H. OF R.]

Wiscasset Collector.

[MAY 5, 1832

On the 13th of January, the Secretary of the Navy replied," that as to the Navy Department proper, it is not conceived that any of its present expenses can be retrenched."

Congress, in December, 1829. In that message he "invites the attention of Congress to a general and minute inquiry into the condition of the Government, to ascertain what offices can be dispensed with, what expenses retrenched, and what improvements may be made in the or- On the 21st of January, the Secretary of War sends his ganization of its various parts." It might have been ex- reply. From this officer, the intimate, confidential friend pected that this great reformer, after having been thus of the President, availed, of course, of all his views, and long in possession of every department of the Executive ready to execute all his purposes, we might expect, at Government, and minutely examined all their operations, least some intimation of the "comprehensive scheme would have been prepared with the "comprehensive which had been promised. But here too we are doomed scheme of retrenchment" which his friends in this House to disappointment. Allow me, sir, to read his letter: had, at the present session, resolved that it had “a right to expect" he would "submit to Congress." Sir, I have WAR DEPARTMENT, January 21, 1830. SIR: I have the honor to lay before you reports from carefully looked into the documents accompanying the message; but I have looked in vain for the "comprehen- the several bureas connected with the War Department sive scheme" which the profound wisdom of the Presi- on the subject of a resolution of the 5th instant, referred dent, aided by nine months' close practical observation, to me by the Committee on Retrenchment. might enable him to suggest. Instead of such "comprehensive scheme, "he contents himself simply with the communication to Congress of a letter from the Fourth Auditor to the Secretary of the Navy, relative to the "confused and unsettled state of the fiscal accounts and concerns of the Navy Department," and making various suggestions on that subject, the wisdom of which has, to this day, been unfortunately hidden from all but their author; but in all of which he is careful to omit anydistinct recommendation of a "retrenchment" in the number or salaries of the officers connected with his department."

That part of the President's message to which I have alluded, was referred to a committee of seven, five of whom were decided friends of the administration. To the same committee was also referred the resolution of the 27th of February, 1829, relative to the "comprehensive scheme," and "the lopping off of useless offices."

CHARLES A. WICKLIFFE, Esq.

Respectfully,
J. H. EATON.

The reports referred to by the Secretary of War are, in the first place, those of the head of the Pension Office, the Commissary General,Commissary General of Subsistence. and Paymaster General, all of whom say that no reduction can be made in their offices; and, in the second place, of the Major General, Surgeon General, Quartermaster General, and the heads of the Indian Bureau and Engineer and Ordnance Departments; all of whom, instead of recommending a reduction, actually ask for an increase of the number of clerks in their respective offices.

Next comes the "Great Magician !" And may we not expect a "scheme"- -a "comprehensive scheme," from him? Hear him. After deliberating upon the subject two months, he addresses the committee on the 4th of March, as follows:

"My opinion is that there can be no reduction in the number of officers employed in the Department [of State] without detriment to the public interest. On the contrary, the insufficiency of those whose employment is now authorized by law to execute the various duties incident to the department, is found to be productive of inconve nience to the public service."

Now, sir, what was the result of this reference? Where is the report of the committee? Where the promised "scheme of retrenchment?" Like the rainbow, it still recedes, and still eludes the eager grasp of its pursuers. But why was not the public expectation gratified with a report? The history of the proceedings of the committee will furnish an answer to this inquiry. Before I proceed to look into it, I must do that committee the justice to say that an examination of the journal of their proceedings has He then refers to two communications made by him to satisfied me that the failure of any practical result was the Committees of Ways and Means and of Foreign Relaowing to no negligence of theirs. They honestly and tions, upon the subject, (which I am unable to find,) and faithfully performed their duty, as might have been ex- says, "It is deemed unnecessary to recapitulate the pected from such a committee, and especially from their grounds upon which the proposed augmentation is recomable and indefatigable chairman, [Mr. WICKLIFFE,] who|mended." Here, then, we have the "scheme" of the is now before me. But they could do nothing without the "cordial aid" of the Executive. To him they looked, and had a right to look, for the necessary information. But they looked in vain, as the result will show.

On the 6th of January, 1830, they addressed a letter to each of the heads of the departments, in which they requested reports as to whether any officers in their respective departments can be dispensed with; what expenses retrenched, and what improvements may be made in the organization of their various parts."

