Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1845-07-17

the general appropriation bills without authority
Of law, and 10 fx and provide for, certain Incl.
dental expenses OF the departments and officers of
government, and for other purposesr r-aad fothe
twelfth section Of the "act to resorranize the-
General Land Office, !" approved ons ths hh Of
Julys 1886
Idesire that you Will cause the monthly rs--
ports, required BY the act of 1876, TO bb feRinsl
made, and that you viii transmit them to me.
The law contemplates that the distribution OK
labor amongst the clerks shall bear fair proper.
ton to their compensation; and It. isunjist that
the meritorious and faithful should have TO per-
form the duties of such az may be found "a be-
negligent. idle, or incompetent. 70 preyent.
this injustice, it is essential that each CLERK shalt
attend regularly in his office and discharge hiss
own appropriate duties. 1t is desired that eacts
head Of a bureau shall cause to be made a daily
statement, showing the absence Of each clerk
from his duty during office hours the cause ofi
such absence as far as he may be able to ascertai
them, and that this statement accompany the
monthly reports.
/ also desire that you will accompany thse
monthly reports with statement Of any conav-
plants which may be made to you Of anyclerkim
your office who may have contracted debts slncs-
his appointment and does not pay thelnsa greeablss
to contract. Disclaiming any right to interfere.
with the private affairs Of officers Of government
ed in the performance Of their public duties by
the Just importunition of disappointed creditors,
who trusted them on the fdith Of their conpensa.
zion from The treasury: sAt
Believing that the duties reqaired ofthe oiicezp
and clerks employed in the several Executive
Departments are BY no means unreasonable. and
impressed with the importance Of prompt and.
efficient despatch Of the public business, desire,
that you will take measures for the due execution,
Il al aft
Respectfully yours.
This act of the President, appears to have.
excited the displeasure Of a4portion Of the
dandy corps OF Clerks, whose disrepuiable-
practices are about to be investigated and
reformed by the regulations he has introduced.
They, and their associates, charge the Pres
ident with meddling with the priuats afaus
of gentlemen, with which, theyallege, he has.
no business to interfere were they individ--
uals engaged in the common vocatioas pti-
vate life, it is very true that requirements
like those contained in the Circular, wouli
not only be abortive, but would be regarded.
as an unheard of and unjusifable intermed--
ding with the private concerns Of individuals.
But when it is recallectcd that these COM
planning gentry, being wholly irresponsible
themselves, succeed in obtaining, on credit,
their boarding bills, merchant bills, washing
bills, &c. by engaging to pay out Of the
compensation they are to receive for their
Official services, which is known 70 be abund--
an,ly sufficient to cover all necessary ex--
penses--and yet, dlsregarding their obliga--
tions co pay, waste their salaries in. dissipa--
ton and licentiousness. leaving their ne
cessary bills unrasd, to the great inconve-.
nience and detrlment Of the honest business.
and laboring individusiswho have been thus
induced to extend such credits--the Justice
and propriety Of the President . requirements
will 'be apparent to all whose interests or
irregular habits are not thereby effected d--and
the correctness of his motives will meet the.
aRprobation. Of an honest public. ilt5'saa
In connexion with this subject, a statement
Of the number Of persons employed in the
several Departments at Washington, may
not be uninteresting to some Of our readers.
The Register Of Officers, Agents. &c. in
the service Of the United States, shows that
there are employed in the capacity Of Clerks
alone. about .fue hundred individuals, who are
distributed among the Departments as fol-
lows: ,,.i ,...48 1,s,
State Department, s<s4s -.a -
Treasury do ESQ
War do 40
Navy do so
General Post Office, i4 siif VIA So
General Land Office, tga 80
Patent Office, n 4. g3s 20
Pension do ~
Indian Affairs, y N,al3A @'itf IS