The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-08-09

You are hereby suspended from the
office of Commissioner OF Internal Rev.
enue, in accordance with the law Of an
act approved April 5, A. D. 1869, to
amend an act regulating the tenure of
certain civil offices, passed March 2, A.
D. 1867, and subject to all the pro-
visions of law applicable thereto.
(Signed) U. S. GRANT.
To Hon. 4. Pleasanton.
On receiving the notification, General
Pleasanton vacated the Office, leaving
his successor the following note:
To j. ". Douglass, First Deputy Com
missioner Internal Revenue Bureau:
Having this day been suspended from
this office by the President, | turn the
same over to you.
Respectfully.
Signed. A. PLRAsANToN
About two o'clock Mr.. Douglass en-
tered upon the duties OF the office, aud
received the congratulations Of his
friends.
Treasury Balances.
The following are the Treasury bal
ances at the close of business today !:
Currency, S., ,9S6, 900; coin, $S5, ,722, 900 !;
certificates, SlS,95l,0 900.
The Geneva Conference.
1t is understood that Richard H.
Dana will be appointed American Com
missioner to the Geneva Conference.
How the News was Received.
The news of the Presidents action to-
ward Gen. Pleasanton spread over the
town like wild-fre. Politicians and
government officials generally agree
that it irrevocably commits the present
administration to Mr.. Boutwell's keep
ing until the public debt is paid. EN-
inent Pennsylvania politicians here
think the sentiment will have to be in
corporated in the Republican platform
of 1872, whether Gen. Grant or Mr..
Boutwell, receives the nomination. Mr..
Boutwell, hurried Douglass down to the
Court House to take the oath Of office
so as to get Pleas anton out instantly.
The other public functionaries express
their opinion that this was in bad taste
Mr. Douglass passed through the iorm-
ality Of taking the oath before Judge
Wylie, and arrived at the Treasury at
2l5 P. NJ, when he found a letter from
Gen. Pleasanton handing over the
office to him. He Immediately tele-
graphed his wife Of his new election.
Pleasanton's Reply.
The following is General Pleasanton' s
reply to the request Of President Grant
for his resignation:
TREASURY DEPARTMENT, OFFICE
OF THE CoMMR OF INT. REVENUE,
August s, 1871. }
To the President:
In answer to your request, transmit
ted through General Porter last even
ing, that | should tender my resignation
OF the office of Commissioner Of Inter
nal Revenue, l can only reply that un-
der ordinary circumstances nothing
would give me greater pleasure than to
accede to any request you might make
of this kind, but the cause for max
ing this request was stated by
General Porter to he the difference
existing between the Secretary of the
Treasury and myself as regards the
government and management of the
Internal Revenue Bureau. Mr.. Bout
we'll claims powers which, under the
laws OF Congress governing that Bureau,
are vested solely in the Commissioners.
The cause is therefore a purely legal
one and the practices of our Govern
ment have been to have such questions,
when affecting the President, referred
to the law officer Of the Government
for his opinion and upon which the
President would base his decisions.
This course was practiced by Presidents
Jackson, Tyler, Pierce, Van Buren,
Fillmore and others and has been the
uniform practice Of the Government.
Knowing these facts and bellev-
ing this to be the proper way
to settle any differences of views as
regards the law which might exist be-
tween the Secretary and Commissioner,
| addressed you a communication
some time since making an appeal for
YOUR decision on the powers OF the
Commissioner under the act Of July
20, 1865. This appeal, as | understand
it, is not 10 be entertained, but the sub
iect is to be treated as personal differ
ence between the Secretary and myself.
In this connection, it is proper to state
that the personal conduct OF the Secre-
tary has been such as to prevent the
tender Of my resignation until some
opportunity is granted for vindicating
my administration OF Internal Revenue
Bureau. In justice to the public inter-
ests under my charge, and the impor-
tance to the tax payers OF a proper so
luton of the difficulties, must respect
fully decline to tender my resignation,
and trusting it will not be deemed inap-
propriate, | will again request that your
present decision may be reconsldered
and an investigation Of the differences
Between Secretary Boutwell, and myself
he referred to the Attorney General tor
his legal opinion.
Yours, with great respect,
[Signed. A. PLEAsANroN
Base Bali.
4 large an enthusiastic crowd assem-
bled to witness the game Of base ball
between the Boston and Olympic clubs.
The weather was fine, and the game,
wb;cb was pronounced to be the finest