Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1868-06-18
err,
Commissioner RoiI,n'. Letter OF Res,s-


nation.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Juae s.
SIR have the honor herewith to
transmit through you to the President
the resignation of my Office, to take ef-
feet upon the qualification of my sue
cessor nominated by him and confirmed
by the Senate. Justice to myself and
respect for you require that 1 should give
you briefly my measures for SO doing
Immediately otter the Philadelphia
Convention, in 1866, there were numerous
removals o. Assessors and Collectors
throughout the country. They were in
duced by political considerations, and
produced sad blow to the reputation
and efficiency of the revenue service
They were made during a RECESS Of Con-
gress, and in all cases regnfdless of my
wishes as Commissioners, 1 should have
resigned my Office long ago had / not
yielded to the judgement of friends who
believed the public good would be pro-
moted by my remaining in 1t. During
the session of Congress next after the
Convention referred to, many nomina-
tions of revenue officers were made to
the Senate by the President, as there
since have been, all of them without
reference to any opinion i had OF their
fitness, while my numerous recOmmen-
dations for removals of Ass essors and
Collectors, even for the grossest miscon-
duct, have been almost universally dis
regarded. In accordance with the long
continued practice of the Department
| the appointment by the Secretary of the
Treasury of Assistant Assessors, Inspec-
tors, and other subordinate officers, in
| the several districts, are made upon the
nomination of the Assessors and Collec-
tors. This practice isjust to those officers
when faithful, insures harmony and
locates responsibility for success of the
! Revenue laws. do not object to this
practice, and refer to il only to illustrate
the Importance of the Office of Assessor
and Collector, and my inability, under
existing circumstances, to elevate and
control the service of which / have the
ostensible charge. The Revenue laws
are enforced in the courts through the
agency of the United States District
Attorneys and Marshals. OF those,
numerous changes of the characters
referred to in what have said of reve-
nue. officers, have been made, and in
many localities with like results over
their appointment and continuance in
office. 1t is needless to say that l have
no control whatever, and have no assur-
ance that the services they will render
in the future will be more thorough and
effective than they have been in the
past. In brief, Mr.. Secretary, the reve-
nue. laws, even in the most important
localities, are badly administered by
officers either dishonest torincompetent, or
appointed without my approval, and
whose removal / seeno hope ofsecuring.
While I continue in Office, L am sought
to be made responsible fortheir failures /;
although am absolutely powerless to
prevent them. For these reasons, as
well as to seek the rest which my health
demands, and my efforts to discharge
my public duties have hitherto denied
me, am constrained to retire from the
Bureauin which 1 have labored since
near the date of Its organization. With
a full appreciation of the kindness you
have extented TO me in all your personal
and official relations,
am Sir, very respectfully your ODE.
dieEt servant, &t
Il. A. ROLLINS, Commissioner.
To the Hon. III. McCuLLocH, Secreta-
ry of the Treasury.