The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-02-13

and mostly from the British provinces, laden prin-
cipally with COAL wood, plaster &c, and require
very little attention from inspectors. Now, is it
possible that one hundred and sixty officers
required 70 attend 10 the discharge of this
Der OF vessels! There fifty eight inspectors,
and twenty night inspectors; making seventy
eight inspectors. Suppose the arrivals in Boston
were ten day, or twenty, or even fifty; STILL where
the necessity of all this forces Will any one be-
lieve it TO be necessary? Sir, gentleman writing
TO me from Boston explains this thing in part.
He says: "A few weeks since met one OF the in
spectors walking about the streets at his leisure,
when large number of aids Gas they term officers
who are employed in violation OF law were under
pay; and he told me he had then under his charge
one coal vessel from Nova Scotia, and that he had
nothing else to attend to for eighteen days He
told me, ALSO that the only service he had to per-
form during all that time was to go on board the
day she arrived and lock up her matches, and that
he would have nothing else TO do until the captain
sold her CARGO"
Here we have the great count in the in
dictment against the Secretary; and al
though this is the most glaring instance he
has been able to find, we say, er uno disco
omnia
The Chairman is at loss to know how
fifty vessels day arriving can require
seventy EIGHT inspectors. Suppose that
each vessel required, on an average, only
four days to unload; in four days there
would be occasion for not less than two
| hundred inspectors, because the law ex-
pressly enacts that s'every vessel on arr
rival shall have put on board at least one
Inspector" and he must remain with her
until finally discharged.
The Secretary has no option, even if it
were unnecessary, about placing at least
one inspector on board of every vessel, on
arrival. This simple fact, that both the
law and the safety of the revenue require
this to be done, extinguishes this charge
of the Chairman; or, if there be any force
whatever, he is responsible for compelling
the employment of these inspectors, by
not repeating that section of law.
In relation 10 the inspector who had for
eighteen days so little to do, the matter is
equally simple, clear and proper.
That inspector was put on board of the
vessel on her arrival, As the captain did
not wish to unload until bis cargo was
sold, the Inspector had nothing to do but
to place lock on the matches, and take
precaution that nothing could be landed
without his knowledge and permission.
He was liable to be called upon every in
slant by the captain, to attend to the dis
charge, and of course he could not leave
that vessel unguarded; nor must the un-
loading of the vessel be delayed, as il
might have been, had he gone to another
vessel-to say nothing Of the opportunity
his absence would afford to smuggling. As
the delay in selling the cargo was pro-
tracted for eighteen days, he Of course had
nothing to do, except to keep watch on her,
and be ready at moments warning to
unload. This delay of eighteen days was
most unusual one; for, in the first place,
it is only such articles as coal and plaster
that are sold direct from the vessel, to save
the great cost on landing and storing bulky
and low-priced commodities; and it is
very rare that il requires longer than a
day or two to effect sale. This case
quoted is an exception in every sense to
the general course Of events. But whe-
Their it be or not, we defy the Chairman of
Ways and Means to mend it because, if
this Inspector went to other work, what
guaranty would there be that the coal
would not be secretly landed, or that from
the depths of her hold, and from beneath
the coal, there might not issue and be
landed articles of great value and large
duties The Chairman must either have
compelled the owner of the coal to unload
at once, or the Inspector must have been
situated Just as he was. Now, let the
Chairman make retrenchment out of this,
if he can. If from this, his chosen source,
he can save no part of his half million, is
it likely he can do so from less promising
itemsl
If the Chairman can say that ftty-eight
inspectors-for the other twenty are mere
night men-are too many for three thou
sand vessels, he can tell how many will
suffice. He can, therefore, specifically
limit the number. If he can thus under
take to correct one item, he can do so in
regard to all T; and why does he not If,
however, in these items which he selects
as being beyond cavil, he so grossly errs,
ought he not greatly to distrust himself in
the other items bearing less semblance of
extravaganza
We shall resume and conclude our re-
marks on the Chairman's speech in our
next commentary upon it..
stopping the Supplies.
4 Erfroef fro, M, Qo.J,,,. ga..cl