Now, sir, I beg your attention to the responses which were given to these inquiries.

On the 11th of January, the Secretary of the Treasury made a communication to the committee, in which he referred them for information touching the practicability of dispensing with officers, and the retrenchment of expenses in his department, to reports which he transmitted from the two Comptrollers, first four Auditors, and Register of the Treasury. The Third Auditor reports that there had occurred one vacancy by resignation in his office, which he had not found it necessary to fill; and the Register says that he has dispensed with one clerk, whose salary, however, he recommends to be divided among the remaining clerks. With these exceptions, they all say

that there can be no reduction of officers or salaries.

Secretary of State, an augmentation instead of a reduction in the expenditures of his department!

Thus, all the departments, when the question is directly put to them, not for the purpose of continuing to deceive the country with professions of retrenchment, but with a view to bring the Executive up to the point of reducing those professions to practice-all the departments say that no reduction can be made; while most of them ask for the means of augmenting their expenditures!

From these responses we might expect, what has indeed taken place, a constant effort on the part of the Executive to increase the number of officers in every department of the Government. Let me now show you, sir, the extent to which this effort has been made, and how far it has proved successful.

In the first place, Congress have been asked to make provision for an assistant Secretary of State, which has been refused. And although there is one more clerk in the Department of State than in March, 1829, we have been asked, at the present session, to make provision for five additional ones. In the Patent Office, a branch of the Department of State, though there is also one more clerk than in March, 1829, Congress have been asked to make additional provision for twenty; eighteen of whom, it is understood, are now actually employed.

I will remark, in this connexion, that the chairman of he Committee on Finance of the Senate, a leading friend of the administration, has, at the present session, upon he request of the heads of the departments, moved an appropriation of 10,000 dollars, to enable them to employ additional clerks in their several departments.

In the Post Office Department, Congress have been asked to provide for an additional Postmaster General, (not granted ;) while, to the thirty-eight clerks employed in that department, when it left the hands of Judge Mc Lean, in 1829, twenty permanent ones have since been added, at an annual additional expense of seventeen thousand four hundred dollars.

But the most extraordinary exhibition of the "lopping" system has been made in the Treasury Department. And here, before I proceed further, I beg permission to ask, what has become of the recommendation of the Retrenchment Committee, that the offices of Second Comptroller and one Auditor should be abolished? This was thought, at the time, to be a very important part of the "scheme of retrenchment." Why has the President overlooked it? But, sir, if he has forgotten it, it has not been overlooked I by others. In pursuance of a resolution of the Senate of the 31st January last, a call has been made upon the proper department forinformation whetherthose two officers could be dispensed with. To that call a negative answer has been given!

But it is idle to inquire after reductions under this administration. We are rather called on to follow it in its efforts at augmentation.

At an early period of his administration, the President asked Congress to provide for the appointment of a Solicitor of the Treasury. A law was passed, and the officer has been appointed, with a salary of three thousand dollars, who performs duties which had previously been performed by other officers of the Government, and mostly by the Fifth Auditor.

Expenditures in the Executive Departments
in 1829,
1830,
1831,

(H. OF R.

$534,829 58 543,234 90

559,330 83

Here, Mr. Speaker, is reform, "too legible to be overlooked!"'

With the first message of the President, seemed, until recently, to terminate the professions of reform. The second was entirely silent on the subject. But it became important, in his last, to renew the professions. Accordingly. he says, "Our system of public accounts is extremely complicated, and it is believed may be much improved. Much of the present machinery, and a considerable portion of the expenditure of public money, may be dispensed with, while greater facilities can be afforded to the liquidation of the claims on the Government.”

This part of the message was referred to a committee, of which the humble individual who now addresses you happens to be a member. Animated by a sincere desire to carry the recommendation into effect, the committee instructed their chairman to call on the several departments for such information as might enable them to mature a plan to effect the object. The chairman accordingly addressed letters to the Second Comptroller and Second and Fourth Auditors upon the subject.

