Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-01-18
[NoL. /. No. iO3.

might be halt dozen bills before the House az
once AM as nanv diHGront reports. Tie zen
CONAN irom Delaware, mir. McLANEr wishes
10 know the nature OF the caiias and what thew
aTeio2ndcd on, before he refers them toaay com
inittce, cut, Mir Z. said, the President purpose
Is avoided this, and said that he yonlI disclose,
The nature Of the claims 70 the committee, when
1t was appointed. The President also express
/ " dcs'red that whatever was done might be
done before the session was closed and he had
stated good reason why he had called ON ;i,is
itoase, as the only proper and competent trihu.
nal, to pas upon his integrity in the recuniarv
trusts which the nation has committed To HIM,
Mr. Monroe had received the highest trust up.
on earth, and in relinquishing it, he demanded
an investigation Of his conduct. Shall we not
CRAFTY him, said Mr.. Z? Is not an honorable
! request! Surely; and the proper respect die 10
II, !, The appointment of select committee to
make the investigation.
Nr. iNGHiM rose for the purpose of satisfy
ing the gentleman from Delaware. Hewas able,
RON inquiry, TO assure that gentleman, that Ito
balance existed on the books of the Treasury
against the President. 1t could not be expect.
| ed, from his situation, as having brought for
ward the present inotion, that he should press
Tor Tue appointment of a select committce.* lie
would, however, make one remark on what the
gentleman from New HAMPSHIRE (Nr. Bartletti
mad SAIL, IN relation to improper bias oDerating
on select committees. The remark nu. either
nave relation to the honorable Speaker,
twboee duty it would be TO appoiut the Com
mttee,) or 20 himself. But the Sneaker could
not be alluded To; his conduct in the discharge
OF the duties OF the chair, was notoriousI. suCb
aS to forbid such thought: il must then be him
Sell, 10 whom the gentleman alluded. But. Mr.
1. sald, he would assure that gentleman that he
was as independent in the discharge of his du
t!es' as Representative ofthis floor as the gen
t!einan himself; and he thought 1t was too much,
Tor any one member of the House, TO assume
the guardianship of the Independence of all the
other mnmbsrS. For one, he could not sufer
the eN rcise of such guardianship, as respected
himself
hir. REYNOLDS observed, that the gentleman
from Pennsylvania, (Mr Buchanan had told
the House much about the faithful services of
the President for forty years. sc. All this, Mr.
H. said, was well enough known But the
question was, whether there was any thing ON
the face OF this document which required the
appointment Of any Committee at eli, Is dis
tiorse, asked fir. Il. constantly To De inter
ruptci for every squib that may be Grown, in
the House on ont of il, at the conduct of the
! President! He believed, for his own part that
tiat 'shnguished individual stood Just as high
This day, III the opinion of bis fellow citizens as
ii there had never sduib been thrown at him
at all. II the President would come and in
piuh language, tell the House he had clam
against the government, he for one would vote
for an examination of it-but he really been
unable, with all the lights derived from the doc.
nnent before the House, to discover what the
! President really wants, unless from the EXPIRES
sion That he will never sign bill in his own ia
Vor. Tins was all that there was in the MESSAGE
which Showed that he had any claim at all. ne
could assure his friend from Kentucky. fMr.
irinble,) that he had himself no wish to be one
OF the compurgatOrs of the President. He be-
lIeved, for his part, that the whole message had
been occasioned by some remarks which had
been dropped in this House last session-out.
as to himself, those remarks passed over him
like an April shower, which leaves no trace or
effect behind it. He did not believe a word of
them.
Mr.. BARTLETT rose, with desire to remove
from the mind of the gentleman from PennsvI
wanna { Mr. ingham) an impression which he
mad incorrectly taken up, thatbis former remarks
had Il personal allusion--he dsciaimnd every
thing like it--he had not the least reference.
either to The distinguished officer who oresides
over the House, or to the gentleman from Penn.
nor dii he entertain shadow of suspicion as
10 the independence and integrity OF anv sreciai
Committee Of this House. What he had said.
IN relation to fav0uriisrn respected only such
Prcpossession in favor of the Justice OF a claim
as inclined person 10 look with rather more
idFo'oh eVluence In Its support than that of an
opposite nature-and he wished 10 avoid all I'M
Pntaton OF even such iavCuTltism i'm The pre-
sent case, TO. the purpose of renderlngitne pre-
cedcnt to be established in this, more perlect
| Mr.. Forsyth said, that the President was
| entitled to justice from this government st to
| the manner how 1t shall be awarded to him tlat
was the concern of this House. As to- the pre-
sent claim, this House, Mr.. f. sad, viii never
pass upon it while he holds his present exalted
station MIR. T. protested hmselfin favour of
the appointment of a select committee uuon the
message, but was DESTROYS to limit its powers
and with that view, If the message were 70 be
referred to select committee, he should move
the following instructions:
'sWith instructions TO receive from tbe prnsi-
dent any evidences or explanations of his claims
which he may think proper to present and to
tlle the same in the Office of the Clerk Of tins
! House, to be acted upon at the Dcxt session of
| Congress-
The question was first taken on referring the
Message to the Committee of Claims, and deci-
ded IN the He@0tiye, by a large majority
Tue question then recurring on Mr.. INGHAN's
motion to refer il TO select committee and the
question being upon agreeing TO The Instructions
moved by Mr. Forsyth
Mr. LIVINGSTON said, that the purport of the
/ message seemed to be misunderstood bv many
gentlemen for whom he had the highest respecf.
aud by whose opinions, on OF her occasions he
had sometimes formed hls own Bv some Il
had been considered a demand for an unli1ujda-
| ted peCuniary claim By others it was trcaieJ nc
i'll were All uniustitiable attempt TO use the in
| iIuence of high official station in order TO com
mand the attention Of the House, and obtain a
favourable settlement of doubtful accounts,