Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-11-26

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER %. 1857.


The Nashville Custom EEoHse.
From paragraphs which we see gong
the rounds of the newspapers uncontrau'c-
ted, to the effect that the Hon. Secretary
COBB has suspended work on all the puoilc
improvements which it was possible to STOP
and that he would not proceed to com
mence any public works, which had been
ordered by Congress, we are led to appre-
bend that the effort to get Custom House
at this place will be a failure-or at least
indefinitely postponed IF this suppositlon
be correct, we think Mr.. Cobb has assum-
ed powers that do not belong to him, and
is pursuing a course equally disastrous TO
the interest of our citizens and the govern
ment. AS we understand the law of Con
gress upon this subject, a specific approprl-
alton was made for the erection of a Gus
tom house, post office, &c, at this place,
for the use of the General Government;
and the act directs that whenever suit
able site is obtained, deed made, and the
jurisdiction of the State relinquished to the
United States, the Secretary of the Treas
ury shall proceed at once to make the ne
cessary contracts for the erection of the
buildings. The conditions which were, by
the law, TO precede the commencement OF
the work, have all been complied with.
The location has been made, the land pur-
chased and all the requisite conVeyances
executed and delivered; the Legislature
has, nearly two months since, relinqulshed
the States jurisdiction over the prop
erty, and nothing was left but for the Sec
rotary to commence the work. In failing
and refusing to do so, he assumes to post
pone and thwart a plain and peremptory
law of Congress, and sets up his own au-
thority against and as superior to the
highest law making power of the land.
He not only refuses to do a work which he
is commanded to do, but withhOlds an APP
preparation, which the Congress has made
and consecrated to particular purpose.
The receipts from customs at this place
amount to from thirty-fve to forty thous.
and dollars a year, and have done so for
several years past. Our importers are
compelled not only to pay their duties in
advance, but to ship gold and silver, in some
instances, to distant points for the pur-
pose, while those of the neighboring cities
have custom houses at their doors, and,
by the bonding system, avail themselves of
all the benefits arising from such convent
ences The discrimination operates injuri-
ously upon our merchants, and also upon
their large and widening circle of custom
ers. The facts of our trade and COM
merce, and of their necessities were laid
before Congress, by our indefatigable rep
resentative, and the Congress ordered a
Custom House to be built; but the Secre-
tary, of his own voIition, assumes to multi
fy the act, and refuses to do the work.
The ostensible excuse of Mr.. CoBBseems
to be the "hard times" But while there
is still a large balance in the Treasury, this
apology will hardly be satisfactory to our
people. The work ought to have been
commenced long since, but has been delay
ed, and it may be that the lateness of the
season, will be referred to as another ex-
cuse. But this is also unsatisfactory, as
the character of work to be done, will adj
nit of work at any time. The stone of
which the building is to be constructed,
could very well be got out during the
winter, and prepared forlaying down at the
opening of the spring. We call attention
to the fact, that the Secretary may know
that his course will operate greatly to the
injury of our citizens and that there is no
valid reason, in their minds, why the work
should not be begun at once.