Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-03-15

II
| House IF Representatives., l7M January, 1925.
SIR: have the honour to transmit, enclosed
copy oil an order of the House of Representa- ives
oil The lst instant, and am directed by the Com
mittee appointed in pursuance of it, to Inform the
PRESIDENT that they ready TO receive such COM
m"nlcatons and evidence as he shall think proper
10 submit to them, i'll any manner that may be most
agreeable to him.
am, with very great respect, yours, &C.
5. d. INGHAM.
| The President Of tie United States.
Wdshingion, Feb. I, 1925.
SIR; 1t being intimated TO that il would be
agreeable to the Committee to receive statement,
IN detail of what conceive to be the amount of
my just claims, have prepared and herewith trans
NIT it 10 you.
With great respect, am, your very obedient
| servant. JAMES MONROE
II Is known that have been employed in two
Missions to Europe, the first to France which, COM
mehced in 1894, the second to France, Spain. and
GFeat Britain. which commenced in 1908 and that
ABOUT eight years devoted To those Missions
It's known, also thatl was called into the Depart
meht OF State in April, l8 |, and have remained i'm
the Administration since, i'll that Department. in the
Department OF War, and in this high trust. linen
ton these instances of the public confidence because
they are severaly brought into view, and are con-
hected with the claims under consideration
AS think that Justice has been withheld from
me, III several Instances, in both Missions, | will
commence with the first, that to France in 1874, in
Whch there were two examples of marked char
acter' The first consists of premature suspension
| OF my compensation i'll that Mission Ii will be
seen, by the public documents, that was called
! from IT, without any previous notice and that NV
! pay was suspended on the 9th December 1896 tI,e
uay on which | received my letter of recall and
"heh II was impossible for me to leave the country
without exposing my family the dangers of a VIM
Ter voyage The fact is, that did not, nd could
not leave France, before the Goth of Ami, follow.
| iiS' 6uting which time no allowance whatever was
made to me. Had resigned, or asked my recall.
| the period at which il would have taken effect
"ouiu nave Dcen arranged in manner To qua rd
! against Such Inconvenience and loss 1t would
doubtless nave been postponed ill the Spring the
u"e when did sail Ii is unjust that my recall
should operate III such manner, as to take from, me
| tie compensation allowed to the Mission for the
term during which | could sail. No other ex-
ample of the Kind exists, that the case dcpeuds ON
its own circumstances, without the aid of pfeCe-
denise believe the fact to be, that, had been
willing I" have encountered winters passage with
! my family, could. not nave procured Il vessel 10
| bfln9 us home. On commerce with France was
then much interrupted by British blockades, as wen
as French restrictions. Documents showing the
difficulty "t obtaining passage from France at
tEat season, are attached 10 these remarks The,
are HON characters OF great Responsibility, who
were present al the time, crgaged in commerce, and
well acquainted with the state Of affairs
| The allowance made 20 me for continent dis
bnsements in that Mission, is another instance of
the kind in question. II bears, manilestly, no D,o-
portion to the amount expended, nos does it include
all the inevitable and authorized objects of exprnd-
itufe 1t IS confined to three items only. ls News
papers sent to the Department of State for two vea,s
OF the time amounting TO 20 livrcs. 2i. Fora flag
presented to the National Convention, amounting
TO 200 iivres; and Sd For postage of letters for the
same term, amounting to $40 lives; making in the
| whole l4O dollars. No allowance was made to me
tor stationary, or newspapers for the Legation for
usual presents, and other contingencies; and what
equally deserves attention is, that the allowance
made for the articles specified, was confined to
portion of my service only, none having been made
Tor hve months OF the term during which remained
III Office, not to mention the subsequent space which
inieryencd before sailed, and during which was
necessarily exposed to similar expenditures TO
certain extent, incident to the Mission which had
ceased.
If this allowance to me for contingent expenses
be compared with that to other Ministers in Fo,eisn
| Missions, its Inadequacy will be apparent An
olhcIaI statement from the Accounting Department
! oi the Government, herewith presented. shows the
allowances which nave been made i'm all other IN
stances, from the commencement Of the Govern
ment to the present time. By comparing those al
| lOwances with that made to me, you viii be enabled
to decide on the justice OF the latter 1t will be re-
collected that, during the Mission, wa, always at
my post, the epoch being peculiarly interesting, aud
It's ordinary duties very heavy; thatmy correspond
ence, owing to the frequent seizure of our vessels
IS extensive, and, that the aid was occasionally
He'd on tn afford to our citizens, "A time of such
general distress, considerable. will enuncr-
ate one instance Of such aid, it being to citizen
VINO had rendered important service in our Rnvolu-
lion. 1t was to Thomas Paine On INV arrival in
Paris, in 1924, found HIM in prison, from which he
was discharged on NY application. Re was WITH
out resources. took him to my house and supplied
him for a year and half with every necessary
furnished him, also, with money, of which about
80 Louis remained unpaid, when I left France
and have never since been paid. That also ex-
erted my utmost abilities TO obtain the liberation
OF Madam Lafayette, who was then confined in
prison, and advanced her money, after her release
Tor her Immediate accommOda ton, and to carry
her to the relief other husband, the ustrous friend
Of humas rights, who was then irnmured in the pr-
SON of Oimutz, will likewise be shown by nv cor
rcspondence with the Department Of State, Of that
Ut is believed that in some instances, under par
hcular circumstances, Ministers have been pcr-
mitted to receive their compensation like other Off
GERS OF the Government, on return visits during
their absences, and while at home ANY decisions
which may have made since I cime mo the Ad
ministratoh, under the admonitioa Of my own ex
peuence will not be considered as applicable 10 nv
claim Reference WILL Of course, be had only to the
' decisions which made nv nv