Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-07-30

ed by Gen. Wells in the customs service
in Vermont was appointed or employed
on my accommodation direct or indirect.
2 That believe and know, so far a
personal observation and knowledge OF
the country can authorize me to say so,
that tue administration ut Gen. Wells has
been as complete and perfect for the ser
vice of the government rs any that has
ever existed since. the foundation of the
government He devoted his whole time
and attention to that business, and never
to my knowledge or Information took any
other part in politics than that of simply
voting for the candidates that he believed
ought to be elected.
g. That Gen. Wells was volunteer sol
der in the war of the rebellion, entering
the service either ~ private or in Il very
low rank, and that he conducted himself
throughout the war with such Cousp.cu-
Gus gailuntrv aud .uud >"u-e rs to have
terminated MS cHrp"r "a that service with
very high Ionur amt t. very hjgh rank
(. That ne was apprinted and mas been
reappuiItrl collector OF customs Tor that
district with 50 far ~ / know aud believe,
the universal approval Dt both Repubii
cans and Democrats.
,. am Informed from tne very best Oi
sources and believe thai Whey the present
acting collector hal rr" ucci tdc uumDrr
of employees and officers "a LAT district "a
30 he earnestly insisted - ne secretary OF
the treasury err to the p"t.ldrnt that the
district was taken out OF tnr provisions OF
the civil service laws ana regulate and
that all further removals and appoint
ments should be made without eNannua
ton and on his own recommendation. II
/ is proper to say that the secretary of the
/ treasury, in his letter to the Senate in re
Spouse to its resolution on the subject
says, if correctly remember II, that thrr,
! is no CORES pOndence on nat subject in his
] pOs.p.SlOu but | have, h4pu iutprtupI bI
one of the commissioner of the civil ser
/ vice that such correspondence did exist
/ and was referred to the evil service com.
! mission tor consideration aud reply, and
! that the reply OF the civil service commits
sion was that the law and the regulation,
/ still applied to the district
| Il. | have personal knowlege of the cOun
| try and of the roads and avenues of com
| munCatlOn between Canada and the
! United States mentioned by Gen Wells il
his answer, and confirm the same, and
| state, without hesitation, that the
/ diminution of the force caused by Mr.
| Smalley was, i'll respect of the security OF
the revenue against smuggling, an uuwis,
ana injurious one, in my opinion.
! !. In respect Of the response of the sec
! rotary of the treasury to the last resolu
ton of the Senate calling for a cory OF al
affidavit of one Hall mentioned in the sec
| rrtary's first report, | have to say that, il
/ Is in plain ana palpable violation of tn,
statute which requires him to give intor
nation to either House OF Congress. An
affidavit filed in a public department can
not be considered as a private or contideu
tlal communication. To be an affidavit
the paper must be sworn to before a pub
lie officer in a solemn and judicial way
and can have, from the very nature oi
things, no quality of confidence or secrecy
in it.
| have further to submit to the commit
tee that the reason alleged by the acting
secretary of the treasury for not trans
hitting copy of that affidavit is, think
/ utterly insufficient both in law and NOR
/ ais and scandal and "A reproach to any
| Just administration of affairs. If heal
of a department is to decide for himsel
without communicating to either Hous,
of Congress an official paper that he doe.
not think it entitled to belief and is "A Ii,
and a scandal and therefore refuses TO dis
close it, and thereby aids in screening the
/ perjurer from contempt and from punish
ment, he becomes himself an accessory t
the crime. do not know the date of thi.
affidavit, and apparently the Senate can
not ascertain 1t through any voluntary ac
ton of the secretary but | must presum,
| that this affidavit was furnished to tn,
president or the secretary of the treasury
for the purpose of furnishing ground fol
the suspension and ultimate removal q
this soldier of the republic.
I In view OF all these circumstances earn
estly protest against the Senate being d
party to this performance.
| may add. although it is not material t,
the question of Gen. Weiss conduct. tina
| personally know there is other otfica
correspondence between myself and tn,
secretary of the treasury on the subject o
this proposed removal which has not beef
ommuncated and which should be mos
glad to have the Senate and the people o
the country see. How much further an,
other official information exists that ha
in like manner been withheld i, of course
have no means of knowing
Respectfully yours,
GEORGE +. EDMUNDS.
Hon. 5. j. X. MCMILLAN,
Chairman of Committee on Commerce
United States Senate.