Litchfield enquirer., 1839-02-07

the Heads of the Executive Departments
vo,lr committee and your whole party, com.
Sined and conspired to stifie investigation,
when proposed in 1887.
Sir, not only did you and the administra-
ton pursue this course upon the committee
to examine the condition OF the various Elk.
ecutive Departments, Of which was chair.
man, but in like manner, you played the same
game on the committee and towards the COM
fIlittee of which my friend and colleague,
(Mr. GarlandO was chairman. You rcpel-
led inquiry, refused interrogutorics, prostra.
ted and postponed resolutions encouraged
contumacy in witnesses, resisted investiga.
ton in every form there too, with this differ
ence only, that there the usual throw nt The
die was cinque-four," instead of " size
tray" my colleague, the chairman, usually
voting with the minority-Johnson, Pcyton
Wise. ~ '" 't
Such wac your reform administration -
You denied, resisted and defeated all invcs-
tigarion, all inquiry. One of the committees
were appointed to sit on Reuben and the 9TH
or on Levi. One was 10 investigate the pet
bank concern, the other was to examine the
virtue and honesty of the Treasury Depart
ment. Sir, Reuben and Levi were then in
company-they "rode and tied.' But how
soon, sir, did truth" mighty truth PREVAIL"
Notwithstanding all your resistance and at
tempts 10 stifle her mighty throcs Sir, this
was in the session Of 1861; these COM
mittees reported on the Sd of March before
sixty days expired, the explosion Of the pet
banks, the crush Of credit, the destruction Of
confidence and commerce, the ruin of eve-
~ thing proclaimed, Numbered, the truth of
my charges, to establish which the Garland
committee was aised-thundcred it, sir, in
the ears of every man--touched the nerves
Of every mans pocket; and was literally SO
tangible as to be felt by every man, woman
and child through the country. The Sccre-
tary Levi himself admitted the system to be
corrupt and unsafe to the called session, and
poor Reuben has been turned to the dogs
And, now, sir, the truth ofthe charges against
the Departments is about to be verified as
clearly by the explosion of the sub-treasur-
ers, Swartwout, Price, Gratiot. and others, us
the truth of the charges in relation to the pet
banks was made manifest by their explosion.
Here some of Mr.. Wisc's friends entrcat-
ed him to yield the floor for a motion to adj !
journ.l
No, sir, do not yield the floor, may new
er get it again until the fourth of March, |
1889. will go on, without turning inside !
from my purpose, to expose these Outrages
upon the country. ] feel better now much
better, sir. was sick last night these doc
lments made me sick. I was porting over |
them last night. The discussion of them |
made mo perspire the perspirntion comes |
now freely, and I arm relieved. distrusf,
you, sir. to be frank; Twill 60 on, and you |
must bearit. '2- r 5A.# sr G'
First came the explosion of the pet banks
noU come the explosions, one after another,
In quick succession, of the sub-treasurers |
who were, or are TO be substituted for banks,
and I will endcayor to show you that they
prove all ever charged to be true.
said that in December, 1884, when Gen. |
Jackson gave his certificate that all was well,
honest, fair, this very leg-treasury, Swart-
won't, Ut New. York, was in default $336,7l |
Well, sir, now it appears that, in twelve |
months after, he was in default to the tune of
$l,Ol6,955, and three months after that time, I
was defaultcr in the still larger sum of
81, 225,7O5 60! Previous to my attempt at !
investigation, he had been stealing public |
money at the rate Of $4,000 per annum.--
After the cat was bclled, he stole in one year
S66O.236 63, and in the next three months,
S2Oe,760 81. Yes, sir, after the President
had given him certificate of honesty, and
you, sir, and the House, and the committee.
and the Executive, had shielded him from oil
scrutiny, he stole id one year the sum Of
$3.50, SO, and in the next three months at
the rate of more than 100000 per annun,--
his defalcation averaging throughout his Of
fetal career, the sum of more than $4,000
per annunn, for seven ycars--and this too. We
are now told, without the least suspicion. "a
Jew may believe it, but Gonf!" =
Sir, said the other day that did not re-
joice in these public lesscs and catamities,
though confessed ] did feel a thrill Of tri-
umph at having gained victory for the truth.
The pet bank system and the sub-treasurcs
have exploded, as said they would. and OK.
pose the hidden enormiticss concealed until
fho1y could ho ropoan lad lOy1nnp half Nc
not rejoice at it. ! made me no booth to sit
and watch for the destruction of corrupt
Nincvch. But, sir, there Is one poor human
being on this earth-alone now in the world
wrecked in reputation, blasted-slighted by
men not half as worthy as he is--whose soul
ut scenes like these does rejoice, must exult
Who and where is he! Sir, if you 60 down
to Pennsylvania avenue, to the corner Of
FOur-and "a half-street, beneath Mrs. Pcy-
toms boarding house, you will find grey
headed man, stricken in years his name is
Tobias Watkins. That man for bo'roscing
money OF public officers, funds ia their halds,
not converting funds in his own hands to his
own use, was imprisoned on the 18th Of An.
gust 1929, and tried on three several indict-
ments, on all of which he was convicted and
fined, on the sum of $3.50, on another $780,
and on the third $1,000. He was sentenced
to be imprisoned three months on each in-
dictmeni, in all nine months butthough iln-
prisoned in August, 1899, he was not releas-
cd until March. 1883. Kept in Jail three
years and six months for real or fictitious
defalcation of @4,O6O.
Where are now the deiaulters of this re-
form administration +? Where is Swartwout,
after embezzling public money for eight
years in succession, till no had taken and
carried away million and quarter ,.
Where Is Price! Where is Gratiot How
long since their carriage wheels proudly
hurled the Olympic dust of the fashionable