Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-07-20

5ence."
TESTIMONY AND DOCUMENTS
on THE
MEMORIAL or .N1.s14.h, EDV.4RDS,
GCoNTISrEb.1
,aRGUsmE.NT
10 tte Hon. JOAN Floyd, Chairman Of the CON-
miHce, &c.
: Deeply impressed with the Importance of the
present Investigation 10 myself, personally, beg
: luave, with unfeisnci Difference and respect, to
submit, to the consideration Of the Committee
tho following remarks:
Sensible am, that the statements of my adj
dress TO the House, to use the language of the
connutec, are such as should not be g lightly
made,n and resolved I am, that, if they are "s,I-
perGcially examined,' it shall be in spite of my
utmost eXcrtons.
1t is obvious to the common sense of mankind
aud apparent from the reasoning of the commit
tee, that, from the active nature of responsible
", both moral and official, i'll this country, upon
him who undertakes 20 arraign the conduct of
an important finctioaary, mast the weight of
his charges rccoil, ii he fail to establish them.-
This consideration, while it furnishes motive
for zeal and perseverance on my part, is calcu-
lated to Cypress me with modification, at find
ing that the committee have given this decided
aud injurious I. section 10 the statements which
they think fit to depoininate charges contained
IN my address, after they had commanded, and
before they could procure, my appearance for
the purpose, of explaining and enforcing these
statements.
This having been done, trust shall be par
doncl for endeavoring to show, to the satisfac-
ton Of tie committee, that the of reason
ing, by which it was effected, is not autboriz-
Oh either by the. f:tcts admitted by themselves,
or by the evidence which was presented to
them.
To relieve this subject, as far as may be, from
the conplexity Of words and differences III which
il is involved, must be permitted TO define, be-
yyond the power of msinterpretation, the cha
ractsvand import of the statement which made
and to Claim, if show that they are sustained,
by the facts and evidence offered to the commit
tee, relief from the cupabie responsibility with
which their report has tendency to burthcn me,
and from the onero9s task of investigating mo-
tives, which my address does 1ot assign, or OF
abiding in the accountable position indicated by
the committee, the result of moral inquiry,
which, however it may comport with the parti-
atty of Mr. Crawford's friends, is certainly ex-
cursive and gratuitous in reference to the state
inents which l had the honor to ADVANCE
These the committee, not adverting to the docn-
ment by which they were occasioned, have de-
nominated charges, and, as such, they are fairly
and conveniently susceptible of n division into
two general heads, each of which may ts sup
ported by maintaining the specifications upon
which they depend.
According to this arrangement, the first is to
this eject, viz: That The Secretary Of tic T'ea-
Sauyy, the Hon. I'm. II. Cranford, has D,iSnsaua-
eyed tie national funds; and the second amounts
to this. Utai the Secretary Of the Treasury, has
been guilty IF neglect Of official duty.
In order to sustain these charges, shall fol-
low the example Of the committee e. shall In the
arstplace, recite the resoutionof Congress of3oth
April Is l6 which declares ssTbat the Secretary
ofthe Treasury be, andhei is hereby, required &di-
rcctca 10 adopt such measures as he may deem
necessary, 10 cause, as soon as may be, all du-
ties, taxes, debts, or sums Of money, accruing,
or becoming payable to tie United States, to be
collected aud paid, in legal currency Of the u
uitcd States, or Treasury notes, or notes of the
Bank of the United States, as by law provided
and declared, or in the notes of banks which are
payable aud paid on demand, in the said legal
currency of the United States; and that, from
and after the goth day Of February next, no
such duties. taxes. dchfs OF of money, ac-
cruing, or becoming payable to the u. States,
as aforesaid, ought to be collected or received
otherwise than in the legal currency of the u
nitcd States, or in notes OF banks which are
payable, aud paid, on demand, in the said legal
currency of the United States"
Nv the terms Of this resolution, It y not only
PLAIN to the understanding of every man, but
expressly declared by tic Coi1IHittee, u was
made e'obyiousIy imperative" on the Secretary
ofthe Try.sury, after t. 10th February, 1917
''to allow nothing 10 bc'rcceiYed for de6ts due
TO the United States, bat the legal currency Of
the Unite States Treasury notes, notes of the
Bank of the Unilel Stttes, or of those State
Banks, the notes of which were payable, aud
paid, on demand, in cash"
In conformity with the injunctions OF this re-
solution, and with the act Incorporating the
Bank Of the United states, an arrangement, (r-
gycementJ it is affirmed by the committee, wa,
concluded in The early part of 1917, between
the Secretary Of the Treasury and that Iustitu
ton, by which it was stipulated that the public
funds were to be deposited in the Branches o
the Bank of the Unitcs; States, in all place,
where such branches existed; and in others, tina
Bank was to select and designate certain State
Banks, for which it was to be responsible, anC
in WHICH such public monies were to be deposit
ell and notes of all Banks, whose paper thC
Bank oethe Unitcl States would receive, in dc
pJsite, as cash aui noae Other, were to be re
solved ON sales Of the pabI0; Lands. On thc
30lh of JsGe, 1918, this agreement, it is statet
by the conpiitee, termiBste i, at the instanc,
'4.ths BauS Of the United Sta tes; and, under tn,
'l}F''pstances sstenJipg +kjs fact, the Secrctar.