New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-03-18

yeTV Tesnonsibe duties aud should be very competent
and honest men a, belize Gost honest and compe
dent and filed, in some instances theii pl9'cS ,an
,ybS ~ not ie 10 speak word Of the English language
He has also appointed man VINO at one tl,o Iuder a
500 i'm gold duties which he gambed away C hhor
cloud for while he again turns up promoted 70
and more responsible office, with u larger sa"i li
which he holds at the present time Another '.a
10 have received at time s. gold piece 1or paSs,nS
baggage unexamined, has been singled out Ior IN
and is of the public stOrekeePeis, nnn5ise
charge millions Of dollars perchanee Oh So Mr.
This, too is one OF his merltoous % OF some
Speaker might go on showing up tne th Time and pa
OF these appointments, dd nduSeGn WI tne e NV Sene
man wishes 10 know how these appointments are made
answer by sleetfus at time, without even lue no
being read over; made on the solicitation or w.
ton of some dexterous If not veteran, politicians now
what is the effect OF all this and OF MI Sny OWL a
entry clerk on being demonstrated with by merchant
for an excessive additional charge lnsteu HnIe s
Ali right No doubt this time that feeling actuaes more
or less TO considerable extent the working HErGe
York. Now, deem 1t my duty to car H. tn9 Cant mS
tenon OF this House in connection Win v TS d0Nent
mering the seyercst apprehension TWO years bSo tne
came Committee of this House were instructed 10 inves
tigete the affairs OF the NewYork Custom House. Mr.
Barney, the then Collector, rendered the COmnltee
70 The Committeeman any Of the employees and attaches
Of the CuStomH House OH the simple request OF nS %
mittce without the Formally of subpoena could NOT
but be struck with the different manner in which INC
Committee OF the last session were met III tei iuVc'
Niccdemgu.ke and said "Do not summon me
before the COminittee; I shall be removed you
do; do not ask me to testify for to do so VIII cost
me my place" Others wrote letters TO me 70 the same
effect Some however, did come forward, ana on Deln9
subpenaed testified squarey as honest men should Ana
what is the RESULT Perhaps precisely what may DC eX
pected, Mr.. Smyhe himself sand In the committee
pressivc language that he wished to God he knew VINO
in the CustOmHouse were stirring his lnihS vi Ld
the Committee, for every one OF mem "V'1 , - thc
shorter within "a hours Mr. Ogden, the AUDITOR VI tho
was yrcn 70 me- Inc has never
indirectly communicated with me since. pun , ~
SS 6e GseS Gp m nH Ssdcn Beore % and said
damned strange that he should 80 before ta' ~
~ # those Who ought to be his friends would not
stand by him better he had great mind To t.li 9Ou
and Now Mr. Ogden is intelligent gentleman
and has been connected with the custom HOUSE ioi
~ II not more man Oe % Se 70 remove him from his
place because he testified before committee Oh IN, tp
American Congress Another DeputyNOlectOi M. oteu
Well ON Snbpena issued by the Committee came before
the Committee and testified Mr. Smythe now niS G
TO remove that man from office Unless he and Mr. Ogden
come ont lin cards and tear down this testimony ana
deby or swallow their words that they nave tiel III
will one or both be removed Now submit whether tins
Congress afford TO allow TINS cQnd1n oi os -;
continue; whether we are Wiling tla' Sui AZ ,tn
high position shall be permitted to den0uhcc nItaen
and remove men for the CRIME OF having answered 20 ne
subpoena signed by the Speaker Oh ts ,loSo luz srtbo
fled before of its committees gam III. oiny ti1
him "a that OF having while the business of the Custom
House Is decreasing, increased the eHPehuItts nS Gun
that the Treasury Department These arc not couec
tura figures In The public stores aonI ,q v ast
year II by one of the witnesses tha ohy aDOn
four men can be well employed around sangWdy; YET
MT Snythe has so multiplied such appOntces that at one
where ONLY four could work OF course the payroll is the
object more than service; somebody's man wanted
place and the pay and the Collector good easy SOU,
