Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-08-10
PLEAsANTOE's LETTER.
TREASURY DEPT. OFFICE, oE

I PLEAsANT0E's LETTER.
! TREASURY DEPT. OFFICE, DE
/ COM. INTL REV Aug s, 1871.
| To the President In answer to your request
transmitted through General Porter last even
ing, that I should tender my resignation of the
Office of Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 1
can only reply that under ordinary circumstances
nothing would give greater pleasure than to
| accede to any request your might make of
this kind, but the cause for making tn is request
was stated by General Porter to be the ference
existing between the Secretary of Treasury and
myself. As regards the government and man
| agement of the internal revenue Boutwell, claims
powers, which under the laws of Congress govern
ing that Bureau, rested solely in the Commission
| ers. The question Is therefore purely legal one
and the precedents of our government have been
| to have such questIons when appealed to the
President referred to the Law officer of the govern
| ment for his opinion. and upon which the Pres
| dent would base his decision. This course was
| pursued by Presidents Jackson, Tyler, Pierce,
Van Buren,, Fillmore and others, and has been
the uniform practice of the government, Know
ing these facts and believing this to be the proper
way to settle any differences of view a. regards
the law which might exist between the Score AIRY
and Commissioner, addressed you a communi-
cation some time since making an appeal for YOUR
decision of the powers of the Commits ioner under
the act of July 90 1868. This appeal as Iunder-
stand it. is not to be entertained, but the subject
is to be treated rather as personal difference be-
tween the Secretary and myself. In this c0nnec-
ton it is proper to add that the personal conduct
of the Secretary has been such as to preclude the
tender of my resignation until some opportunity
is granted for indicating my administration of
no MT pavapna Rnr Tn ~,
public interest placed under my charge, and the
importance to the taxpayers of proper solution
of these difficulties most respectfully decline to
tender you my resignation, and trusting it will
not be deemed Inappropriate, viii again request
that your present determination may be recon
sidered and investigation Of the matter of diff
ference between the Secretary and myself be re-
fered to the Attorney General for his legal
opinion. With great respect.
A. PLEAsANT0N,
Commissioned. |
This letter was accompanied by . pri |
vate note from Gen. Pleasantou, expires
sive, it is said, of his devotion, friendship. |
and support of the President in the flu.
ture. Within two hours of the receipt
of Gen. Pleasanton's communication the |
President sent to him the notification Of
suspension, which was delivered by Soil
citor Banefeld and Mr.. Vanderbilt, the
appointment clerk in the Treasury De-
partment. The immediate causes as,
signed in official quarters for the suspen-
sion of Pleasapton are that the Internal
Revenue was not collected with efficiency
that Gen. Pleasanton reversed the rulings
of his predecessors in several important
particulars and made decisions, the effect
of which was unnecessarily to lessen the
public receipts acting Independently of
and not consulting with his superior Of
fcers as to these and other matters of ad.
and that change was nee
essary in order to secure harmony in the
workings OF the Treasury Department.