South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1836-05-28

imaginary victory over monster mo-
nopoIy7 Would you, or I, or any
man Of US, if Mr.. Secretary, with the
control of the Treasury, permit even
father, or brother or son, much less X.
M. Whitney, to enjoy the power and
profit of this immense monopoly-of
all monopolies the monster--i0sshout
guild pro quo ? And scho is Reuben
M. Whitney, that he should be the ia
vored man Of all men in fattenIng up
on the spoils ofthe public purse, and
that be should be protected by gentle
men from the scrutiny ofinvestigation,
as if 10 the sanctuary Who IS he who
is suffered to insult Representative
by his villainous cards in the official
organ, for daring 10 offer resolution
ofinvestigstion Z An int ANGUS wretch
who took the oath Of allegiance to
Great Britain in Canada, during the
last war, and whO has since taken a
false oath against his neighbor. Sir,
let me remind this House and the ma
ton who this individual is, who is now
the pet of the Treasury and the pet
banks, by reading report upon his
character, made in 1882, by George
McDufie, John @. Adams, and John
G. Watmough, three gentlemen of as
high character for truth and integrity
as any to be found 10 any country. In
the reports Of committees Of the 22d
Congress, first session, 1S31-'32
page 3O7, we fad the following pas
sage:
"Tbere was one occurrence during the
examination of the transactions of Tho.
mas Bddle and Co. with the bank. which
merits particular notice.
IAN INFoRMER AND WITNESS. by the
name of WHITNEY, who had formerly
been a director ofthe bank, was produ.
ced. who declared, upon oath. that in
MAY. 1924, two of the cashiers of the
bank had informed him that Thomas Bid.
die and Co. had been in the habit OF
drawing money out of the bank, on
deposite of stock in the teller's drawer,
WITHOUT PAYING INTEREST, and that the
president of the bank had discounted
two notes. one for Thomas Biddle and
Co. and one for Charles Biddle, wITH-
OUT THE AUTHORITY oE THE DIRECTORS.
This witness stated that he went with
these officers of the bank, and examined
che telers drawer 81 the discount book,
and found the facts which had been sta
led to him verified by the examination.
He also stated, to give additional Ger.
tainty to his averments. that he made
memorandum AT THE TIME, WITH THE
DATES OF THE TRANSACTIONS, when
memorandum he produced to the cons
mittee. Having thus UNALTERABLY FIX
ED THE DATE of the transaction, as if by
soma fatality, he went on to say that he
Immediately proceeded into the room Of
Mr.. Biddle, (Nicholas,) the president,
aud demonstrated with him against these
irregular proceedings, and that Mr.. Bid
| die promised him that they should not
occur again.
"Mr. Biddle was present during the
examination of this witness. On that
| day being on oath, he said that he was
utterly astonished at the testimony of the
witness, and. could only oppose to it his
sole mn declaration that there was NOR
ONE WORD OF Truth in it, from the be-
| ginning to the end. He added, that. from
the relation in which the witness stood
to him, he would have sunk into the
earth sooner than he would have dared
to coma TO him with such remonslrance
as he pretended to have made. The offi-
GERS of the bank, from whom the witness
alleged that he derived this information,
were examined, and all of them posltive-
ly contradicted HIM. They testified and
demonstrated from the books THAT
Thomas BIDDLE AND Co. HAD NEVER
OBTAINED MONEY, IN ANY INSTANCE.
WITHOUT PAYING INTEREST, and that the
two notes which Whitney asserted to
have been discounted by the president
alone, HAD BEEN DISCOUNTED REGULAR
LY BY THE DIRECTORS.
"In the interval between the ADJOURN
ment of the committee that day and Its
meeting the next a member of the Board
of Directors suggested to Mr.. Biddle
THAT HE WAS, ABOUT THE TIME OF THIS
ALLEGED TRANSACTION, in the CITY OF
WASHINGTON. On examining the Jour
nal of the Board and the letter book, it
was found. by entries and letters. THAT.
FOR SEVERAL DAYS PREVIOUS to the al
legged interview between the president
and Whitney, and for several days after
wards. the president was absent on a
visit to this city, Washington on the
business Of the bank. and Gen. CadwaI-
ader was acting as president in his place!
"Thus was this artfully devised story,
which was Intended to blast the reputas
tion of high-minded and honorable
man, through one of those extraordinary
interpositions by which Providence some
times confounds the contrivances of the
wicked, made to recoil upon the head of