Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-09
REMOVAL OF M,MULLEN.
The New York Appraiser Having De-
clined to Resign, Is Dismissed.

clined to Resign, is Dismissed.
Mr.. Lewis McMullen, appraiser at New York,
was requested to resign, but refused to do So
The President has therefore directed his re-
moval from Office. Following is copy Of the
correspondence in the case:
q. S. TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
December 81, 1883.
SIR: consider that il is for the public in
terest that you should cease to be the United
States appraiser at New York. will, there
fore, thank you if you will at once send me
your resignation. Yours respectfully,
c. s. FAIRcHrLD, Secretary.
LEWIS McMULLEN. ESQ.,, Appraiser.
PORT OF New YORK, APPRAISERS OFFICE,
Jan. 2, 1889.
Hon. O. s. Edirchild, Secretary Of the Treasury,
Washington, ID. c.:
1t is with profound surprise that am in re-
ceipt of your letter Of the Slst ulto., in which
you state that you ''consider that it is for the
public interest that you % shoald cease to be
the .. s. appraiser at New York, and that you
will thank me if I will at once send you my
resignation" You do not intimate any reasons
and am not aware Of any for such a conclu-
sion, but on the contrary my administration OF
the Office has received the warmest common
dalton of your honored predecessor; should
have merited your approval and that Of the
duct of my Office has not been satisfactory to
the upright importers and business commu-
nifty.
If You have any seeming foundation for
your conclusion it would be but simple justice,
in view Of my official record of thirty-six
years, that should have an opportunity to be
heard.
Since my appearance before the Hale COM
mittee, in this city, it has been repeatedly an
nounced in the daily press that was to be re-
moved from Office, but had not believed that
such utterances were officially inspired. In
view of all the facts and in justice to myself
must decline to tender my resignation.
Respectfully yours,
LEWIS McMU1LES. Appraiser.
q. s. TREASURY DEPT, Jan. 8, 1889.
SIR: / have duly received your letter of JAN
uary 2, in which You decline to tender your
resignation as United States appraiser at New
York. have felt it my duty, therefore, to ask
the President to remove you from that Office.
You ask that you may have an opportunity to
be heard. 1t would be useless to grant that
request, because my opinion that the good of
the service requires that you should cease
to be the United States appraiser at New
York is based not npon any specific acts of
your own, but upon my general belief that
either through age or some other cause you
cannot properly judge Of the qualifications of
your subordinates or supervise their work.
You allude to your testimony before the COM
mittee of which Senator Hale was chairman. /
do not seek your removal because you testified
before that committee. 1t was your duty to do
so when called upon for that purpose, but do
recognize the force of the criticism which has
been made because caused certain changes in
your department of the service in opposition to
your judgment and wishes. 1t was bad ad-
minlstration on my part to attempt reforms in
your Office which you neither thought neces-
sary nor approved, while still permitting you
to remain at the head of that office. This
fault OF mine came about because (while was
confident at the time that these changes should
be made and am now certain that my only
mistake was in not making more il believed you
to be honest and to have the public
interests at heart, and because 1 had
grown to feel personal regard
for you which made me too tender of your
feelings. l had hoped until recently that mat
tiers might go on fairly well under you during
the short time that was to be the head of this
department, and that l might be spared the
pain of asking for your removal, but facts have
come to my attention which convince me that
number of reforms must at once be begun in
the New York appraisers department.
Judging by experience l cannot hope
for intelligent and sympathetic cooperation
therein from you; cannot repeat the mistake
OF attempting the reforms contrary to your
judgment while you are the responsible head
of the Office, and therefore in default of your
resignation, with sincere regret, 1 have re-
quested that you be removed.
Respectfully yours, c. s. FAIRcHILD, Sec'y.
MIR. A. b. Stearns, U. s. appraiser at Boston
has been temporarily placed in charge of the
New York appraisers Office. The removal OF
Appraiser McMullen will be followed by other
changes in his office.