Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-03-05
CONGRESSIOEAI..
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
February 9,

HeS0tOe0, mat The secretary OF the
Treasury be directed to report to this
House the several sums ofpublic money
which has been drawn for or received by
the "gen,lemen who examined the Land
Offices in the states of Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois and Missouri, in the year 1921"
by virtue of letters of credit to receivers
OF public moneys, or otherwise, and what
sum now remains in the hands of that
gentleman to be accounted for, as far as
the Secretaty can ascertain the same !;
specifying the times when, and persons
from whom, such several sums may
have been received; and also that he
state who was appointed 10 examine the
land Offices in Michigan territory in the
year 1921; whether that duty was per-
formed, and, if not, why it was omit
ted.
February 4.
The House then on motion of Mr..
Cook, proceeded to the consideration of
the resolutions submitted by him On Sa-
.turday, calling for further Information on
the subject of the examination of The
Western Land Offices, &c. yt
Mr.. Cook briefly stated the grounds
on which he had introduced the resolu-
tons, which he should not have present
ed, had the report from the Treasury
Department contained all the Informal
ton on this subject which lie had expect
ed from it. There was, he said, at least
one land office in the territory of Michi-
gan, and no account had been given
whether it had been examined, or whe-
Their any person had been directed to ex-
anime it. This was the information
which he desired by the first resolution,
and which he presumed every gentleman
would be DESTROYS to have, to complete
the Information before the House. Up
on the branches embraced by the other
Resolutions, Mr.. G. said, the House had
not the information which 1t had bcenhis
object to obtain. From the report which
had been made it appeared there was a
gentleman now in this city, and who had
been in this CITY since the commence
ment Of the session of Congress, VINO was
employed to examine the land offices,
whose account had not been adjusted
IF the Secretary of the Treasury had
thought proper, Mr.. C. said, it would
have been very easy to have had that ac
count adjusted, and if he had thought
proper, no doubt he would have done it.
Mr.. G. yet wished for that information
and, he said, when that information came
before the House, he believed he should
not be considered, as some in and out of
doors had affected to regard him, as pur-
suing personal course. When, said
he, see half the nation agitated by the
appointment of Postmaster from this
floor; when see public meetings ofre-
spectacle persons reprobaiing it; when
Isee the leading newspapers of the coun-
try unite in condemnation of it, cannot
see any thing personal TO the Secretary
ofthe Treasury, or in itself improper, in
inquiring into the appointment of a
member Of Congress, whilst he was a
public officer, to examine into the Land
Offices. Let it be inquired into, said he,
and let it be determined whether it con-
sists with propriety that this course
should be pursued, SC.
MIR. IowNDEs objected to the phrase
ology Of one Of the resolutions, as as
Stunning for fact that of which, it appear
ed to him, the house had no official
knowledge. On this point some con-
versation took place between Mr.. L..
and the mover, when, with the consent
of the mover,
The resolutions were ordered to lie on
the table.
Mr.. HARDIN, to bring the whole mat
ter to the test Of inquiry, expressing his
entire confidence in the correctness Of
the whole proceeding adverted to, moved
to refer the report received from the
Treasury Department on this subject to
the Committee on the Public Lands
lie wished to give it this direction, be-
cause the gentleman from Illinois, (Mr.
Cook, belonged to the committee, and
he no doubt, if any body, could bell the
cat. Mr.. H. supported this motion at
some length.
Mr.. Cook replied, and opposed the
motion. When all the documents we're
before the house, which were necessary
to fair inquiry, he pledged himself to
move reference to them and no one
would be more gratiiied than he to be
able to acquit the parties concerned Of
all blame, If no cause for it appeared to
exist, &c. On motion Of Mr.. Cook, the
report was again ordered tolie on the
liable,