Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-05-19

ancient practice, placed his position at the
disposal OF the new administration, but, like
the other persons named, he WAS ready to re-
main ut his post II permitted to do so. All
OF these officers. save only Mr.. Cramer, are
citizens OF New York. 1t was proposed to
dlsplace them all, not for any alleged
fault or for any alleged need or advant-
age OF the public service, but in order
to- give the great office of Collector
OF 80, the Port of New York to Mr..
" illiam Fl. Robertson as reward" for
certain acts OF his. said to have 'aded i'll
making the nomination of Gen. Garfield pos
sible." The chain Of rewards thus proposed
was broken by Gen. Badeaus promptly de-
Ginning to accept the new place to which he
was to be sent. These nominations sum-
muned every member of the Senate to say
whether he advised such Transaction. The
movement was more than surprise. We
had been told only a few hours before that
no removals in the New York offices were
suon To be made, or even considered. and had
been requested to withhold papers and sug-
Sestions bearing on the subject which had
been sent to us for presentation, should
occasion arise, until we had notice from the
lreSident OF his readiness to receive them.
Hearing that the Vice President was equally
surprised and had been equally misled. we
went To Mr.. James, the Cabinet officer from
our State, and learned that though he had
hpeHt Hbiiic tililc viii inc iTtsluullt Oh INT
morning OF the day the nominations were
sent III, no disclosure of an intention to send
them had been made to him and that lie first
knew OF the matter 10y hearsay following the
event.
THE SENATOR'S PROTEST.
After earnest reflection and consultation We
believed the proceeding unwise and wrong,
whether considered wholly in relation to the
preservation and integrity of the public ser-
vice and the public example to be set, or in
relation also to the integrity of the Repuhli-
can party. No public utterance Of comment
or cenStre was made by either of us. in the
senate or elsewhere. On the contrary, We
Thought that the President would reconsider
the action 10 sudden and nasty and would NJ
least adopt less hurtful aud Objectionable
modes of requiring personal or individual
service. In this hope the following paper was
prepared and signed and presented by Mr..
James to the President, who was subsequently
informed that you had authorized your name
to he added also:
40 he p,tSbi,nt We beg leave to re-
mOnstrate against the change i'll the Co.'S
lecturship at New York. by the removal of
MIR. Merritt and the appointment of Mr..
li,bertson. The proposal was wholly sur
prise. We heard of Il only when the several
nominations involved in the plan were an
nUunced in the Senate We had only two
days before this been Informed from you that
u change III tho Custom office at New York
was not contemplated, aud, quite ignorant OF
purpose to take any action now, we had no
opportunity until after the nominations to
make the suggestions we now present. We
do not believe that the interests of the public
service will he promoted by removing the
present Collector and putting MIR. Robertson
IN his stead. Our opinion is quite the re-
verse, aud we believe no political advantage
can be gained for either the Republican parry
or Its principles. Believing that no iiidi-
yidual has claims or Obligations which should
be iiquidated i'll such mode, we earnestly
aud respectfully ask that the nomination OF
Mr. Robertson he Withdrawn.
"CHEsrER A. ARTHUR,
ST. &. pLATr,
''THoMAs l.. JAMES,
"RosCoE CoNRLING.'
This paper was presented to the President
10y MI. James on Monday. the 18th day OF
march, knowing the frequency with which
every one of the twenty Presidents of the Re-
public. and markedly the present incumbent,
had withdrawn nominations OH less serious
representations, We dld not apprehend that
such suggestion would be treated as an i'll
triiHlon on an invasion of any prerogative of
the nominating power. We were disappointed.
Immediately the public press, especially III
articles and dispatches written by those in
close and constant association with the prcsi-
dent and With an influential member of his
Cabinet. teeped with violent denunciatOus
of the Senators from New York for opposing
the administration and debating to the
Mon,in rcunrtsd 3hn pragil,, 'u 'Aoo ,''tr'
AMI imnatiatt If Lai,a,i, -. ~
consent to what he proposed We have
made no assault upon anybody. We have at
all times refused to answer questions by rep
resentatlves of the press or to make com
plants or comment or even denial of the
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W. wa - '''''"'
AN UNPRECEDENTED PROCEEDING.
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| tLr i,,1ty,I 81 H., vi ~, t.'i'u ", v
mn mn 1"Ueu" " QUITS 9iu many ntle
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~ ,t, az ~ 'ieo ''l'u lV,oiilIneiue'
80 IN I ny were hot Preseutt'
~ W NN'e NY atteiipteu 10 eletite
o,,.' T., W.. ti'' ~. " n",i''i"Ii'h " "
the sole exception of the written request Sc
iortii above We have never even Expressed Al
| 'pht'oh 70 tle ireSldeht III an
case ulless questioned IA regard I
- 'o'lo Nay hSo INC ffeSldcii
"a" uPllS NHnuie" III one ana the same nc
the Haile7 oi General Woodi0rd and MI
ieh'lVy anu VI the Two mafrhals' lhls ny
| preS'ueilteu proceeding. whether permHslbl
" hW OF NOT, was BiaVtly significant. III
iren'ueht hau nominated these Officers afte
tncf Iau peeii weighed IN the balance. The
p ',. RESORTS were bciore nun and had bee
'"4I HSi ull,''"'a ana approved. II must u
lHcnNilcu thht ht Thought the nominations {
10 be naie ana that II waH his duty to MAX
TWIN mere IL no allegation that he I'll,
covered nnhtnH4 IN thum afterwards.
could hardy li that he had discovered nnt
.icHn ia an ~ litIu hlke. What then, w
the meaning and purpose Of this peremptui
-tepf IL we immediately stated, rs if !
huthprltS' ana seems to he admitted that Il
purpose was To rnrrrr the Senate or SenatO
~ vote aA theY would not vote If left fr,
from ENccullNe Interference The deslp
WAS 10 control III" action OF Senators touc