The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-01-26
From The Union Of January 25th.


From the Union Of January 25a.
Mr.. Meredith's late Circular.
'Thc late circular issued by the Secretary Of the
Treasury seems to have aroused an almost unani-
NOUS condemnation and censure among the mer-
chants. It was arbitrary, despotic. arrogant and
unnecessary, and adopted expressly for the pur-
pose of forcing Congress into the adoption of his
scheme for defeating the plan proposed by Mr..
: Walker, and enacted by Congress into law, for
reducing the expenses of collecting the customs.
1t is act which should lead to his prompt dis
missal from Office
The law to which the Union refers in
the above paragraph was entitled law
"requiring all moneys receivable from
customs and all other sources to be paid
Immediately into the treasury without
abatement or reduction, and for other psy-
poses" The object specially expressed
in the title was very proper object.
Such provision ought to have been made
by law.
Now, as to the "plan" said to be pro-
posed by Mr.. WALKER. There was no
"plan" proposed by him for reducing the
expenses of collecting the customs, that
Congress enacted into law. There was
provision inserted in the law above re-
ferred to, and struggled through Congress
at the close of the last session, to compel
the incoming Wing administration to ac-
eompish with 81, $50, 900 ,cAat the Loco
foco administration used $4,000, 900 to ac-
comphh.
One of two things is therefore true,
that Mr.. WALKER expended $640, 900
year more than he ought to have. ex-
pended, or that the sum provided for the
Wing Administration was altogether in
adequate. Either the Locofocos have
been swindling the public out Of $40, 900
a year, or that sum additional to the sum
contemplated by the law was necessary
and proper to be appropriated, and was
factiously withheld for the very purpose
OF embarrassing the Administration and
raising an outcry against it.
This is one of the meanest and paltriest
tricks which Locofocoism has ever perpe-
trated and how the Wings of the last
Congress could have been so blind as to
fall into the trap, we cannot imagine.
Mr.. MEREDITH cannot make a million
and half do the work of two millions
and half; nor can any other Secretary
of the Treasury. II is to be presumed
that Mr.. WALKER has not been accessory
to the plumber Of the American people
to the amount Of 100000 during the
last four years, in the single item of
collecting the revenue. We know that
the last administration squandered i'm
mense sums of public money-enormous
sums-but we can hardly believe that they
swindled to such vast amount in sim
gle item Of expenditure. If this were so,
it would be the severest reproach upon
Mr.. WALKERS personal as well as his
public character.
Mr.. MEREDITH has no disposition to
embanass the public service, or TO throw
any unusual burdens on the mercantile
community. 1t can give him no pleasure
to break up the revenue service-to throw
expenses on importers which are oner-
Gus, and which have been hitherto borne
by the Government--or to diminish the
wages of the public employees. II GER
tainly gives General TAYLOR no pleasure
to witness such necessities arising under
his Administration. The fault is with
law which the Locofocos passed for no
other reason under heaven than factious
desire to embarrass General TAYLOR. II
was a dirty Locofoco trick, and nothing
else. The fault now is with the Bitter
end opposition of Abolitionists and Lo-
cofocos TO the old General II is part Of
their scheme to break down the Admin
istration by clamor, faction, disorganiza-
ton, the want Of adequate pecuniary
means, and the consequent necessity of
cutting down expenditures injuriously TO
the public interests.
The PRESIDENT has made this the SUBJ
jcct of special message to Congress-.
There is an Opposition majority in both
branches. They do not care how much
the community or individuals may suffer,
provided they can embarrass President