Southern telegraph., 1838-09-12
ANOTHER EXPLOSION-MORE
LIGHT.


LIGHT.
The following is an extract from the
speech of Mr.. Southgate, of Kentucky, on
the Treasury Note Bill. Ii will be read
with great interest by all who rant hSht!
.Mr. Chairman, desire distinctly 10 be
understood. and here IN my place, before
the assembled Representatives OF The ieJ-
pie. charge the fact 10 be, and challenge
any gentleman friendly to tine admris,ra-
ton to deny, Il he dare, Gil he does, / will
pruya the charge from lie recoId) that your
land Office receivers, in and out OF office,
have in their hands the enormous sum OF
@l.950.000; that your detaulung custom
house officers, not now ia Office, but who
now have been fully surteied, and given
way to a new set, have in their hands The
round sum Of Sl,427,4l0, making IN all
S3,3774IO. Now, sir, docs this sum IN
ciude the two thousand more deiaulhng
post-maslers, nor are the custom-house re-
ceivers, now in office, who are deElalerst0
the governments, and other receivers anu
disbureers of the public revenue. embraced
in this estimate; because the Secretary OF
the Treasury, for reasons best known to
himself. declined 10 give us the Information.
And, sir, that the committee, and dis na-
ton, may fully understand the sgb.oriuBes
and shutting eyasions of the Secretary Of
the Treasury, in endeayoring TO conceal
from us tue truecondition oC those in office,
and the amonnt Of defalcation, beg to refer
the committee to the resolution which pass
ed this house, on motion Of the honorable
gentleman from Virginia, (Mr. GarIand,)
and which, together with the novel reason
of the Secretary, and for the edifcalion Of
the Committee. Here is the resolution:
"ReSolred, That lhe Secretary Of the
Treasury communicate to this House, as
early in the next session as practicable the
names.of all receivers, collectors or deposit
tories of the public money, who are in de-
fault; the length of time due; the security
given, if any: and how much has been, or
likely will be lost-together with copy OF
all correspondence upon the subject, from
the first of January, 1884, to this time"
This resolution was adopted az the extra
session, and il not only required the Secre-
tarv Of the Treasury to send US the names
of"all receivers, collectors, or repositories
of the public money, who are in default"
but to send us all the correspondence IN re-
laton TO the subject. repeat, SIR, the Sec
re,ary was ordered to inform US "Uho are Ha
defauh." The resolution was general, iuIi
and comprehensive; requiring the names OF
all who are in default; those in, as well as
those out of ollice. And, sir, instead Of
complying with the plain and simple mean
ing of this resolution, apparent upon It's
face. and which could have been ander-
stood by any schoolboy in my district oi ten
years ofage, he has sent us for our edihca'
ton list of public defaultersWho wereno
in Office on The 18th day Of October, 1881
Not one word, not one name, oronc letter II
reference to those deiauiters who are ID OF
fee. And IN order to divert our atlenuoI
from the true object of inquiry, and sa,,
something which he supposed would satIsh
nv honorable friend from Virginia, (Nir
Garland,) who was curious toknow the tra
condition of these biped Sa0-freasurers, h
gives, in his report, the following eXtraordI
nary reasons. He says:
"But il viii be seen that they do not IL
clude any cases connected with the post ol
fee department, as its concerns have usua
ly been kept separate, and are suppose
not to he embraced in the purviews Of tn
resolution. For similar reasons, the case
Of disbursing officers, attached to the arm
and navy,o to other departments, and tn
cases individuals, such as merchants an
former purchasers OF public lands, are III
incladed, though the indebtedness OF man
Of them is very great"
What, Mr. Chairman, does the SecretaT
mean, when be speaks Of the cases Of ina
yiduals, such as merchants, who are deiau
ters TO the government as collectors, r
ceipers or disbwsers Of he public reUenael
No such thing. They owe the governmer
1t is true, for duties on goods imported; b
does it therefore follow that they are delal
ters within the spirit or intention of this re
olution, to which have REFEREED The Sc
retary, moreover, knew that, by a law of {
extra session, these merchants were perm
ted, on certain conditions, to withhold pa
ment for the periods and upon the condlto
therein provided. So much for the m
chants, and then comes the "former purcl
sers Of public lands" WLy, sir, am
tonished. Who is it that owes the COVE
ment the first dollar ms a'former purcha
of public land?" The Secretary ought
know, as every one knows, Tint the form
purchasers of public lands, made under
~ credit system, have long since either rel