The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1824-07-06
Crawford and Edwards.
REPORT or THE COMMITTEE OF IN
KESTIGATION

4 hhIDhA WI ltfE thNNtA AEE If lN-
NEsTIGATiON
. The Select Committee az Ge House M R-n
|rrseutstivesl "a whom was referred thr Memo
Trial, or Address, Of Niniln Edwards, havine. n
obedience tn thc resolution w tue House w
Representatives Of the 26ih OF Nav. continued
ITO bold its sitiinrs, ahcrthe adjournment uf tht
House, until the 2lst IF June, have agreed or
THE following REPORT
NJ IN recommending in their former Report d
Continuance uf me existence and powers 0f wv
y Committee, Il win De- remembered that the rrs.
son given ia- that recommendation w0s. COW ob.
vious proprietv, before final close of fhe iaves.
hrntinn, of having thr personal prrseHfA and
examination ~ the author ~ the address which
hod occasioned the appointment nj the Commit.
tee Such examina tlnn has n0r been haA NJ
q Edwards attended the Committee 30 obedience
~ N its summons. On che Tth M June has been
examined as r witness, By Us direction. cross.
examined BY gftnteman attending CID behalf W
The Secretary ~ TIRE Treasury; aud his te,timo.
ny, together with that NJ iheoihe witnesses. 4.
communicated with this Report W. are. al.o
various documents and papers, which have bern
referred On, and produced, in the course WI tha
\ examination
4 a paper, ID reply 20 the communication here
tntore received bv the Committee. from TIE
Secretary, and another, IN the nature of an arru-
ment on the whole case, have also been presen-
ted by Mr.. Edwards, and considered BY the
| Committee.
The evidence has ruu into much detail, and
some parts of il, probably, have not a very ma
! terial application 20 the main subject Of inquiry
L seemed proper, however, 20 the Committee
TO allaw % those concerned a liberal indulgence
in this respect
After patient attention To all the evidence.
\ and 70 whatever has been urged, in the WAY OF
reasoning IN the case, the Committee see wv
cause 10 change or modify, in any material re-
spect, the result 10 which they came On tile lOr-
ner inve stigatiOn, and which they have already
submitted 20 the House On the contrary. thew
ind, IN this further and fuller examination, 4
corroboration, generally speaking, Of the opin-
ions which they have heretofore expressed
i On some parts of the inquiry, indeed, evidence
has now been produced 10 points, which were
not, Individually and particularly, taken into
the consideration Of the Com nittee on the for.
mer occasion. To these, perhaps, some refer
} ence ought now 10 be made They NAV be con.
sidered as new articles or new specifications ~
CHARGE; and although not very definitely o.
formally made, yet, US evidence has been taken
intended TO support them, they become subjects
of consideration.
One Of these respects the deposites Of public
money, made or allowed IN the Secretary. n
the Banks ofthis District az the instance and 81
the solicitation Of the Banks themselves, end a.
al accommodation 10 them, az 2 time 81 consid
cradle pecuniarv pressure in 1919
IN their former Report, tie Committee eE
pressed their opinion in relation 70 deposites Of
this nature and referred to public Commu
nication Of the Secretary, in which the facts were
/, avowrd, and IN which practice, Of a Hke char
acter. was stated 70 have been Of early existence
; and long continuance. The Committee did not
. a RI. .N Ia A
was admitted; and as il was of opinion that the
practice itself was irregular and dangerous. i
did not think It material TO inquire, particularly
whether, in the only case in which loss was ap
pretended from this cause, the probability Of
such loss was either greater or less than The
Secretary had supposed. This apprehended los.
is in the case Of the Franklin Bank If Alexan-
dria In tie letter Of the Secretary to Tie Pres
ident Of the Senate, of the 25th Of February
1923, he saws, in regard % this Bank that lei.
ter Of the District Attorney, herewith commu.
lnicated, showed that there was no danger Of los,
to the United States.
The evidence now offered and received tend.
70 show that there is probability Of final los,
from this Bank but in other respects there i,
no new view Of the case psesented.
/ The debt due to he Government from the
Bank Of Vinceunes has also been brought for.
ward, and made the subject Of inquiry and proof
Nothing distinguishing this case from those N
other Western Banks in which the public mon
ey had been deposited and in regard 10 which
loss had happened or was expected, had attrsc-
, ted the attention Of the Committee, as impor
tant 10 be considered, al the time Of their for
mer report.
The case Of this bank lad been previously
made the subject Of a Report 10 the House b,
the Secretary on the 2lst Of February, 1923. IN
lanswerto a resolution passed on the thiry-frs
!, LOT January preceding, in which a statement N
the debt, and the means which had been taker
and used 70 secure IL, were laid before CONGRESS
The evidence now taken relates principally, ~
} iu the preceding case, 10 the amount Of the los
which may be expected to be incurred
The only remaining charge which NAV hr re-
garded az not before examined il An ALLEGATION
or ntimation, that, owing 70 the fault Of the Sc
cretary, the pensioners and public creditors w
the government in East Tennessee. were. IN some
instances, paid in bank paper not equivalent u
specie.
The Circumstances attending this transaction
seem 70 be fully stated ~ tie testimony II Hugf
/. White. u does not appear that any knowl
EDGE OF these payments having been made u
; deprecated paper was communicated n m,
Secretary. The measures adopted Nv him I'm
the reasonable provision Of proper fund st th,
place Of disbursement, were, ~ fa- AZ The com
mittee can Judge, suitable and judci0us. ~
had rightto exnect the payments N re made y
specie, or its equivalent Or AZ least. 10 ~ ~
4 formed i any thing should happen to proven
such payment No information was given Z,
him Of any disappointment Of his expectation
III this respect, BY those whose dutv II was Y
pay and no complaint appears % have bee
D preferred BY those whose right Il was tn receive
In regard 70 the contested letter 81 Beuiami
stephenson, Of the 18th 0f October. 1919 th
committee see no cause % change tie Opinion
! which was entertained, and which they intend
~ Az nrn-.a. -- A. 80 -. 49,. M