The Portland daily press., 1882-11-27
PRESIDENT ARTHUR
Removes from Office Several Prom
inent Officials.
THE LETTERS ON WHICH HIS ACTION
WAS BASED.
Great Exc' t-Exists In Washington.


:. 25.-The President this eve
1moyal Of Lhar.es h. Henry,
let OF Col. mbia, ID. b. niger.
y ssn- ION M. tarke., assistant post
OF Washington, NJ ID. helu,
S4nal Kecoid, aud George
Direc or of tue Union Ia
eAnV -.s-'A. -, }, upoa cnarsss made by the
Assotn oSheiaA ol. Bliss, OF having int1r-
Tered with the ends i Justice in cou.ecLion with
the Star route trials.
ibese ofn.es wi all be flied immediat, ly. SO that
tneIe may Do 10 Interruption 10 public business. TO
prevent any possible emOarr afflIs III the
Darshal ctnce The suspension of that officer will
pe M withheld u until his successor is sppoi1ted.
on the following report:
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
Washington, ID c.. Nov. "a, loo2
10 the President OF the Us.tted StGes:
Sls-Tne letter OF George bllls, counsel for the
United States IN tue Star route trla ad ressed
you, dated Nov. Ii, 1892, referred to me by your
oer, mas been carefully cohsid The iacts set
toith Ia 1t are not Iew To FIom slider IaLiohs
VI legal, as well as ofcal policy, have thus abb
stained from Calling 4ttention u theso atlels
much oetter satisfied that Mr.. Bliss, act as coun-
eel IN the case, OF his own motion, has suUmilted
You the subjects therein dealt with 5nce received
The ettel Alr. M.riick and MIR. Ker colleagues Of
Nj. Bliss, called upon me and Invited NY attention
70 the subjecI in tue same manner that Ar. Bliss has
la the letter wri ten by him to YOU IL is my Opion-
ion that The ends OF justice have been interter.d
with 10y all OF the PEI SONS complained oi by MIR.
BLISS, MI. M rrck and Mr- Ker. Ihe marslIal vi
the district is resp nsibse much of opposing
Sen1Aent 10 the caee Vi the Goyel nnent that wes
exhibited in and ouL OF court during Tho
o the Star route nis neglis. aid Irlegu-
lar conouct iii sesectng the taiesmen, sternly OBJ
jeeted to AZ the Time, AMI SO INFORMED hnn. The
pubic lnterv ,w That he was guilty OIL an refer ed
Dy Col. Bss. Is one sht must subject hun to the
scverest censure as an officer OF The court.
and as an officer of the Governments. he
guilty in this OF an OF nee which has been
punished 10y courts as a gross act VI con eWpt.
recommend his Immediate removal. he is an ul-
siaDl person, and has injurious inte ierred WiGn
the proper conduct Of this star route case, and
gives hls personal sympathy, and the sympathy OF
his office, to the indicted defenuants.
Second-D b. Anger, tue postmaster of this city,
a. MS assistant Ny ron M Parker, are justly SUD
ject TO all The charges presented by ar Bias a4d
lie appoin ments should pormitLe4 TO The Inah
anu power of tneiI position as they have ussd
theirs or tie perm ted to with such prose-
cutions or any prosec euon urged py The Govern
nBent III vindcation OF tho law.
'4hiru-The man Helm, recently appointed to the
head Of one q the departments in the public print-
ing Office, is by law (sec. 1850 incap -b.e of hold
Jug that office, iuasmuch as he cUnlros a pubic
newspas err but viii furtner add that the paper
he controls Gas to which control positive syidence
given upon the trial Of the caLse) is paper no
toIiously and confessediy owned by ono oI the de-
Il nuants; a defeEoanL me most cupable OF All,
since il was by his criminal malfeasance tuat he
corrupt orders made, nd the irauds success,
fully gerpetraied His paper has been engaged
the discua 70 of the jury j. the most violent
Of all Who were supposed 10 be interested in bring
Ing The d. PENDANTS 20 Justice. The judge was Lot
even spaTei; the counsel was persistentiy slam
dered and the witnesses We're openly assaulted, de-
nounced and terrorized by oAe continuous current
OF rsonai abuse and calunny. am of opinion
that this man should he forthwith removed, sDd
an astonished that those who nave charge of the
government printing Office with the pubic knowl-
edge of the facts, should have venIured appoint
HIM He is not man to be trusted In the responsi-
Cle position he holds
-Four n -ln conjunction with Mr. Bliss respect
fully call your attention to the conduct of George
Il. spencer. Upon the day of YOUR depart ure from
m tnis Gity, Immediately after the adjournment Of
Congress, communication by Mr.. Bliss and the
other counsel In the sent through me,
logging with you a complaint against 6e Ige L.
