Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-04-13
From the Franklin Gazette.
MIR. CRAWFORD AND MIR. THOMAS.
EXTRACT TO THE EDITOR, DATED


EAlkACI ~ IHE ED1IOHs DAIED
Washington, March 4, 1922.
"By way Of reply to your inquiries re-
speeding the appointment Of Senator OF
Illinois to inspect certain land Offices in
the western states, enclose you the do
cuments transmitted to the House Of Re-
personalities by Mr.. CRAwroRD in an
swer TO Mr.. Cooks resolutions, and also
the National Intelligcncer of the 26rh
<ultimo, containing letter purporting to
have been written by gentleman here
to his friend in South Carolina, from
which you will see the whole of the facts
and the defence of the Secretary.
The history of the proceedings be-
tween the House of Representatives and
Mr.. Crawford is as follows: On the
fourth day of January, the House of Re-
representatives. adopted a resolution calling
upon the Secretary of the Treasury for
Information as TO the manner in which
the land Offices were examined prior to
the first of January, 1918, and suisse
qucntly, and also for list of the names
OF the several examiners, and the COM
pensation received by each. The dis
cussion of this resolution, published IN
the papers at the time, indicated very
distinctly that one material object OF the
inquiry was to ascertain whether Sena-
tor OF the United States, from Illinois,
had been employed as an examiner, and
what sum had been paid to him for tina,
service.
You will perceive that the Secretary
ofthe Treasury represents in his tabular
statement, that Jesse B. Thomas, a Sc
nator of the United States, was the ex-
aminer for the several land Offices in
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri for
1921; and in his report, he remarks,
that "the gentleman who examined the
land Offices in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and
Missouri, whilst engaged in that duty,
effected very important service 10 the
Treasury by obtaining collateral securi
ty for very large amount of public mo-
ncy on deposite in the Bank of Vim
cennes at the time that bank stopped pay
mcnt. The expectation that he would
be able to effect this service formed "a
strong inducemeni to accept his offer 10
examine the land Offices. For perform
ing this service, he has made no charge,
and will receive no condensation. No
additional CONDENSATION has been receiu-
cd in any case 7ohateuer."
When this document was received by
the House, it made an impression on the
minds of some of the most intelligent
members, that Mr.. Thomas had recciv-
ed no compensation for his services
Even Mr.. Lowndes is said 10 have ex-
pressed this opinion; and so confident
was Mr. Nelson Of Maryland, that he
offered to bet 1000 dollars on the fact
that Mr. Thomas had received no COM
pensation for any part Of the service
The unsatisfactory character of the Sc
cretary's report induced Mr.. Cook of IL
linois, to offer, on the following day, an
other resolution calling for further inlor-
NATION on the subject OF the examination
of the land Offices in Ohio, Illinois, and
elsewhere, and the compensation actual
~ paid for that service. Here it should
be remarked that the examiner, senator
Thomas, was during all this time at the
seat of government, occupying his seat
IN the OcNdlc Uut ~ Wdo llOt uiitii oit0i
the adoption of the second resolution, so
precise in its terms as to admit OF no
evasion, that he appears to have made
any communication to the Secretary, nor
does he appear to have been called upon
for that purpose. The House Of Re-
representatives. was left wholly in the dark
As to the material facts in an importan,
inquiry, until the receivers ofpublic mo-
ney at the land offices in Ohio, Indiana.
Illinois and Missouri, laboring under a
"great press of business, which the law
granting relief to the purchasers of pub.
lie lands has brought upon them," could
make their returns, and settle their &C.
counts; while it was in the power ofthe
Secretary at any moment, as is now evil
dent, to procure all the information want
ed from Mr.. Thomas himself. 1t shoule
be further observed here, that the expla
nation now given ofMr. Crawford's frs
report as to the compensation of the ex'
a,niners of Ohio, is that he only meant te
say that Mr.. Thomas received no com
pensation for the service he rendered il
relation to the Vincennes bank, and no
that he received no compensation for ex
aiming the land Offices. 1t must be ad
initted, however, that the paragraph il
the Secretery's report is about as am
bigious as your governor Hiester's mes