Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-06-13
tCoNNuNIcArNp
Rotation in Office.

ciary Committee, under instructions from the House. tho
object Of which is regulate the appointment of officers
in the Executive Departments Washington The bill
provides that these Executive officers shall hereafter be
equally distributed among the several States and Ter
ritores and they be divided four classes,
of which go of Office each year, after the fashion
of State Senator'S except that, unlike the Senator'S
they eligible re-appontment-so that officer
hold office longer than four years and this provision
extends the lowest grade such the messengers who
cut WOOD draw water make fires and sweep the aoos
well the higher rank OF auditors who have bureaus
der their control The bill also provides, that ia all
of removal Of clerk before the expiration OF his four
years OF service, the OF such removal shall be
stated book to be kept each Of the Departments
that purpose,-though special object
plated by this provision, other than that the person
ed shall have the right il he think proper, copy of the
record, be used his discretion. This latter clause
Mr.. Dromgooe made Intellectual strike out
Mr.. Rathbun OF New York claims the paternity OF this
Of reform" he and its advocates charac
it, Iii Of piece, however, with numberess other
specimens of demagoguesm OF which the times pro
life and one OF the consequences Of its enactment should
pass. will be that the public offices will be filed with
OF inexperienced and incompetent clerks the great
detriment OF the public service.
Mr.. Holmes of S. c. who invariably opposes these de
msgoeica devices and who has fixed aversion the
spois doctrine any Wing in the land moved to amend
the BILL by reducing the time Of from -four years
six monthsfor the very good that he spos were
sufficient satisfy the applicants four years."
and therefore, ulment OF tue subteuanean pnc pie
he had proposed allow them be divided eysry SIX
months" The House, however. did concur with Mr.
Holmes One member moved that the officers should be
equally divided among the parties which Mr. Nor
ris ILoco proposed TO add provided have a Wing
President" showing that he pretty keen at q barean-
Mr. Jones Of Georgia thought the Wings should the
offices when they in power, and that the Democracy
should adopt the rule though with Difference we
suggest that the OF this rule might have sau-
tary effect II, whenever the Locos power it be
understood that but Wings to m the subordinate
Offices and vice that the Locos have the spos
when the Wings are IN power, opine that political
struggles would present very different aspect from tina,
which they have heretofore exhibited. The experiment
think worth tris-and throw out the suggestion
for consideration.
Judge Douglas opposed the bill warmly, as both rdieu-
ous and impracucabe. Mr.. Rathbun replied with some
harshness, and there quite sharp passage at arms
between these gentlemen. Mr.. Pathbun described Wash
ngton City "as great national poor-house" filed with
idle mscreans who faenng upon the treasury and
sappng aud mining the government for subsistence
lie said, these wreched useless and degraded vermin
ought TO be driven out and men put in their places who
yet bore the image Of their Maker. lie was not for wing
fee simple in the public offices who run from their
desks the gambling houses and the dram-shops and
who by long continuance in deness and dissipation had
lost every little ability they possessed" This is
rather black picture, be drawn by leading Loeafoco
of Mr.. Folks little army Of office holders in the CITY Of
Washington! Mr. Douglas gave NJ. Rathbun a home
thrust in reply charging him with bringing Washing
ton his own son fl a niche in this great poorbouse
among dies and vermin who, he says swarm in the
departments! Mr.. Rathbnn tel. The sting; but he EVA.
not surprised any thing the member from illinois could
member from N. York Con do"
But the crack speech Of the day was that Of Mr. Saw
yer, "the sausagc-man," from Ohio, who enforced the
necessity OF reform IN the Of appointments TO sub
ordinate offices by very Characteristic arguments
We regret that we have not room TO readers with
the whole Of this delectabe eiason. We must however
give them of its quality. After declaring above
board that he holds unfnchngy the doctrine that .to
the belong the spos" and complaining that Of the
80 clerks in Washington, 23j Wings, Mr. Sawyer
proceeded:
when he came to Washington his friends asked him to
get them place. under the Government They reminded
him that the Democratic party was now in power, ,.t b
had passed through great labor and trbuaton 4, earn the
victory that there many Of them who had washed
their garments, and made them white in the blood of their
enemies, Laughter but he obliged TO tell them here
places for you" They replied with Rrest
ment What, no plaees7 You say there two hundred
aud thirty Wings IN place" Eyes" "Wol, and cant
you get them OUT" "No"
Mr. s. said he hsd asked the President to turn some Of
these Wings out and put in from his district
He had brought with him. but he had found one here
before him, lHugheT and united effort had been made
by the Democrats from Ohio get appointments for their
friends; and there had been from the Democrats Of other
States; but they ali turned away with tins answer
1.-THE Executive has no places give" Mr. s. had pro-
posed 10 turn out men who had been here from forty down
90 years: he had proved that they were Wbys and n
was not denied ne had asked that they might be turned of
TO make pacosior Dcmocrau-fo be- held the doctrine that
the Democrats entitled have them but though n,
had tired get this DONE aud some Of his colleagues had
ined the same ihing, Il had been oil ~ vain Well what
was the result Of all hi'l While they were thus ntetee
ding and asking for Whist they had rght 10 expect fair
promises made that these applicants should bo an
pointed soon Some OF them stayed here on such promises
MONTH two months, and some Of them months u
they had spent all their money. Much laughterl And
what next Why then these men called On him a. their
Represeniatiye-lHore the meniment became uproari-
Gus, Sod for time Il impossible to hear word
that Mr. said hoasb from hs gestures he appeared to be
speakingJ They called ON. ag their Representative
and a. he had not got them any place. though hey had
right 70 eGperi from the President he had 10 put his
IN hs pocket tfoaf and pay their way home fsre the
upfDar was renewed. Voices: "Ho is e,.ng al" "D-n
the old fellow, be u letting oil out" "This u rich" Nor
wos be alone 10 ibis There scarce a Democratic
member here who had not hsd something Of the same on
pefienco. lOh, OH And what more he had heard
Of some Of his Wing fronds. who complained that bev
hsu I'D The same thing to do. Laughter on the other side
| Of The Iouse"l
Mr. 5. then wsni IN 70 show thu, Virginia. Maryl,pd and
the District Of Columbia nearly monopoized the Offices in
Washington end he described the incumbent. With few
honorable exceptions, prety much a. Mr. Rathbun had
DONE a. "a body Of Oaors aud oBnges who came here
TO get Office beeause they incapable Of making living
81 home" lie then give description Of the "aqodui
Opsrand" Of getting office, "as his Latin friend mr.
SIMS would say and compained bitterly of the insult,
that had been heapod upon him by the clerks beesuse o
bic known determination reform the abuses which h.
went to pourruy. But space compes u. 10 pause
/ Ia be IN