Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-07-27

do prove, that the management If Mr.. Craw
ford was IN conformity To usag. and the pr.c
tee ot his predecessors, they prose IL wai
evidently in disregard of law" was coUirar,
to the resolution of 1916. which they them
selves declare made it the duty of the Sec
retary to correct this departure from Law ;
and they demonstrate not only that he mis-
managed The pubic jands, bur tina, he violated
at the Same time, both his duty aud the law.
Ii these permanent deposiles, and the accu-
mulated sums winch were patiently permitted
to remain in some Of those Banks, are not Ia
be considered gratuitous loans, and an ega
employment of the public money, the loans
which. II is now in proof before the commit
tee, the Secretary has made TO various Banks
of this District cannot fail to satisfy the com
mittee that the charge of mismdndging the
national funds, has been clearly established.
The corruption of the British Parliament,
and the illegal conduct of the British ministry,
are subjects of frequent and just Reproduction,
as the purity of our Legislature, and the exact
subserviencc of every branch of our Elk
ecutive TO The laws of the land, are deemed
causes of satisfaction, and sources Of PRIDE
When MIR. Pitt, whose influence in Para-
ment was as transcendent as his fame, under
took, alta period of great commercial pressure.
and AT n calamitous ssasun OF war, to make 4
loan OF 100000 sterling, L. the house of Boyd
and Bentield, the subject was brought before
Parliament, and as the loan, though not graiui
tous, was found to be no legal employment Of
public funds y and, although the opposition
admitted, there was no ground to ,npute i'm
proper motives TO the Premier, it was de-
claIed by the House of Commons, an act of
dangerous usurpation, and TO prevent it, being
assumed as a precedent, or extended intu
usage, as we'll as tn acqut this powerful and
celebrated minister of moral or official liabili-
ty, on account Of il, bill of indemnity was
introduced by one of his friends, and passe
into a law.
Here it is to be observed, that the loan of
MIR. Pitt was advanced (even as Mr.. Whit
bread confessed,) on unguesiionnble securities.
Those of MIR. Crawford do not appear to have
been so safely provided for. On Mr.. Pitts
loan no loss occurred. considerable part
OF Mr.. Crawford's loans is yet endangered.
and probably will be lost. Mr.. Pitts loan
carried interest. Mr.. Crawford's were made
without any such stipulation. II Mr.. PITTS
conduct could be exculpatrd only by an act of
Parliament, can Mr.. Crawfor be- justified in
the teeth Of an act of Congress? In this
case, let me ask would not the vital principle
of our government be lost sight Of? This IS
gov eminent of laws. Responsibility is the
soul of the republic, and is intended, like graz
,ita,ion in the material world, to hold every
orb and every atom, every officer, and every
citizen, in their legal position. 1t was intend
ed to prevent the Secretary of the Treasury
from committing any act which could be
justly called no legal employment of the
public funds;' and will hardly be satisfied by
the declaration, that any officer Of the Gu
vernment, bat especially the head of the
Treasury, can employ the national funds i'm
disregard Of law, and yet not nlismanage them.
Surely there is something less secured in the
public treasure of the United States than in
that Of England.
HaSins proved, clearly, by the declarations
OF the Secretary, and the expressions of the
committee, that the former reIinqushed, "by
agreement" on the S0th June, 1918, the right
OF the United States TO the fiscal instrument
tally of the Bank of the United States, in the
collection and disbursement of the national
funds, and employed, by conditions offered 10
them, on the lst July following. the instruments
rality of certain State Banks, for the same pur-
pose; and having shown that, when, shortly
after the latter date, an extended agreement
was entered INTO on conditions more favorable
to these banks allowing them, as I'm equiva-
lent, or rather pay, for similar instrument
ta'ity, $4,000, annually, by way Of interest
on permanent depos,irs and having also
shewD that the Secretary has made various
loans of the public money,I shall proceed 10
subJect connected with my second charge.
TINS Imputes to the Secretary of the Tea
sury. without any Investigation of his motives.
neglect Of duty. la relation to it, the commit.
tee admi, that the act OF Congress incorporat
ing the Bank of the United States, makes il
the duty of the Secretary Of The Treasury to
employ the offices of that institution as places
OF dePosiie for the public funds, in preference
to all other banks, unless, for special reasons,
he SHOULD think nj to use other banks for the
purpose; and, IN that case, the special reasons
are to be communicated to Congress by the
Secretary, at its then, or its next session.
this communication the committee pronounce.
and the Secretary confesses he failed to make.
may safely rest the truth of my second
charge on this admission, since failure in nm
officer Of the United States, from apv cause
to comply with the directions of a law pre-
scIibing his duties, 10, to all ntents and purpo.
ses. a neglect Of duty. The Secretary. howe
yer, accounts for il, and the committee Justify
ii upon the ground Of inaduertence.
The admission of inadvertence. in This case.
is concession ola neglect of duty 80 com,
pick, that itmay fairly be denominated yjo-
lation of duty for, as the object of the Ia W, in
requiring the prompt communication of these
special reasons. was not only to know that
they existed, but also to know that they were
sufficient, failure to make the cemmunica-
ton, If justified ny inadvertence, is justified
only as to the existence of the special reasons.
and leaves the Secretary more directly obnox-
ious to the charge Of having proceeded in the
business upon reasons that we're insufficient a
charge which, if substaniiated by inquiry.
could not, from its nature, be justified by in
advertence, but would infaibly discredit ei.
Their the judgment or the integrity of the pre-.
siding officer of the Treasury.
ft.r ,,la o., a, 4,