Spencer; Those papers did not reach you at that
Tine. lnis vas during the latter weeks of the trial;
IN TACT, the vidence had closed and connsel were
addressing the jury. Tn Sc papers are now before
you. Dir. Bliss, by his letter. Viii you have re-
them. BY them, it appears that Mr.. spen-
cris q sdelinquent end abscoading witness tina
he can test tfy 10 ma eriai AM impor ant fact
that h. left t,is city and has ever since
secreied himself AVID avoided the process the
law; d holds an mt ortant publ; osition and is
cour t. TESTIFY in case'of this magnitude, and in
which the honor of the government and the i'd
ministrstion o. public Justice is cd, and be-
cause of his eensurable deiinque ey 1 lite sith
Mr.. Bliss aud ,he OF counsel IN The case in ask
lug bis immediate removal. Time enou IL has been
giseE ninl to appear and explain, and not one ord
nes 4 peen n ara from i'm, aud he has disappeared
a. u ne We're dead. bay directed he m st thor
ugh search to be m. de for him snd th us far ne
T. ace OF him can be found hat search per-
risted in a. d ii he can be had he will be had and
bIoug ino court and made to answer for his ac
Of G ss contempt and dis bedience, and obliged TO
ties ify 10 those facts which within his snowl-
e &c and re so essential to MAINTAIN the prosecu-
tion of the def nd ITS.
Fiji George .. Miller. one # the police of the
district, in a ecent JUDICIAL inquiry with the auda,
been engaged and re aimed in the servict OF tle
DESCENDANTS in the Star routs case, and hs per-
sistentlv assisted hem during the current of tn,
trid. Because of tn confession s. made by him.
applied to the con missiot ers of the district to
Al T tvs n n he
letter y Col Bliss has by this beer dis osed of aud
So have no ccasion to consider them. Ia cennec-
tloD with he reference mad to me will further
report that in the public prosecution OF the Star
route case and in pres nting the indictment as yet
untri q to the sranl jury, have been AIDED BY the
Nj Merck and Mr.. Ker. had inteIsded 10 have
besm present in person during the whole trial, but
as have efo this orally reported t. you the othe4
duties of my Office and my department
requir ed 20 much of my time that was unable
do more than occasionally appear, but kept my
sel lns troct day by day with thorough kpoul-
edge OF all the facis connected with tie nial, Ay
rea ing a personal inv stigstion. and remained
here until near the midi of September ami made
the closing argumei t in the case. | thought this
necessary as an act of duty to the admins ra-
tien OF public Justice tnd show the people Of the
United S ates that the government was In earnes
and desired that justice shouli be done. | hive
never forgotten ssur instructions: on my first ac
rigor that tile innocent sh uld be acqui ted If
clerey innocent, that the guilty should be punsbei
ii clerely guilty; aud that there must be no half
heal ted sentiments in the purpose of the govern
Inent and its ocers in this prosecution. Alter se
rions and prolonged deberaton all the tails
Of the case my Investigations satisfied me III the
men who W re indicted were guilty men and merit
I'd tue extreme punishment II The law. They had
pr jeted, under cover of official power o. uader
cover of official authoii iity systematic plan of de-
lilo rate robbery of he public treasury To carry
out that plan, they had laid their hands upon fun
dedicated by aw 10 a great public service service
that conspicuously of the fruits and causes OF
our civi zation, social comfort commercial
prosperity, our national growth. Millions of that
money they peTvs rted 10 their own private gain
an divided it for their own personal purposes 1t
was a condien act of infamous conspiracy and a.
such deserves the severest punishment the law can
in1ict. Such men are traitors to cal and Off ai
duty, and t. ey are public enemies, against whom
the authority OF the law must be exerled without
hesf alton or reluctance. The higher their mast no.
sifion the greater their sin and the sterner must
be Gbeir punishment. desire to call your atten
ton the fact that the Off of the law and those
who have directly been aiding me in the dischar, e.
OF my duty in this business have been from the Ist
encircied with snares pitfalls and every species of
vile device that could be invented to
harm tham binder theiru sefulness and pre
vent the administration Of justice.
Some portions of this com unity who surround
thess defeneants and who have enjoyed, do still
enjoy minor official positions, know no allegiance
to any one bat III band of robbers, and rend-r
service to any one but these evi employers. From
motive or gain other corrupt considerations
the are saturated with ainities for these bad en-
and they have contributed by every in their
power the bidding of their masters, to obs,ruct
hope Of securing the scqutsl and escape of the
worst band OF organized scoundres that exis-
ted since the commencement of the government.
Very respectfully,
BENJAMIN HARRIS BREWSTER,
Attorney General.
OFFICE OF BLISS b ScHILEY,
ATT RSEYs AND CoUNsELLoRs,
$50 Broadway, NEW YORK, Nov. IL, 1882.