The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-09-19


ton to the neglect and confusion apparent in the public
service since General Taylor into power. The
heads OF departments have regarded the distribution Of
the spos OF victory thsr chief employment and the
discharge OF the duties imposed upon them by the laws
as matters of secondary Importance to be attended
leisure hours The work OF prescription has been carried
on SO rapidly and with little regard to the public in
teress that the departments which turned over to
General Taylors administration in perfect order but six
months ago have already fallen into disorder and conu
sion This particularly true with regard to the Depart
ment of the Interior and the General Post Office Messrs
Ewing and Collamer, in order to reward their friends
and punish their enemies, have discharged honest and
faithful officers who practised in their duties, and
filled their places with men who not only unskiled,
but in many instances VIGOROUSLY incompetent Some
Of them have been known to offer portion OF their
salaries to their democratic predecessors to instruct
them in their duties, knowing that they could not
fill satisfactorily the Offices to which they had been APP
pointed the reward of party As necessary
consequence Of this system Of rewards and punshmens
carried with indecent haste, the public interests su
fer and the public business delayed and embarrassed
To avoid the inevitable consequences of their disregard
OF the public welfare, the Secretary OF the Interior and
the Postmaster General not only without law, but in vo
laton Of positive prohibition OF Congress, have in
creased the number OF officers in their departments by the
employment OF number Of extra clerks. We do not
know how many such officers have been employed in the
Department OF the INTERIOR but informed that
many eleven have been employed in the General Post
Office This employment Of extra clerks is direct and
positive violation Of law The 18th section OF the act of
August 20, 1912, reads as follows
SEC Is. And be IL further enacted, That extra clerk
shall be employed in any department. bureau Office,
the of government except during the session Of Con-
gress, when ndspensaby necessary enable such de-
partment bureau, office, call made by
either house OF Congress session be answered
anohe and then except by order of the head of the
department in which, in bureau Office Of which,
such clerk shall be employed; and such extra
clerk for copying shall receive than three dollars per
day. for any other service than four dollars per day
for the time actually and necessarily employed
This section of the law of ls42 plainly and expressly
orbids the employment during the recess Of Congress,
of even single extra clerk in any department, bureau,
office at Washington unless Indispensable necessary
to enable such department, bureau, or Office answer
call made by either House of Congress at one
to be answered at another 1t is not pretended that
there any such call be answered at the next session
Of Congress either by the Department of the Interior
by the General Post Otce but yet the heads OF those
departments manifesting the contempt for the posi-
tive enacments of Congress for the pledges of Gen.
Taylor have appointed such extra clerks to assist their
inexperienced and incompetent appointees to discharge
the duties which devolye upon them, and which were
discharged by their democratic predecessors without such
extra assistance Of course these extra clerks have TO be
paid in some manner. To do this certificates. Of which
the following is copy, issued by the Postmaster
Generals ORDER and similar certificates issued,
are informed, by the Secretary Of the Interior:
Posr oFFIoK DEPARTMENT, Aug, 81, ls49. .
An additional number Of clerks being necessary to
despatch the business of the Post Office Department, and
- - having consented therein temporary
clerk and look Congress for compensation, the Pomas
ter General directs me to certify that said - -is
entitled claim eight your dollars and twenty
for his services for the month of August lS9 which
win be paid to him. 10 his order, whenever Congress
shall make the requisite appropriation.
j. MARION.
Agent for paying salaries in the Post Office Department
This is verbatim copy Of OF the certificates issued
by Mr. Collamers order, which has been shown US We
that several thousand dollars of such paper
has already been put into circulation and that an add
tional amount is issued at the end of every month
and is sold by the holders TO brokers and Others
for what il will bring. This paper is at consider
able discount already-the extra clerks being willing
to take much less for in ready money than it calls
for its face. OF this establishment of the
credit system will force Congress either to deny the
whole debt tchieh Messrs Eieing and Coiiamer are
IN despite Of he plain prohibition of the ia,
or to make large appropriation to meet it, onya part
Of ohieh vH so to pay for services performed IN the de-
pdents, the balance being paid an the form Of discounts
10 brokers and purchasers Messrs Ewing and Collamer
will doubtless plead necessity for their violation of law
and will say that they could despatch the business OF
their departments, without violating the OF Congress
which have cited But the plea cannot be sustained
When they took charge Of their respective departments
sufficient number OF clerks had been provided by law
and an adequate had been appropriated to pay them
for their services The public business was despatched
by the number OF regular clerks without extra assistance
in satisfactory manner. But Messrs Ewing and Col.
amer, regardless Of the public interests have discharged
capable and efficient officers who were acquainted with
their duties, solely because they were democrats; and
they have filled their places with incapable and inefficient
officers, who ignorant OF their duties, solely because
they wings. That forced the employment, against
law, Of extra clerks to assist their incompetent appontees
odischage the duties which their predecessors discharged
Msssrs Ewing and Coamer have therefore created the
necessity which they plead and created it, too, by dsre
yardng the public interests confded to themby dstrbut
ing the public Offices as the spos Of victory and by filling
their departments with incompetent and inefficient men
in order to reward brawling wing partisans. And yet
these men and their spologss and defenders have the
supreme efronery TO talk Of party moderation and for
,nJ ho.st n their 10 Tho