The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-06-22
From the Richmond (Va.) Wing.
THE REMOVAL OF THE RICHMOND COL
IECsTOR

We have nothing to say to the mournful ere-
maids of the Enquirer the terrible prescription
of the late collector. 1t may magnify, its hearts
content, the extraordinary ancestral and personal
qualities of that gentleman--it may expatiate upon
his amiable and unoffending Experimentation
his forty-two years of e-holding--and il
may gorify him into the most ilustrious of all
the martyrs that have bled for liberty. 1t may
make good the assertion that he and his family are
the Just creditors of the United States to the
amount of some hundreds of thousands of dollars "
But we pass by all this. We have no objection to
the Enquirers exciting the sympathy of its Demo-
cratic brethren for Captain Nelson, and thereby
secure for him the latest Office in their gift
Our purpose is different. That paper, yesterday,
committed the indiscretion which the day before il
omitted. Ii undertakes TO question the propriety
of the removal On that point we join issue with
it; and we contend that the Administration could
not, consistently with the public interests and the
declarations Of General Taylor's Inaugural, have
acted otherwise
very few words will suffice.
The removal made upon the solicitation and
remonstrance Of business men in Richmond of both
political parties. We understand that gentlemen of
both parties, extensively engaged in the commerce
Of the city, testified to the inefciency of the col
lector, and urged his removal. There has been no
spirit Of accommodation in the custom house. Ii
has been the habit 10 close the doors at o'clock
unless at the solicitation Of a favorte. This has
often produced delay and expense, and we have
heard Il complained Of grievously for years. And
then many petty vexations and annoyances have
made many Of the largest importers determine never
TO ship another box ~ goods TO this port long
the late collector was in office. We heard one say
| yesterday that Il easier to get whole cargo
through the custom house at New York than a
single article in this city.
This accommodating spirit was Of itself sufh-
Gent TO Justify the removal. IL was injurious TO
| TIC trade Of the city-it was injurious well as
vexatious to individuals Public officers are paid
by the public for the public convenience and general
welfare and not solely for their individual comfort.
This Is General Taylor's doctrine and all who run
| counter to u must look out
| But there are loud complaints on another score.
| BY law, fines imposed by the collector CO. one-half
| TO the lnformer, and the other half TO the public
treasury. u is the duty Of the collector 10 fine for
violations of the law but where it is obvious that
no fraud was intended, the Secretary Of the Trcs-
sury invariably RENTS the fine. Numerous in
stances Of this kind have occurred. The Secretary
has ordered the fine to be refunded; the collector
reports that the fine, or the half Of it, which goes to
the informer-hs being the informer-has been APP
Propriaiedthat u.s. deposited his breeches pocket;
and the party unustly mulcted has TO bear the loss.
| This has been a common practice here; and Demo-
Gratis, ms well as Whigs-we can give the names il
requircd-0elieye II has been pursued-that persons
\ have been fined whore there was not a shadow OF
fraud, merely to swell the collectors fees.
! This practice has provoked bitter, and we think
just complaints. The collector may, by law, be
entitled to half Of the fine as informer, though we
doubt whether his rights are to be perfected until
! the Secretary Of the Treasury has acted upon the
application Cor remission. Certain il is, that by
! right end justice, when the Government declares
/ that has not been wronged and ought not to
exact fine from an individual, lis officer ought not
TO take an innocent citizens property.
This view is universally entertained here, out OF
the custom house, and we have not yet the
man who does not approve the removal II every
act Of General Taylors Administration shall meet
with such general appreciation this does, he will
go Of Office the most popular President that ever
/ occupied the Chair OF State.