Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1850-02-12
NUMBER SO.

This their proximity 10 the continent increases this
y their part; Any small vesse can at any time by
catching favorable wind almost unobservcd. But
Il with s only large seagong vessels employed in bring
Ing careocs across the Atlantic; their advent is always
ced and smuggling by them under any circumstances Is
and then the penalty Yet with NIL this necessity
for large preventive force upon their part they collect their
from customs III little more tHan one-al o what
= We asked 10 cxpcnd go
Z Congress will back me, il shall be corrected.
The great defect in the system is pay too high salaries
o officers in the employ of the General Government This
the case as connected with the customs from the highest
: To the lowest We pay the collector of Boston sbiOO
which il double what any State officer of Massachusetts
ceives We pay the collector Of New York the same The
governor who expected do the hostae OF the State
receives 81 00 The justice who must have the highest
professional aainmcnts but S3U00 So in ennsy
vania collector Sc i00 the chief justice about $500
In MARYLAND the collector S640 the governor 20U0 and
chief Justice $4,000 And when descend from the col
ecor through every grade we find The same incgnarity
till the very barselnen-oarsmen-w in New
York. receive 5000 per The Of compensation
for all employment under the General Government is 30
much greater than under the State governments and in the
private walks OF life that all eyes turned here The
tendency divert from private pursuits (Which
al last honorabe) and from employment under the
State authorities TO look hce-the great fountain of wealth
and honor This increases the tendency Of public opinion
regard the States inferior corporations instead OF inde
pendent sovecgntcs, and tends 10 centre everything in the
federal head and leads to consolidation This government
is the idol which every aspan w0rShips Besides this,
adds aspcri,y political contests So far from there
being principles they contests for place Bring
down federal Ia grade to mat WNltH
prevails in State governments and III private pursuits
and you will only vast amount Of money 10 this
government but you will do what is mocyou will reduce
its patronage already much too great and you viii have The
public service better performed do doubt but that yo
can get better collector in New Sork for $1,000 than for
So lUO The would take the office plain business man,
Ia do its duties and without ambitious party views The
other would seek ii for its cnonncnts qua political patron
are In the case would BE- filled BY practical man
of business in The other BY managing politician The cha
Of each under the system or the othr would br
stamped upon all under them With not much more Than
half expense, maintain the cheap system would be the
efficient do recommend that the salaries oi those
whose salaries already low should BE- much reduced
BY 10 means. would strike those who receive the
salaries would The big hsh The small
| would fly at high game.
know supposed tina, the Secretary OF the Treasury
touch these is said that salaries are regulated BY
law do in this opinion. When The law ol the
81 OF March, lel9 passed. requiring the Treasury Depart
men reduce the expense Of collecting the revenue 10
560OOO il necessary gave the Secretary he authority 10
do H. Ills discretion To the mode OF reduction was un-
limited Suppose the salaries Of all Of the officers =" The
customs Ind been fixed by law prior 10 the act Of the Sd OF
March, lSi9, could II be said that therefore II was nopefa-
tyeltbat the last law would be- controlled and nuicd by
those which had preceded it do not know in what code
o laws such rules Of construction are To be found ternn
| ly in none with which am acquainted.
This brings the circular of the Secretary o mo
Treasury That circular, Mr.. Chairman, public duty re.
quires say consider palpabe violation of law
do wish say any thing harsh oil the Secretary OF the
Treasury My acquaintance with him Is slight bi such a.
is has made very favorable impression upon me towards
him personally But public duty requires me 10 express lr
ouinon entertain The law 10 which have referred con
tempaed the reduction of the expense o collecting the re-
It's object stamped in letters too PLAN |" De ms
read upon its Ii reduce the expense oil
collecting the To relieve whom! The government
alone By no means; but The country! The Secretary
however in cases, shifts the burden from the govern
ment tho shoulders OF the merchant and importer by
his circular and without authority he has virtually lncreas
ed the tariff when, am quite sure the country s not VIII
linz that Congress shall do it, who alone have the power
am told he issued second dismssing many officers
have not scr it, and cannot therefore, sy word about ~
am now speaking of the rst one issued repeat, tne
the nj
cost of collecting the 10 the public and II II remain
the same whether be pad BY The merchant or mo govern
ment TO that public makes difference for nt last II has
TO bear burden And the shifting ii from one TO The ote
does not the object OF the law
| Mr. SEDDoN. viii my colleague and friend INFORM mo
with whom the law oi March, lag, originated ask ior
information. ,
Mr. BAYLY. take pleasure in answering my friend
In n,ruinc the debate had not intended refer Ia ha
But =, anticipated that might be- called npon 10 refer 10
i'm reply am prepared 10 his question IL was re-
commended by Mr. Walker late Secretary Of the Treasury
as long ago as March, 1876 On the 10th oi that month he
wrote 10 the Committee of Ways and Means this letter
/ TREAsuRy DEPARTMENT, March 10, lsio
SIN In my letter Of the 23d OF February as 10 you ,e
statement made that the expense Of coieclg .io
nue. could be reduced s53 SCI below the expenditure oil inc
last fiscal year To insure this result respectfully reco
mend ,hnt clause be inserted in the new tariff bll Limiting
the expenses of collecting The revenue under that bii 10
sum not exceeding Sl,52U,0JO.
