The Civil Service and the Patronage/Appendix B

by Carl Russell Fish

APPENDIX B.

NUMBERS OF HOLD-OVER OFFICIALS (1801-1897).

It is obvious that very little indication of the actual tenure of office can be given by tables of the number of removals only; for frequent removals from a few offices make the same totals as removals distributed over the whole service at rarer intervals. These tables illustrate the fact that rotation was never complete, and that there was in the service a constant residuum of trained men.

The total number of employees in a given office, at a specified date, has been taken. This total is indicated in heavy type and the date is at the head of the column. The history of each of these corps is given in a separate line, the number of officers remaining at the several dates being given in the column at the head of which the date appears.

I. Subordinates of the First Auditor of the Treasury.

This table and table II. indicate the movement of officials in the departments at Washington.

1817	1828	1830	1839	1841	1849	1861	1867	1879	1889	1893	1897
15	9	9	5	4
		13	8	5	1
						30	12	4	4	3	1

II. Subordinates of Secretary of War.

1817	1828	1830	1839	1841	1849	1859	1861	1867	1879	1889	1897
20	6[1]	5	4[2]	4	1
		17	7		4	2	1[3]
						11	5	2	1
									65	25	6[4]

III. District Attorneys.

This table and tables IV., V., and VI. illustrate the tenure of officers of the presidential class.

1801	1817	1828	1830	1839	1841	1849	1857	1861	1867	1871	1881	1887
22	4	2	1
	26	4	2
			37	7[5]	2
					41	6
								39	8	1
											66	2

IV. District Marshals.

1801	1817	1828	1830	1839	1841	1849	1857	1861	1867	1871	1881	1887	1893
23	2
	23	9	7	1
			36	8
					42	3	2
								57	8	0
											68	4	1

V. Collectors of Customs in New York State.

This table and table VI. afford a comparison of the relative permanency of office in North and South.

1817	1828	1830	1839	1841	1859	1861	1867	1879	1887
10	1[6]	2
		10	4	0
					11	0
						11	2
								14	0

VI. Collectors of Customs in Virginia.

1817	1828	1830	1839	1841	1849	1859	1861
12	2[6]	2	2	1
	8	8	2	1
				10	1
						9	1[7]

VII. Consular Service.

1801	1817[8]	1826	1830	1839	1841	1845	1853	1857	1859	1861	1867	1879	1881	1887	1889	1893	1897
58	9	4	3	2	1[9]
	56	22	18	10	9	6	5	4	1	1	1[10]
			131	48	35	24	15[11]			4	2
									224	69[12]	[Not followed out]
										248	43	13			4	3	2
													272	61		26	14

VIII. Custom-houses at Boston and Charleston.
(presidential and all other officials.)

	1823	1829	1839	1841	1849	1859	1861
Boston	94	26[13]	4	3	1[14]
Charleston	40	13[15]	8[16]	5	5	2
Boston		98	15	11	3
Charleston		16	9	6	5	2

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1. In addition, there are apparently three cases in which a son or some other relative succeeded to the position.
2. All of the four had been promoted, one being made commissioner of pensions, which office he retained until 1849.
3. Apparently this survivor was succeeded by his son.
4. Of the six five had been promoted, one degraded.
5. In addition, a son apparently succeeded his father.
6. In addition, a son apparently succeeded his father.
7. Only office filled (Alexandria).
8. From 1817-1841 no change of consul-general was made at London.
9. T. W. Fox at Falmouth, England, who was succeeded by his son, and whose family still (1903) hold the position.
10. Mr. Dabney, succeeded by his son; another son was at one time in the service.
11. One consul, serving in 1830 but not in 1845, was again in office.
12. In 1859 there were 49 consuls who had been appointed from the South, and 124 from the North; almost all those from the South had disappeared in 1861; all the 69 unchanged were small posts and consisted largely of whole sets of consuls not yet reached, as those of Spain, Brazil, Peru, and Argentine Republic.
13. There are in addition seven cases in which relatives of an officer seem to have obtained positions.
14. Not one of the three in office in 1841, but one of the four in office in 1841 who had been dropped and was now replaced.
15. Total number of officers reduced to 16.
16. There is in addition one case of apparent family succession.