The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-10-09
THE NEW YORK CUsToM-HoUsE AND
THE POST OFFICE.


In 1926, the Blue Book exhibited an expendi-
ture in the New York Custom-house for salaries
to clerks and fees TO officers, which, in the ag-
gregate amounted to !. one hundred and sirfy-
fioo thousand tpo hundred and Mirty-sir dol
lars" Mr.. Thomas ii. Benton, the author of
the notorious East-room letter, made a report Of
the fact to the Senate, accompanied byf these
memorable words, by way Of comment: ''The
action Of such body of men, supposing them 10
be animated by one spirit, must be tremendous
in an elections and that they will be so ANNA
ted, is proposition too plain TO need demonstra-
tion." The numerical force of this formidable
body was one hundred and sirty-nine officers
The extravaganza Of Mr.. Adams In administer
ing the Government at such an enormous cost,
was the text from which Messrs. Benton & Co.
discoursed daily homilies to the people. and we
were implored to arrest the despotic tendency Of
the Executive, thus terribly threatening the ex-
| istence Of our republican institutions
Let us contrast the disclosures Of the /" Blue
Book" in 1926, with those of the same volume
IN 1889. How has the state of things, which
thus alarmed the sensitiveness Of Mr.. Benton
and his friends, while seeking power, been chan
ged since they possessed it We find, by the
official publication, that the amount expended in
the New York Custom-house, last year, in sala-
ries to clerks and fees to officers was no less than
FIVE HUNDRED AND PoRTY-oNE THOUSAND NINE
HUNDRED AND slxTY-FouR DoLiARsl which enor-
nous sum is distributed among FOUR HUNDRED
| IN rgl glDl
was an expenditure by Mr. Adams which form
ed sufficient cause Of alarm to excite the peo
pie against his administration, by the same logic
the expenditure of $541 1854, at the same custom
house, should surely rouse the people to put an
end to the administration of Mr.. Van Buren,
And if the "action Of such body" as 1863 Gus
tom-house officers "must be tremendous in ar
election" will Mr.. Thomas H. Benton and his
coadjutors inform us how much more "tremen
dous in an election must be the "action Of such
body" as 4s7 officers
The economical administration of the Govern
ment by Mr.. Van Buren, is fertile subject o
eulogy by his organs. With such facts as these
before them, disclosed in the official record they
ought to have the modesty to be silent hereafter
But when we come to add to this monstrus ex
penditure the public losses in the New Yorl
custom-house, by the defalcations Of Swartwou
and Price, the people everywhere must be alarm
ed at the progress of ruin within the last twelve
years. Whether these crying abuses have beer
the result. of an ignorant or corrupt administra
ton Of the public affairs, the effect is the same. Ii
either case, justice to an impoverished and in
suited country requires the punishment Of the OF
fetal offender whose weakness or wickednes
has caused the mischief. The Government mus
be placed in wiser or honester hands. We hav
no remark to make on Mr.. Bentons acquiescenc
in this increased peril to which he has contrlbu
ted to bring the country. The people begin t
understand the man, and to discern the charac
ter Of his motives. His star has gone down il
cloud and vapor. But we would say to ever,
man who really has the safety and prosperity o
J our institutions at heart-Think of the fact
which we have stated, and let your vote at thu
ballot boxes speak the conclusion to which re
Election must carry you.
On the same authority, it appeals that the ex
penditures in the General Post Office Depart
ment, which, in 1926, amounted to SO, 1923, 70
advertising and printing, were swelled up, b,
, Amos Kendall, in 1899, to more than fifty thou
sand dollars! So much for the practice of thes
professors of economy!