The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1824-05-19

tms Judgment. After the papers haS
been thus selected and arranged, he lais
them before the secretary, together will
such statements in relation to other part.
~ The resolution, as the secretary NIGH
requre Tor his report. These paper.
we're In the possession Of the secretary
while he prepared his report; but were
referred 10 no further than was necessary
tor that object; and the correspondence
thus prepared by Mr.. Dickins, was trans,
united, IN the same state, to the house
This circumstance will explain The ap
pearance OF the marks on the passages
which Mr.. Dickins has stated TO have
been marked by him for the purpose oil
calling the secretary's attention to them
and which, if they had been observed by
the secretary would have been acted on
by him, either by directing the marks to
be removed, or extracts excluding those
passages to be prepared.
10 remove all pretext for the ipsinua.
ton which Mr.. Edwards has founded up.
on the circumstance of MIR. Dickins hay-
ing been employed to select the papers,
IN this case, instead of Mr.. Jones, the
chief clerk, to whom il had been usual tn
commit the selection Of papers required
by congress, it is proper to state, that
The resolution OF the house did, in this
instance, take the usual course of refe-
rence to Mr.. Jones and that it was at
MS request, and upon his suggestion of
The propriety ofreferring it to Mr.. Dick.
ms, because of his better Knowledge of
the subject, that the duty was transferred
TO him.
There is one Other omission in the
correspondence which has been empha,j>
caliy alluded 10 by Mr.. Edwards, and
which shall, therefore, be particularly
noticed. Ii is letter from the secretary
10 the president Of the bank at Huntsville,
OF the 9th July, 1919 and is more than
once referred to In other parts of the
correspondence whether it had been
communicated or not, was never a SUBJ
Iect OF investigation with the secretary,
until the notice taken of it in Mr.. Ed.
wards's address rendered the inquiry ne.
cessary. After thorough examination
however, it could not be found, either
among the records or rough drafts; but,
on referring as last resort, to file of
confidential correspondence which is kept
by Mr.. Jones, the rough draft of the lei
ter was there discovered A copy of it
Us herewith transmitted. According To-
the views with which the correspondence
was selected, under the first resolution of
The house, this letter was one which
would been then communicated. Ii is
believed, however, that the sentiments
and opinions disclosed in it, are far from
furnishing subject OF blame to the Sec
rotary /; and, as he had communicated
letter of similar import, written on the
same day, to The Tombeckbe bank, it
may be inferred, that it was not withheld
by any improper considerations of deli
cacy an respect to the matters to which
they both relate, from communicating
this letter also. 1t is believed that the
letter to the Tombeckbe bank, of the
9ih OF July, 1919, was also marked scon-
huential,' and the opinion is strengthened
oy the reference made to it as 'confiden-
tai BY the president of the bank, in his
letter of the 18th Aug. 1919. The
word 'confidential,' was probably omitted
through inadverience,l in the copy that
vas retained in the department and
mus II went upon the ordinary record. -
1t this opinion is correct, the communities
ton OF this letter corroborates the fact
mat the omission to communicate the
letter to the Huntsville bank, was not ow.
ing to the matters it contained, but to
the circumstance of its being on file
not before the person by whom the COR
respoDdence was selected
The secretary is not aware that any
other letters on the confidential file ap-
pertain TO the objects of the present in
curry. lie submits, however, such of
them as are addressed to banks, to the
examination of the committee. He takes
the occasion, also, 10 tender to the COM
mlttee, as he did to the committee ap-
pointed under the resolution of the OH
OF FEB. 1923, the inspection of any of the
records or correspondence in the depart.
ment, that may be deemed necessary TO
elucidate any Of the matters connected
with the inquiry.
Having disposed of all the minor to
pics OF accusation brought against the
secretary in Mr. EdwsTds's address, il
DOW remains 10 notice the grave charge
which he has preferred of having mis-.
managed The national funds AS far as
this charge is founded upon the particu-
lar transactions which have formed the
subject OF the foregoing observations, it is
presumed to be sufficiently RENTED =