The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-03-22

The Department ~ the fntsSssxs
While the great and oyershsdowing agitation growing
out Of the slavery and territorial questions has occupied
Congress 10 the exclusion Of everything else. the opera
tons Of the Secretary Of the Interior TO have been
entirely overlooked Yet while Congress has neglected
to pay s attention to that INSCRIPTIONS PARTISAN who
hesitaes al nothing 10 advance his party and private
ends he has not himself been idle. a. viii appear from
the following paragraphs which we extract from the letter
OF an able correspondent OF the New York Herald whose
means OF information great as those Of any other
gentleman connected with the press. The writer says:
BY lhe-bY. speaking Of Mr.. Ewings morality may As
well mention the circumstances OF his allowing the pay
of hundred and ninety thousand dollars
old revolutionary csim--a snug littls sum-which is
another proof Of the asionishingy rapid progress Of the
popularity Of the Secretary Of the Interior with tho agents
for claims
Anoher pretty little thing, worth mentioning. is the fact
that he has appointed Mr. Latham, the shnplaser
acurer of city, who redeens his notes in "curent
Virginia funds not taken banks his agent in the
place of the Bank of the Metropolis The Of this
appointment ought, think, 70 be made public, and
would respectfully call Mr. Ewing for explanation
II there is any department in this government which
needs thorough overhauling, il is that which
Thomas Ewing presdes We heard long ago Of the allow
ance by Mr. Ewing Of claims rejected again and again
by previous administrations account of their inbound
ed and fraudulent character; and now have the al
lowance of another claim TO chronicle Per-
haps il may be claim growing out OF connection
with the Virginia land scrip. with which the name Of
Mr. Ewing is SO unfortunately connected.
The other matter mentioned by the Heralds cores
pendent, viz: making shin-plasier banking shop a
place Of deposite for the public moneys Of the United
States, deserves equally the attention of Congress We
believe Messrs Latham Il Co. do not pretend to redeem
the notes which they issue as currency in specie
They all made payable in current Virginia notes;
and believe the city and District flooded with this
miserable plaster trash, issued understand.
in violation Of law and notwithstanding, such con-
is employed agent for the disbursement OF the
funds OF the Department of the Interior Instead Of in
strucng the government attorney Of this District to
proceedings against the nuisance the Secretary of
the Interior attempts to give it strength and vitality, by
placing the government funds in its keeping These
things trust will be inquired int by Congress, and
the proper remedies applied.
Besides, there many things back, in the operations
OF the Department Of the INTERIOR of which explanations
should be demanded Of Mr. Ewing. He should be re-
quired to explain how such immense families happened
be sent California at the expense of the
in the names of Collier and Wilson; who were the
persons constituting those families; whether they have,
since their arrival in California been employed in the
vice Of the United Staies and il 50, what is the nature
of the service in which they employed; what the
compensation which they receive; and under what law
are they employed'
The Secretary OF the Interior should be compelled to
the preceding questions; and he should also be
compelled TO show by what right he has presumed to
and appoint clerks in the bureaus Of the Land and
Patent Offices the organic laws Of which bureaus vest
the right OF appointment in their respective heads
Also since he neglects solicit investigation himself
he should be required to explain his connection with the
Douglas affair He stands charged by Of respecta-
biy and truth with attempting to obtain the rent OF
house for about half the customary rate. consden
ton Of giving the proprietor public Office. He fears
10 the issue Of investigation of this affair; and
presuming upon his official position, he attempts to live
down and epel the charge by silence and by the imaginary
panopy which power throws around him His connection
with the Virginia land scrip operation stands proved in
the pages OF public document; and it gives color and
strength to the charges preferred against him
of the house rent
For the credit OF the government and to preserve the
purity Of in high stations. these charges against the
Secretary OF the Interior should be investigated.