the present Administration is the eorrun
buse of the Appointing power incompetent anaa.
honest men having been entrusted will, the eo,,.-
ton, safe keeping and disbursement Of the nn,,,.
money. and the treasury having been thereby an,
ected TO heavy losses. On this point we BEG ,oh.
clearly understood We do not censure the Ad.;,
istration because of its officers have proy.d,
be dishonest Tor any Administration, however car,
full in its selection Of public agents. may be mno.
upon aud deceived. We censure it, not b,c,,..
Gordon ID. Boyd, w. p. Harris, Samuel sx,uL
won't, Price, &c. have appropriated the peo,lah
money to their private use, bu, because it retained
in Office Boyd aud Harris aud others, after htu c...
knOpa 10 be de)dmters, in the mean time wiuli,, :,
THEN requen. failures 10 deposlle in Bank the M,
lie money in ,her hands, the law rcuuired. a.,
because, as Fir. Van Burcn's presses now eonf...
Swar'wout and Price were knO'cn by gen,om,,
to be destitute character aehcn they rere appoinJ
We censare the Adunitraton. for its failure IN .,
lect honest men in some cases, and in others far Ia
refusal, after tie discovery Of their lisho Des,y
move them from Office. III order to illustrate o,.
meaning aud at the time 10 show the manner;
Which these abuses were guarded against in the frs,
and purer days OF the Republic, we sub,on III. fol-
loving letters from Alexander Hamilton and Oliver
Wolcou, the heads Of the Treasury Department, a,
the periods at which their letters respe cyely hear
date:
TREASURY DEPARTMENT. FEB 10. 1894
SIR The enclosed letter of the eth of last month
from the collector Of Tapp hannock, relates to a
subject equally delicate and dlsagreeable 1t is INV
duty to add that bills have been returned protested
to the amount OF So, 0O0
THIS conduct, though trus, proceeding from no
III motive in the collector, is OF nature fatal to
the punctual collection OF the revenue, and at tho
same time vitality I'M urous to The public credit
that caunet iorbear TO submit it my opinion that
the public good requires the snperseding OF the off
Ger. With perfect respect, &c.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON.
IoMc President, ofMc United States.
TREASURY DuPARTMENr, JUNE I6, 1894
SIR 1t is with regret thar inform YOU that an
other collector has suffered Treasury drafts to return
unpaid, which were drawn upon moneys reported
by hi to be in his hands-Abraham Archer, ESQ
Of Yorktown. Enclosed are letters Of apology on
the subject. All the drafts which first de-
clncd were afterwards paid.
| perceive nothing substantially to distinguish
this from that of The coilec,o of Tappahannock
who was lately superseded on a similar ACCOUNT
|
init it my opinion in this in that case. tina, tn.
goo of the public service requires n displacement
OF the officer. Punctuality in this respect is in
dispens!be not to be made the invariable condition
of continuance in office.
With perfect respect, &c.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON.
TO he President ofhe United States.
TREASURY DEPARTMENT.. FEB. Is, 1885
The Secretary Of The Treasury has the honor res
pectlully 10 submit to the President Of The United
States certain documents by which it appears that
John Muir collector for the district of Vienna, in
Maryland has neglected his duty in falling 10 collect
or TO institute in season. suits for the recovery Of
bonds for duties due to the United States.
The collector has moreover failed to pay certain
drafts dawn on him by the Treasurer of the United
States for moneys appearing. by returns The Trea
TO be hand and 10 This respect he Is 70 und
to be in the same predicamen, as The collectors of
Y DIRK and Tappahannock who were superseded
The Secretary is firmly ofopnion that The good
the public service requires that this officer should
be displaced and, from inquiries which he has made
OF Mr.. Murray, of the House OF rescnratiyes 10
is induced 10 believe james Frazier is fit character
to succeed 10 the office. All which is most respect
fully submitted. OLIVER WOLCOTT,
Secretary OF the Treasury.
TO The President ofAe United States.
Let any man. after reading the foregoing letters,
turn to the correspondence Of Mr.. Woodbury. with
the dtfau'rers, Of the last six seven years. and he
must be deeply stepped in party prejudice if he be
not mortified and chagrined by the humiliaing con
trast. Month after month, some Of these officers
unable TO pay into the treasury the public moneys
which had reached their hands. because they had ex-
pended 1t in their private speculaons were epored
to the Department as defaullers What did Mr.. Wood
bury do! Did he report them 10 the President and
ask their DISMISSAL as the only proper atonement
the violated laws Of the country, and the only posi-
BILE security against future rogueries No: Hs con-
tended himself, time after time with informing these
delnqaents that, if they did not, by named d.y,
pay up the amount Of their denquencies, they
could be reported to the President, and their dis
missa asked or But these officers knew too well tho
motives that led TO their appointments, to fear that
this threat would ever be executed, at least until.
like flies upon a dead carcase, they had - waxed
far upon the "spoils" Of their plundered country.
Hence they treated these missiyes of the Secretary
with perfect contempt; and the only rebuke which
they received for each repetition of their contumacy
was fresh expression Of "regret" on the part OF
the Secretary, that he "aeoin compelled to
complain OF their failure" account for and secure
The public money in their possession No report
ing to the President, howeyer or If reported no re-
novals from Office! Whenever this step became
probable these deaulting officers had only to prompt
some leading politician, such Col. J. +. H.
Claiborne Of Mississippi, for example. to suggest to
he Administration that these defaulters were true