New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-12-24
CONNECTION WITH THE BlAckLEy CASE
TESTIMONY OF COMMISSIONER ROLLINS

WASHINGTON, December 2O.-The report
of Mr.. Van Wyck, from THE Committee on
Retrenchment, upon whisky frauds and the
administration of the Internal Revenue de.
partment, will be laid before the House to-
morrow. II is document OF fifteen pages,
and the committee report frauds on the
revenue still very great, but less than last
year, by reason of a reduction of the tax on
whisky. 4'-la PA
Although the President attempts, in his
message to shield himself, by the excuse
that he is powerless to control the large
class of officials which Congress had placed
beyond his control, yet the evidence shows
he has persisted in retaining men against
whom proof of corruption, which could not
be doubted, had been brought to his notice.
The Buckley case is shown up in
worse light than was done by the press of the
country last summer: The expenses he in
CURED and Caused in New York will be
over twenty-five thousand dollars The
only duty he now performs is to draw his
pay. The whole Binckley mission was a Sc.
cret one sent out by the President to make
| case which would excuse the removal of
Commissioner Rollins. r.4 tear.,.
The suspension of the prosecution of the
Kentucky Bourbon case, was another at
tempt by the President to make q case
| against Rollins, the defendants promising to
| furnish evidence which Binckley failed to
| get ii he would protect them. This act of
| the President cost an additional twenty-five
| thousand dollars.
While there are many honest revenue
| officers, none of them feel that they will be
supported by the head OF the government
| in a strict enforcement of the law.
More than double as much tax is being
| collected from whisky at present at the
present rate than when it was a dollar.
Much testimony appears in connection
with the report throwing light upon the
The testimony of Commissioner Rollins
regarding the responsibility of appointment
| to office is full and specially Interesting.
Previous to the Philadelphia Convention,
applications for Collector and Assessorship
were filed sins his office. On the twenty
eighth of August, 1865, and Immediately
i after the Convention, he received the fol-
lowing instructions from the Secretary OF
i the Treasury:
ia at has been decided, in view of the in
convenience experienced in this Office by
the filing of applications for cfice in your
bureau, to transfer all papers relating to
| appointments of Collectors, Assessors and
Tax Commissioners to appointment division
| to office OF Secretary, and you Will therefore
turn all such papers and records to Mr.,
Creecy, appointment Clerk, at the earliest
PRACTICAL e moment.o
After that he heard of changes through
the daily papers. Until the tenth of August
last all correspondence concerning officers
subordinate to Assessors and Collectors wal
with the Commissioners Office. On thai
day Secretary MOCulloch wrote to him al
follows:
"You are hereby instructed to transfer al
records and papers relating to sub
| appointments in the Internal Reve
nue. Department, such as assistan
assessors gaugers, inspectors of to-
bacco and storekeepers, to the appointment
division of my Office, where all such ap
pointments will be hereafter made, anG
commissions to such officers issued and for
forwarded to your bureau for transmission
TO proper parties, with your instructions I,
them in regard to their official duties, attei
they have been duly qualified according Il
law. Whenever, in your opinion, a neces
sity exists for an increase or diminution o
any officers herein referred to, you will 8,
report to this department, when proper &C
tion will be taken"
The Commissioner further testified tina
the sole power he exercised over appoint
ments was in recommending supervisors
and had no more authority over other Off
GERS than if he were a clerk.
Since 1866 his recommendations for re-
mOval have been of little effect Amon
those recommended for removal before tn
last adjournment of the Senate, but still re
tanned, is an assessor through whose gros
neglect or inethciency assessments of $50,
600 or $4,000 is likely 10 be valueless
Another, an officer who has long been il
the habit of retaining large sums of publ
, moneys in his own possession, it is believed
for private uses. Another who has beel
absent from his district in neglect of hi
duties great portion Of his time, and i
indebted to the Government more tina
! $50, 900, explained to be through defalcstio
of a subordinate appointed by himself
, while in several other districts the numbe
OF dfstllleries and the corrupt distillation c
, spirits have SO largely increased that no
. this Office alone but public opinion, almos
without dissent, have pronounced their off
GERS unworthy and demand change Seve
raj Of those recommended for removal ar
thoroughly ignorant of law and of thei
duty, and are totally incapable of learnin
them. a. .r. .......