Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-03-03


anu oil seven public agencies, which
less and without authority of law aud which had NOT c
uou :" ne discovery OF enough Live Oak pay the
ass 'e Officers employed. He asked information
on 'ha SUBJECT III the gentleman from North Carolina
intended TO make am attack upon present Secretary of
the Navy, the defence of the Administration would no
presumed, be committed TO other hands an his
Mr. Branch then rose to some of the circum-
stances which had taken place in references IN he live oaL
plantations He chafgedthe gentleman from Florida with
having sold 10 former administrations "some very moor
ana barren land and pecketlng by the speculation apon
MS own constituents some hundreds OF doilas' Mr. b.
SAID that he had done for preserving the live oak
TIMBER, than had been done in the same time bv anv ,rc
seuing administrations that "durng the year 1881 from
3o 70 Sioooo mad been expended with view 10 preserve
mat TIMBER and TO ascertain where supply of il could he
obtained He admitted, and he was proud to admit that
money mad not been spared in prosecuting that object
FIVE or six additional agents had been employed besides
Two or three vessels, in that service and what had been
he result Inc gentleman from Florida well knew what
ne result was lie knew that within the space of $50
miles from the mouth OF the Mississippi land so mucb only
mad yet been examincd) there Indefinite supply
oil live oak, more than would be needed for n cenrv r.
tween the Achaiaaya and the Sabine there wer. annie
stores OF it, without the necessity of culyatinp tract ~
poor sterile land which Member of Congress nigh have
sofa 10 the Government MIR. b. said that agents had
not been employed at salaries of 50 4OO-tbat those sem
Poyed now, had the same per diem allowance as those
employed under previous Administrations The agents
he had found in employ when he came into office were
receiving an allowance Of So per day Those now
ployed received the -..AIr b. coneluJcd h en-
guessing the House TO excuse warmth he might have
berayed-he had been repeatedly assacd on this sub
ec and in such dastadS Manner that he felt himself
hat
elsewhere O "
Mr. w stated. that in consequence of the rapid disap
Pe'rai.c oil the TIMBER from the public lands MIR Sou,b
ard had determined to establish plantation of I; 0l
or ,he future use OF the Navythat it happened he Mr
and his FRIEND Judge Breckenridge owned ,r,c, af
land IN that quarter. The Government was dcsoms or
purchasing 1000 acres of it. The Government seif n
piled to them and proposed the terms The contra, &
submitted TO the House, and by approved The Depar-
mcnt acted on the report OF Commodores Warrington and
cambridge; and what they did sanctioned by special
/ N nrinian HAL
afterwards the administration passed into other hands
new Secretary OF the Navy appointed and i'm ,hnt
ing upon various projects OF REFORM the Secretary fell up
oh at transaction, and he introduced into his mort the
suggestion, that his predecessor had made the prcbase
under an erroneous construction the act for the GRADUAL
increase oil the NavyMr w. said the approximation yvas
49oo dollars and it paid to Judge Breckenridge and
HIMSELF for 1000 OF land, ON l76 acres of which
there asceraned TO be 70 600 trees of i've 81 OK
ieet IN height This timber, in the judgment of Comma
dore Rodgers, worth than the whole tract ~
land had cost &c-Mr. w. went on TO saw that ON Me
ih oil Apni last an agent had been EMPLOYED in refer
ence TO this timber, with salary $500 dollars year
me gentleman was relative, he believed near relation
Of ae ate Secretary The day after the dissolution
oil the tate cabinet had been resolved upon when il was
known who to go Office the salary of that in
dvduai had been increased 600 dollars by letter from
inc Navy Departmen that instead of 1900 dollars he
was to receive 2400 dollars. This was part of the n,o
nation which would be brought out by the amendment he
nau proposed Inc Secretary having secured this rcIa
uVe by raising his salary TO $780, Immediately appointed
SIX more agents. and all these of course to be put upon
inc same ooing and in all, the of 45 900 year was
A.
vy and this at the time when certain celebrated caca
re mad already made its appearance, exhibiting the foot
a very eminent individual on the tail Of certain
All these Offices had been created special fyortes
put INTO them by the naked authority of letter from te
navy department fet,he had been attacked and abus-
ed SIMPLY Tor having sold at the reuuest ~
Government, and at its price. Mr. w stated that
the moment he found the Administration were dissatisfied
with the contract they had made he had expressed ish
TO take back the land, but he had not been nerme5 40
do So His friend, Judge Breckenridge had even gone
SOL as TO present petition 10 the House that the
Inn
ed by the unanimous recommendation of the COMMITTEES
OF Naval Affairs.
Mr.. Branch replied that the s,atoron, e a.,
man. however plausible, false. He said the Gentle
man. before he himself owned the land was enabled from
e circumstance oil his representing the district of For
da, TO sell it for prices and then tbrongh ao, =,
this? ~ eN'""" uehy
Mr. White denied it, and into an explanation of
the transaction. f''
, Mr.. b. stated that the Report would show the facts Of
The case--that Com Rodgers Repors would show ,hn
land was barren, and of the poorest oualitv-Can tho
gentleman say that he did receive money in advance
rom he Government for land which then belonged to his
constituents! And that he was not in consequence
enabled to speculate his constituents Yet this
Is me gentleman by whom l have been insidiously
o no., ile charges me with having given salary
70 a near relation, and says that this was public
douSe' SIR do not think there is any gentleman
Gn III; moor WHO believes it, am ready undergo any
lnvesuSauon Invite examination. The gentleman to
mno'n ne audes amproud 10 acknowledge, is a relative
IL Is Cen ELI b. Whitaker. He was reluctant TO take The
appointments but entrcated him TO serve and tho re
sun mas proved that il fecitous appointment
nave IN my eye gentleman who knows him we'll and
here Is gentleman who stands more descrvedlv bigI
III me estimation OF his fellow citizens am not acGuoi5
ca WIN him. The reports of Gen. Whitaker will show
now ably he discharged the trust committed 10 him A
10 any hIng have done in this affair, trust this House
VIII examine lntoit invite any gentleman who doubts
VIC PToP'ey oil my course in any respect, to move the
appointment oil Committee, allow me tribunal
before which my conduct may be brought TO the test
seek such tribunal. afraid TO trust the nvesi-
gaton 10 my warnest political opponents who are gentle
men, and iihey shall find aught 10 detract from nv hum
1e name, am willing TO suffer whatever NAV deserve
heart.'' ~ NV VI my
Mr. Carson rose to make remarks hut sthe Sneaker
nefPosed and said he could not permit discussion of this
personal kind TO any further The peculiar situation in
whlch the gentleman from North Carolina stood had alone
prevented MN from Inlerposng earlier stage of it
Mr Carson said that he about TO enter into the
useuSsioh but merely TO suggest that friend of tina.
Of investigation
lhe Chair said that this was not the time for anv such
noion The debate had been of very unpleasant ma
ure and he should have interrupted it, but for the reaso
he had stated" 49, ~
When Mr. VS. second amendment was read Mr r.
Sau AS 10 mat amendment, should be glad the gentle
man would shew what report il is that lie means The
house VIII see the insdious ndrccton OF that gentle
man lie always does indirectly which he dares no,
10 DO IN direct manner His amendment seems TO osiu
uae mat something has been purposcly suppressed bv
me- Ill that is his meaning, why does he not at onca
come out and say so But surprised at any thing
he shall say" " ~ e
"Mr. Whie.-I shall not be deferred from nv courso
by the peuancc and violence of that gentleman Tha
violence would display itself at another time and in ano
ther place much better. | mean nobino ino;dio,s -