to transact with them. From all I see and hear, I doubt whether the frequent changes in our highest officers operate beneficially on the public interest. However, if the chief clerks are not changed, perhaps, the head of the department being often changed does no great harm, because the chief clerk is in reality the head of department. M’Clintock Young has been in reality the secretary of the treasury for four years past. Without him every thing would have gone to ruin, long ago, in the department over which he presides. Former presidents, from Jefferson downward, used to visit the rooms of clerks and inspect the offices very often, but his Excellency John Tyler is not so hard on clerks and heads of bureaus. He never visits them--at least I have not seen him on any such tours of duty. General Jackson has often gone with me to the rooms of secretaries and clerks, to inspect their books and to ascertain how they kept their accounts. Having doubled and trebled the force in the offices, renders such tours of inspection unnecessary, in order to do all the business of the several departments faithfully, correctly and well. Two families hold four clerkships each; so I hear from an authentic source. Should any citizen of the United States wish to know exactly what is done with every cent of Uncle Sam’s money, let him call on Thomas L. Smith, the register of the treasury, and he can there see it at a glance. Maj. Smith holds the purse strings. If any one wishes to see models of all the light-houses in the world, let him call on Mr. Pleasanton in the state department and there he will find them, and a perfect gentleman to explain every thing that relates to these light-houses. If any one wishes to see all the books, for which American authors claim a copy-right, let him call on the Messrs. Winder and Carroll in the state department, and he will find the books, and the gentlemen in whom Judge Upshur most confided, as his confidential clerks. Mr. Calhoun will extend to them the same confidence as Judge Upshur did. The former is the son of General Winder and the latter is the descendant of Daniel Carrol of Duddington, a signer of the declaration of independence.