The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-02-27

! NltCprS should
onGucs,i"aed. Therefore, ~ my opinion. il
IS The duty OF the Representatives of tue
! people to investigate charges made acains,
them, no matter in whA, manner or BY when.
have been induced To make these remarks
by qualification which is now, perceive
running the circuit of IT,. newsD2ncrs. ma
Eing the most seriols ana {if trur) the most
cnnt'S inning charges against the Secretary
ct the Treasury. For the intor nation of Ii
House will read an extract from a niece
tnnder the signature Of Cam:ilus) published
originally il the Virginia Argus -
AT time like the present. when the
Kingdoms @! Europe appear To have couspir-
ed To do us wrong, it was naturally to have
been expected tina, the boastcd talents of the
SECRETARY OF the Treasury would have pro.
duced system OF finance commensurate to
the occasion. The report which I've has
mad is probably the performance of one at
his clerks, and the pubic are yet 10 be asto
Inished. perhaps with something more praise
worthy from the fruitful invention OF the ho
norable Secretary. i am 10th to suspect his
capacity but it he does no, speedily pro.
cace some respectable evidence Of his abili-
", his talents or his integrity will une,out,-
ediy be questioned. 1t must be COME ssed,
that his official estimate, during the e...bar.
SO and now, give great scope for the i'm
peach;ren' ct his intellectual vigor, ana, the
| sudden growth Of his private fortune Is un-
favorable t" the suppositon that he is the
most dls,nterested OF minister's When the
Secretary OF the Treasury, from yearly sa
larry OF four or five thousand, amasses in the
short Compass of eight years the enormous
fortune of fSoo hundred thousand dollars,
we are authorised to enquire ho5y he has eff
iected 1t If this were a government of
England, and Mr.. Gallatin l. I'd Neville.
l lnDf Nh ~,,lk
the circumstance but it would be too has
ty determination to decide. without farther
| investigation, that Mr.. Gallatin had made
use OF the opportunities which his station af-
lords, to speculate in the funds for his ind-
Viduai benefit or, that he awaited himself of
the same opportunities, to become the pro
prietor OF lands which have been sacrificed
by the artful representations of the man who
purchased from the public. If the honora
BILE Secretary has recently transmitted the
| interest OF the Dutch loan to Holland in spc-
Gle, we may be assured he has his reasons
tor it and if will require al your ingenuity.
sir. to demonstrate that Albert Gallatn, who
mas drained the country of hard dollars to
pay them into the hands OF ore of the Bona
parties, would have been proper cnarac-
ter to I'LL the Office of the Secretary of State
to which he aspired am not fearful of
contradiction when affirm that he did this
act contrary to the inclinations of the Presi.
dent
This publication may be Considered as ma
KING three specific charges 1st. that this
| ofhcer has made use of the public funds.
whiie at his disposal, for the purpose Of pri-
Vate speculation; 2ndly. that by artful con-
| trlvances he has procured sales to be made
of the public lands for the purpose of DOS
sessing himself of them and 3dlv. that con
trary TO the manifest wishes of the President
| OF the United States, he has endeavored to
draln the country of specie, for the purpose
| OF placing 1t in the hands of one of the Bona.
parties. They are serious charges, whate.
yer may be the source of them and it is pro
per that they should be investigated, that, if
true, the ethcer implicated may be punish.
| ed; and, IT false, that his innocence may be
put beyond doubt. In proposing this inves-
tigation wish to be understood, that am
not inclined to believe these charges. can
neither believe nor disbelieve, for have no
ground for either. 1t is sufficient to induce
me to make an investigation, that the char
Ses are publicly made. If this would be nv
opinion in ordinary cases, I am more strong
| ly induced to demand the present investiga-
| ton, because hearing, as all do, the voice of
public rumour, ] have heard (and SO fire.
quently as to induce me to say that the re.
port rs current through the nation) that the
publication from which have read an ex.
tract, had its origin in the depart alent of
| state, and that it comes to the world with
the knowledge of the head of that depart
ment. i do not say such is the fact mere.
| ly state that such rumor is af1oat and will
! spread through the nation. And the source
to which the publication is ascribed will
tend toplace the reputation ofthis high off
Ger before the nation in such a light that, if
innocent, great injustice will be done to him.
l hope therefore an investigation will be
made to ascertain the truth. i enter into
| the enquiry with no prejudice against the
Secretary of the Treasury. If have any
particular impression, as would suppose e
very man innocent till found him guilty, l
am under the opinion that the charges are
not well founded. Yet, though this is nv
| impression, must confess that Cannot bear
TO have these charges circulating in this way
and not desire an investigation in some wav
which shall support their truth or prove
them baseless calumnies. With this view
have prepared several resolutions, which |
submit to the House:
Resolved, That committee be appoint.
| ed to enquire generally into the official con
duct of the present Secretary of the 1'reasu
| ry, and particularly whether the said Sc
cretary has at any time, and when, arl i'm
what manner, and to what amount speCuia-
ted in the public funds.
And whether the said Secretary has be-
come proprietor of any and what tracts Of
land sold by the United States, and if so, how
| the sales thereof have been conducted
And also, in what manner remittances
either ofprincipal or interest Of foreign debt
| have been made and whether in any