The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-03-28

wnlrrIs, VIZ H. WxLD, o. H. r. srrs, JosS coLLrs sA'
DEERHos A. KrRK WELLSsroH, H. A. EvASs, 'Asxs oLASA
Joan w. ALLxH, and r Looks.
00-Mr @. w. yAHHs No. street, Cincinnati Ohio,
our general travelling agent States assisted BY ss
T. snTHJ r. DEsr, JAsoE TArLoH,J W. AxAsrkoH''f
LocKR, w. RAnsAy, and O. STkiHaAE t4
00-Rscspss from either Of the above WIN % sood' ~
z-yorxrrB PALx.l receive advertisements for
the Union in York. philadelphia and Boston, and receipt or
payment for the same. ffNpi te st Nh t
rhs nssklsssssss ths Secretary Of ths Treasury.
We have been forced on several occasions, since the
present administration into power, to comment
the conduct OF Mr. Meredith and expose it in its true
light before the people.
When il was announced that an eminent lawyer from
the Philadelphia bar, who had never mingled in WASH
ngon politics. had accepted the post Of Secretary Of the
Treasury there general belief in the public mind
that the affairs pertaining to that department Of the gov
eminent would be honestly administered, in strict observ
ance OF law, although the public interest might suffer
somewhat from the limited experience and contracted
views Of the Secretary But we had our misgivngs
from the beginning. We remembered that we had seen
politicians Of little experience who had walked
Pennsylvania and men ready any they
feared to violate, who the dome Of the Capitol
Mr. Meredith was. knew, young in politics yet he
had manifested pecocy for his political history
brief il was. recorded the significant fact that lured
by the hope Of advancement and seduced by dim vision
Of senatorial robes he had abured his reetrade prnci
pies, and denounced the revenue law insult to
Pennsylvania. When we saw him duly installed men,
Der OF corrupt caba we were not altogether unprepared
for the course OF conduct he has pursued
But it Is not present purpose to review all Mr. Mer-
edth's transactions Nor will we expose the disrepu-
table shutting and ingenuity by which he endeavored
hide from the people the corrupt extravaganza of the
administration, by alleging that the deficit Of sixteen mil
lions occasioned by the Mexican war, when he
knew that the expenses Of that had been provided
for by Congress, and that the deficit occasoned
by ine6ciency. waste. and extravaganza. Nor will we
set forth how be endeavored to break down the
laws by filling the custom houses with incompetent men,
that the cost of collecting the revenue might be en-
HANGED, and harassed by needless vexatons
These. and other things-among them the insoen as
ssults made in the columns of the Republic members
OF Congress. because they wished to reduce Mr. Mere
dams wasteulness-we pass for the present Our
purpose is to call attention extraordinary violation
Of law, committed under circumstances which leave it
without precedent such may be found in the
career Of the Secretary Of the Interior
Il will be remembered that Congress passed an act on
the Sd Of March. ls49, directing that the revenue re-
ceved from customs should be paid directly into the
ury and that the expenseso Of collecting The revenue from
that source should not exceed 100000 year that
proportion for shorter time. This regarded
great refomone which would enable the Secretary
Of the Treasury to make important reductions in the cost
Of collecting the revenue, and thereby increase the
available for the necessities of the government. But it
seems that Mr.. Meredith did not wish to see the pnc
Plies of free trade succeed He had been eceant to them
and like all deseres he hated the cause he had deserted
Nor would the exgences Of the wing party, and of its
hordes Of hungry parsans permit him practise econo
my No-pauyism was banded together by desire to
grasp the spos. and by Little else Without the rich tide
Of official emoIumen they who elected Gen. Taylor would
have regarded their barren victory Accord
ingly. Mr. Meredith continued his extravaganza and failed
and refused comply with the acquisitions Of the act Of
March ., is4e. That act intended to go into effect
the LIST OF July last-the Of the pres
emit year yet for six months, commencing on that day.
Mr. Meredith expended 1921 .sS7-the law allowing
only s7soooo for that time When the matter had to be
laid before Congress- the Secretary Of the Treasury en-
deavored TO shelter himself behind an opinion Of the At
torney General, contendng that the act OF the Sd OF
March ddnot into operation until the Of January last
and consequence that Mr. Meredith was not limited in
his expenditures for collecting the revenue for the first half
Vi inc nsc yeAt we udVe never asceHained the date
Of that opinion but have no doubt that was an
afterthought. and that trumped up TO save Mr.
Meredith after he had violated the law At all events
have yet to the first person who believes that
there was the least foundation for it. And we do not
hesitate say, that Mr. Meredith never doubted that
the law Of the Sd Of March went into operation on
the LIST Of July. and the LIST Of January In proof
OF this we refer to his report. bearing date the Sd OF De-
cember, is49 On the Sd page we read as follows.
PRroR July Last, the expense. Of col.
lecting the paid out Of the a
cruing the ports and only the balance
into the treasury OF the receipts at the treas
ury actual and estimated, were oil tho net revenue AFTER
deduotlng NIL exps aces ag.8
"By he act osf March last the syss oas changed FROM
AND lsr JuLY, 1919 and, accordingly the re-
ceips actual and estimated, from that date are Of the
gross revenue and estimates submitted Of the expenses
Of collection" rs sa
n We undepiasd the English language, this is a direct
and positive allegation that the law OF the Cd Of March
went into operation the first Of july s49 The aver
ment bears date the ID Of December and yet within six
weeks from that day. it, author had admitted that he had
expended si,2si ,so7, when the law allowed him only
s7soooo for collecting the from customs for the
sx months ending the 3ist of December And he was
endeavong at the same time shield from the
Just responsibility he had incurred by pleading the opn
ion Of Mr. Attorney General Johnson that the system had