The Portland daily press., 1877-05-29
NEW YORK CUSTOM HOUSE.
Report of the Investigating Com
mittee.
The Presidents View of the Dn.
ties of Government Officers.
Report of the Investigating Committee

Report of the Investigating Committee.
WASHINGTON, May 2S.-The investigating
commission who have been recently examining
the custom house affairs in New York, recon-
mend reduction of force in the custom house
naval office and Surveyors department of 20
per cent, which can be done by retaining COM
petent members and increasing the hours of
service. They recommend abolishng the Office
of deputy collector at large and other deputy
collectors, the suspension of the Office of depu-
ty collector at jersey City, and discharge of
deputy surveyor. They recommend the hours
be from a. m. to p. m. Further reductions
proceeds, if the system should be found ca.
pable of simplifcation by consolidating some
of the departments without detriment to the
government or the interests of the merchants.
The force now employed have mainly been ap.
pointed on political considerations, and are de-
ticent in proper attention to business as we'll as
in business qualifications and integrity of char
acter. The committee believe there can be no
adequate protection in the customs service for
the honor of the government, the rights OF i'm
porters and the interests of the nation until the
service is freed from the control of party and
organized on strictly business basis.
At the New York Custom House there are
collected from 20 to rs per cent. of our customs
revenue, and its present animal receipts amount
to about $10S,000,000 The fidelity of its man
agement concerns at once our foreign commerce,
our domestic manufactures, the general pros
perity of our people and the respect and conf
dence of the world. Its management is COM
plicated by the existing tariff, which subjects to
duties, specific or ad valOrem, or both, seven
teen hundred articles, and to the importers and
and American manufacturers who invest their
capital in enterprises based upon the exact pro-
visions of the tariff, it becomes matter of con-
Germ, as shown by the complaints, that the con-
ditions of the tariff while it remains in force
shall not be changed by Ignorance, carlessness
or fraud in its execution.
The question of political appointments, the
recognition of a partisan power outside of the
government, divided among irrepressible lead
ers claiming the right to dispose of the offices
of customs as the spoils of party, assumes ma
tional magnitude and Importance. Officers ap-
pointed through political influence are expect
the support of the party, and the amount of
contributions asked from the men is fixed by
per centage on their respective salaries Most
of the officials thus assessed accede to the de-
mand, and some repair their diminished salaries
by exacting and accepting from merchants un
seem to have been quietly permitted, if not
openly sanctioned, and the improper acceptance
of gratuities, as appear from the letter of the
collector, has continued for quarter of cen.
tury to defy the law and demoralize the SER
vice.
ment, the system of examining baggage, etc.,
will be made, but reforms can only be made
effective by the emancipation of the service
from partisan control.
The Presidents Views.
Washington, May 26.
To the President:-Sir: l beg leave to call
your attention to the accompanying partial re-
port of the commission to examine the custom
house in New York, and especially to that part
of it relating to the appointments upon political
influence without due regard to efficiency. AS
this involves the question of the general policy
which affects other Departments of your ad-
ministration,. L desire instructions as to the
rules you wish adopted on this subject matter
so they may be applied in the reforms proposed
in the New York custom house.
Respectfully yours,
JOHN SHERMAN.
Executive Mansion, Washington, May 26.
My Dear Sir: have read the partial report of
the commission appointed to examine the New
York custom house. L concur with the COM
wish that the collection of the revenue shall be
free from partisan control and organized on a
strictly business basis. with the same guaran-
tees for efficiency and fidelity in the selection
of the chief subordinate officers that would be
required by prudent merchant. The party
leaders should have no more influence in APP
pointments than other equally respectable citi'
zens. No assessments for political purposes
on officers or subordinates should be allowed.
No useless officer or employe should be retain
ed No officer should be required or permitted
to take part in the management of political
organizations, caucuses, conventions or cleo
ton campaigns Their right to vote and to ex-
press their views on public questions, either
orally or through the press. is not denied pro.
vided it does not interfere with the discharge
of their official duties.
Respectfully,
Hon, John Sherman
Secretary Sherman in letter to the commis-
sion, also dated the 18th of May, approves their
proposition to reduce the force in the New York
custom house 20 yer cent, and says the hours
of employment thereafter, the 3lst inst, will
be from 9 a. m. to p. M, and be strictly en-.
forced. Enquiry into the personal of each en-
ploye must be mainly left to the collector.
Three Negro Assnssins Lynched.
COLUMBUS, Ca, May 2S.-Last Friday morn
ing before day-break Mrs. c. G. Chambliss of
Stewart county was murdered by three negroes.
They fired the fence and drew her husband
away from the house. The negroes then pro-
ceeded to the house to rob it and were met by
Mrs. Chambliss. beautiful woman aged 49,,
armed with gun. One of the negroes, Jerry
Snead, took the gun away from her and lodged
its contents in her head, causing death Instant
~. The negroes then burned a corn crib and
fled, but were pursued and captured. Jerry
admitted the deed and implicated his compan-
ions, Stephen Abram and VIM. Booth. They
were brought to Chambliss' house that after
noon when it was unanimously decided by
about 300 whites and blacks present that they
should be hanged The gallows was erected
and the murderers were hanged with trace
chains. The colored participants in the lynch.
ing threw the lifeless bodies into an old field
to rot and with great difficulty the whites per-
suaded them to permit their burial. The Gull
prits met their fate jeeringy, .glorying in the
deed and haunting their executioners. A Cotton
rope was first used on Stephen Abrams, but it
broke and he asked the crowd to get a stronger
one. No other rope could be found and trace
chains were used.