Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1837-01-05

ing eulogies upon public iunctlonaries, whose
conduct he was in no situation to examine
and who, ifthey were honest, needed not hi;
testimony {" me fact.
But the gentleman from Rhode Island has
another objection to the mode of proceeding
proposed by my friend from Virginia. liz
SAYS that il is unnecessary because, by the
standing rules of the House, the investigation
into all such matters is enjoined, as a duty
upon the Committee of Ways and Means
The Rule alluded to by the gentleman read,
a. iolows:-"It shall be the duty of the Com
mi,tce OF Ways and Means to take inio CON
sideratlon all such reports of The Treasury
Departneni,and all such propositions relative
To the revenue, as may be referred TO them Oy
the House, etc, etc, To eXamlIic INTO Me sue
efhe sererai puI!ic departments, and partIcu-
!arly into the laws making appropriations oi
monies, and to report whether the monies
have been disburscd coBfornably with such
laws, and also a report, from time to tine,sucii
provisions and arrangements as may DO me-
cessafy 10 add 10 the economy OF the Depart
menrs,and the accountability oltheir officers" )"
And yet the gentleman, IN subsequent part
of his argument, contended that the exercise,
by the House of such power as Is hereby
cnioined upon one of its standing committees,
would be IA Acknowledgement of the heads OF
Departments. An er paTe trial aud conS!c-
lion according to the rules OF the common
law, The Rule referred TO by the gentle
man shows the sense entertained ny the
House in relation 10 the necessity OF such
Investigations n, the one proposed into the
state and condition of the several Depart
ments with view 10 the rigid accountability
of pnblic officers, and the legal disbursement
OF the public monies.
Bat, sir, is the Committee OF Ways and
Means the appropriate committee to make
such examinations: Look at the past. How
long have complaints Of malversatlon in Of
flee been ringing in the ears of gentlemen?
Louk al the formation of that committee. Its
chairman tMr. Cambreleng) labors under a
political, if not legal, disability to institute
and conduct them with efficiency. Dare he
move in such a cause? No, sir; he would seal
his fate forever. But, ifthat COMMITTEES were
forced by the House into the investigation,
with what hope of success could we rely up
on its The head Of each Department would
hand over TO the chairman of that committee
such statement as he might choose To send
here.
Why, sir, il would be like the trial Of Reu-
ben Whitney. Reuben has been tried, and,
as you will be glad to hear, acquitted, since
the last session. But how tried? Not by
committee of this House? No, sir, he was
tried on the other side of the Allcghanles,
while the witnesses and the prosecutor were
a thousand miles off. He was tried at Jones'
borough, Tennessee, before the President of
the United States; the prosecutor, not my
friend from Virginia, Mr.. Wise,) but one
John Kennedy, who prosecuted Reuben so
handsomely, that he has since been rewarded
by an appointment. Reuben was arragned
before the President in a large crowd, the
charges against him SO drawn up that they
could all be answered in his favor without
touching the true issues which involve his
guilt or innocence. They, in effect asked
the Presdent--is Reuben a saint, or is he
sinner? ale is prosecuted patriot, sir; per-
secuted On account of his opposition TO the
United States Bank" "Therc" said they,
edo you hear tbat?" and the shout, hurra for
Reuben, was loud and long. But, sir, the
gentleman chose to wander from the subject
before the House, and carry this political war
into Tennessee. This is contrary to the poll
icy of his State during the late war with
Great Britain. She then had higher regard
for State lines and State Sovereignty: her
patriotism was only commensurate with her
small limits.
lie represents The President as going to
the Hermitage on private busiDcss,and seems
to justify all which his party attempted to a
chieve by the Presidents visit TO Tennessee.
A private visit to the Hermitage! They scarce
ly gave him time to shake hands with the old
family servants at the Hermitage. He was
hurried from plare to place, dragged along
through dust and heat to public meetings, at
towns and villages. and cross roads. and
country stores;carrled through Tennessee and
brought back, and taken through
Kentucky. by the way Of Cine innatto Wash I,
ngton The irieuds Of Mr. Van Buren re-
sorted to every art to excite and induce him
10 take an active part IN the election; aud
hey now talk of private visit to the Her
nitage! Sir, was told this morning, MS
entered the Capitol, that some one of the
members from Tennessee denied certain facts
which every one there knows to be true. !
nope, sir, that no such denial has been made.
But, if it has, stand ready to meet the gen
lemen, and maintain the truth Of those facts
my where. The President assailed me for
he course which he said had pursued in
elation to the bill which contained the ap-
,ropriation to carry into effect the Cherokee (,
reaty, before he left the city (which complaint
he frequently repeated OH his way 70 the
Hermitage. AT Knoxville a gentleman pro-
'uced the Globe newspaper, which showed
hat had voted aud spoken in support of that
But it had 90 effect, for he con-
inued to speak Of 1t AZ he had done before.
1t Sparta, he denounced my fiend from Vir.
,inia (Mr. Wise) as liar. At the house of
frs. Sanders, in Summer coun'y,rennessee,
G stated that my colleague (Mr. Belly told
wenty lies in one speech, and knew them to
e lies at thu time;" and that Peyton was a
reater liar than Bell. In passing through
he district Of my colleague, (Mr Forresterl