Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1853-07-01
FRIDAY NORNtNG. ,glJE.y !, 1888
OFFICIAL CpRRl-pTIny

one ataat cause =! The "hcmin. ttiumph nj he DE
n'ciary last No:ter tic opular Indignation AZ The
'"os''""> ."ic !" -" nLc iJn,, hy I tapiu admins
ration The following ni;:a':vr is furnished ;hc New
h"'@ Evening F"H 5y @tc.an ''wnosr means n n(or.
nation arc The bet AID whose '"acy cannot be que ton.
cd' 1t Is another phase o transaction which has already
reflected hide !sh1nrr upon Tie tate administration and
which viii lratauy engage :hc attention ii Congress
WAsn,s0ToS. June a 1853
All who have kept pace The political events Of In.
day have heard u! he Lighthouse Contract whicn Me-
.inhs clerk IN ic Treasury, anal ,wn partners, whom
Mr. Coiwin, tie h'n Secretary permitted 10 name
cacu participated 10 the amount "t - 600. The con.
lrdc', by arrangement between The Secretary and NJ Me.
itn!is was given u shr latter and without mucn
lu"uh! Than ncr!y ndu,fing purchaser, he sold il on,
10 lhd party II Si3 600 p'ni Thus much Tor The rou.
tact! And for The anttrctsns by which il will be
ionid thai The lighthouse Arrangement merely
Isolated uiihr bm Ol aic il series Of transactions
having particular o}Icc- N vIcw. As usual when JoIill
cal niquity be- traced dates back 10 The
commencement o the late a!muistru Soon after the
accession I'll hl MEREDITH 10 The Treasury Dcpart ut Mr
acGinns found himself much surprise t his acGuaIn
tanccs, the AicCuluck Young as chief clerk
oi lr Department. About the same lime on the otp,nza
tlnn oi HE then hufrhn ol Customs Mr. Charles "
rockwell! was appointed the first commissioner OF that b.
eai and on 'in was conferred BY w all the authority tor.
nelly exercised ty !e T- comptroller certain class Il
ciScs asih4 cni u The lGror duties was new duty Ia
Mr.. Rockwell and liz found il highly responsible
one; an! W. VIII '" nm lhr justice tu say twhar,
cunsld rIng his official .s-oratcs IA rare cOnce.,jr
a we hricSr n Ia ;iarc hrrn ana hon
rst oiiIccr o Tie p; ut which is that e sinuu,ariy
enough acquired i"r himself anr.y his uoi,ira! cun,prts
HE reputation nl being very nulis obstinate man
We'll The new chlCi cc!k and thu commissioner each
went performing Tie appropriate duties Of their uiices
III ihelr own way while neither 81 them gained favor with
their political supporters McCnni. lost friends By hi,
cross uncungenla temper which, il was alleged always
prompted ita rather o Irard than promote public hls
ness; while Rockwell was nnexprcrcdv und somewhn,
conscientious and unVlsitng when he AIKEN his position
II 40 happened thai ic accession al Hhiggcry power
the signal Tor the resurrection OF myriad Of old clms on
government some Of which had tcen rejected years ago
under the Democratic hdmnls iraliOns, aud OF which
would have been presented had the Democrats
thnci power. OI these claims OF roDrse large pro-
portion originated in the custom houses and consequently
before Mr.. Rpra ell 'o sanction. They a-
pdiy axcunntlng, and pressed npon The of
commissioner with singular prtnacy vigrr III
nhly he took nr Ia examine nln them, and the rr-pl
o his explorations auihoaIrcy announced that he could
not pass them.
Here dilemma t'r he cnimanIs and only one way
getting IT, hy some tactics peculiar
such uprra0rsru have them the comnia.
sione hands and III ccd under the jurisdiction of the Sc.
creiary himself While plans for bringing this about
under cunsidrauu Gen. uy l5r died. and change Of Sc
took place.
in many respects, this fortunate ir he opera
Tors. hr Meredith although total failure Secretary,
s,l person ot character ant The claimants by
means sure their man Bar when NJ uurwn apa-are
has expressed doubt o his entire avail
labty. Accordingly, mcasn!cs 10 nnvr the documents
up nmedlaeIy cnncucttI; bn ,oio this in The
ncr desired II n~csry 1" pr"pItinc he che! clerk Of
the Treasury Department And here habtua pcrvcrsc.
ui MGCnn!S Int,rycnrt: euspCctei .rn
entertaining scruprs the correctness q, tn"
step; bal tr'" had apparently grown ~ such
di,lkr between iir secretary and Chief clerk that
almost npnssbie fr ihrtu harmOnisc and the
claimants sufficiently sircwd Ia understand that if
NJ rGnns became connected with !cr cause, would Kill
i. with their Secretary. l.r" then, another dilemma,
requiring genius 10 overcome: the genius lon1 in
appearing There a been cmpIOycd around The Secretary
hi confidential Ccrk Young man precisely adapted 10
cXigcaccs o This nAturr-h- iathpmst found night,
and forthwith ,.G!ci among these outsiders ha,
lie
yu,ng induced invite III. managing claimant 30
snpprr The entertainment "r! attend
3D. r l.Aif discussed ~ all it, hearings 9ausrd y CHAM
pa@nc a:d other q ccerGs and II irc!d"i that Nc
t:inns should tc declared III ath 100 feeble th"ngi he
never Locked hfli,t ta, III III f5in uniG? hifGaf
ii health ,rd aGc desk which should be attached ray,
r,:y If not Gr," equal T." that ot ,hr cici cictKsh III
ro,nq.anr, isis under landing, he c-i&n'a ana M's
a. tic with some lttc fcTliis'tes
attached bin. In" pay Stil, II ii Nfd ht!i" :" Wv
amount md 'Hr incumbent dissatisfied ana
~ snu n, rruronr nnI give him hntnonty 'his i'n'-
,r.c contract ,vrs matched NJ aud bestowed upon MN
In the u.clu:,-, The .nP?.f arrangement was i",',
rfirI uur In, Secretary srCTchry was nit" che cichi
,n .,-w.tri r rurro-, admirably. In less thhn ior'-
r0hi after he :, IN! l,d he lIi ali lie suspended t""S
,l,ah had a-rir.iisi Hith Mr Rockwell moved Dri"e
tr Srcr,,ary nnf alleged ina! the occ'c'
,.,v waa ..,s i;na,- a ANY way coni"nhc"h- U' "
frncc ! that ,hry were all aacd and paid at t'c irea
sury.