Likewise the new President found, as soon as he began the work of administration, that the Tenure-of-Office Act was an unendurable hindrance to the efficient discharge of his duties. None of Mr. Johnson's Secretaries, it is true, gave him any trouble by attempting to hold on to office for the one month allowed them after the expiration of Mr. Johnson's term. The men nominated by President Grant for his Cabinet of chiefs and advisers were immediately confirmed, and, with one exception, inducted into office. These men were E. B. Washburne, of Illinois, as Secretary of State; A. T. Stewart, of New York, as Secretary of the Treasury; A. E. Borie, of Pennsylvania, as Secretary of the Navy; J. D. Cox, of Ohio, as Secretary of the Interior; E. R. Hoar, of Massachusetts, as Attorney-General; and J. A. J. Creswell, of Maryland, as Postmaster-General. No immediate nomination was made for the Secretaryship of War, and General Schofield remained for a few days at the head of the Department. The President soon found that Mr. Stewart, being a large importer of foreign goods, was disqualified by statute from holding the office of Secretary of the Treasury. He first suggested to the Senate the removal of the disability by a joint resolution of Congress, and, on objection being made to the introduction of a {232} bill repealing the disqualifying statute, he withdrew the suggestion. Mr. Stewart then relieved the situation by sending in his declination, and the President nominated Mr. G. S. Boutwell of Massachusetts for the office, which nomination was immediately confirmed, and Mr. Boutwell took immediate charge of the Department. Mr. Washburne, the Secretary of State, resigned the office within a few days, and Mr. Hamilton Fish, of New York, was nominated and appointed to succeed him. General Schofield next resigned the War Office, and was succeeded by General John A. Rawlins of Illinois. Finally, Mr. Borie resigned in June the Secretaryship of the Navy, and was succeeded by Mr. G. M. Robeson of New Jersey. The Senate put nothing in the way of these changes. But President Grant made up his mind in a very few days after his inauguration not to have his hands tied in regard to any of the officers for whose acts he was responsible. He gave the Republican leaders in Congress to understand that he would allow the existing incumbents of the offices to remain in office, unless they should commit some such offence as would call for their suspension, so long as the Tenure-of-Office Act should remain on the statute book. The Republicans were hungry for a new distribution of the spoils. They called it a righteous desire for the "cleaning of the Augean stables." Whatever it was, they were thrown into a great state of trepidation by this covert threat of the President not to clear the way for their friends. [Sidenote: Congress and the Tenure-of-Office Act after Grant's accession to the presidency.]