And now, sir, what has been the result of this effort to obtain from the Executive the information necessary to In 1830, ten additional clerks were asked for the Gene-enable Congress to carry his own recommendation into ral Land office-not granted. The last extravagant ad-effect? Sir, five months have elapsed, and not a single ministration reduced the number from twenty-four to response has been given to the call of the committee! eighteen. Upon this, I leave all who hear me to inake their own comments.

the "Executive patronage of the press." In allusion to the publication of the laws, and the occasional advertising and job-work for the Government, in all which the committee estimated that there were employed about one hundred printers, they say:

Let me now look at the custom-house branch of the Treasury Department. And to this I beg your particular Permit me, Mr. Speaker, to advert to another promiattention. In March, 1829, there were in the custom-nent item in the report of the Retrenchment Committeehouse department officers of every description, to the number of eleven hundred and sixty-seven. There are, at this time, in the same department, fifteen hundred and nine: increase in three years, three hundred and forty-two. Now let us see what these additional officers have to do. They are supposed to be employed in the collection of the revenue arising from the customs. Well; in 1828, the last year of the last administration, the receipts from the customs amounted to $23,205,523

The average annual receipts from the same source, in the years 1729, '30, and '31, have been

Difference,

66

Q

The

When your committee look at this amount of patronage, placed, without control or responsibility, in the hands of the Executive, or in those of the subordinate chiefs of his departments; and when they reflect on the moral mechanism upon which this patronage acts, with a power that seems irresistible, they would deem their duty 23,101,794 very inadequately discharged, if they did not propose some remedy for abuses already existing, and essentially $103,729 liable to be augmented. Thus, while there has been an average annual diminu- danger which assails the freedom of the press, through tion of the receipts from customs of 103,729 dollars, there the insinuation of this species of influence, is far more se. has been an increase of the officers emyloyed in the col- rious than any star-chamber code of pains and penalties. lection of those customs of three hundred and forty-two, This pecuniary censorship of the press must end in its ut(about thirty per cent. on the number employed when ter prostitution to an indiscriminate support of the acts of this administration came into power,) at an annual com- Government, however injurious to the rights and intepensation of more than 200,000 dollars!! Here, sir, is rests of the people.' the promised retrenchment-this is the reforming admimistration!

Permit me, now, Mr. Speaker, to call your attention for a moment to another branch of the inquiry connected with the Executive Departments-I mean the actual expenditures in those departments during the first three years of this administration, compared with those of the last three years of the last administration.

The gift of prophecy itself could not have enabled the committee to describe more accurately the control which is, at this moment, exercised over the press by this administration; for no administration of any Government have better understood the "moral mechanism" which may be moved by Executive patronage, and the irresistible power" which it is capable of exerting through the press; nor has any been more entirely unscrupulous in availing itself of that power. But to the report.

I turn now, Mr. Speaker, to another part of the re- Expenditures in 1826,

travagance. The committee, therefore, in the first place, Excess of present over last administration

sels, of their successors, gave but too sure a presage of 1830-Whole expenditure,

H. OF R.]

General Jackson's administration.

$13.169,908
12,981,180

1830,

1831,

1827, 1828,

Mr. Adams's administration.
$12,251,809
12,493,321

Wiscasset Collector.

[MAY 5, 1832.

sident upon the subject of this treaty, to which I have alluded. In giving an account of the foreign relations of the country, and the result of his efforts to place them $26,151,088 upon the most favorable basis, the President, after alleding to "the injury to the commerce of the United States, resulting from the exclusion of our vessels from the Black Sea," and "endeavors" which had been made to obtain a better state of things," said, "sensible of the importance of the object, I felt it my duty to leave no proper means unemployed to acquire for our flag the same privileges that are enjoyed by the principal Powers of Europe. This excess is rendered the more extraordinary, by the Commissioners were consequently appointed to open a fact that the policy of the present administration, with re-negotiation with the Sublime Porte. The negotiation was gard to internal improvements, indicated by the vetoes of persevered in, and resulted in a treaty, which will be the President, has resulted in a large diminution of ex- describe the great advantages which will result to the He then proceeds to penditure, on that account. United States from the provisions of the treaty thus concluded.

Excess of present over last administration,

General recapitulation.

24,745,130
1,405,958

Excess of the present over the last administration, during the last two years of each--

In the Executive Departments,

91,101 In the intercourse with foreign nations, 135,830 In the general expenditures, 1,405,958 What a fulfilment of the predictions and promises of reform and retrenchment, which were to take place under General Jackson's administration!

