The native American., 1838-06-09

Wv PiFHcStS vi Tic 1lOuSc, anu iOr Tie
abused and outraged character of his own const
tuents, hq could not but express his astonishmen
/ and Indignation that the head Of Department
should dare thus TO insult and trine with that
House. This occurrence threw light, strong
and clear, on the mode in which the duties Of thai
department were performed. 1t showed how
Important matters were entirely entrusted to
clerks and subordinate agents. Mr.. H., in con
cluson, said he should not object that these pa
pers should be Withdrawn by the President, but
he trusted that what had occurred on this occa-
sion would read his Secretary such lesson,
that documents like these should never again be
sent TO that House. Ii the papers were with
drawn, he hoped that they would not be left on
print among the archives Of this House, as the
recorded ISLANDERS of party press.
Mr.. DROMGOOLE suggested that it would
be a more regular course to lay The communica-
ton Of the President and Its accompanying docr-
ments on the table, aud order them TO be printed,
that thds the explanation Of this unpleasant trans
action might 60 with il to the country.
Mr.. WHlTFLESEY inquired Of the CHAIR
whether, should the pending resolution be adopt
ed, the offensive document would he bound
up in the volume Of Executive communications?
The CHAIR replied that ordinarily they
would; but under the peculiar circumstances Of
the present case, the Clerk had stated to him that
he should not order them to be bound up, but
would send back the message and documents to
he reprinted, with the omission Of those now OBJ
ieccd to.
Mr.. ATHERTON said, if he rightly under
stood the gentleman from Massachusetts, (Mr.
ADAMs.) that gentleman was ofopinon that both
the President and Secretary had relieved them
selves from all suspicion of purposng to do any
thing derogatory TO the dignity of the House,
and he was sorry to hear, from the remarks Of the
gentleman from New York, the expression Of a
different opinion. He could not conceive that
the Secretary Of the Treasury was placed in a
different position when deceived by placing too
great confidence in his clerks, from that in which
the President stood by placing too great conf
dcnce in his Secretary. 1t was well known
to every gentleman at all acquainted with the
course Of public business, that the heads of De
partments must, Of necessity, trust in great
measure to their clerks. What was this case?
Iii 1886, resolution passed the Senate, directing
the Secretary Of the Treasury to collect informa-
ton from various sources as to the importation of
foreign paupors into the United States. In reply
to circulars from the Department, information
came in various shapes into the Office, and was
then placed on file by the clerks. It was proba-
bly, examined only SO far as TO find to what gen
eral subject it related. When the call was made
by the House, the Secretary ordered his clerk to
gather these papers together, and, without parti-
culary examining them, he transmitted them to
the House. He was sorry that the gentleman from
New York had indulged in language which seem
ed to imply that the Secretary of the Treasury had
intentionally sent an offensive libel to the House.
He believed it was admitted on all hands that if
there was any thing for which that officer was
distinguished, it was for assiduity and industry
- ~ =. Tk
that he never shr,lnk from any toll in the dis
charge of his official duty, and he trusted the
gentleman from New York would retract any
language which implied that the Secretary was
negligent, and shrank from bending all the energies
of his mind to the trust confded to him. He
was truly sorry to hear the course of remark from
that gentleman. He could not conceive why the
Secretary was more chargeable with blame than
the President, and he thought it was honorable
and candid in the gentleman from Massachusetts
so promptly to exonerate both.
Mr.. BRIGGS said that there had been, yes
terday, but one sentiment in the House rs to the
character of two Of the documents which had
been sent with the Presidents message, and he
believed there was but one opinion now rela-
tive to the manner in which the President had
met the question. The President had frankly told
the House that those papers were of such cha
ractcr that, had he been apprzed OF It, ne never
would have sent them to the House. Mr.. B. was
sorry to say that the letter Of the Secretary was
by no means so satisfactory. The gentleman
from New Hampshire (Mr. ATHERToN) had allu-
ded to the authority under which the Secretary
had proceeded to collect information OH the sub
ject Of foreign paupers. The Senatcs resolution
had directed him to call upon custom-house Off
GERS and foreign consuls.
Mr.. 3. was here reminded, by some member,
that the words s'other sources of information"
were also added.
Mr.. B. admitted this; but here were extracts
from newspaper sent to the Department, not
by any individual officially called upon, but, as
the Secretary informed the House, ''by somebo-
DIV who felt an interest in the subject" and, on
this authority, were permitted to 60 OH the files
Of the Department. And what did the Secretary
say in his communication concerning these nfa-
nous papers? He uttered not word OF disap-
proval Of their contents. He tells the House,
that in the pressure of business, documents had
been sent, in which Objectionable remarks were
'smingled' with information sent. Now, did
these papers contain single sentence of informa.
ton! A single word that was relevant to the
inquiry! Were they not full of the rankcst abuse
or ;nd;y;Iu,ls2 Vet Mr. Secretary tells the House