Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-01-22
Nonsrsss OF the Y. States
.-.........
;9mcsraU ron 1ur ;. iSIELLicENcrR.l
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Summary Of Omitted Proceedings.
rHuRsnAy. JAN. ID.


wiines>es IN the sitting OF this day, IN ilie
case of Col. Anderson, the following llici-
dents arose:
Col. Jos. WATSON, one OF The Witness
cs, being called a second time by the
Speaker, WAS questioned and answered as
follows:
QasStioR-I thought understood YOU TO say
that You bad so"le claims OH the government
yonrse!!r
,5aSmer-No Sir, an AN agent for the settle
msht ot claims, ion which purpose 1 have opeu-
Cd =" agency IN this GUY, wherel receive
cla,nls III every part OF the country.
q. Has II been customary, do YOU know, in
amy cases whatever, tl,ai amy at The officers of
the government, iii settling ciaiaiS, have ie-
ceived from the claimants any comp
tor extra Servicesf
Al presume the question is expected 10 be
answered from personal know ieds. have no
personal know ledge OF amy such compensation
having hecn received.
..er Q-Hdve yea received any information OF
such Practices and. II You have, from whom :
Al have heard such things animated.
0-i;v whom and rs Ca whom?
Al have heard il iBtimated that Clerks in
some OF the public offices were IN the habit of
transferring business as agents, ana OF leGe.v.
ing commission Tor 50 DOING.
Q-Specify, II you can, who gave YOU the in
formation, and what Clerks were named
A-intoimatIou OF that Suit was received by
ne III a letter irom Il person ut the name of
Samuel How, who resides near PreSquiSle, no
Clerk five dollars tor obtaining Il Land Var
rant for him.
G--Do yoa recollect the maine OF tie Clerk
A-Not accurately enuugG To repeat: bur
the letter 10 at tie disposal OF the House. ifit
chuSes 10 call for H. have an impression as
10 the hane, but not so clear and distinct as
10 give IL "a I.iencc.
Ey tae SDedheF--i;iing the letter with YOU to
the doaSe Tomorrow.
The witness then retired, but was again
called and inierrOgated.
The SpeILfrls that single instance YOU
have referred 10, the only oGe You have heard
of
UitnesS--I would stale 10 this house that
attn very willing TO aEUId II all the information
Ia nay power 10 afor,i, which il may require
1tit cannot but stale, that feel "a delIcacy in
nicnt,Oning The names OF persons who have
been repOltea 10 act as agents. Being myself
'an agent, might be suspected of improper
motives Tor making ssch disclosure. BuI,
being under oath, If The House insists, must
obey.
The !Speaher--The House insists on your re-
ply 10 The question.
,fHmSS-l eed then 10 perform what
isnew my duly. Understanding now, tl,,,
an held under an obligation 10 state every
t.inss, even "a 10 me geneim nt,nIaiiOns tliat
have heard, proceed. understand, that, in
the Land Bounty Office, there ate
Illus far had the witness proceeded,
when he was interrupted.
Mr.. COBB rose, and Questioned the pro-
KIND now commencing IN this manner
HE House, he admitted, had right TO
the information ii was now proposed 10
obtain bat II ought 10 be sought IN "A
proper manner. He put i, 10 Tie House,
whether by this Kind of loose information,
the reputation OF probably good men
ought 10 be exposed 10 public Obloquy on
mere rumor and lntinatiOD He was will
ling at all times, 10 give his vote for ex-
posing improper conduct, BAT he wished
ii done by evidence, which this iIearsay
was not.
Mr.. Hol.a.cS, OF Mass. said if what the
witness had 10 state was from letters, he
should desire 10 hear il but If from lu-
NOR merely, he should question exceed
ingly whether The house ought 10 impeach
the reputation of amy individual III the
government by this sort OF loose Inquiry.
He suggested ikat the Speaker should di- |
rect The enquiry as 10 the source of the
information about TO be stalled by lie |
witness, before the name of any clerk was
mentioned.
MIR. .strothey regretted, he said, that he |
deemed Il necessary 10 make some re-
marks. Through the progress Of tins bu- |
sileSS, he said he had remained silent,
being willing To be instructed by tie Wis |
dom OF others more eXperlenccdin public
business than himself. But he consider
ed the course now proposed as certainly
incorrect, Involving The character o! indi-
viduais when they had no opportunity of
defending themselves, iii such manner
as, without Just cause, might blast their
reputation forever. Ii was certainly cor
rect principle which would ever
guide his course, TO investigate the con-
duet OF public servants, and TO probe cor
TuptIon TO It's source. This was an i'm
portant duty particularly cOnfIded TO this
house But, he said, in performing that
duty, II became the house 10 pursue tie
course wilichreason prescrbeS, and usage
sanctions, by a special enquiry into that
subject liz eneuIriug into the guilt or
innocence of john Anderson, are we 10 in
volve, by loose implication, the character
OF the officers Of our government Shall
we, by st.clI course, overwhclm, as with
blightlng mildew, tie characters ofmen,
III some instances grey with length of
years, in others OF youths rising lutO life
around the parental board ih's IS a
course, said he, derogatory 10 the House,
and Injurious to the individuals, who,
though innocent, may be accounted oilI-
erwise by ruBOr If suspicion rested OH
the mind Of any member Uf maiVcrsation
in office, LET ii committee be raised, as
usual, 10 emqnlre inlU it. 1t became a
republican government, based in virtue
and integrity, TO investigate imputed
fraud, ON the first suggestion Of it and,
ii IT exists, To drive IL from among US.
MIR. 5. llailered himself that the House
would not at present proceed further IN
this business.
The Speaker said, he had to suggest TO
the House, that, really, he had himseifno
information on this subject previous 10