New-York tribune., 1874-12-04

ity with which he skips about over the whole
country is quito bewildering. He tells hero
how sites for public buildings have been pur-
chased in some places and increased appro-
priations are waited for to complete purchases
in Others how in some cases the offer OF citi-
zens to make up sufficient sum to purchase
eligible sites has been accepted, while In
others be is satisfied that adjoining property
to that already purchased should be obtained ];
how one of his buildings has been completed
and the officer who is to occupy it expresses
"his entire satisfaction with the building, ana
"that it is in his opinion unsurpassed In ht-
"ncss for the purpose and in convenience ny
"any in the world )" how the public Offices IN
jersey City need furniture and lack the ordi-
nary conveniences; and how the erection OF a
barge Office building on tho Battery Is iii.
dlspensabo to the proper enforcement oI
"the Customs laws"
1t quito startlcs one to think how this man
has pervaded the country. and with "haC
magnificencc he has flung himself abroad
From Eastport to San Francisco ho has scat
tered Government buildings in the most royal
way. How much money he has expended we
fail to gather from his report. We venture 10
say that no single instance can be named III
which public building has been erected 1or
the original appropriation. Mr. Mulletts sys-
TEN has been that described some time ago In
THE TRIBUNE as "System of Dcrrcks"
Members of Congress who wanted something
for their deestrctsn havo induced him to
| make n report in their favor-fOr it will be
observed by the tenor Of this report that he
held the duty of Supervising Architect to
| cover supervision Of the whole cOuntry-and
upon such report small appropriation wonid
be made as an entering wedge. All they
wanted to start with was the purchase OF u
| site and the erection of some derricks. After
that, it was easy. And so Mullett has fairly
pcppcred the face of tho country with his
dreadful architecture, at cost to the Treas
| urv that has not been computed, and to the
public taste and political morality that can
| not be.
There is, to be sure, much consolation in the
| thought that this is his last report but no one
can read it without being absolutely startled
at the revelation it makes of the range he has
had. and the entire freedom from accOunta-
| bity he has enjoyed during his official career.
Think of one man going about tho country and
|
like general orders-to COngresst to purchase sites
here and bny more land there, to build docks and
barge offices, to furnish cOurt-rooms, heap up
appropriations, repeal the Eisht-IIour law, and
do all sorts Of things; and he an officer
who has no responsibility or account
ability, or even any legal official existence
Nothing coud be more absurd than the man
ner in which this official cxcreScence has
supervised everything, unless it be the absurd
little person himself. The country has reason
to thank Secretary Bristow for the prompt
acceptance of his resignation. 1t is long
step in the direction of economical admins
tration and for the repression of wasteful eI-
travagance. In closing his report, he remarks
quite incidentally that it will soon be seen
d" that the estimates for public buildings have
reached a maximum, and will on the COM
"pleton of the large buildings now in pro-
"gress diminish very rapidly" That follows
Mr.. Mulleit'S resignation, and goes without
|