Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1834-06-26
UNIFIED STATES BANK.

UNIFIED STATES BANK.
MR. EVERETT, from the nsinority of the
committee. appointed to Investigate the af
fairs q the bank ofthe Unitei States, sub.
-- n'itted .he Jollozciag report:
CONTINUED
The hrst resolution was regarded merely
as an understanding, on the pars of the
comnoitte Of investigation, that 40 publicis
~ would he given by them, until otherwise
ordered, to the matters that might appear
In the course of the examination. The
undersigned assented to this resolution,
with the understanding Of the parliament
tary law, that the sittings Of every commit
tee are open, unless ordered to be secret by
the house; and that it was not in the pow
er of the present committee, by vote of
their own, either to shut their doors, or i'm
pose secrecy on any persons VIII might at
tend. But they assented TO the injunction
of confidence, In conformity with usage
which has prevailed in other committees
OF inquiry Of the house, for their own con
venlence, as rule bindin on Them selves,
and with the express reservation that the
adoption of this resolution should in no
degree involve an assent to the principle
asserted in the second To that principle,
viz: that no person should be permitted to
attend during the Inspection of the books If
the bank, and the examination Of lis pro-
ceedings, whose presence was not requi. ed
nor assented 10 by the board, the under
signed we're strenuously opposed. 1t was
asserted as right on The part of the com
mttlee, and las the undersigned supposed,
and the committee Of the directors Of tn /.
bank appeared also to understand it,) with
an intention to enforce the right. In pur-
suance Of this intention, Gas the nndersiyn-
ed supposed the committee of investiga-
ton ceased to hold .heir meetings in The
rooms set apart for them IN the banking.
house, as soon as they understood the com
mittee Of the directors of the bank to claim
the right of being present with their boolss,
during the inspection Of the same. 1t is
true that by subsequent resolution, the
committee Of the house of representatives
discIaimed having decided that they should,
in point Of fact exclude the directors from
the room, during the inspection of the books
but they persevered in the assertion OF the
right TO do so, as appears fiOm the docu-
ments appended TO this report.
This claim was regarded by the under
signed. as being without foundation and
Objectionable. In the first place, as ha.
been observed, they believed it to be contra
~ to the tea parIiamentaria foI committee
of inquiry, Oh its own authority, to claim
the right of holding its sitlings, except
when celebrating and voting, in secret.
1t can only be constituted a secret commit
tee by express order Of the house. Sec
ondly, this principle involved The right of
Withdrawing the books of the bank from
the custody Of the directors, and taking
them into the possession Of the committee
,of investigation. This is power not Civ
en- by the charter, which, as far as the
books are concerned, authorizes commit
tee only ''to inspect the books" As The
right thus reserved by the charter to con-
gress is not only one of the conditions of
an agreement, but is in derogaiion of the
rights and liberties Of The citizen, and could
not be claimed at common law, and its ex-
ercise at best, and under any circum-
stances, must be highly incommodious,
and create serious interruption of the
business Of the hank, it should be conslru-
ed rather strictly than literally, and not
draw with it, by implication, any thing not
necessary for its exercise. The entire
confidence. which the undersigned feel, in
the liberali.y and magnanimity Of their
colleagues, 50 10 conduct the inspection, as
to cause the least possible Inconvenience
to the officers Of the bank, could not au-
thorize an acquiescence in a claim of right
wholly to obsiruct and bring to stop The
ordinary proceedings Of the bank; in fac,
TO suspend the charter.
1t was a claim to take the books out of
the possession Of the committee, to detain
them as long as they pleased, to carry them
whithersoever they pleased, "a right after
wards more distinctly asserted and attempt
ed to be enforced and TO put them To VIVA,
ever use the committee, in their uncen!rol-
led discretion, might think proper The
undersigned again repeat, that j, derogale>
in no degree from The Objectionable char
acter Of this claim, to urge tina, the books
of the bank thus taken from the possession
Of the directors, could have been put to
unworthy use by the committee Of invesii-
CATION. Such an idea could only suggest
itself to be repudiatad. 1t is sufficient Oh
lection that they would have been pu, Oh.
Of tho custody Of ,hose responsible To tn.
stncEholders Tor their safe keeping. tn.
most improper use to which the books, orl