Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1837-02-09
WHOLE NO. 34S.

mcnts. lie requests To see the official cor
rcspondence. Uhm is your specific chorgei
wish io inquire into The appointments or dis
mlssa of such and such officers: the recent
appointment OF Hooker, for instance, who, it
has been stated on this floor, kept back the
poll books of an election for party purposes.
and has been rewarded with Office IN the midss
of an insnlicd and indignant community. d.
you charge corruption or ebuse2 No; my OBJ
ject is to inquire. We can only inquire 'nio
specific ohngcs. Permit me, then. to see The
books of the office. Hold, sir. mhoi particu-
lar entry do you cH,ge to be juiye or. Fraudulent?
| cannot tell, says my colleague, what the cn-
tries may Disclose before nm permitted To-
see them. That ,copii be in the nature oC IS
general search. lie is again overrued: the
books remain sealed books for him. and he
returns from his irutlcss errand ~ wise rs
he went. But he makes report; and how
does lie respond to the broad assertions of
the message? Is all right? Are our public
functionaries all diligcnt, all honest? sir, he
cannot answer the question. lie has been
permitted to open no book to inspect no re-
cord. And this mock examination ;s Ia be
claimed on behalf Of men al the head of our
Executive Departments; of honorable men,
II is said, unjustly nssailed! Were you io
enter the house of a suspected felon in search
OF stolen goods, he mil ght be- expected to i'll
sst that general search warrants were un-
constitutional, and to forbid you to open N
closet, or turn key,untl you shonld specify
on oath, the article alleged to have been pur-
loncd; and, If brought to trial, he might CALI
on some qubbling attorney to seize on any
flaw in the indictment TO get him off. Eus
tnen filing high and responsible stations can
not, without dishonor, rely upon any defe nee
which precludes thorough investigation in
to their official conduct. Such course
would Justly excite suspicious, where none
existed before; and where they did, would
confirm them. Whnt, sir, would you think
of the clerk of bank or other institution over
which you might preside, who should refuse
you permission to inspect his books, unless
you should FIRST make specific charge, and
designate the particular entry to prove IT.
Would you not infer guilt, and instantly dis
miss him from your service?
! Sir, the investigation now proposed on the
part of the Public, in no respect differs from
TINT which every private institution or inel-
, vidual is at liberty to make. The People
surely hive tho same right to kBow IN whai
! way their affairs are managed by their own
| agents. They will not be satisfied tina, such
an investigation shall be denounced NJ inqn-
sitO,idi; refused, unless their representatives
! shall step forward rs Witnesses or ccusers,
| ar, If allowed, that c. mmittess shall be sent
! int the public Offices hoodwinked, and tied
down to specific allegations. Still less VIII
they agree to be told that Executive 'ificcrs
are not the servants Of the People. but the
Presidents Minister'S; more sacred, evcn,than
the Ministers Of a King, that all inquiry into
their conduct shall be suppressed, because
the Preside mt has borne testimony To their
fidelity, and to question that is to assail his
va.acity. Yes, sir, such are the doctrines
now heard on this hoor. 10 this complexion
hare ,ce come ut last.
| But, sir, while one gentlemnn(Mr. RIrLEY)
denounces the proposed inquiry as inquisito-
rial and another mr. Lane Ms wholly unpre-
ccdenled, the gentleman from Rhode Island
! is opposed to it, because ills already provid-
ed for by the rules Of the House. Several OF
the standing committees, he tells us. nuong
others the Committee OF Ways and Means,
have authority to do every thing contcmplat-
ed by the resolution. II so, sir, surely the
proceeding is not without precedent; and, u
inquisitorial in its character, why does not the
gentleman from Louisiana move to abolsh
the rules which require it? 1t is impossible
! to reconcile these Inconsistencies. There IN
nothing inqusitorial or illegal demanded by
the resolution. 1t proposes to insure the per-
iormance of an important duty which we owe
to the country, aud which has been too long
neglected
4 But if the gentleman from Indiana Mr.
. LASE)will not regard the authority conferred
by the rules of the House on its standing
committees as a precedent in point, what viii
he say to the precedent IN the case of tho
Post Office examination? Aware Of the force.
' he sought to evade il by telling us, tbn, thas
examination was moved for by the chairman
, of the Post Office committee. What them
sir? The objection il not to the power, Qua
; to the member who applies: not to tho rcso-
luton, but To the mover. II would indeed
appear SO. But two days past, resolution,
offered by one Of my colleagues. Mr. GAR
/, LANp,l to inquire into the conn, xion between
Whitney and the Treasury, was unanimous
> ly adopted, ,nanimousIy-though. in sub
stance, the same with that which another col
league, on dlfferont side Of the House mr.
WIsE,) had, during great part OF the lass
session, struggled in vain to carry through
Yes, sir, fortunately, the Post Office investi-
CATION was moved for by friend Of the Ad-
ministration: it wns directed, too, notwith-
standing the President had proclaimed tha 4
, all was well, by those who certainly did NOT
, mean to impeach his vcraclty. NO specihe
charges were demanded. The committee
A was vested with sweeping authority TO ex-
r anime, generally, into The eordit'on and pro
i o,edings of the Post Offico Department; and
= the result of its labors was the devclopment
I Of mass of niquity, seldom enrpassed IN tho
= history Of the most corrupt Go~ernmcnts.-
!, Suppose, sir, the doctrine Of specifications
. had been then enforced. Who could have
|, specified the ncglccts, the frauds, the er-
sures, the corrupt and coluswc practices o'
: every kind, which prevailed in the Depart
. mrni. mnny ef which were. for the first iIne,