The sum expended in collecting the revenue ~ now an'os
exclusively within the discretion of the Secretary oil lri
snrv The paymcns are frequently made merely upon ms
written order without the intervention "i "s a
neraininp the other accounts
mcnts nc not regulated by specific appropriations a oy
aw ns in other cases In my opinion The expenses inci
dent 10 the collection Of the revenue should DC rfeeu y
speci6c appopatons and the payments mace sec' " o
hcrs ,nnicabp 10 the settlement Of other accounts.
This grsat reform only be introduced by the legislation
of Congress- but if you think Proper t" Ts2HIs ns
''''' r. J. WALKER,
! Secretary of the Treasury.
/ chniru,an of The committee of Ways and Means.
Again ON the 25th Of May, 1916, he the following
4 TRrAsrRY DEPARTMENT, May 25 1916.
Si, Having been informed BY that the suggestions
made in Iny letter of the 10th of March last so Tar as re-
aued the limitation Of the expenses incident TO The collie
ton of the and the regulation oi me same cx M
moi the approbation Of the Committee o Ways ana Means
enclose provision for carrying these Suggestions mi" f
This provision it il believed should be appended us new
section To the bill reported 70 1le eoih"'''' ' e
ldutes Imports -.:,;,,s or
If that bi should not become law and The provisions Of
rho nrcs.n tariff remain unacred the expenses incident "
h leron Of the revenue including drawbacks, shing
lbomties and allowances, cannot with safety, bc isa "
i The sums now proposed by this department
am, very respectfully your obcdlcnt sel'an'i
u Secretary OF the Treasury.
4 uo, J.nrsJ Mckay
'1 1,h,irman Of the Committee of Ways and Means
aR, further enacted Tha, the amount TO be dlsbursed IN
navmen of the expenses incidental to the coee'oh VI m
revenue shall not exceed IN 'ne M @ fl @ ~ear succeed
inv III. ann of one million five hundred and twenty thou,
san dollars; and that the Secretary VI the treasury sldh
av full mower TO diminish any branch or item OF sac
pendlres so as bring the aggregate amount wl'h .
Limitation above mentioned and that hereafter the "no
amonn, OF the public moneys by whonsoever received Oh
colected shall be paid into the treasuy and all expense
incident 10 the collections Of the revenue not exeeeone c
amount above stated shall be paid out OF any moneys IN Tue
treasury not otherwise appropriated and the accounts mere
of shall be rendered the proper accounting "heers OIL tue
Il treasury for adjustment by heiii.
The recommendation subsequently renewed but unde
the difficulty of getting bills through Congress- the b 70
carry these 70 concentrations into effect dd not pass .s
Honse until the 18th March, la4S. That was before any
nominations for The presidency were made ana wnen, y
few anticipated that this administration would come
into power. 1t, -, .. Of March
The bill did pass the Senate until The 81 so o. tt
ls49 But before il passed, il came to inns liouso &
amendments where, if it had been dlsapproVe' '"u"
have been defeated. L, ITO ,yare
Before conclude have word TO say aoon. .ae maie
bousino eysem-not by way Of argument 10 sustain ou
onnions but for the information OF the house. 10 s'a
them. , 49,, ,,.,,. .ro do
c; in Gyor of that system, hut with some
sne,t with confidence of the democratic part o tne co OH
;1,ec we think II of great benefit TO every ~
. n If the countrythe agricultural The mechaniea, ~
q Commercial and the manufacturing We are saiu I - =
# comn,rv will never surrender it, But we thnk l L a
nnhic warehouses ought to be abolished excsp' ~ M 80
Ia pods warehouse room for unclaimed GOODS Io mo