But the gentleman from Mississippi, [Mr. PLUMMER,] as if conscious (as he must be) that no real reform or retrenchment has been effected, seeks to excuse the President, by saying that "his efforts have been paralyzed by Congress." Paralyzed by Congress! Did not General Jackson commence hisadministration with an overwhelming majority in both Houses of Congress-composed of men who had aided his elevation to power? And yet the gentleman from Mississippi, who says he has been sent here by the people of that State to defend General Jackson, and who may be presumed to be not altogether ignorant of the grounds upon which he places his failure to fulfil the pledges of reform, says that his efforts have been paralyzed by Congress!" Yes, paralyzed by his own friends!!

forthwith laid before the Senate.'

The general impression created bythis message throughout the country, was, that the commissioners who negotiated the treaty were all originally appointed for that purpose by General Jackson; that they opened the nego tiation, and that the negotiation thus opened resulted in the treaty. The people of the United States did not even suspect that one of those commissioners (Mr. Offley) had been appointed by Mr. Adams. They did not suspect that that commissioner, in conjunction with Commodore Crane, had been instructed to negotiate the very treaty in question. They did not suspect that, under that instruction, a negotiation had been actually opened, and that the reason why it was not brought to a successful termination wasthe limited pecuniary means which the last administration had been able to place at their disposal. And they did not suspect that all this was known by General Jackson, within twenty days after he came into power. All this was carefully concealed from them in the message, and they were given to understand that General Jackson, sagaciously perceiving the great advantages of a free trade to the Black Sea, originated a mission for the purpose of opening a negotiation to obtain it.

Now, sir, I do not know who wrote this message. But What an inconvenient appendage to General Jackson's one thing I do know-it was an act of most flagrant inGovernment is a Congress! Let us, Mr. Speaker, dis-justice. Mr. Speaker, I cannot find language to express pense with it-Senate and all! Invest the President with an iron crown, and a hickory sceptre; give him the "Kitchen Cabinet" for advisers, and then we shall have a Government-a glorious Government !

The gentleman from Mississippi proceeds to say that the operations of the administration, whenever they have been "untrammelled," have been eminently successful. As a proof of this, he refers to the President's negotiations with foreign Powers, and points to their successful results in the treaties with Denmark, Portugal, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, France, and England.

my emotions on reading it. For the honor of my country, I would, if I could, blot it from her records. But, sir, the "spot'' is here, and “all great Neptune's ocean cannot wash it out.' And is General Jackson capable of this? I would fain not believe it. Rather would I believe that the wand of the "great magician" touched this paper, and made this blot.

Permit me now, Mr. Speaker, to advert for a few mo ments to the treaties negotiated by this administration, (alluded to by the gentleman from Mississippi,) and to institute a comparison between them and those negotiated by the last administration. I must be brief.

Before I proceed to examine these treaties, permit me, Mr. Speaker, to express my surprise that the gentleman 1. Treaty with Denmark.-Indemnity for spoliations, omitted any allusion to the treaty with Turkey. An allu- $650,000, concluded 28th March, 1830. Negotiated by sion to that treaty, in summingup the successfuldiplomacy Mr. Wheaton, under instructions from Mr. Clay. of this administration, would not, I am sure, have been 2. Informal arrangement with Portugal.-Indemnity for omitted three months ago. It is not until recently that four vessels and their cargoes, taken and condemned in the almost universal delusion in regard to it—a delusion | 1829, about $140,000. Negotiated by Mr. Brent, long a created by the President's message to Congress in Decem-resident chargé d'affaires of the United States in Portugal. ber, 1830, and since kept up by the partisan presses 3. Brazil.-Informal arrangement; indemnity; not apthroughout the country-has been dissipated. It is now prised of the exact amount, though not large. Negoeffectually dispelled by the frank admission of the honora- tiated by Mr. Tudor, under instructions from Mr. Clay. ble chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations, [Mr. 4. Colombia.-Informal arrangement, by which the vesARCHER,] recently made on this floor, that the treaty, for sels of the United States are placed on the same footing negotiating which this administration claimed the exclu- with regard to import duties in the ports of Colombia. as sive credit, was commenced, if not matured, by the last the vessels of Colombia, to extend only to December next. administration.' And this has been confirmed by the Also, an indemnity to a small amount, the negotiation of statement of the late President made here. which was closed, or nearly closed, under the last administration.

66

I cannot, Mr. Speaker, permit this occasion to pass, without particularly adverting to the message of the Pre

5. Mexica. Treaty of commerce, navigation, and limits.