Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-05-07

lay upon the table the bill fixing the Miiitarv
Peace Establishment, on AZ assurance from
hun hat satisfactory explanation would be
| gwen to-day $50 fan at least as General Scott
was concernedl ofthe transactions alluded To
IN the debate ofyesterday. Mr.. S. was graft
heu IN saying that it was now in his power to
redeem the pledge which he and his colleague
MIR. Archery had given. The conduct of that
officer IN relation to this subject, had been not
| only .iustiiiable, but, in his opinion, praise
worthy. He had discharged the duty re-
| CURED o, him fo way not only to free him
self from censurc, but to entt!e him TO the
thanks Ut the country. The facts were these {.
Gen. Scott WIS in Philadelphia when the
book "f rides and regulations for the army,
printed by Gales j. Seaton, under the order
of the House, came from The press: Copies
OF 1t were sent to him at Philadelphia to be
corrected. He accordingly corrected two
copies aud had them carefully examined with
each other. One he returned the other he
forwarded to the Department Of War,
with Il request that it should be laid be-
| lure the Military Cummittec.-&t was ac-
cordngly given To the Clarman of that
Committee, (Nlr. Smyth, of Virginia,) who
states that it was received by him, and he
4 s'ks approved by Congress and filed with
the Clerk, and it was this corrected copy, he
supposes, on which The bill passed. This was
4
was Il subject of sufficient importance tn re-
yuire Investigation 10y committee of the
House ; it was due To the country and the in
dIvidual, and he therefore offered the follow
| ing resolution for adoption
" hesotred, That Committee he appointed in
quire and repor, To this House whether The stem of
held service and policy, adopted for the government
OF the army the last session of Congress has been
published in form and effect different from the sys-
fem adopted, and, II so, how ii has happened and
that they have power To send 10, persons and papers,
MIR. FLOYD commenced his remarks by no.
ticins the intimation which he understood his
colleague to have thrown out, that charges had
been yesterday made against General Scott.
MIR. 5. said he had spoken of the charges ge-
Morally, and not as charges against Geaeral
Scott. MIR. +. said, that he did say, yester-
day, that there was forgery committed un-
der that law, and the gentleman pledged him
self to vind.cate General Scott from blame
ON that score. I, (said Mr.. Floyd,) am not
IN the habit of giving pledges for any body
nave been too well acquainted with the
manner in which things are sometimes con-
Quoted in this country, to give pledges for
any body. Mr.. F. made 40 charges upon any
one, but he said there was forgery Ii it
could be explained away by those whom il
concerned, lie should he as much reioicpd as
any man To find the War Department. and
General Scott, and all concerned, acquitted
of blame. 1t was not in the mind the Clerk
of this House, that any document at all, such
as copy of III. Regulations, had been put
into his charge. What Mr.. Floyd said, and
now repeated, was that Il resolution of Con-
gress required the Secretary of War 10 have
system ofrules and regulations for the 60
vernment of the army compiled and laid be-
fore Congress that in obedience to that re-
solution, such system was reported that,
by the order of this House, the manuscript
thus laid before it was ordered TO be printed
! for the use of members that it was printed,
and laid on the table of every memhe", aud,
! that il was actCd into a law. Now, even
granting all the gentleman said that print. d
copy had been sent to General Scott, correct
| ed by him, and returned to the War Depart
ment, and that it had b. ten, by the Chairman
of the Military Committee, committed TO the
care of the Clerk-Mr. f. said, he spoke not
of General Scott, but fthe law, and circum-
stances attending it. No correction OF the do
cument, thus printed for the use Of the mem
beers, could have been by them enacted into a
ia~ The manuscript copy was here, and all
control of the War Department, or of any
body else overit, had ended, sc. Who made
these interpretations, Mr.. f. said he knew not
he cared not. How the fact TRANSFERRED
was n matter equally immaterial to him, and
t. the House. All that was material was the
|
i might he in bis power, in the course of this
day, to obtain possession of document which
would sbew the practical effect of that forgery.
He did dot know that he should certainly oh
! tain it. No injury, however, could arise from
! the delay to pass this bill as well as the reso-
! luton, upon the table !; aud he hoped they
would both be allowed to lie on the table.
| Mr.. ARCHER felt himself called upon by the
relation in which he was placed, by his relation
of friendship of long standing with the very
distinguished officer whose name had been
brought into view Of the House, to make an
explanation, rather more full in some particu-
lars, than given by his friend from Virginia.
| He was truly graifed to find the disposition
which his colleague, Mr.. Floyd,) brought to
the consideration of this subject. He knew him
ia be incapable Of doing injustice to General
Scott and thought that he could state this
matter in such way, that his colleague him
self would be the very first to stand upon this
floor and acquit that officer of any blame on
this subject. What, Mr.. A. went on to tx-
anime, was the matter which was thought to
require examination? A discrepancy be-
tween the printed copy of the Regulations,
and the copy which had been laid before the
House. General Scott was ordered to pre-
] pare system of Rules and Regulations fer the
government of the Army. He did so, as thus
became his duty. AT an early period of the
last session, copy of this system was laid be-
fore this House. After the work was printed
for the use of the members, several copies
were sent to General Scott, then at Philade-
pbia. On examination, General Scott dis
covered some errors which required corrcc-
lion. With great care he made the correc-
lions which he thought proper, and also made
few alterations, all which were made with
the pen, in red ink. In this corrected form,
W.. rs,s.rsn II