Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1866-06-01


section of the tax bill by striking out the words
"Tha Secretary Of the Treasury is hereby author
ised TO appoint an officer in his department, who
shall be styled Commissioner" etc. and inserting
in lieu of them, Congress by concurrent action
shall elect a Special Commissioner"
lie said that be did this for the purpose of pre-
venting the Secretary of the Treasury having
more patronage because he was prosttuting his
! high Office to party purposes. A member OF thus
! House went to the Secretary this morning for the
| purpose of obtaining an appointment in his dis
| trct, and he was asked whether the party seeking
! the appointment was with the President in his
policy and The Secretary distinctly stated that he
| would make no appointment except OF parties who
sustained the President. Ii is time TO build up
wall to protect those who support us. The Sec
Rotary Of the Treasury, by this action, has been
/ guilty of a malfeasance in Office and other subor-
| dinates of the President have also asserted that
appointments will depend upon the feeling OF the
/ applicants upon the question Of the Presidents
! policy. We should let it be understood that we
are here as the grand inquest of the nation, and
] will pass upon these matters. We are reureant TO
our duty and recreant to the interests Of the
/ try If we do not stand by those who stand by us.
| 1t is time we say to our friends we will not per
init them to be destroyed by the recreant tools OF
rooreant President. A member OF this House
called upon the Secretary OF the Treasury to ask
for an appointment of a constituent, aud he is
questioned as to the political status Of the appli
cant, aud is told that in these appointments he
consults a certain recreant and apostate senator.
1t time this was remedied. Let this appointment
at least be taken from the Secretary, and let Con-
gross elect an officer, as it has a right to do.
Mr. Morrill, Of Vermont said he deprecated
such language and regretted that the amendment
had been suggested. He had striyen in this bill
to keep politics far away possible from the
Secretary Of the Treasury, and would vote against
the amendment, He had not agreed with all the
Secretary has done and said, but he regretted ex-
ceedingly that this subject should have been
preached. The Indiana speech of the Secretary
was sound and good, but the speech the other
night was in very bad taste and very unfortunate.
But he (Mr. Monil) still hoped politics would be
kept far away from the department.
Mr. Hale Of New York called attention 70 the
fact, that the Constitution clearly aud plainly pre-
scribed how and by whom appointments were to
be made. Mr. II. then read the article Of the
Constitution giving the appointing power to the
President, and he argued that Congress had no
power of appointment whatever. He did not
know whether the provisions of the Constitution
would have any weight with the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr, Steyens), but he hoped it
would have weight with the Committee He
would inquire Of the gentleman from syyania
(Mr. Steyens), if be proposed to override the
Constitution, in order to punish the Secretary Of
the Treasury for his very wicked speech the other
P
to the member who had applied to him for an APP
pontment.
Mr., Stevens said this was not an office but a
mere agency, and the appointment belongs in this
body. The gentleman from Vermont Mr. Nor
RID said he desired TO keep politics out Of the
Treasury. It was for this very purpose that be
(Mr. Steyens) had proposed this amendment, for
the Department it seems, is regulated by politics,
and not by finance, and the Secretary OF the
Treasury is prostltuting his high Office for unholy
party political purposes
Mr. Delano of Ohio said that as he read the
section of the bill referred to, the Secretary Of
the Treasury was empowered to appoint Especial
Commissioner OF Revenue" and consequently he
was most certainly officer. and this House had
nothing whatever 10 do with the appointment In
what sort of an attitude would this committee
place themselves If they took the power Of this
appointment from the Secretary What has the
Secretary of the Treasury done TO provoke this
attack Is he a slave that he must not speak his
sentiments Dare lac not have opinion OF his
own Must we all square our opinions by a reg
uar line at the dictaton of an individual or indi-
yiduals' An officer Of the government cen have
his opinions, and utter them if be wishes to do so.
just such acts as these were creating very bad
sentiment throughout the country. Why has the
! Secretary OF the Treasury been denouncedf
Mr. Steyens-I denounce him because he is
prostituting the patronage Of the Government so
as TO make all think as he does
Mr.. Deano--Mhere is your authority
Mr.. Stevens reiterated the statement that a menu
Der Of Congress had gone TO the Department to
get an appointment, and that the applicants ante
cedents and political status had been inquired
into,
Mr.. Delano said he would like to know the gen
tleman's name, for he had no doubt there was
some Misrepresentation Of the Secretarys remarks
Mr.. stevens sad be had no authority to give the
genueman's name but there was no doubt the state
ment was true, a. his informant was one Of the
most honorable gentlemen on the floor. He was
told by the Secretary that in making appointments
for that State, he consulted only a certain Senator
Senator who has proved recreant and faithless
to his party and his country.
Mr.. Delano reiterated the belief that there was
mislprehenson somewhere, and he defended the
right of any officer to express his opinion.
Mr.. Morrill,, seeing the turn that matters were
taking, terminated the debate, and the House adj
journed without having finished the bill as it might
have done had not Mr.. Stevens introduced poll
tics. On Monday Gen Farnsworth will Introduce
a resolution declaring that the President shall APP
point all revenue officers by and with the advice
and consent of the Senate.
Secretary McCulloch sent for Mr. Delano and
after thanking him for having defended him, (the
Secretary in the House on Saturday, gave him
correct version of the interview which was incor-
rectly reported in debate by Mr., Stevens