10 les men. The Committee were taking testimony on
this branch of the service WHOM hearing i"Ige 9ca
OF dislniSsals mad taken paes Wy "a gnnid
hoped the abuse had been checked ana WOulu
he corrected and gave it no further consideration
Mr. smythe says again: Another point they make
against inc is for having contemplated distribution or
farming out Of the profits OF the General Order Dusics
Sir the Committee the testimony they had
before them. The testimony was taat MI. sm{Ihe uiu
shown that to compass II he resorted to most
expedients. In the month OF May tue treasury DePat
the Getty stores" which desired for pubic stores
Quartemasers Department then In the city IL Is Said
when Mr. Smytbe had been confirmed ne sem ior pr
GETTY and assured him that the United states ddnot wish
those stores but those stores could be put al SjOOh
Government was proposing at that very llne w pay
$4,000 he Smythel would go in company with Mr Getty
era Order business there; that he could MAKE ~ "on
Known IN the matter The Messrs Gettys preferred TO
the treasury SHOWING t Spnhe for Government use
from Saturday to Tuesday morning enane nm 70 VIII
his views and get an answer back from washington ~
was granted: he Tuesday morning came, but no
letter. and Mr.. Smythe announced 10 III nety hab no
Pany with Mcssrs Getty the General Order there
TITS was declined; Miller CoHgcr We're. WGIe t Hl
| General order business. Now for the fact The
ard agta01 aga M s mSe O Withheld ' the
letters from the agent Of the Treasury until the time
passed so that the stores could be General Order
as Mr. Smythc desired for himself and Getys or Tor Mil
Ter & COnger to whom Inc had condOndlly sold the bust
ness $4,000 He then said. renewed hs proposal
TO Nh: Getty to go in company with nm somebody
baked this pretty cement OF the Collector 20 thwar
the Department in this matter undoubtedly by reporting
| came from Washington TO refuse 70 bond the Getty
stores That the the operation on me part OF
Mr. smythe and Gettys and Miller Conger fell through
Now, Mr. Speaker. You conceive OF more dsreputa
bic and flagtiOus transaction on the part or Federal
officer than such an attempt thwart the purposes of
/ his chief and head TO subserye his own pful pc
cuiary pufp6se II that Is not mean official dupcity
but the official betrayal Of public interests, downright
base treachery I do not know how TO characterize 10
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Smythe has once month since he has
been Installed IN MS present pOsoh taken an oah tnht
be received anything directly indirectly from
from the storage business &C srit Is ~ PROOF that MT
Smythe soon after coming into 0ilcc ala nave an ae-
count rendered TO him for fourth share Of the carriage
business, which amounted TO $3.50 per mOth when ihs
offered 10 Mr. Smythe, he said to his secretary 40
and when want ii will call for it," so he did not have
IL technically pass INTO his accounts or into his pockets
tlOusy, to take ms monthly Custom House oahs that
he had not received, directly or indirectly because
| he had il not entered IN ms bank account or
! lodged in his pockets. Two months aitcr MT.
Smythc says 10 ms secretary nave You NY monty l III
hundred dollars" Then give Inc check for IT," He
month aud he swore before the Committee he has never
received dollar from that source yet IN MS ast exam
inatOn by the Committee he did admit that monthly one
fourth share did continue up to the present time IN
uing somebody pecuDiay benefit More than that On
occasion he made most noticeable statement TWAS one
sworn TO by gentleman whom will believe as quickly
as would any living man. " am damned sorry ever
undertook 10 carry the Presidents daughter Inc Oath
does not appear the reported testimony; but remem
Der the exact words used Mr.. Smythe and this
witness confronted each other III my own pm.
vate room. Mr.. Smythe ON being reminded OF
tie expression replied tat no ne noy peVe had S anu S S
easion to say 50 give him the benefit Of his denial
Smythe what you Thought do not know what occasion
you had to say IL but do know you used those very