Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-05-04

mittee, and was now before the house.
In relation to the dismissal of clerks.
this was the principle the house wuulc
adopt tn is TO say-the house woula
enquire whether any imposition had been
practised to make them conceal or sup
press the truth. If brihe, or any~reward
should be tiered toa clerk, or any other
witness, to conceal the truth, or suggest
talSehoad, Such act being proven, would
DC sufficient 10 corSign such offiCtr TO in
iany and - Gisnissai; or the fact that
a Clerk was threatened with dismissal. if
ne told the truth such charge from
respectable authority. would demand ex.
animation. He should vote for stand
ing committee in the recess, or tlurin.
the session, either, TO make enquiries
but no such fact n d been proven, AID no
such suggestion hid been made.
Ii had been stated that the clerks told
the committee Tint thew understood they
were to be dismissed, and when dismissed,
mat 1t had ben ON account of giving VI
dence but it could not be on account of
any tact to which they made oath be-
Cause, with all their testimony, they hal
proved nothing that they stated they could
prove. So says the report ard now we
ask II the committee suppressed any fact?
II not, then no charge has been proven.
Mr. Johnson said, that while he would at
every hazt maintain his indepc ndence
as representative, he would as obstin
ately oppose any interference with xecu-
I'VE duties. Indeed, said Mir. Johnson,
the dismissal of the clerks was the very
course 70 m Ike them prove every thing
mat Gould be proven and we see, from
the Statements of members of the COM
Inittec, that it had the effect Of request
NJ. IA 1f,e 1
hsard again ; th1y were heard again as TO
the investigation therefore, the dismiss
couil not have been with the view to pre-
vent them from giving all the infor nation
IN thelr power; & with all that additional
NEGATIVE, not one charge had been
proven, unless committee of seven mem
or's have been wanting in their duty.
Nor mad ne heard suggestion from any
OF the committee, that any OF the charges
had been proven. There was one subject
upon which he also wished to express
ms views-ss to the deposits of the post
''hce, an the regulation Of its fiscal con
Germs but that was not now in order, and
he should say no more.
Mr.. Pickering said the gentleman from
New York, (Mr. Grosvenor) considered
the removal Of those clerks of the Gene
raj Posi- Office who he'd appeared as &C
cusers IN relation to the conduct of that
department while that conduct was under
investigation by the orders OF tins House,
as contempt OF the House. On the
fact assumed by the gentleman, his OBJ
servaton must he admitted to be Correct.
But before their removal those clerks ba,
been themselves examined. and the com
mlttee had tor long time aud very patient
iy hstehei to their statements, and sum
moned before them very person within
their reach, whom the clerks, or any of
them represented rs abe t. give any tcsti-
mony IN support of their suggestions. To-
wards the close of the nvest!g ton. those
clerks dis overed no alb ltvment of zeal, in
nun''ng TOR persons who had EXCHANGED
any bank notes with the persons accused.
But most or u of these cases occurred
pr.cr to the difference in value of the notes
Of iiif-rent banks; * for vrry small, sums.
as 70 to SO. and once for a hundred dol
,'rs' hess exchanges appear to have
peS" mao to accommodate persons in this
disirNt, by giving them district notes
or those current in the district, in ex
change Tor notes of distant Banks But
ana not appear that toess exchanges
were ever made VITA public money.
But whatever may be the Just canstruc-
ton OF the conduct cf the Post-OfIice De-
par.ment, said Mr.. p. in dismissing the ac-
cuslng olerks-thev, or some of them.
must certainly be deemed to have acted in
contempt OF TINS Hnuse; for while the in
VeStigitlon was going on, and he believed
almost from It's commencement, partial and
: II lOmatOry statements were furnished tn
the editors OF one or more OF our DaDers.
which were published by others, cal
culated to make improper AID unfounded
impressions on the minds of ali who read
them. And those statements, from their
nature, must &c presumed to have been
made by those clerks or some ofthem.
Mr.. Grosvenor, in reply to MIR Johnson
sald, II the rule was once established. that
they could not enquire into such transac-
tons. every officer of the government would
set them at defiance, and might do jnius-
tee with lmpuAlty. He Acknowledged he
knew OF no fact or evidence of imoroD
conduct IN this affair but the rrntleman
himself had by his arguments proved The
necessity OF resisting conduct such as had
been mentioned respecting the clerks
DID not the House see it was holding a
threat over the heads of 4the remaining
Clerks to prevent them from giving testi
mony II It was fact, it would REQUIRE
the Interference of the house. Admit. said
Mr.. q. that you have no right to inter.
fere with the discretion of the heads of de-
partmentS, unless they touch orr privileges
still this is a c Sc requiring the interfer
ence of Congress.
Mr.. Creighton said, notwithstanding the
absence OF the chairman aud two OF the
members of the select committee, az a
member OF thot committee, he should be
aNrs.Ff o Il