New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-09-26
THE CUsTOM-MOUsR.
TIL. World. Of q recent date, says:


"The appointment OF Mr. Draper 1t seems only eI'
tnds 10 ica! matters while The purely ofcial adj
inistraon of the revenue at this port continues IN me
hands Of Mr. Bailey, who vas IN realty collector uur'
ing the last six months Of Mr. Barney tenure ne im
nrner practices under Barney and Bailey c0mpeleH te
appearance Of change 10 satisfy tic public ana me
problem of preserving the riH9 wboh MI Lincoln couin
not and dared not smash and al The same time ap"as
inc the Politician solved by continuing bdhe1 III
mower and appointing Draper TO overlook the ponies
~ the macline Therefore i now stands Bailey is
collector for merchants and the ring and Draper iof
politicians
A few DAYS ago, we called attention 10 a most
thorough and sweeping reform in the Custom
House carried out by Secretary Fessenden on
the recommendation of the Special Agent OF
the Treasury Department Mr.. j. i. Bailey, by
which inward of one hundred and fifty offices
were abolished at an annual saving OF one hund-
red and fifty thousand dollars per annum.
We called attention also to the fact that nj the
same time about one hundred transfers were
made for the greater efficiency Of the Customs
service, and some forty officers were dropped
from the rolls for illegal exactions or neglect OF
official duty. We oOntTasted this action OF
Secretary Fcssendcn with the action OF Demo-
cratic administrations on the owe of all election,
whose practice it had been TO place hundreds OF
men upon the rolls solely 70! the purpose OF
drawing their pay from the Treasury as an
equivalent for services to be rendered the
Democratic party.
III. Uorid for more than year past, has
beeu demanding reforms in the Custom-House,
and change of Collector. That abuses existed,
more than one Congressional Committee had
showed concusiyely. Precisely how they could
be corrected, and how they came to exist at oil,
could only be ascertained by a careful aud
patient examination. This has been made;
they are found to be Of long standing, dating
from a time anterior TO the existence OF the
present Administration growing up gradually
under Democratic Collectors; and--thelr origin
and character, at length, discoyered,--the knife
of Reform has been applied TO them with an
unsparinc hand Such development, NJ
no, mlooked-fo was at least unwelcome
TO Tn, World for, to approve OF the cor
rcction of such abuses, was to condemn
the former administration of men OF It's own
party, while at the same time il was deprived OF
a popular complaint against tho administration
of its opponents. There was nothing left for 1t
but to descend TO personal abuse and to endeay-
or to excite prejudice against individuals when
it was no longer possible to attack system. IL
is hardly necessary to make any other comment
upon the paragraph OF The World. Lest any
BODY. however, should have been misled by 1t,
il is proper to say that the duties of Mr.. Draper
aud of Mr.. Bailey are perfectly distinct Mr..
Draper il Collector of the Port, charged with
the duties pertaining to that office, which he Is
perfectly able to discharge, and, without doubt,
will discharge to the entire satisfaction of New
York merchants, and who viii not consent to
any interference with his official action, even
were any proposed. Mr.. Bailey is the Special
Agent of tho Treasury Department, appointed
by Mr.. Chase and continued in office by Mr..
Fessendcn, and he has won the appreciation
of both bv the careful analysis he has made OF
the services OF every officer in two of the De-
partments of the Custom-lIouse, down TO day
laborers, and the changes he has recommended,
thorough reorganization OF the whole system.
He has not yet finished those labors, a.
there are other Departments yet TO he over
hauled which he will subject TO the same
thorough examination and the same rigid cur
tailment if it shall be found necessary. In this
work, he will need and is receiving the hearty
cooperation of the Collector, while in their
separate lines of duty there is neither clashing
nor interference. The World, We presume, will
learn nothing new from this statement. and will
regret that the public should. Whether It has
or has not ny.other interest IN wishing TO turn
the public attention away from exposures yet to
be made, it il clear that it objects to uncoyerine
those abuses which grew mp under Democratic
snlvhich are corrected the mo.
ment they can be got at by Republican Seereta-
res.
Gen. ALVIN P. HovEY says in a late speech in