New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-03-10


the service in The Surveyors Department could he very
much improved II We coud put our men IN uniform
render men much more seryceabe Ia the Government
A. Yes, SIR. very much; experience makes good man
Inueb mare valuable, aud makes a bad man much more
eapabie Of bad practices; don't think IL would be well
have sets Of Inspectors one for day ana one Tor
night service
o. II has been alleged the Committee that there is
great deal OF smuggling at this port. Have you any
reason 10 believe that that IL true A. Yes, SIR snug
Cling il constantly praotlced we are every day making
sezures OF goods which attempted to be Struggled
suppose that great deaf Of property IA smuggled in
various ways; do not think that reduction In the
force Of Inspectors would be wise because the work
varies, and sometimes requires large number OF men
there are 2i5 Inspectors, all toih. ,
o. DO you think that the Inspectors in colusion In
very difficult for determine; II there IL colln
sion it h by secret arrangement we have sometimes
discovered such COLLISION, aud have punished or at
tempted 10 punish the men by removal or otherwise
O. It was said TO by member of the English Lega
gineas into his trunk when his baggage being
ahmed and it stated 10 him that il he would do
the baggage would pass without an Inspections have you
any reason TO believe that that IL oustomi A.
should hardly think it was common practice; have
the removal of men upon such charges; have some
times procured the removal and have sometimes failed
CONVICTION DTFICULT.
O. Have you ever failed where the charges we're made
out A. Yes, Sir
O. Has the Collector the removal and appointment OF
these officers A. Yes, Sir think it would he better
the IL the appointment OF the Inspectors
in the hands of the surveyor; complaint was made
of an officer named Caswe having received money from
passenger which fact was very clearly proven to my
mind, and demanded his removal from Collector Grin
nell, which failed TO secure.
O. Did the Collector give any reason why he not
removed A. No, Sir; learned afterward that the Off
the broternaw Of the Treasurer OF the United
states.
O. Have there been other instances of this kind where
there WAS snch proofi A. NY Deputy. Mr. Burton, On
one occasion discovered that officer had passed in
were not able to prove that any constellation was paid
IL evident that there either collision or great
eareessness the part OF the officer; I insisted that
either view the other should be taken and that the
officer should be removed either for collision OF careless
ness which way 10 was put; but that was not done
the officer retained In the service and still remains
that was about year ago, under Mr. Grinneil
this man A. don't know that be did; he simply failed
To act on my recommendation.
Murphy took the Office OF Collector : A. No. Sir.
TESTIMONY OF SPECIAL DEPUTY TERwILLIGER-
DEFENSE OF THE GRAB GAME-POLGrICS
SHOULD RULE.
JAMES TERwILLIGER sworn: q. Please name your
special object A. am the Collectors private secretary
and Special Deputy Collector came in with Mr. Muir
ply; held the Office under Preston King when he
Collector am not familiar with the General
order business of our folks have had such
tremendous rush upon for appointments that 1t has
taken up good share of my time to answer letters and
talk people about appointments and have not paid
ever, have chance to look into that matter; but for
the first four months did nothing else, and had not ne
to do anything else but look after The immense rush OF
persons upon for appointments; Mr. Grinnel allowed
every man tn come in his room that wanted 10; We
allowed them 10 come for the first three months unt we
found that could not do business and stopped IT, ana
got UNNECESSARILY free, and gave attention To something
beside people that came for office; If the Government
could have the General order warehouses under its own
control il would Obyate all the present trouble.
q. Where would you have them erected. a. Al the
Battery, with the Custom House, the surveyors
Ollce, and the Barge once.
Q. Why might not the Government build warehouses
OF It's AT the several wiaryes where the steamships
landl A. can ser no reason why not; II would cost
the merchant very much less might cost the Govern
men more but the money would all come back the
storekeepers paid by the stores and not by the
Government.
O. What objection Is there to having the warehouses in
the keeping of foreign firm, like the Cunard Steam
ship Company ~ ! suppose no objectl0n-0nly our
O. As matter Of fact, do you think that the parties
who now have the General Warehouse business-Leet
and stocking-haye the necessary business quancaOhs
Ia do that work. \. am afraid they have not; they
nice gentlemen but they have never been IN any
busness don't think IL ia possible for them to get
single warehouse large enough at present to do the bus
Q. You were speaking of being exceedingly busy when
you first In office in attending To applications Tor
appointments; can You tell the Committee how many
appointments there in the Custom-ouse A. There
are about LOO, all told, made by the Collector.
q. How many new appointments do you think were
made when Mr. Murphy came int \. From the time
that Mr. Murphy In O the present time there have
been about 80 new men, all od there have been more
changes than that, because there have been promotions.
few resignationS, and few deaths but that Is the
q These appointments OF course are largely pohtcal,
and must be A. Yes Sir.
the disadvantage to the Government, and cOnse-
quently to the people who are the rulers IN this country
of this system or making Government appointments
from political consideration A. Well Sir, think we
get just good class OF men we should In any other
way; am very strong political man myself ana De-
lieye In taking care of the party.
by Mr.. Benton-Q You believe in selecting friends Of
the Administration other things being equal ~ Yes,
SIR that is what aim to do.
BY Senator Patterson-Q. Would you conduct pri-
were Mr. Stewart, would you, If you had "A good clerk
who Democrat, turn HIM or and secure another
not because consider private business and business Of
this kind TWO very different things.
O. Why A. In the first place IN order 10 be success.
ul with the party must take Of our friends and
think we have Just good men in the Republican
q. Does that necessarily follow A. II does TO some
tent; if you allow the Custom House to be filed onehalf
are going 10 get the Republicans 10 work
a. Would il not be better for the interests of this
try If Government Oficials-I mean in the subordinate
places, not elective offices but simply appOnees-were
TO do their duties as business and leave the elections
10 the people where the Constitution designed that they
should be left rather than to be concentrated army
OF political workers all through the country TO determine
influence the people A. That wonld be all very well,
Mr.. Senator, II the people would do it.
time Of Jacksonl A. That cannot say; during my
perience in political life they do not think CLERKS
do the work fully well old clerks; think changes
Of inspectors are fully beneficial 10 the Government
as TO retain all the old inspectors our Applications for
office were enormous during the first three months,
they would be under any Collector; every man who
did not get u place under Mr. Grinne supposed be
would under Mr.. Murphy, and now II Mr.. Murphy Is
removed, every man who did not get place under him
suppOscs lie VIII get under the next man. think up
to this time we must have had 10 applications to every
appointment We have made-peThaps 49,
q. Are you aware of any improvement having been
made in the conduct OF the Custom House business A..
Yes, SIR think there are some improvements Among
the last and best is this nightpermit system aud another
which permits vessels to land their cargo within AZ
hours after she has landed man can take his goods
right from the vessel one thing noticed In your re-
cent speech, Mr.. SenatOr- do not know whether 10 ia
cOrrect-abOut sinecures in the CustOmHouse. want
TO say AIN not OF a single sinecure in the Gus
tom House among the Weighers 90 far Mr. Lake II
concerned did not know that he had his son there. A.
clerk sent 10 him the law sends "A clerk and fore
man To all Weighers never heard until yesterday