The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-01-12
WHOLE NO. 1876.
Mr.. CAMBRELENG said. The gentleman said .

non what he had said was, that this was the trst In
stance within his experience in which the prominent
members OF the administration party had refused to print
public document He did not know, and could not
know that all the members Of that party would vote
refuse He supposed, on the contrary, that they might
divide as on other occasions.
i Mr.. CAMBRELENG was glad the gentleman quail
fed his remark Iconcur CONTINUED Mr.. CO. with the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr Wse) in the necessity OF
publishing an extra number Of these documents; not
however in the necessity Of publishing them ALL because
hope that, before Of the documents is printed it
VIII be referred 10 a committee, TO examine and see
what parts requisite for publication, and that we
sha not do as we did two years ago, publish libel
upon dead men-msn who have produced their vouch-
ers, and settled their accounts
Mr. WISE. Who was the author OF that libell
Mr. CAMBRELENG. ] concur in the opinion that
mat document should have from the Depart
'henl without explanatory documents
:, mr. WISE. The Secretary was the author OF that
libel, If a libel il was
Mr. CAMBRELENG. The document was furnish
ca 10 obedience to a resoution-was specially called
for Bnt the other document contains information Of
an enurey nominal character. One half OF the indi-
Viduas there implicated dead men, and others have
brought their vouchers and yet have been publishing
the document annually. If the Secretary did publish
y, was under an ancient act Of Congress, requiring
the annual publication Nominal defauters should not
DC punished as actual defauiers Allow me here to say
70 'hose gentlemen who seem sensitive about the
case Of Mr. Swartwout, that the public may imagine
nst lhsy mean, by raising up the ghosts Of dead
Tor forty years past 10 up last fraud of one Of
their own friends III
| Ia good-humored and very general laugh was heard
through the Hall at the close of the last sentence
u MI. CAMBRELENo continued. / will say that COM
niserate, as much any man. the case OF Mr. Swart-
won't ascribe his case as do all such 10 that fayo
me c,euh system OF theirs which, in other words is the
Sano''ng system lhis is the source Of all the degra-
aa'on IN morals and character which we now witness
'"'S system, say gentlemen may trace all these
10 uDy M into
Mr.. WISE desired to correct the gentleman from
New York in fact.
The gentleman speaks Continued Mr. wy and
understand tho whole secret Of it, with view throw
the Opposition party in this House into the attitude Of
defending Mr. Swartvout and says that he commserates
that individual as much as or any other gentleman
Now want the gentleman and all his party understand
that have no commisera,ion with Mr.. Swartwout. |
mold HIN IN utter contempt--in utter deestation-as
dishonest public officer who retained in Office by the
Secretary OF the Treasury with full Of knowing his
dishonesty and without any disposition the part of the
Secretary TO do his duty and bring the defauter pun
shment appeal tShe ghosts Of no dead men. My
appeal is TO the iving-the living who walk abroad
unscathed, unHhpped OF justice, through the whole
length aud breadth Of this land Ny business is with
the living, not the dead Let them rest in their graves;
| shall not disturb their repose
Mr.. w. THOMPSON said that he also dsclamed
all sympathy with Mr.. Swartwout. He (Mr. t. APP
proved Of the of the administration relation
TO his defalcations But he wanted contrast their
present with that previously adopted by them
Mr. CAMBRELENG. The gentleman from Vir-
gnia (Mr. Wse) will pardon me, mean to say, that
feel as much sympathy with the case OF Mr.. Swart-
won't as ! do with the case Of the poor smuggler.-
When make laws contrary to the rights Of man, if
the smuggler should be taken and hanged, should be
prone to desire that the aw-maker himself should
be hanged rather than the smugger do that those
who are in favor of laws which will bring upon the
country such evils as these, responsible to the
country the individual who commits the fraud. And
when some poor man becomes the victim the gentleman
from Virginia will pardon me if my impulse Of humanity
goes ahead of his
/ Mr.. Wise. God bless you
Mr.. CAMBRELENG. The Of Mr.. Swsrtwout, !
regard Of the most fragrant character and deserving
Of the severest reprobation but at the same time,
cannot avoid looking at the Of this whole system
OF the demoiaizIng tendency of which we have such
abundant evidences. But, sir, shall have ample
time 60 into this question: and to trace all these ruin
speculatons lands and stocks to the right source
/ tho credit system. am willing that all the defaca
tons should be published as much as gentlemen please
because believe that the more we multiply copies OF
Them the satisfied will the people become that the
law which was before the session before last and the
last session, and which has again been reported ought
to have been the law from l7S9 down TO the present
time believe that, if The law now reported had been
the law Of the land, Mr.. Swarwout never could have
escaped detection and that he would have been
defauer All ask OF gentlemen is, to read the pro-
visions of the BILL and whether they are not the only
provisions which be adopted to prevent similar de-
falcatons.
Mr. REED said that he well recollected to have
heard the gentleman from New York, (Cambreengo
few days previous the close Of the last session Of Con-
gress and after the signal defeat of the Treasury
bill, boast loudly that the SubTreasury was in opera
ton, and would continue to be until lS40-(he added,
i" in spite OF the lamentations here and elsewhere y
And now the private and pnblc losses and evils we
have suffered and even the frauds and dealcations OF
public officers charged to the Oppostionto US OF
the minority.
Mr. CAMBRELENG here rose (Mr r. having mo-
mentary yielded the foor and said that the remark OF
the gentleman afforded him (Mr, the opportunity OF
stating what his opinion in relation to ,he Jaw OF
the land existing His opinion was that, since
the suspension OF specie payments the depostc act OF
1886 had become null and void and that the last clause
Of the sh section revived the act Of l7s9 which was
the only organizing the Treasury Department, and
by which the keeping Of the public moneys was made
the express duty Of the Treasurer Of the United States
Under that act the Treasurer the exclusive keeper
Of the public money, and nothing but gold or silver was
received in payment OF public dues The latter had
however been subsequently modified by the joint reso
luton Of 1916 and the act of the l4h of july, 1885,
tolerating the receipt OF bank notes conditionaly.
| Mr. REED continued Tho statement and explaEa
ton given by the gentleman does not at all change
the facts. The statement of the gentleman, which
have alluded to- made here last session, and which is
not denied no man in this House can have forgotten.
We then assured, and the country was assured,
by that gentleman, that the Sub Treasury then IN
operation and would continue TO be until lS40 IN spite
Of Is it not in operations Did not President
Jackson take the responsibility" and make it known
to Congress and the country, that the Secretary OF the
Treasury and all the subordinate officers of the Ireasu-
ny Department were subject to his control
The gentleman charges the specuations and over
trading monopolies, and The frauds and deacaons
of public officers, the minority Have the minority
made your laws Have they appointed your collectors
and district attorneys (Srrarttsoui, Price, go a'1
your land receivers We are, this late day. eaNeu
upon by the President 10 aid in detecting ara Pu'"
ing dofaulters The great defaulters are lar peyoeu
our REACH and we shall probably search ~ sa ia,j
the vast amount OF money they have n0n, ,.a"d
taLan from, ,ba the frcsucHt "o''