New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-12-30
sURGO Ut PROssIM.

e condition Of things in the New Orlear
f Customhouse, and would respectfully sue
e gest that they take such steps in the Senat
as will tend to bring about speedy rt
+ form Of whatever is done in the custom
service here prejudicial to the public in
| terest. 1t might be proper for our Sen
ators to offer resolution requiring tn
standing committee Of seven, known a
the Committee Of Investigation and Re
trenchment, to investigate the affairs 0
the New Orleans Customhouse: but, if
is found to be impracticable for them t,
do it, then our Senators could offer, eithe
as an appendage to Senator Anthony S res
olution, or separately, a resolution author
izing the appointment ola special commits
sion to inquire into the manner in which
our Customhouse is managed We believe
this was done in the case of the New
York customhouse, and it resulted in the
correction Of many abuses that were prac.
ticed to the great detriment of the public
service and the public morals. We want
the expenditures Of the New Orleans Gus
tomhouse inquired into, and, in the Ian
guage of Senator Trumhuli, full report
made as to whether any and what Offices
ought to be abolished; whether any and
what salaries and allowances ought to be
reduced; what are the methods of procur-
ing accountability in public officers or
agents in the care and disbursement of
public moneys; whether moneys have
been paid out illegally; whether any off,
GERS or agents or other persons have been
or are employed in the public service
without authority Of law or unnecessarily:
and, generally, how and to what extent
the expenses Of the service in this section
OF our country may and ought to be cur
tailed.
We would also have particular INQUIRY
made as to the extent to which the fed
eral service here is used as an instrument
of political or party patronage Ii our
Senators will rise to question of this
kind, they will undoubtedly rise to do
good. for there is much already known in
the federal service here that needs correct
ing; and there is not doubt bat that O
committee appointed by the Senate to
look closely into these matters could find
much more that needs reforming than the
public are aware of at present The mis-
management of the Customhouse has be-
come to be notorious fact, and it is of
oo serious a nature longer to be neglected.
It is growing evil that not only depletes
he public treasury, but threatens the
disruption of the Republican party. Of
he latter event, however, there is no
LANCER at present. The danger to be
rrested is the misrepresentation Of
he public moneys and the use Of the
ederal service for political and party pur-
'oses. The time might possibly come, if
hese things are not corrected, when they
'ould prove disastrous to republican
principles; and it therefore behooves the
distinguished representative Of Repub-
canism in the United States Senate from
ais State to move at once for an inyesti-
alton into the affairs of cur Custom
ouse, that the government may be fully :.
nd officially advised as to their true con-
ltion. The public here are we'll satisfied
lat fragrant abuses exist in more respects
ian one in this branch of the public ser ,
&c. And we will again repeat, for the =.
enetit Of the government some Of the q
ost notorious. 1t is believed TO be
ell known fact that there has been a .,
rye misrepresentation Of the public funds h
placing men upon the pay rolls of E
@ Customhouse, few Of whom do :,
ry little service there, and tie majority =,
ne. =,
This course Of conduct on the part of o.
e Collector OF Customs would be in O;
cusable if not prompted by political b.
'tives. But when it is known that a
acherous political scheme i, sought to pl
forwarded by this Misrepresentation of be be
public funds, he and his co-conspira- til
s become doubly culpable. The little c ~,
ton known here as the CustomLouse pa
lue are guilty Of not only nisappro- III
ating the public funds, but Of making "
pubic service an instrument Of polit- IL,
and party patronage. For the pur- m rs,
e OF building up their political tn
.unes and getting possession Of the pr
te government, they have sought, at fro
public expense, and to the disgrace an
the national administration, to t t1o
'te party of their own, CON-
ed Of renegades from all parties.
nbers of the Legislature who identify ~
nselves with this Customhouse clique %.
are willing to vote in the Legislature III
whatever they propose, have found no ''e
Guilty in having their names placed ila'
n the payrolls of the Customhouse. CIV
howe ro,co, 10 sea
We or six Senators and dozen members W.
le lower House draw salaries from the ~
.omhouse for which they perform no s-o'
es. Dir. Speaker Carter is one Of the '!ei
lber. The two principal deputy col Wv
'rs-Mr. Herwig and Nj. COPELAND p0'
members Of the Senate. And there '-'',
other employees Of the Customhouse 49,. -,
are expected to do duty there that $500
'lso members Of the Legislature; and ~
that body meets next Monday their 80 .,
es IN the Customhouse Will be nec- @-'''