New-York tribune., 1870-12-06

pIs9ns dcsra,,s sospbi at New Orleans. known
tho scdgwick Hospital, and earne,y reGono @ h ,os @
ierrcd 10 the Treasry Department for marine hospital
aud an appropriation made for the purchase o, n n NV
On which stands AT the last session tho attstOhO
Congress- was called 70 tho subject OF Transferring
Dayds Island at from tne var Of
marine hospital. This recommendation IN Ho" io'P0''
'''' Trg ALASKA sEAL FrsuERrEs.
In compliance with the Act OF July 1870, In reference
10 e seal fisheries proposals Issued and bids re-
ceived for the exclusive right to inc hshereS ior c
term Of 20 yearA The phraseooy employed IN 'he Ao'
warranted tho Interpretation that the contract sho oo
awarded TO the Alaska Commercial COMPANY; II that that
pro ,osltlon was as favorable 20 the OOverhnts ~ & &
Of hny otner party upon that basis the contract %5 %
awarded to tha Company f4 vii n be transmitted to
Congress. About &C. 900 sealskins nave atrEeh az 49,, be
Francisco the product OF the year lSos on on th acc
owners have paid 81 each as required ny tnc SA'n 'oV
tiOn vi said Act.
AN INCREASE OF SALARIES RECOMMENDED.
Iconsider It myiduy TO call the attention OF Congress
to the nadequacy and Inequality of the salaries OF inc
officers In the Treasury Department. as hKed Dy la"'
The offices recently established supported by proper
salaries but the salaries attached to many Of those
created at the organization Of the Government are IN
sufficient As temporary means OF alieyanS tnS aI %
be used AZ the dscretlon q the Secretary
In the nature Of the THIS dsagreeabs duty Tor
the Secretary TO perorm y usually has n9t Inc sane
p o S sunnort incident TO system Of specified saa,
established by law At the present IN 'S hS discretion
After careful examination OF the subject Hn o anS & m
SdS9S tic 20 praydc n adequate saares the OH
GERS OF the Treasury Department
TUE EXAMINATION or CLERKS.
The act of 1852 In regard TO the examination OF Clerks
has been observed by this Department and with bene-
Acal results II is worthy Of consideration, however
whether it would not wise TO provide by law for an
examining board majority Of whose members should
not be officers the department TO which tho clerk to
DO assigned in ease OF appOn'ment ana approval In5
svstem should also I've extended to the principal
cCstoTn-hO houses and revenue offices or the country
taken for the character and qualifications OF clerks as
far as they be ascertaned Ur tested without actual
service in the discharge OF official dnty. II II well un
derstood however, that examination furnish Sc
npon trial, and there should always DO speedy and
easy method OF removing such persons from
office. do not, Therefore, accept the idea that the
tenure Office for the clerks and employees in this De-
p0rtment should be changed Indeed, believe that the
present OF office furnishes the best security which
the people OF the country have that the business of
the Government will be efficiently and properly per
formed The work OF the Treasury Department
does not differ essentially from the business
done In the bankng-hou and merchants
countng-rooms, and there IS no reason why the
tenure Of Office should be permanent in one case
that does not apply with equal force in the others 1t
does happen practically that there are IN inc Treasury
Department, and In every Bureau ana once OIL IT, Inc
who have been connected with the service for several
experience and tradition That is essential 10 inc per
fOrmanCe OF their duties. Excluding the eh-
pyes OF the Bnrean OF Engraving ana horp prHy%g pr
2l4a officers aud clerks connected with the Treasury
$40 and of these Is9 were in ofce The 4th day OF
March, 1862 leaving 65i as the Total number pi appo% ~
business OF the Department was 80 Sna thtt on @ 5 Is
OF March, sGl only -! persons were % @ Phsen in SI ne
over 80 years, two others over =" years, ono
0e 0H over S years ten over 20 years fourteen over IS
years aud twelve over 10 years. These statements eoM
that the changes in Departments not so nuner
Ous as tO
from experience. on the other mana, thc uenulctlon
OF new secures additional energy and ehcieney
Two errors prevail in the community IN connection WIN
the subject one is that under republican government
true The only right Is that Of the people 20 elect and
appointed to office persons best guahed TO per
the work. The other error u that oIces III @ ,o
Treasury Department prizes, which the young men
OF the country may wisely seek.
now THE CLERICAL SERVICE Is PERFORMED
Spanking generally It Is q misfortune To young man
who possesses ordinary capacity for business or
labor permanently in the public offices OF this
city is however, that many Of the most yaua-
hle clerks In the Treasury young men, who pur
suing professional studies. who having completed the
course remain from Ia four years In the Department.
with tho purpose, b. industry and economy Of securing
mence active nfe elsewhere. system OF life
tenure would exclude all theSc men from the service
unless they chose accept 1t permanent pursuit.
which in he min would Dc AT injury to them and to
the country. also fully convinced any more
permanent tenure Of office would materially impair the
efficiency OF Tho revenue systcm. There many thou
sand mon employed In the Customs and Internal RcYcnue
service ami however careful the proIunJry exanina
tion might he the evils which impair the efficiency
would undoubtedly exist. No system Of examini-
ton could exclude al those who are dishonest,
or who. under the pressure OF necessity the Ocr OF
sudden wealth might l~ld To teniptation. 1t often
happCns-and Il would happ0n under any ~ stcmthat
ar found who honest. temperate, and apparently
tapaDe, ana yet lack lne energy or te courage essential
to the enforcement Of the Eevenue laws duty which
oIeh I,Ii,,s u 4Inu Oi ineltSence 700
subtle Tor discovery thrO.gh formal que,tlOns. sen
who thus unqualified should be removed from Office,
and this without an invest CATION, which, indeed,
might furnish nothing hngIb0 IA Justification
OF the act. 30, Too, IN custom Houses or
collection districts. branch Of the service will fail 10
meet just expectations although no dishonesty may be
tracedLe to any person connected with Tie oidce. In
change and change must be made without hearing OF
the parties concerned. may bo warranted in saying in
great probably exaggerated in the public mind. Ii is
true thai there are more applications Tor appoint
be met hut the number Of applicants, who are well quail
fled, VINO could pass any proper examination, y not
usually Large. Outsdc Of the Departments and in tho
several states aud districts Of the country the number of
applicants for local services does not often exceed three
four tn each Office and occasionally there arc not
deTed i'm connection win Tie apnolntnent I'm iustifi
On OF the present tenure, and as proper recognition OF
the services Of the officer. aud clerks employed In this
upon the whole, IL not only done in satisfactory man
net bqt that ~ viii c9inpaIe IN accuracy and efficiency
rod on Dy corporation or individuals.
TAXES AID INTERNAL REVENUE.
In animal report NJ December last advised the
continuance of the existing system OF taxation as an es
success OF the proposed loan The
clrc that declared between France and
Prussia simultaneously with the passage OF the loan
put ont of the Of the Department 20 make the
negotiation, aS hhd been expected The large
OF the GONtfnment however continuing without mate
rial abatement until the present time improved the
credit OF the country enabled the Treasury Department
by weekly purchases to reduce the OF surplus
bonds offered FOR sale, and contributed 20 dcpreeiatc the
market value OF gold.
also expressed the opinion that the settled policy OF
iho country should contemplate revenue sufficient To
meet tho ordinary expenses OF the Government pay the
interest on the pnhlio debt, and FROM wenty to fifty
millions OF dolars or the principal annually. The reduc-
ton OF the public debt since the Oth day Of June last