Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1816-05-15

r to mi the d smissed clerks. He did mol
; know mem; he wished their condition could
: have been o'herw SO he had no fe-iing of host.
y 10 hem. But it had been said that hese
clerks had been dsm ssed while the Investigate
on was progress ng, and because they had made
the accusations Mr.. Johnson said the fact
was otherwise, az TO the tendency ofthe inves-
| lgstion IL was fact that the Investigation.
W 8 closed previously TO their dissm Ssal f
| t. her d.smss he understood The clerks were.
| indignant, and requested to be brought before
thec 'mnittee agan they were brought for
ward, and also had access to the Post Office
books, and the use of other witnesses, and he
unders God that the additional test mony had
| been taken and reported by the committee, and
was nov before the house.
In relation 10 the dismissal of clerks this was
| tie principle he House would adopt that is to
say-tbe House would enquire whether any ims
| position had been practsei TO make hem con.
cea! or suppress the ruth II a bride, or any
| reward should be offered to clerk, or any O..
ther witness, to couce Al the ruth, or Suggest
! faisehood, such act beng proven would be sifs
ncient to consgn such officer 10 ntany and To
dismissal or The fact that a al rk WIS threaten
ed With DISMISSAL, fine told ,he truth such a
Charge, from respectable authority, wouli de.
Inad eXa nination He should vote for stand
ing committee m the recess, or during the sess-
on, ellber, 10 make enquiries but no such fact
had been proven, and no such suggestion had
beenmade
l, had been stated that the clerks told the com
mmit'ee that they underrtOod III, = were 10 be
dismissed. and when dismissed, tina, it had been
on account ofgivng eyidenc /, out It conld not
be on account ofany fact 10 which they made
oath because with all their testim nv. thev
had proved nothing which they had sta ed they
Gould prove So 'ays he report; ana now we
ask 1T The committee suppressed any fact Ifnot.
tnen no charge has been proven W. Johnson
sad, hat while h. would At every hazard main.
tun ms independence a a representative, he
wcul as obstinately oppose any mic ference with
exec tive d0,es. Ind ed, said Mr.. Johnson, the
disnssa' OF the clerks was the very course 10
make them prove every thing that could be
proven and We see, fir m the S ateInents of
members If the commit ee, tina, it had the eff
feet ota request on The part of the disIn ssed
CLERKS, TO be heard again they wert lie I'd again
as TO the investigations; therefor, the DISMISSAL
could NOT nave been with avIew to prev ent them
from giving all the information in their pawsr=
and with all that additional ncen We, not one
charge had been proven, unless Committee #
seven members have been wanting in her duty
Nor had he heard suggestion from any OF the
commit &c, thai any of the charges had been pro-
ven. There was onesubject upon which he als,
wished T. express hisvews--as to the den sits
of the Pos office, and the regulation IF Is Fl cal
Concerns. But that was now IN order and he
! should say no tnore.
/ Mr. Pickering said the gentleman from New
York, (Mr Grusye orr cons dered the rem wal f
/ those Gle ks of the G neral p, ST Office Who had
| appeared AS accusers in relation 20 the conduct
/ OF that department, lie that conduct was I'M.
der investigation by the orders of his House as
| contempt of he House On the fact assume by
| the gentleman, his observation must be admitted
| to be correct. Bur before Their removal those
| clerks had been them elves examined 81 the com.
mt'ee mad for long Tune and very patiently lis
| tened to their sta ements and summoned before
| them every person within their reach whom the
clerks or any of them represented as able o give
| any es lmony IN support of their suggestions -
| Towards the close of the investigation. those
clerks discovered no abatement Of zeal, n hunting
| tpr persons who had exchanged any bank uotes
| with the persons accused. Ru. most or all Of
| these cases occurred prior 10 the q Her nee IN
| value of he notes OF d4lfaren banks and for
| very small sums rs 90 to 81 "a one, for q hum
dred dollars These exchanges appear L. have
| oten made to accommodate persons ~ this dis.
trict, by giving them dstric notes, ur those curs
rent IN the district in exchange for notes # dis
| tsht banks But IT did no, appear that these ex.
! changes were ever made with publ money
But Whatever my be The iusj c n,tructiOu of
| the conduc; OF the Post Office departn.en. s., 4
! hr. + IN dsm s'ing the accusing c.crbs-tnev.
| or some ot them, must certainly be deemed 10
! nave acted n con empt # this House Tor ~ lie
| tlS inYestiga on wa gong on, and he eyed
almos1 from It's commencement, part, al aid "a.
| Mandatory statements were furnished the edi.
tors oil one or more newsp .pers, winch were re-
! published by others, ca,cula Ell to mike u,DF,
per and untounded impress ons on the mind, Of
all VINO read them. And those stgtems.us from
the r nature, must be presumed 10 nave been
made by those clerks, or some Of them.