The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-12-12

out Of the varied and important duties, constantly
augmentipg assigned by Law to this department rem
necessary that should reserve for q few days
and for special report TO Congress the warehousug
system In advance Of that report would remark, at
this time that Instructions prepared by this
department and the forms nearly com pleted, among
other regulations extending more free GO petition
for the storage OF foreign imports The progress Of
system has been mort satisfactory aud successful
The value OF foreign goods wsrehoused in our ports
since the passage the Law In ss6 to the Both Sep
TENDER last, having amounted to the very large Of
about forty Eve millions Of dollars.
In retiring from this department and from pub
lie life in which have served long WITH interior
abilities to many othere but With equal solcitude to
promote the best interests OF my beloved country,
submit with the utmost Difference to the poror wis
dom OF Congress- my vie and experience regards
the organization Of the Treasury Department. Its
varied important duties with the rapid in Of
our own business and population, can scarcely bs all
promptly and properly performed by any ons Score
tary Yet in detachipg any OF its duties from this de-
partment, the greatest must be taken not to i
pair the unity simplicity aud efficiency Of the system
To take from this department its supervision over the
commerce and finances over any OF the accounting
officers OF the Treasury the two oomptrelers the six
auditors the treasurer the collector register the
assistant treasurers collectors the revenue marine
the coast survey the mint the weights and measures,
the marine hospitals the house systsn, would
create confusion and be most prejudcia to the public
service
But there are important public duties having no
| could be most advautsgeonsy separated from the
Treasury, and devolved upon new department
Of the government. Among these are the land
| lipeai and geological The business of the land
| office occupies very large portion of the time
| his duties connected Herewith must be greatly
increased by the accession Of immense onain in
Oregon, New Mexico and California exoecially in coa
necton with their valuable miner lands their private
land claims, and conflicting titles From all e'isions
of the Commissioner Of the General Land Office as to
government titles private land claims pre- pons,
private entries purchases Of public domsn an sp
peal lies to the Secretary of the Treasury This but
branch Of these duties; and yet some evidence
of the amount OF labor deyoived upon him from this
source, bave pronounced Judgment in wards of five
thousand cases involving land titles since the tenth
of March, IS45 These generally judicial questions,
and not financial requiring often great labor aud re-
search and having no necessary connection with the
duties Of the Treasury Department The daily CORE
sponde Of this depsrtme with the Commissioner of
the General Land Office, Surveyors General, the Re
gisters and Receivers and other persons connected
with the system is most voluminous
The supervisory power exercised by the Secre-
ry of the Treasury the of the courts of
the United States and other duties connected there
with through the marshals and clerks Of these courts
withtbese oicers and having no necessary connection
with the fpances should also be detached from the
Treasury Department., as well as from the State De-
partme mt the duties Of these marshas in connection
with the census of the United States:
Having transferred the laborious duties enumerated
from the Secretary of the Treasury Congress sh out
authorize him to appoint assistant Secretary, who
should be of great talents and experiences, with
| salary not less than So 600 year, who shoui ex.
anime all letters contracts and warrants prepared
for the signature of the Secretary and to perform
such other duties L OF requiring the signature of the
SecTetaTy, as might conveniently be dovolved upon
him by the department. 80 msintain the unity and
efhciency Of the system he should be appointed by the
| Secretary, ard subject to his direction, He would
| want one abb and efficient clerk, with salary not
| less than $1,000 per snnum
The Office of Comptroller of the Treasury should be
divided, and that great and ugmentny portion Of his
duties relating to the receipts from customs and tae
| toms connected Herewith should be devolved upon
the head of new bureau, to DO called the Com mis-
.!oner of Customs whose duties would be various ad
| important
The hrst Comptroller should retain all the other
duties performed by him, and especially his ds
cision upon claims and accounts which would occupy
| the whole time of the head of a bureau
Combined as are under the first Comptroller,
the duties apper tanng both to receipts and expen d.
lures of the public moneys, accounts and claims, the
Office is overburdened with business, which cannot
apq sSs
The duties performed by the Commissioner Of
Indian Affairs are most numsrous and important aud
must be vastly increased with the great number OF
tribes scattered Texas, Oregon, New Mexico and
California; and with the interesting progress Of so
many Of the tribes in Christianity, knowledge and c
vilization These duties do not necessarily appertan
towar, but to peace and to our domestic relation
with those tribes, placed by the constitution under
the charge Of this government.
This most important bureau, them should be de.
tached from the War Department, WITH which 1T has
no necessary connection.
The duties Of the Patest Office great and i'm Mt
they now are, must necessarily Increase with the
progress of light and WEDGE the developments
the wonderful inventive genius of our coan.r ymen,
and the researches of 80 many enlightened minds in
this country into macbinery; the physical scisn:s.
and the arcana of nature This bureau has no neces
eary proper elton with the State Department.
and ought to be separated from it.
TIE Pension Office should also be detached from the
War Department inasmuch military orders
given pensioners such by the Secretary OF War;
nor by the Navy Department much less to the widows
and heirs who receive these bounties from the govern
ment.
There is another reason why the Pension Office as
well the In dian Bureau should BE- detached fro the
War Department, and placed under the supervision of
the secretary to whom the Land Office would be
entrusted namely: under system of revolutionary
aud military bounties, and land warrants well as
under treaties and reservations with Indian tribes,
many questions arise in relation to eur public lands
Quently aud intimately with general land system,
aud with decisions upon land titles made By the Com.
missioner Of the General Land ONCE and therefore,
au tbose bureaus whose duties so intimately
neo.ed with the public lands, as well as with private
lau claims. ought to be placed under the supervision
ofJ<1@s department, or conflict Of decision and
| IN IN may and does in fact take place.
then detached the Patent Office from the
nent Of State, the Land Office from the Trea-
as well q its supervisory duties, in connection
accounts Of marshsls and clerks Of the courts.
bluding their connection with the census having
no detached from the War Department the Indian
Bureau and the Pension Office, the supervisory
authority regards them all exercised respective
by the Secretary Of State the Secretary of the rsa
tury and the Secretary Of War, should be entrusted
to the Head Of Depextment to be called the Sc
sre,siy Of the Interior his duties would
>biIty and efficiency Of the service,
N tie more prompt discharge of
10 several departments aud bu.
-Dequent immense saving Of tms
~ yould be great indeed, the adj
49, ~ noRa3n ditionnlsx-