The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1837-02-17
THE PRESIDENTS LETTER.
Mashinglon cav. Ian Is. Is37

Washington City. Jan Is, 1887
Sir received. on The evening If The
9th inst. your letter covering copy of
certain resolutions purporling TO have
been adopted by = committee ofihe House
of Representatives. Of which you are The
chairman, and request thai you will lay
before tha. COMMITTEE this my reply.
which ! hasten tn make.
liappesrs. by the published proceed.
ings of the House # Representatives.
that the committee of which you are
chairman. vas appointed on your mo.
tinn. The resolution offered by you.
and hnally adopted by the House. raIsrd
direct issue with that part uf %, annual
messag. 10 which | held the following
language: " Before concluding Ihi. paper.
| think il due 10 the various Executive
Departments to bear testimony tn their
prosperous condition. and tn the ability
and integrity with which they have
been conducted. II has been nv aim tn
enforce IN all of them sigilant and
faithful discharge III the public business:
and it's gratifying 10 me TO believe thai
there IL no jus. cause Of complaint. from
any quarter. al the manner in which they
have fulfilled the ohjec, of their creation"
Your resolution is IN the following
words: g." Resolved. That 50 much of the
Presidents message as relates to the
condition Of the various Executive DE.
partrnrnts. the ability aud integrity with
which they have been conducted. the
slgllsnl and faithful discharge OF the
public business In all -nf them. and the
causes OF complaint. from any quarter.
al the msnnrr IN which they have fulfill
ed the ohlrris al Their rreatIon. be refer
red i0 a select committee. To consist OF
nine members. wIth power TO send Tor
persons aud papers. and with instructions
,omquire into the condition Of the various
Executive Departments. the ability and
integrity with which they have been
conducted. into The manner in which
the public business has been discharged
in all III them, and into all causes Of
complaint from any quarter. al the manner
in which said Departments, or their
bureaus or offices. or any of their officers
or agents of every description whatever.
directly or indirectly connected with
them in any manner, officially or un
officially. in duties pertaining 10 the
public interest. have fulfilled or failed 10
accomplish the objects of their creation.
or have vlalaled their duties. or have
injured and impaired the public service
and interest, and that said committee. in
it's inquiries. may refer 10 such periods Of
time as 10 them may seen expedient and
proper" II also appears. from the pub
lished proceedings OF the House. tina. this
resolution was accompanied aud supports
ed by a speech Of considerable length. in
which you preferred many severe but
vague charges Of corruption and abuse in
The Executive Departments. The resolu-
tons adopted by The committee. as well
as lha. adopted by the House itself, mus.
be taken in connexion with your intro
duc,ory speech, which gives character
To the whole proceeding. When thus re-
garded. il is obvious that, BY the resolu-
ton of the House. an issue is made with
The President of the United States. as he
had alleged. in his annual message. that
the heads Of the Executive Departments
had performed their official duties with
ability and integrity. In your speech
you denied This; sou charged them with
manifold corrupsions and abuses oil trust,
as you had done in former speeches. to
which you referred; and you demanded
an investigation through the medium nj a
committee. Certain other members Of