The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-05-23
THE REVENUE SERVICE.

The REVENUE SERVICE.
This efficient and necessary arm Of the public
service. since it has been under the direction Of
capt. A. V. Frazer, has elected high praise from
every individual who is at all acquainted with
the duties It has performed, and we earnestly
nope 1t will be left entirely under the direction
and control Of the Treasury Department, whose
duty 1t is to collect the revenue and see that the
revenue laws rigidly enforced. We were
not surprised while in Washington TO notice
movement made in the House of Representatives
10 bring this service under the control of the
navy Department, but we were astonished to find
That any sensible man should give his coun,enance
and support to such an absurd proposition. IL
was intended to make places for the swarm of idle
officers in the Navy, who are now getting paid for
" doing nothing" and who are looking for pro-
motion, while they tremble with fear on The ar
rival OF every mail. lest they should be ordered
on active duty. Let the change be made, and
these Cutters be put under the command Of infe-
rI"r Navy officers, and what duties would be COL
lected from the heavy importation. that are fire.
quently made in the bottoms of national vessels
oy 'her Officers, such as rich silks, wines, &c.,
'hat are brought home as stores" No let
them be where they are now, under the command
OF honest, active and efficient men. They can
now be called into the service of the Government.
to cooperate with the Navy or Army, as we see.
by the Union. the Secretary Of the Treasury has
ordered steamers Spencer, McLane, and Legare,
and schooners Ewing. Woodbury., Morris, and
Forward to the Gulf, under control of the COM
handing General of the Army in Texas
In relation to this prompt move of the Secretary
Of the Treasury, correspondent of the Philadel-
phia North American writes as follows from
Washington =
:" Some sensation has been created here among
the junior officers of the Navy by the fact that the
Secretary of the Treasury has ordered nine Rev
enne Cutters to the scene of action the frontier
AS many OF the commissions Of the latter service
are OF older dates than the other, it would throw
portion of the regular Naval Establishment into
inferior grades"
This Is the fruit of that system, which allows
the "junior" we'll as the " senior' officers of
the Navy, TO collect and loaf about Washington.
to Influence legislation and bias The action of the
Sovernment-we hope that the Secretary of the
navy will take the hint, and send them home
until such time as their services may be needed
at sea, or the salutary reforms made that were
lately recommended by that officer. We are
jealous of that influence at the seat of Govern
msnt. They are paid high prices for serving the
people on the ocean-not for governing them on
land.
We give place. with pleasure, to the following
article from the Union, which shows the i'm
mense service these vessels have rendered to
our commerce. Would they have done more, if
they had been attached TO the Navy?
REVENUE CUTTERs.-The following docu
ment has been sent TO Congress. 1t shows how
well portion of the public money has been ex-
pended by the administration, and it may rather
surprise those who unacquanted with the
subject. The " New Orleans Tropic" complains
that one of the revenue vessels (the Woodbury.
is lying idle at New Orleans. This is a blum
derive hope unintenionally made. We under
stand that this vessel has been CO operating with
the army in Texas ever since the ccupation. and
was only ordered to New Orleans thai the testi-
mony of the officers in trial might be taken.
and has been ordered TO return forthwith to Point
Isabel. Justice 10 the administration seems To
require that all such injurious reports should be
explained.
Recapitulation of services rendered bu The Uni
ted States reuenue uesseLs during The pa,t
Winter in relieving distressed uesseIs and
protection of the reuenue.