The New York herald., 1867-03-05

fuse new life, novelty and brilliancy into our
reconstructed opera house and give respect
able tone to Italian opera.
Tho Political Plug 1uss at the Custom
House-The General Order Business.
The politicians, place hunters, Office brokers
and egg men are making tremendous fuss
over the report Of the Congressional committee
legged abuses, frauds and wrongs" in connection
with the management of the New York Custom
House. This committee, it will be remem-
bered, spent some time at the Astor House
during the winter, enjoying the good wines
and the varied amusements for which New
York Is renowned, and, as appears from their
report, interspersing these pleasures with the
less inviting occupation Of collecting all the
gossip and scandal that the political m anagers
of the investigation, who worked the wires
behind the scenes, could manage to scrape
together from disappointed applicants for
Custom House s'plums," discharged Custom
House oficials and deposed operators in the
carriage and storage business.
/ The lengthy report, for the 'incongruities"
Of which the committee feel impelled to
apologize, bears evidence of the diversified
character Of their operations during their New
York visit There is q confused tumble about
Thompson and Bob johnson, Patterson and
Doolittle, Humphrey and Bergen, Barr, Brown
and Bixby, one mysterious Mrs. Perry, and
several still more mysterious "Co.s," which
comprehensive term appears to be affixed to
the name OF every patriot who is animated by
. desire to serve his country through the
medium Of the carriage and storage business
of the Custom House. There is also q long
sigmarole about the seizure business and the
detective system abroad, and other outside
matters designed to cover up the real object
of the report; but the gist Of 1t all lies in the
attempt to fasten upon Collector Smythe
charge of having corruptly bargained away
portion of the patronage Of his Office, and by
this means to clear the way for new Col
Sector. Mr.. Smythe, who is no politician, but
. straightforward man Of business, is amazed
at the intricacies of the plot constructed for
bis destruction, and publishes card, in which
he says, /" can only state that testified be
fore the committee under oath that / have
never received or paid to any one any sum
whatever arising from general order or carriage
businesses, having abandoned and rejected all
offers of compensation as soon as had time to
understand and investigate their nature"
/ A correspondent, whose communication we
also publish, gives history Of the manner in
Whioh the general order business has been dis
posed Of by seven or eight of Collector
6mythe's predecessors. II haS evidently been
regarded a. the richest gift in the Custom
House, and has always been divided up among
the politicians These men appear to have
made an early attempt to renew their profit
Able Job under Collector Smythc, and offered
forty thousand dollars for the privilege. A
bow firm Of political patriots outbid them by
Inc amount Of ton thousand dollars. In this
sum, which was to come ont Of the general
profits Of the business, some Of the Presidents
relatives, Q son Of United States Senator, o
mysterious female and others are said 70 have
been entitled 10 . share. Collector Smythe,
yho Is no politician, but . banker and
. man Of business, finding, from the
e,ger scramble after the general order storage
tha its profits must be large, saw at once .
pens Of relieving bis poorly paid and hard
working clerks from the heavy tax heretofore
Imposed upon them for political purposes. He
therefore insisted that whoever might secure
This lions share Of the Custom House spoils
should pay out Of Its profits the whole political
tax assessed d each election upon the poor
rlerks, inspectors, messengers and porters.
This being agreed to, the business was given to
The successful applicants, whereupon the dis
appointed politicians set to worn to stir up the
investigation which has given rise to oil this
present fuss and fury.
! President Johnson should take no heed Of
the committees report, which bears the stamp Of
malice upon It, and Collector Smythe should
quietly pursue the duties Of the Collectorship,
giving satisfaction to the commercial men oi
the city and paying no attention to the scurvy
tricks Of politicians. II he continues to make
he parties who secure the lions share Of the
'spoils pay all the political assessments made
upon his employees he will merit the gratitude
Of tho poor clerks and will lose none Of biz
popularity with The people.
A Rrcn PAfER USwoRkED.-The Bostor
economists are said to make large sum o
money out Of the dirt scraped up in the street
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