Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1860-10-20

@. Do yon know who has been doing thai
work since?
A. Yes sir.
@. Whol
A. Cornelius v endell.
@. For what period Of time!
A. Since the advent of Mr.. Buchanan. uI
to within some two weeks since. TWc
months since. in the Treasury Department
there was order issued by the Secretary sus-
pending the binding for the present, and tina.
order has not been revived.
Q. Is Mr.. Wendell a practical book
binder?
A. No sir.
@. Are You familiar with the law of Con-
gress providing that all the ruling and bird
ing for the several executive departments
should be executed by practical and compe-
tent book bina-rs7
A. l am SO familiar with it that l prepared
the law myself.
@. Have you any knowledge Of the rea-
SONS which induced Congress to pass that
act?
A. Yes sir.
@. What were theyt
A. To break up the monopoly that exist
ed. All the work of the executive depart
ments was concentrated IN the hands of men
who had no practical knowledge of the bnsi-
hess they undertook to perform, and that
kept out practical men from the business
that belonged to hem properly.
@. After that became a law did yo, make
application for any portion Of the ruling and
binding7
A. | did.
@. To whom did You apply!
A. To all the Secretaries.
q. When7
A. After that law passed; after it became
a law.
@ How soon after.
A. | suppose some ten days after; I can
not say the exact time it might have been
q week or ten days sufficient time for the
law to become printed and known.
@. To whom did you make your applica-
ton?
a. I went to Mr.. Thompson. to Mr.. Cobb.
to Mr.. Brown, to Mr.. Toucey, and to Mr..
Floyd-each Of them.
Failing to make an impression nron either
Of the Secretaries, he called upon the Presi-
dent and thus details what transpireA:
IL called the Presidents attention to this
law. and told him that this work ought to
be given to practical men. He said that the
Cabinet had had this matter under conside,a-
tiou, and as they had acted upon It he did
not wish to interfere. told him that. in nv
opinion, the Cabinet had acted wrong that
the law required them to give theirwork to
practical men, and they had givenit to a man
who had no practical knowledge of the bust
ness, | differed from their decision of the
law, and asked him if I could have the opi-
Mon of the Attorney General upon that law
as he was the proper one to give me al. OPT
MON. He said [ conid. | asked hun how |
could getit. He said, Address me a commu-
,oo<:o - .,rsks.,.v a: ,.- 1850. --. ~ I
will refer it to the Attorney General for his
opinion is that what you wantn | said
yes SIR He said 'you shall have it. pre-
pared a letter and addressed it to the Pres;-
sident. and this | did at his own suggestion.
Z. Did you hand that letter to the Presi-
dest in person, or did you send it to him?
A. | sent it to aim.
q. Did you see him afterwards in relation
to it?
A. I did after I sent it TO the President it
remained some three weeks before heard
anything from it. I then caused a note to be
addressed respectfully TO him, requesting him
to refer my com unication to the Attorney
General. A few days after that note had been
sent, | called at the Attorney Generals Office
aid found my original letter to the President
there [ asked the clerk t, show ir to me.
and he did SO it had this Endorsement on it
Referred to the Attorney General, but not
for his opinion l called Judge Blacks at
t%ention to the indorsem ent, and he said to
me. this is a strange Endorsement it means
nothing l cannot give an opinion; the Pre-
sident might as we'll have kept the paper
himself; ] will take the paper back to the
President and have that endorsement chang
ed He did so, and a few weeks after [ call.
ed again and saw the paper with this second
Endorsement. as near as | can ren,,n,hor 4ho
words:
I : Cabinet have hal this matter un-
~ IL ~1eration and have acted upon it, I
20 interfering!' This was signed u. b,
to- ig@4.dent's W signature, as | was IN.
sv.;.>..
(Ihe following was the endorsement as
testified to afterwards by a clerk in the At
torney Generals office: "Reierred to the
Attorney General: though the President Goes
not intend to interfere with the decision or
action o: the different heads Of department
IN the selection Of book-binder, the law
having expressly conferred this power upon
them. J.B") The witness continued
Il will say here that l called upon the
President after Judge Black informed me of
the first Endorsement. He replied to me !:
why. have sent your communication to
the Attorney General 4 said, Il am aware
OF that. Mr.. President. but the paper is in.
oorsed in such a way that the attorney Gen.
neral cannot give an opinion why, how
- that? said he, l told him that it was in.
SoIsed: Referred to the 4 ttorney General
'os not TOT his opinion , says he, Is that 20 "