The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-03-17

tcrrsn 70 80, nl,Ntnei contracts, sAe1sIS the rsiTl-
bcr % ait;lecrs u,rt had, from time totlne, been
employed, and 10 the arrNory books sheu:ag ;it
the various work which had bee sioncI ~ thr ma
pufNStory from its commcicem>nt. iiis course
would have at once opened TO them all hr ag-
fheatic sources Of igfo,snG1iog, N.ud!d have given
them full time to eSamins item, and ,hus TO have
placed their report on such II basis us would have
entitled it to the respect OF the country But il
seeing that the governor and inctubers of The pr,-
W council of the commonwealth of Virginia.
were not worthy OF the respect and Confidence
of the committee. They looked out, therefore,
for j more respectable class Of Witnesses, ynh
one more worthy OF their confidence aid they
were attracted and Fixed. by the DESCRIBED Wssk.
men a set Of wretches, VINO had been t,,rse,l
cut of the arniory as unworthy of employment
witl,init either because oftheir total ,gnt.aace
OF every branch of TIE business, m on account OF
tisolderly cOlpiuct, drunkenness or wprs. vices.
I-esit be borne in mind, that we are invcstiratJ =
taeconduct Of Il committee, WHOSE. wistoUa, can
dor and dignity IN the examination ottlIe subject
TO them, are suppOseuto have super
seeded tie necessity of any examination on the
part Q. the House. Its wrong, however, To IN
volve the whole IN eYualce.sure; there
were members of ii, who knew what wTs due
to themselves, the house OF dclegates, TO which
they belonged, the country and The constitution
and who were shocked and disguste. at the pre-
ceture which has bee,I. just mentioned.
Butbeiore the committee begIn the cxamihati-
on of eny evidence whatever, there were two
measures taken BY them worthy OF particular
note, because they mark, in the strongest manner,
the spirit III which these enquiries commenced,
anti the teuiper ana predispDsitioD of those who
led the measures OF the conmittec. The first
relates to the mode oFsulnuaening the Witnesses.
THIS duty belonged Go the chairman and he a.
doptCd the rule IS he declared. of summoning a.
ny witness CT witnesses, who might be stated by
Gny.citiSeR, as capable OF throwing light upon the
subject. Urder this rule, Henry BANKS the co
editor OF the VirTiHiau, formerly mentioned, (for
whose particular purpose, the rule sceIas 10 have
been tramed) gave IN The names of So or 50 wit
masses, (including the discarded worluntn,) al
most all Of whom were accordingly Summoned.
Not satisfied with giving this mar the power of
naming and thereby foisting upon the committee
whoniseever he pleased as Witnesses, ne was e.
rected into Il sort of vice-gerent to the chairman
himself; Cor | find that ia one instance the stim-
mons fds several witnesses, is in his band writing,
the name OF the chairman, even, being signed By
hist. These witnesses were summoned before
the committee had marked out 4 course for them
selves and were to be paid, by the common
wealth, for their daily attendance. The economy
OF thts arrangement IS obvious. They have since
been paid, ut ore dollar per day, each man, while
T~isiiSsfS wiio .tt-ira Oh courts, 40 mater IRON
what diitancc, receive only fifty cents per day
Tor tueir atteidal ce. Thus was the treasury of
the commonwealth OF VirgInia placed at the mer-
cy and discretion Of this desperate adventurer FOR
eight weeks. without restraint, check or control
the RUE anoptedb BY the chairman, and The pow.
or OF sGlnra2ning gIveu TO Henry Banks, being
entirely without limits. Hercafter YOU will hear
farther Gu this point. For the accuracy of the a.
bcfe statement, /! appeal to the original iocu-
nentS IN the Office o. the clerk ofthcfouse of de-
tesates; for tie accuracy of that, which / will
hereafter furnish on the same subject, I shaili %p-
Peal 10 the books Of the auditor OF pubic ac-
counts.
The other measure which 1 proposed to notice
was the cause of enquiry adopted by the cUmnit.
tee. THIS was dictated by the same Henry
banks, snd was brought before The committee, in
the touo wing ihge7!tous manner. NJ. Otey, !
member from tie county Of Bedford, presented
1othe a paper which, he said, had
oeen HANDED to him the evening before, by = cit
zen " he did mol know what 1t contained, bit
beng intended for tie committee, he thought it
ms dnfY 20 present it" 1t was presented and
was found to contain upwards OF forty different
heat:c On articles o. Impeachment agAiust the ar
INQUIRY and tie siiairs; the statement being with
OUT name, but IN the hand writing of Henry
banks. tits 10 he here Ieraarked, hat MIR. Otey
("i'o haa Kept this paper in his pocket for twelve
h"trS without examining it and handed it in, at
iast' without knowing is contents and cOnsc-
Qieiiuy without knowing whether It might not
De a incl On The committee itserf) had been IN
act;9e member Of that committee which made
tie 'tustJe report Of 1907, and on which the
hpuse, as before reul7-ied, declined to act often.
s'VeIy eTainst the institution. The paper, how
ever, Which DC Now handed in, was rejected. as
beng without any s:saaturc or osicnsiblc f.
ther, ard 80 the cUnTnIttee wer. again at sea
"iu'out chart on cOInpass'to guide their i%nvesti.
Sauon. hut what was 10 be done Tho wines
ses In support those chsrgcs had been, several
ofst'eln, summoned and were row attending, at
the eAPencc q TIC unaonw wealth. The diff.
Guilty was easily ObViatel. The committee adj.
Jo"fDeu ard the next morning the chairman re-
ported, d. the charges winch had been reject
so the day before, as anonyn1us, had now re
ctived the signature OF their author and were a.
gam submitted to the committee. They were
signedw with the name of Henry Banks, and were
adopted, with a fe y, trivial exceptions, as proper
SUBJECTS tor the examination Of the committee.
1rsgret extremely dist the limits which I have
prescribed 20 myself will not permit me 10 insert
might see how obviously tie resolution of Daniel
mere a copy oitiiese charges in order that you
oheiiey proceeded trom a previous view Of these
very Charges. There were now about Gfty witncs
SEES VINO mad teen suTnntoncdtr Henry Bniks or at
ms inst'nce and upwards Of forty different
heads OF accusation. The course agreed ttDon
ny the WAS to examine each witIcss
10 these charges, head ty head, and receive and
note his s'swfr to each charge. Thus the TO-
Plcs OF investigation were prescribed b. Henry
BANKS the course in wl;rh they should sue
ceed eaGh other was prcsclb, q Ivy him ard the
witnesses, alto, were his. Aud thus did this
committee, instead { pursuing that elevated and
oIBnihed course which became them, consent
- oec0Ft mere i~Us.rnmcts and tools in tho