Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-05-28

! "S' e"a'ses ilau, iroai the choice al the in
u".uuai h'insrif, been made from "a point dis
'a"' rom the Capitol, when he might have.
mage them here, had he supposed IL due tu
himself to be present at their investigation
certainly after delaying the Mission 10 Mex
ico Tor eighteen months, the Executive. would
nave mad no difficulty in granting the Minister
hVe or SIX days more for that PURPOSE With
regard to the interests Of the accused. and If
the country, one thing it was highly important
10 KNOW VIZ whether tn. testimony of this
mo" iduai was considered by the committee of
investigation 10 be material or not. This
~ house mad no agency IN sending for him.
The warrant was. issued antecedent to anv
proceeding on the part Of this House upon ,ht.
suoJect. We are tc infer, from the fact that
the committee sent for him, that Mr.. Ed
wards u deemed a material witness The
committee had no right to send for him I'M
less his testimony was considered important.
We have, therefore, right to suppose tina.
ms testimony rs material, because otherwise
ne would not have been sent for. if his tes,i-
mony IS material, and we adjourn before his
arrival, the public opinion will ne, that we
have arrested the investigation of his charges.
IL that he the only question to be decid,d. INV
mind, SAID MIR. NJ. is made up. will not do
any act tina, shall c0mprOmit the dignity OF
justice oil this, House. Unless we have infor-
mation, from The committee, that the witness
Is not deemed a material one, cannot con-
sent to adjourn short Of the period when Mr..
Edwards may arrive and be examined Was
III possibie, Mr.. nj. asked, that the House
would receive this accusation, appoint com
mittee To investigate 1t, aud then adjourn with
OUT acting concusively upon il? 1t was
nightly important, TO the proper decision of
the pending question, To know from the COM
miitee what were the views which they enter
tanned OF the consequence of Mr. Edward,
testimony and Mr.. NJ. rested the question ON
TINS ground-that, If the testimony of Mr. Ed
wards WAS material, the House ought TO re-
main IN session until he arrived, and that the
House had right TO presume it was so, until
informed ny the committee TO the contrary.
MIR. MANGuM of Nvrth Carolina said, he
was AS anxious, as any member Of the House
could be-, to leave the wretched place. and re-
turn home, If, contrary to his. oriniun Of the
matter. sense of duty would allow of an adj
loufnment as early as was proposed. 1t had
been said, that the act Ufcalling for MIR. Ed
wards was not The act Of this House, and, fur
liner, that the presence of the accuser is not
necessary-and that he himself has shown
mat IL 10 not. But, said MIR. NJ. we have COM
United the investigation of this matter 10 a
committee composed Of gentlemen esteem
ed on all sides of the House, for their SUI.
perinr intelligence and unquestionabie integrity.
Ihat committees, in its wisdom, has decided,
and believe with perfect unsnDiiy that Mr.
EDWARDS shond be brought before them. Ii is
10 De presumed there ara some matters of fact
which he is expected to disclose, which makes
his presence necessary; and. until hear TO
the contrary from that committee, l shall
oppose my humble opinion and voice against
an adjournment before Nr. Edwards's arrival.
Ana THIS view OF the case appeals most strong
~, not to the friends Of the distinguished per-
son who stands accused before us, and in so
Delicate relation 10 this Hotiss and TO the
nation, hut TO the friends Of MIR. Edwards
What Will be the consequence, If, after the
solemn decision of our committee, that il is
necessary Mr.. Edwards should be brought be,
tore tins House, wa should say, hia presence
IS eatirely unnecessary, and that reference
10 10 documentary testimony only is necessary?
II such be the fact, why is il not announced.
10 me House from the proper source, the
committee which sent for him b? 1t is not an
nouoced, and therefore presume that tIie
opinion still exists, that Mr.. Edwards ought
~ be mere. Whilst this is the fact, we shall
treat the gust claims of this high officer, 1.-THE
Secretary of the Treasury with worse than
scorn and contumely, il, after having sent for
his accnser, we adjourn bsfore he COMES, and
deprive the accused of the opportunity of a
full and fair Investigation Of these charges.
OD the other hand, what have you done p
these charges ? That which never could have
stuck to tho character Of the Secretary, have
you not fixed there, by a solemn act in rea
cog0izng the claim of these charges 10 inyes-
CATION And will you abandon the inyesti.
CATION ana, as lar as You can, suffer tho Ohio
guy TO remain l, has been said. that il i
due to both these high officers, the accuser as
well as the accused, that ths investigation should
not be closed without waiting for Mr.. Ed
wards. As to ono Of these persons, Mr. Nj,
sa.u' ne differed from the gentleman who thus
said because, as TO the accuser, he could
nave made his charges at any time, Ms well as
wnen he did make tben1-and, if il had been
absolutely necessary that he should be present
during the investigation, he could have pro.
cured himself the opportunity Of being SO.
without the invitation of this House. H., sea
iected his time /; and, npur the close of the
session, when be is at distance from tn = seat
of government, he has preferred to present.
his charges. We have partially sanctioned
those charges, by conserving TO investigates
them and shall we submit To- the humil;ntine
construction Of abandoning the inquiry by adj
iourning before the investigation Is closed ,.
To try the sense OF the house on the subject,
whether il is prepared to act upon its present.
inflammation, he moved that the resolution lie
o0 The table.
The question on this motion was taken.
wmhont debate. by yeas and nays and decid.
ed in the Negative.
MIR. ALEX. SMyrH Of Va. then rose. ant
SAID, That he should vote for adiourpjos On
the 5ist of the present month. fIe sbouI,i
NOT he IN favor OF waiting Till that day for tina
arrival Of the individual who had been sent
Tor, and the prosecution Of the inquiry which