The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-08-14

service az the eountry1 No, sir! This man VINO was
proved 10 be incompetent TO ACT a. nas'a w r,onid
instead of being Immediately discharged az 10
have been by any honest Executive, has been sem a.
1 Cbarge 10 NAMES Unfit 10 discharge the du.y o.
subordinate in a custom house, he is fully quainea %
serve as minister Of this great nation al oielgh
Court And the gentleman from sngn,s, wno ~
recently demanded his dismissal auus inc IA' 49,
nistration and tauniingly sneers al US as iau
ing Opposition ~ !, c..;,,.o as Inve.,i.
CATION, after citing repeated instances oil neglect IN
the Solicitor of the Treasury to discharge MS au'y
report
"ist That VIM. M Price, as district attorney Is
| n dsfa,tIfer 10 the Government in a large amount
sioj That his defaIcaiions are attributable to the
notorious irresponsbility and want OF character Of
said Price at the periods Of his appointment ana re-
appointment, and during his entire terms OF oihce
and 10 the continued neglect Of Improper ana Ucienf
DISCHARGE Of duties at the office Of The Solicitor 81 me
Treasury, blythe late and present ineumbenfS q maj
office"
Again, ask the gentleman from Virginia has this
officer been dismissed from the service of the State
Has the Executive discharged that duty, which the
gentleman deemed SO imperative when he signed ms
| report No. sir This man. who neglected his duty,
violated his oath of Office and permitted an immense
defalcation has been sent as Charge d'Affares TO
Belgium. Neglect of duty is now the sure road to
preerment. Let manifest papabe incompe-
tency Solicitor e the Treasury, and he is lmmedl-
aely made foreign minister sir will not attempt
express my establishment at the course pursued by
the gentleman from Virginia. He proves that Mr..
Van Buren, has violated every trust reposed IN him by
the people, not only by continuing untaithfu men IN
office, but by promoting them for their misconduct
He then, most unexpectedly becomes his champion
and eulogist and petulantly complains that we are
over nice in our demands for correct government
Page 14O the gentleman is loud in his dcnunciations
Of Mr.. Hoyt collector at New York thinks his con,
duct unjustifable; and yet, sir, Mr. Hoyt Is still
collector; and the gentleman now breaches to US
passire obedience Page 20, we find the committee
saying that,
From the preceding evidence, the committee re-
port the following fact as established;
That the late Comptroller Of the Treasury, Geo,
WOLF Esq, now collector Of the port OF Phadeiphla'
was guilty while in said office of Comptroller Of cul-
pabe disregard of law and neglect of duty, both in
regard to the bonds of collectors filed in his effce,
and the records thereof required by law and In set
Ting and certifying to the Register the accounts oil
Samuel Swartwout, late collector without having
transmitted to him the vouchers therefor required by
positive injunction of law"
! will tread lightly here, sir. This officer is no
more. But, sir, after this downright charge of cu
pable disregard of law, made by the gentleman from
Virginia. this officer who had neglected his duty and
violated all law appointed collector of customs at
Philadelphia. Unfit to be Comptroller he fully
qualified to superintend some hundreds of officers
and to receive millions of the public money annually
gent and incompetent. Yet now, not word of com
plant from the gentleman from Virginia; and all this
" criminal neglect and official negligence" which, in
1889 appeared to the gentleman unustlfiable, so
monstrous is in lS4O quite innocent very cxcusablc
and entirely unworthy of serious consideration This
is, indeed change of opinion. Last year. to de-
nounce the Administration, Sub-treasury and all
this year, to support i warmly and ITS daring sup-
treasury too. know sir that with some politicians
becomes necessary alter their opinions and this
change OF the gentleman recalls to my recollection
passage l once read in one of Buwer's works, in
which the polite courtier finds it necessary to change
his opinions in order to keep pace with the shifting
policy Of the Court.
"Well have decided on my change of life, said
the lawyer with a slight sigh
so have ! on my change Of opinion" chimed in
the Earl. will tell you what opinions to me
like
what Z" said Brandon.
Trees y answered Mauleverer, quantity II
they can be made serviceabe by standing, don't part
with stick but when they of that growth that
sells well, or whenever they shut out tine prospect
cut them down and pack them off by all manner OF
means"
i, Mr. Chairman, shall not inquire TO the causes
which led the gentleman from Virginia TO this sudden
startling and mysterious change in his political OPT
Mons. am not inquisitive or Interested enough
to inquire whether his former opinions shut out a
fine prospect 1t is sufficient for me to know that he
has cut their all down. The reason is with himself
in bad taste for him crcise too narrowly the ground
we tread when he SO rec, ny taught us that It was
our duty to walk it tearlessy, as being ,he pain ni
rectitude and honor. When the gentleman snali Ia
yor us with clew TO the labyrinth the mazes OF winch
hi is threading and shall give something Ike con-
yincng proof that he pursues ats tortuous winnings
moi from personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT or ambitious asp
rations then sir, may again. with indulgent eye,
look upon his course Until then sir, the gentleman
must excuse if we look suspiciously on his advice
and disrustingly upon the position he has assumed
will, Mr.. Chairman give one other extract from the
report Of the committee of which the gentleman
Jealous member and then leave it to the gentleman to
reconcile the opinions then expressed with his present
But, the important results which have been at
tanned notwithstanding the disadvantages adverted to-
cannot fail to inspire the country with confident
hope that the high obligation which will rest upon the
successors of the present Congress In the legislative
councils of the nation, to and complete the
great work of investigation and reform of The alarm
ing condition and abuses of the Executive Depart
mcnts of the Government from the highest TO the low
est and from the the remotest unctionaries
will secure the prompt and efficient attention which
its magnitude demands.
Guided solely by the character ofthe developments
which the investigation imposed upon them by the
House has elected, the committee cannot resist the
conviction that at period in the history of the Fed
era Government has there been deeper better found
ed than exists at the present moment for every
patriot heart to desire prompt contamination of that
signal task of reform which public sentiment many
years since inscribed the list of Executive duties in
characters too egbe to be overlooked requiring par
tcularly the correction of those abuses that have
brought the patronage ofthc Federal Government into
conflict with the freedom of elections and the counter
action of those which have disturbed the right
full of appointment, and have placed contnu-
cd power in unfathfu or incompetent hands
We here read Of the obligation which rests upon
this Congress to and complete the great work
of investigation of the alarming condition and
abuses of the Executive Departments of the Govern
ment I; and yet, sir the gentleman has not only neg
lcctcd to resume and complete the work he commenc
cd but has joined the party which permitted and coun
tcnanccd these abuses and refuses TO grant nves
| - Ill.