The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-03-07
THE CUSTOM HOUSE MIDDLE.
Letter from Collector Smythe TO Presiden,
JohRs0n.

CUSTOM HOUSE. Nsw YORK,
CoLLHcroK's OFFICE, March 9, 1867. J
To his Excellency ASDsEw JOHNSON President Of the
United Siates:-
SIR commended to your favorable regard by the
commercial public OF New York. by your appointment
in April and in May, 1885, by the favorable vote of the
Senate of the United States, was honored with the
Office OF Collector Of the port OF New York From that
day 10 the present have discharged its duties devotng
TO them all my energies intelligence and my most con-
scentious zeal have scrupuously sought to obey the
laws which II is my duty administer to per-
feet the machinery by which they executed to re-
strict disbursements at the point OF efficiency and to
secure faithful and trustworthy subordnaes in all de-
partments Of the Custom House. These conceived 70
be my first and chief duties the people, upon whom
the customs revenue falls tax TO you, who honored
with your confidence to tho Senate which honored
mo with its endorsement and to myself
] affirm that the New York Custom House never
more economically administered than it has been by
me affirm that 1t was never moro purely admins.
tered. aflrm that it never more efficiently ad-
mnisered than il Is to-day. In department is the
public business in arrears; in nearly every bureau i'm
provement has been made in the character and COM
potency Of my subordnases Reforms are still possible
economies still possible and these will be accom-
plished fast practicable while continue TO dis.
charge the duties of this Office Herein mean TO
imply no incubation OF my predecessors. can claim
possible advantage them except In my expert
ence as merchant, and my freedom from political
environments Of any Sort but II the latter has been
advantage TO the public service, IL has been my
personal misfortune. l am accused by the Committee
on Public Expenditures OF the House OF
published report banded in during the final hours Of
the session OF expiring Congress First OF making
removals and appointments which have impaired the
efficiency of the public service Second, OF having
while the business of the Custom House decreasing,
increased its expenditures from $3.50 600 10 $500 000
Third of having contemplated distribution or farming
~ the profits the general order business'
These the total Of the committees accusations
they arc decorated and padded out and
with adectves and rhetoric and are heightened here
and darkencd there with surmses and probabilities,
inuendoes and nsnuatons. To the one oppose only
the stonless record OF my fe TO the other facts The
first charge. OF having made removals and appointments
whereby efficiency of the public service has been i'm
paired Is not true have weeded out incompetency,
ignorance, intemperance and vice from my working
force wherever found and have filled vacancies with COM
petent and honest men, You do not need to be informed
that the applications have outnumbered hundred to
one the places in the Custom House. In making seec
tons rem these competency and honesty bave been the
condition sine qua This condition being satisfied.
have next been guided in my choice other honest
public officer must be in all out OF the range OF
those whom 1 believe worthy Of trust / have
appointed men from both political parties, and
men Of no politics Some men have appointed for
faithful service in the Union armies some because
they destitute and deserving; some because they
highly recommended for such and other reasons
by your political friends some because they were
personally known such the public service
required. have uniformly filed vacancies by ID pro-
motion OF officers Of proved efficiency and fidelity The
new appointments have ALWAYS been to the inferior
places thus left vacant It s by this plan, In part that
have improved the efficiency OF the custom PM HOUSE
the round into the round holes That inefciency
does not characterize my appontees Is best proved by
tho fact of efficiency In the public service in this depart
ment in proof Of which call to witness the head of
York
The committee allege in evidence or my bad appoint
ments, that an indicted murderer 'mighs have had"
TO Of
and TO the most venerable politician In these parts Be
pleased to accept my that have not searched
among thieves and urdcrers for Custom House officers
The committee say Of swhiie business decreased,
he has increased expenses at the rate il said OF from
business Of the Custom House has not On
the contrary has steadily increased Indeed the com.
mtee itself in the first part o. this very report had
of the Bureau Of Statistics The enlarged and complex
tariff OF 1865 has obviously required writing force
in the Custom House. and while In NO department OF
public service Of private industry have wagee and
salaries failed to rse above those which were paid out
reforms and the discharge OF political baruacles the
necessary increase or the expenditures Of the Gus
tom House has been 50 e Snnn.s g hn shas
mittoe aege In their .ft Is said" That increase
is chiefly made up of surplus messengers, formerly
paid $780, who have been promoted 10 be useful clerks
at 000 and OF twelve entry clerks whose salaries the
Secretary Of the Treasury raised at my Recommendation
from $1,000 TO 500 asked the increase in order to
forbid and stop their old practice OF receiving fees from
importers for work done after the Office hours practice
preudca TO the interests Of the obvious
reasons
Finally, I am charged with a contemplated dstribu-
ton farming out or the rerquisi'es or profits OF the
tended charge only with contemplated" but
also actual classification" Thcy probably intended
they themselves have shaped fails to satisfy the
pecations raised by their rhetorical plot II that be their
insnuation IT is false aud unjust But frankly plead
guilty while acquiring knowledge OF the Custom House
business to CONCENTRATIONS which were never real
lied, some plans which were never executed.
Conscious OF purpose or act which needed conceal
ment plead guilty to having concealed nothing from
this committee, not those inchoate purposes nor
those rejected projects. gave them The means of
knowing the truth and these are the very weapons of
their injustice Much Of my testimony they forbade
their stenoaphcr to record Part Of what was recorded
The facts regarding the general order business are
these-I found II in the hands OF nephew Of one, the
decessors in this Office with certain distbutve shares
allotted to the proprietor OF the Independent weekly
politicians These facts were pr sen.ed 10 me at the
commencement Of my duties and was informed that
the profits OF the business were Legally and properly DIS
tributabe perquistes Of my office Having no partners
relatives 70 share in these, and being satisfied with
my other cmolumenta, formed tho purpose TO divide
and distribute the whole amount thus:A portion to
friend, not successful in business who had aided me
when was boy struggling for advancement - clerk
had Commended me 10 the Senate: potion 70 one or
two assistants whose salaries did to adequate
70 their services portion to member Congress pre-
viousy interested m this storage business portion TO
woman named Mrs Phelps who presented herself TO me
Interested in Barr Phelps obtaining the business
and all her property by fire; portion reserved TOR
Q "political fund.- 10 protect the clerks In the
Custom House against the eleconeeri1g assessments
heretofore levied upon them This purpose testified
to the Committee under OATH and repeat here was
unknown to most Of those whom INTENDED TO commit
the business TO, purpose never executed, hall
formed project, speedily dismissed from my mind Ny
first action in the mnter 70 transfer the general
order business 70 f. G johnson Co.. without pay
ment, agreement, understanding a. 10 any profits
they might make from the business, bst this transfer
disturbed many political rings and intcrfercd with
chants OF excessive charges led 70 believe that
further change was necessary for comfort az for
the public goud; that after short experiment, trans
ferred the general order business to Myers and
smith, ~ before without payment agreement or under
standing, expr ssed implied with orders 70 reduce
their charges IN basis satisfactory u the merchants,
with the distinct information that any Just complaints
from merchants would be deemed SUFFICIENT reason for
it, prompt withdrawal But comp aint, and that
trivial has been made from that day To this
again repeat that never received ono dollar from
this source IN any form whatever directly or indirectly