Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-01-17

representatives one providing Tor the equal dsbu
ton OF the Offices ncludng auditors, clerk messengers &c
Of the several departments Of Govemen among the citizens
Of the several States Territories and the District of Columbia
"Thc importance, Me necessity, and the justice Of the
change contemplated by the BILL are so manifest that il is
matter OF establishment to every who has reflected upon
the subject that law of the kind has been heretofore
proposed Its benefits will be lasting and general in their Of
fc viii give TO the people Of every portion our vast Re
public the advantages of having intelligent and trustworthy
citizens, taken from among themselves and acquainted with
them and their peculiar interests stationed at the capital and
at all times ready to communicate with them upon matters
connected with their local interests the general prosperity
will give the departments Of Government the
derive correct information from all parts of the Union, and in
thousands of instances the expenditure OF the public
money II is well founded rumor that clerk In Of the
Departments who has for some years resided In the western
part of Pcnnsyv and who few months since obtained
situation after being subjected to much modification and
trouble has since the first Of November last saved the Cow
by his suggestions founded upon his local know
ledgc upwards OF six thousand dollars.
Aside from the manifest advantages have mention
ed who doubt but that the system Of appointments
tempaed by the proposed law, will afford incacuabe
lief to the President and heads Of departments Under the
existing state OF things, absolutely impossible for the Ex
ectve and the members Of his Cabinet inco-
petent ncumbeni personally and politically hostile
them, and whose every wish and prejudice would lead him
thwar the policy Of the Administration, without subjcctng
themselves 10 positive persecution, In which mothers chill
den and preachers all act the prosecutors Indeed the
Departments have with been denomnacd the
national asylum for the helpless In lieu of able and
thy citizens capable Of answering to the nq tries
which the Secretaries necessarily obliged make have
hundreds beed upon the naton at salaries Of thousand
dollars and upwards per annum who do nothing but copy
what is placed before them 1t is true there competent
and industrious the Departments who do pass their
leisure hours in ng gossip in playing the syco
phant mnisteng the wants Of the enemies of the Ad
minsation in devong their time the interests of the
9 ten miles square !" but their number is small.
The people ought to be made through the press
of the importance of having in the Departments of Go
vernment in the subordinate stations those friendly
the and policy which the suages Of the nation in
dictate their will.
The provisions Of the bill will be before the public,
when will be that, with amendment, it is
nearly of justice and right it is possible to make it
At general glance it may be seen that the bill
referred to in this article is one for giving by law,
all public employments, down to the lowest, to par
tisans alone, and for stripping one-haf the country
Of all participation in public trusts. This is what
the original Jackson doctrine of no-parfyism has
come to For of course, is not intended that an adj
verse State majority las, say, in Ohio or Massachu
setts should have this right Of nominating In such
States, and every where else, the party caucus must
have the gift, and in this District it must vest,
suppose, in the Hickory Club, or whatever club
succeeds it,
Necessarily, the President must conform to the
authority thus bestowed upon illegal caucuses, con-
ssting Of Heaven knows what or whom. These
appointments are to be made by sort of election,
without constituency, without qualifications, with
outsreturnng- to hold it, without polls, pre-
cincts, or days for voting. And, by such APP
pointment, the Executive function of nominating,
obao - rC
totally abrogated. Administrative and Legislative
responsibility for appointments is superseded in ia
vor Of busf-ballosting. What system What a
system
The PRESIDENT, however, consents-the plan be-
ing one meant for his ease and TO shield him from
local dscontents, already troubling him. Happy
Sovereign, over whose peace his subjects watch !!
Happy Senate, that will get without asking it, the
benefit Of this zeal of the legcs to tighten the lord
labors
For some nine months the Executive and his
Cabinet have bent their ncessant toll TO the purif-
cation of public Office and 10! it is still only an
asylum for the helpless" hospital of Incurables
Stll--by special luck, Of course-one new clerk
is said TO have saved the Government sic thousand
dollars the new theory being that men who have
not been occupied with the public accounts in
the best condition TO guard against public losses
But, if there is any feature in the plan which
charms the Pennsylvania and us more than all the
rest, it is that of making every public officer ines
sengers and ally an organ for secret communication
with the local managers and caucus at home. OF
course, too, he is to be the regular and authentic
correspondent of the party press there which will
thus, perhaps, get its letters cheap, the officer be-
ing paid out of the money Of the People for writ
ing them.
What blessed " Reform" will this not be
We have spoken of the proposition discussed by
the Pennsylvania though il we're one that
might receive the sanction Of Congress, and be-
come part OF our system Of government. But we
have no serious apprehension Of the adoption Of a
proposition SO impracticablc, SO repugnant to all
idea of consistency in the administration Of the Co
vernmcnt so subversivc Of that method, necessary
in the conduct Of private business, which all expo
rience shows to be yet more necessary i'm trans
acting the business Of the Public.
The NAVY AND THE ARMY.-The number and
class of vessels in the Naval service of the United
States on the LIST day of October is stated by the
Secretary of the Navy as follows: