Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-03-21
VOLUME X8xV.---No. lOa.

health, and unable longer to attend the committee this
evening, be permitted 10 take away with him the first
ineFrogaiory prop"umdrG by Nr Wise, and that he be
allowed to craw up his ihereo in wrltisg and
n'ng The same TO the Committee for their coEsde
at The meeting tomorrow morning"
These PRACTICES SO novel and unprecedented in the
opinions n" The Undersigned and likely inurous!y 10
AFFECT Inc rights OF all persons implicated in The inyes
CATION, was deemed necessary check if possible nv
diTect vote Of the committee One o. the under sign
ed moved the following resolution:
"HheTe0S The practice adopted by the com mit,ce Of
examining two witnesses a; he time calculated
TO defeat the object OF this investigation nd the iu,, ex
PecatIons OF The country. "cii 10 produce pre,,
embarrassment and the me pbrrs and
particularly, when under the rule IL examination one
menoer Is compelled To examine two Witnesses nj the
SAME time; and, whereas tie injurious effect NJ this
Practice strongly eSenp6rd by Ihs examination a, ID.
same time, and in the presence Of each other Of two
Witnesses 10 VII; Henry Ogden and Joshua Phillips,
C1Sh''f ana assistant cashier attached Ia the cus,nn
house. and called upon 10 testify 10 the acncs and do
ihgs OF The cashier department: BE !, Ihrref,f.
htSotta, mat hereafter witness alone shall be
r"nt'u i"to me committee room, whose examination
shall DE complete aud ended before the introduction of
another" -
ne other resolution was in the words following.
""tfeaS, The practice Of permitting witnesses TO ore.
lheir answers to Inerr"gatories Of the commcc
room, and not in the presence Of the committee unon
their suggestion Of Ill health real or 0frc,,d j, DANCER
Gus IN lis character ana Duruu, % The rirh,s of 6oss
!hpcated, as The conduct and of witnesses in
giving lheir testimony almost important as tie uot
'e ana as Tue IntrntIon ii The House OF Representa-
yves from whom we derive our power was to bav.
! iar, honest and impartial investigation:
BE II res0irsd, That all and every witness in the
course OF lhs nYestigati"n shall De- and cxamD.
IN Inc committee room, aad in the presence of the CON.
mIltee."
The FIRST rejected a substitute benr offered and
adopted, rs will De by reference to the ,utna HE
idier iaid upon The aLis These acts need no further
observation" we give the text, the commentary can be
III. III k.,,,
there was another practice adopted by the committee
winch, IN the opinion OF The undrrsigned affected The
private fghls o ndvIduaIs inquiries, not as 10 defal.
Gallons but the disposition by officers of The Govern
mehto their own money for party political purDoses
as VIII be seen by question TO- and answer Of,
DepSy sier, also dIsGSsed officer Of the customs
'Queslon Whiie you were connected with the
custom house. do you know whether or not the officers
oil the customs called upon paw any part of their
salaries or any assessment tax thereon party or
political Purposes? u yea, stae whether you ha re ever.
ana "hrn yoh have made am such payment, and state
the Iaot''e upon which such payments were made
ANSWER he weIghers cailtd TO pay fifteen
dollars each for the support OF The elections and when
declined, Mr. fanderpoel, the deputy surveyor OBJ.
served that ought TO consider whether my S. 500 per
annum was not worth paying fifteen dollars for Under
The Impression that II The price for nv situation |
Paidit The above occurred Daring The last spring cleo.
ton for charter ctFctrS During my holding otce foy
about five years was occasionally called on but always
declined until within the last years "
In the pursuit OF this obrci occurrence took pace
u, The committee room. which dee med OF sufficient
Importance 10 be spread upon the Journal The state
nent is IN these words:
"Resore&, That The following facts BE- entered on tho
journal:
MIR Wise propounded to the witness Abraham p
Fanderpoel, the following eue-t'~s, 'e omce's OF Inc
4rn,use yer been called Oh 10 contribute sums
oil money 10 party or p"lCa oGlsci- W tr' 'tlHa
nation given that their refusal might occasion Their re-
inva; what amount has been contributed or collect.
cd and for the support o! what party at any one cleo
ton:
s.Yhc witness TOOK the in.errognoty w;ihoat objection
to p.opoundng the same, and rrDcerdel 10 we his an.
thereto the paper attached 10 the question: ano
had written the following, To wit:
81 have know officers attached 10 The custom house
10 have been called on ior-waen Mr. Owens, member
Of the committee lnterposed aud informed the witness
that he not bound to answer any inrrIosatory re-
a,inp to his private a.fas and hereupnn Mr. Foster,
another me Of the committee, To rroPouho-
mo the inlerrogatury The witness here commenced 10
tear off What lie had written before objection was made
to the n,errogaloy MIR. Wise prevented him from do.
ing SO by forUddlng the act Mr Foster INSISTED mat
the witness had the ah to- tear oil what he had written
and that was his untl II was complete anG
handed in and he asked the witness whether 1t was his
answer and he replied II was not AND The committee
having decided that the Inierroseory should be pro-
oounded the said Yueslrn by Mr. Wise was again hand
II 10 the Witness and he returned the following: de-
cline to answer the second question The witness was
then permitted 10 retire
If The INFORMATION given 10 the witness Of bis rights,
stood in need OF Justification precedent II Is c":iihfd
in the following statement vi iacls whoa had previously
occurred III the committee room:
Nj, Owens propounde to Mr. jose pin the . question.
The witness wrote his answer IN tie ioiown! words,
.
Ne owed us u very large sum Of money on account
of these stock operations, as lac reVuisoh OF lc3' nae
very great loss OH The stocks We ao ana
hch were sold AFTER failure by the parties who mao
,b.m under nv poheeation, and handed the foregoing
answer 10 MI Owens who, alter reading IT, Told the
wuness he had moi answered the question July, mob
naylny stuicd the cmOaht OF Swartwont Indebtedness
Wn.rr uuon the wIl..tss replied "liat he would not
wsh 10 stale that, he had not his counsel here ana
the amount was yet be settled between hun and Mr.
! SwarlwGut.
MIR Wis, then observed in the hearing OF the witness,
h, no udJe in this case. be felt II ~ be his duty TO
~ -, m. witness that he bad rIg, to decline answer.
,nr question relating his private atfars 1he W.T.
ness AFTER some conversation between Mr. Owens, Mr.:
Foster and Mr. WISE took back his answer ana aadeo
the following words: ,. .,.,o
:, ~ il i matter Of accosnt oetwern Nh Swartwoui
and ourselves, and has 10 be adjusted when we come 10
n settle Inenl with him.
Th snl.ci is calculated 10 attract the public eye and
,,od,cs reflection II affords remarkable instance OF
IN. c,u-se pursued by the majority OF the csmmueei
the resuect observed to the rights and pfvleges u WI"
! nesses under examination before committee ieguS'e1
by no known laws, out Go'siheu " '''
arbitrary discretion H., o,o, rro
In ,he opinion of the ndarsigned, The question pro-
pounded to the witness had relation 10 hs private ahds
The witness VaDderpoel answered II 10 par 'u', DO
Nv. w. h.. yos informed of his right and obligations CO
witness, he refused cOnps'e IT, and said I! was not
his answer, and wished to destroy II. !. was nsvellhe
less retained as appears by The above feeI,a
Tha whoLe proceeding carries along with II lis o~
'o,.v. ana without further observation 1t Is sub
1 ,"',,ad 10 The House and the country
Wbathpr committee % this House, appointed I'M
der It's extraordinary and Discretionary pa''mennIg
inyss,pallon OF The private affairs Of officers OF the
"n.,, Government, relation 10 their aclIngs ano
I;ns a. cuizens IS the State in NhIch they reside
and having reference to their domestic eiecnons ('he
question general, and DePeys'et refers 10 ne e"af
assumes an attitude that places II bey ond the reach Of
mere party movements |, strikes at cardinal PtncL
niles dear to the American people. II Is the assumption
,oys- moi warranted BY he limited Constitution