Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-06-01
rrHLfc DOCt .NEaT.
NSlVE Err
Jf tie S,crein'yt the Treasury, to tRe .4ddresS
Of .ftntan EdinsyYtS.
CoNCLUDEIb.

The resolution of the House, of the 18th March,
1922, hal reference only to three banks those of
Edwurdsviic, rombeckbc, and Missouri; il called |
Tor correspondence except i'll relation TO the bank
OF Missouri, and, as Ii required all the corre>pon-
deuce in relation tr that bank, not before con.nu
nicated, all such correspondence could be found
was transmitted. let, although these two resolu-
tiUus distinct from each other i'll their require
,nents, MIR. Edwards affects 20 consider every letter
which communicated under the latter as hay
ims bc"n iinpr,.ScGly withhcld undcr the former.
That sonic oil the papers transmitted under this
resolution might not, w,th p,opricty, and perhaps,
with advantage, have been sent under the first rc-
SOLUTION, is not asserted. Whether any such, if any
such thcro be, accidentally omitted, or who
Their tney were not deemed necessary under
standing of the subject Is not now recollected. AS
there was no conscientiousness the part of the
Secretary that any of bis transactions required
ceancnt, or meritcd censurc, and as it suppos-
ed that the object OF the resolution exclusively
to obtain information, the whole aim in selecting
the papers and making the communication, was to
put the house in possession OF such only, would
best eucidatc the subject to which il re-
lated.
But, to whatever cause the omission of any of
these papers is attributable, the omission Itself is
uniinpertant 1t is believed, that the papers COM
nunicatcd under the second resolutions the great
mass which has been communicate under the third
re solution, disclose fact which il npor-
tant, in relation TO the subject of the resolution, eli
thcr to communicate withhold. The idea of
concealment wholly on, of the question. The
delicate nature of many of the letters comnunica-
tedunder the first resolution, shows perhaps, lean
ing the other way. But, there really nothing
of moment be concealed The general outline
Of the arrangements with the Western banks was
well known. They had been published in most OF
the newspapers i'll the countries interested III them
and they were familiar to many gentlemen i'll Con-
press, some OF whom had been among the first to
gIess upon the Secretary the necessity and advan-
tayc of such arrangements.
Disclaiming, then, i'll the most unqualified man.
ner, any wish intention in the Secretary, of con-
eealing any part of his conduct in relation those
binks the opinion is confidently repeated, that, af-
Ter examination OF all the correspondence that
has been, various times, communicated to the
House, il will be found that although more ample
details exhibited, because the papers Subsequent
ly presented are more numerous clear and faithful
view OF the conueXion between the western banks
and the Treasury, was presented under The first
solution is exhibited III the whole mass cf the
Respondents. But, ifhe fact otherwise, nothing
could be unjust than To consider the omission
of every Letter not communicated under that rcso,u-
ton, a Suppression with an Improper design.
Although these explanations may be deemed
suicient answer TO MIR. Edwards charge of suppress
sion generally; yet, there particular liz
stances which he has specially dwclt upon, and 10
which he attaches particular importauce that it may
&c we'll specially to notice. The first of these is,
the circ uustancc, that "eXtracts' were conmnu-
ted, instead Of entire letters, in parts Of tha
pondence with Planters and Merchants Bank Of
Huntsville.
By relarrius to the letters alluded to- and which
have been .'ittcd entire, undo: the last result
tim Of the House. il will ne seem that the parts
omitted to be communicated, relate occur |
renee wholly Of a temporary nature, entirely un- !
important in itself, aud having no bearing what
the subject of a cali. 1t seems that, after
the Termination of the arrangement between the !
Bank Of the United States ami the Bank Hunts |
Vile, the Cashier of the former drew ccftCiu drafts
upon the amount standing at his credit III the latter
bank. These, the Bank at Huntsville declined to |
paw, undef an erroneous idea, that ii accounta-
bic to the Treasury for the money.
As soon as this was made known to the Secretary
he wrote to the HuntsyiIee Bank to remove the mis-
understanding. The btitk justified itself, by quo
ting certain expressions OF the Sccrctarys circular,
of July, 1879. The Secretary replied, that, if the
bank had quoted correctly, the circular must have
been imperfect, and desired To have it back for
examination. 1t sent back found to be |!
inaccuratcly copied the misunderstanding was re-
moved the drafts were paid; and there the matter
ended. In the passages relating to the subject no.
tce also taken of the accidental omission of the
bark to render some returns. These are the parts
of the letters in the correspondence which not
communicated; and this explanation will show,
with what little reason it has been Inferred that
cry omission in the correspondence contains some
t!iug which the Secretary must have an improper
motive to conceal.
These observations apply to all the extractstrans
nited in that correspondence, except the letter CT
the President of tho Huntsville Bank, of the 30th
Sept. 1919. As this letter does appear to have
been transmitted under this last resolutions it is pre-
sumel 10 have been iuslad. The purport of the
preceding part oil il, Is recollectct but search is
now making for it, and it is found, it will
&c communicated.
An additional Importance is attached by Mr. Ed
wards, tie circumstance of "extrlcts being sent
Iu this case contracting the part oi the Sccrctas
RVS testimony before former elect Committee of
the House, which,, spaahlns of the correspondence
generally, states, that, il consequence OF the pres
sure of business tho original letters and roug drafts
had been communicated under the e;olniion of the
I4!b February, 1922. IA suc!, contradiction, how
ever, can be IMAGINED, without ri:sjn;crpTctins the
obvious rn1oct Of tic Sccrcta1yS words. lie spoke
Of the o'nnunicatons goncfdily; AMI 1t Is
fact well kuown, that it consisted almost
trey of originals and rough drafts But it is ire
coucilcabe with common sense, to suppose that he
meant to convey the idea, that papers which bore
on their face the title of cxtraCts. which lie had
himself communicated and described rs . extracts"
were either originals or rough drafts.
Neither the Secretary Mr. Dckins has any
t.here said in their testimony Nh Edwards sup
poses that the latter delivered ali tic originals and
rough drafts to the Secretary and that the Secycta-
~ sent them all to tine House. Tue fact il other
wise. All the correspondence with the banks re-
ferrod to, was rot called for, as has been already
shown nor was it ever asserted that all was sent.
Mr. Dickin; collected, nc had stated, all the cor
res2on1cnce that nc cold hu fled aud unified that
was likely to have any bearing OIL the subject from
th, ne selected such Is, m is judgment, was rcIur-
ed by tire resolution; and SIcb '.cviraCt," as were
made Under the exercise of this Judgment. After
the PAPERS had been thus selected and arranged ne
laid them before the Secretary, together with such
statements in relation to- other parts of the rcso-
lion, as the Secretary might require for report
it,f Tho of