The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1837-04-19
EXTRACT,

From the report Of the Committee to in
quire into the corruption Of the Exec
|. utivc departments, in relation to the
charge, made against the late admins
lration, of subsidizing the press.
The committee will now proceed to an
examination of the calls on the Executive
Departments, and the testimony offered and
given in this investigation, applying to both
the analysis they have endcavorcd to pre-
sent of the grounds of their proceedings.
The committee, in commencing their Ia
bors, hal no accusations To make, either of
their own knowledge or derived from auy
private disclosures to them, Of corrupt vio~
Iations of law, or neglect or nbuse OF OIL
lical duty. But they were instructed TO
inquire" and they were ready to receive
any information, authorize any call, or ad-
init any testimony, coming within the con-
slruclon which they put upon the resolution
defining their duty aud jurisdiction.
They Inferred that the chairman of the
COMMITTEES, who had moved the resolution
,ha, induced the House, almost unanimous
ly, to institute inquiry, would he ready to
formally present and distinctly point out
such specifications aud evidence as would
come within the constitutional and legal
rights Of the parties implicated, aud the
powers of the committee.
The form choscn by him, in the inquiry,
was n series of resolutions, offered by the
chairman, [page A of Journal, calling up
on the President and heads Of departments
for certain information.
The first resolution, in that CALL required
of all the departments u minute exhibit ol
every item in the accounts of every printer
or editor of a newspaper; who had been
paid dollar within the last year with thu
residence, name, service, consideration, DC
This was call dcyolving immense and
in fact, wholly impraclicable labor upon th,
; departments. 1t had no conncxlon will
the condition Of the various Executive
|. Departments" 1t had nothing to do will
E complaints at the " manner" IN which the
public officers had fulfilled or failed to ac-
complsI, the objects of the creation Of the
Executive Departments nor did 1t involve
any violation of duty, or any act inJurlng
aud impairing the public service aud IN
, terest. II was call for information OF
legal acts the mover of the call admitting
|, that ",he Illegal patronage Of the Govern
ment to the press would not subsldizc a
| twopcnny country newspaper"
;, At the same time the charge rnndc was,
abuse of the patronage of the departments
to subsi1ize the public press, and a cor
rupt violation of duty, in abusing legal au-
thoriiy, in corruptins and subsidlzlns Tie
public press =
Now. if :be law required the heads Of
departments to employ newspapers Tor GER
tain specific acts, at stipulated OF reasona-
bic prices, land i, is not alleged that they
have employed my morG newspapers, or
paid any more compensation than The law
a,lovs,l where is the violation oil duty
where Is the substituting and corrupiing the
public press
f the officers Of the Government, in COM
pliancc with acts Of Congress cnJoin'ng this
duty, employ an editor or printer OF news
yaper TO publish an advertisement, and pay
him a fair compensation as others do in like
cascg. in matters of private business, Is 1t a
fair or just impu,ation upon the whole COM
munity Of editors and printers throughout
the United States, to represent them us Oe-
| ing class Of citizens So mcrcennry and
unprincipled, as to be susceptible OF being
subsidized and bought up TO sustain men
and measures they in reality condemn
bought, too, no, by any gratui'y or bounty,
bu, by the mere payment Of a fair price for
the same services which thcy, are consiant'y
receiving pay for from pdvate individuals
u the doctrine to be maintained, that the
people Of this country are 80 degraded and
corrupt. the, every citizen who sells a.