Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-06-19

orsrn whom he picks up along shore, and |
and upon the accuracy OF their weights the
government has TO rely.
The minority say that widespread eorrup- |
ton in this department was fully proven. |
The system Of political assessment upon |
em ployees at the Custom house is noted and
condemned as demoralizing. The system of
seizures and compromises is treated at large,
and the minority detail what they term
shocking outrAges upon merchants by setting
forth the dispositions Of the victims, showing
that opulent aud honorable merchants are
frequently solicited as subject Of plumber By
the special agents Of the Treasury and their
gang Of informsrs. Testimony is also ad-
duced 10 show how this system encourages
fraud. AffidSvits made upon information
and belief only, they say, are sufficient
to warrant the seizure Of the books
b and papers Of the most eminent
firms. No inventory is taken Of the books,
no guard against their being mutllssed "hhe
in the custody of the agents, and no Pro'ee
ton is given against the Pryng eyes Oh
personAi or business rivals. The cases OF
Messrs. NAylor & Co., William Redmond
Son. Whiteside Brothers, and others are sei
r forth TO show that large portion OF the
~. duties 70 which the government Is entitled:
e and which should first have been deducted
" from the gross sum received, Is lost. We
h are in truth assured by the informers that
q upder this system IN about a year aud q
half one special agent JAyne) had received
1925. 600 as his share OF the plunderi that
o the officers who decided upon the propriety
" Of such seizures are each and all of them
,e interested 10 tho result-the Collector,
=, Naval Officer, and Surveyor-shariug the
q moiety with the inFormer, thus making these
u officials Judges in their own cases; aud that
nt under this system the Collector, Naval OFF
r. GER, and Surveyor have salaries more thar
"a double that Of the President of the | nited
States, or FIVE times As much IS the Vice
President and judges Of the Supreme Court
o. The minority speak of "delestable and
RI shocking methods resorted to by Jayne suC
r. other agents for the purpose Of terrifying
n, witnesses or compelling parties to confess,
and assert il TO be fully established that
"a under this system, no conviction or punish
IN menI for toe alleged frauds upon the reve
Inv nue. have ever occurred that on the contrary
&C the payment Of these sums Of money i
! compromise, results in compromising tn
ue felony or coudsmuing the misdemeAnor
to- The minority then enter into the considers
md ton OF the inhunce aud action Of the Cut
.. tom-house officials in controlling the tw
leS late State conventions 10 New y ork The
der claim 70 prove by Collector Murphys view
be- that the Custom. house is mere politici
4 machine, and its officials are bound to rer
der ready and willing obedience to politic
WV demands, They submit the statement Of 6
ooi interview between Collector Murphy AT
by General Palmer, then Appraiser of the por
Of showing that this scheme of coerciug Il
T. ~. -
hey wing Of the Republican party was the resu
hu- of Joint counsel between the President
iur- the United States and Mr. Murphy. I'll
or Custom-house was little more than q
the merest machine Of partisan politics Ovt
the this Mr.. Murphy presided with this porti,
the OF the business he was entirely familiar; b
and be WAS utterly destitute Of any sense of q
Try greatness Of she trust dsyovsd upon him
OF the Office be held. They say his own depot
cite ton proves him 10 be totally ignorant Of q
had plAinest and most essential duties of
his place, of the laws controlling his action,
ore the principles upon which duties we're &C
An lected and refunded His own eonfessit
the proves him to be hopelessly ignorant of I
ing these things, and that he is a mere wal
mt. politician in high Office, scarcely seooI
ties 10 importance to members Of the Cabint
ex- I nder such q regime, so utterly destruCG
Tell Of the personal character and Independent
on. Of its officials, nothing but corruption cou
sss be expected, and the loss TO the goverume
en- cannot well be estimated
the Credit is given 20 those officials who
ell. intelligence and devotion TO duty has re-
arsl dered them essential to the performance
nell public business in the Custom.house
him Msssrs. Chnch, Ogden, Robinson. a
slPs others; and also officers in tae Apprase
ted office are recognized as valuable and fat
for ful public servants.
sid The tenure Of good behavior is strong
him recommended and argued, and the minor
TO report closes with the statement that t
nth evils so widespread AID thorough viii
He have been discovered show that no dspal
OBJ ment Of the public service in the Custo
the house inquired into by the committee is fl
ct from the faint OF decentralization and CO
ned rupsion which the rule Of Murphy b
his necessarily eutsisd upon them. The O.
! in is not so much IN bad laws, although !
IN rspeA. OF the law Of seizures is recommend
ork but in the INSTRUMENTATION Of laws gro
der ing out OF the utter unhIness and incor
rin- potency Of those who have been placed
TO high places Of civil government.