The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-03-05
THE REPORT OF THE MINORITY OF THE
INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE

L
| We have read, published In pamphlet form--evi-
IDENTITY in haste 10 subserye the pending elections in
New Hampshire)-,he report fthe minority OF the
Committee of the House 10 investigate the de alca-
lions OF Swariwout and others. We are inclined
10 think that while Ii obviously aims al most SIMS
ter party effect upon the public mind, al the expense
OF the welfare Of the public treasury il nevertheless
berays to the understanding Of the least rejecting
reader, condition OF feebleness and neglect Of duty
on the part of public officers, which condemns the
present administration Of the Government, out and
out and makes them wholly responsible for the inn
mense losses Of public money that have been recent
detected In Swartwout and others. Wepropose to
examine this document somewhat in detail. And
The frst remark we have to make upon the subject
IS that its endeayors to justify and to make one Of
It's merits In tAs public mind, the exertons Of the
minority OF the commlee--all Of whom are parti
sans OF the administraiion--to narrow down the
investigation into the smallest possible compass, by
constituting away the powers of the Committee, con-
trasts most sngularly with the late articles Of the
Globe upon the subject of this same investigation
TO understand this contrast in its strength and sim
gulariiy 1t will be well to recur, cursorily to the
past.
| twill be recollecled that Mr.. Cambreleng, par
tisan Of the administration proposed in the House.
as soon as the special report Of the Secretary Of the
Treasury was made to the House on the subject Of
Swartwout's defalcalions, that Committee Of In
yestigaton on that case should be appointed,
This was understood rase impress the coun-
try with the opinion that the administration were
horrorsiricken with such an enormous defalcation,
and was willing and anxious to make il the subject
| OF grave investigation.
But the House were not thus TO be imposed upon,
nor the country exposed to deception, 1t was WELL
however, that other defalcations had taken place,
and others not avowed were suspected. II was well,
however, too, that by Mr.. Cambrelengs proposition,
not only would the Committee be confined to the
Swartwout case, but the Committee would also be
appointed BY the Speaker and majority Of be the
creatures, II not dependant expectants OF the admi-
nistration. Such Committee, If raised, would
scarcely be expected to run their inquiries In any
direction, or to any extent, that would be likely TO
inculpate any particularly valued partisan Of the
administration VIII might in fact be in fault, and
much less deveope to the country the full extent of
blame, II any attaches to the accounting officers of
the Treasury, for having permitted these defalca-
tions to escape detection so long.
| Understanding this matter full well, propositions
were introduced to the House, changing the charac-
ter Of Mr.. Cambreleng's proposed investigation en-
tirely-lst. in making il general and reaching all
existing defalcaons, as also the connections OF the
returns OF collectors everywhere-and IDLY, in sub
stituing an election Of the committee by ballot by
the House, forhe appointment of i by the Speaker
! The administration party of the House saw at
once il would be glaring an association Of their
partys character with frauds upon The Government,
to think Of resisting the proposed enlargement OF
the Committees powers which we have stated, and
so, after little hesitancy, Mr.. Cambreleng and his
followers acceded to it, 1t was as obvious 10 them,
no doubt as it to their opponents, that 1t mat
tered but little what powers were given to the Com
mittee, propided, control over the appointment Of
the Committee were only secured 10 the admits
| tration. But here was the rub. And upon this
point Of appointing the Committee-w whether by the
House or by the Speaker-whether by the ballot or
by closet consultation of party leaders with the
Speaker, the conflict thenceforward was waged.-
For days the administration party in the House. as
will be recolleced, resisted election by ballot, in
which all members Of the House could be repre-
sened, and insisted on the appointment ofthe Com
mittee BY the Speaker.
Here we pause, to advert to another case, refer
red to by the honorable leaderof the administration
forces in the House-Mr. Cambreleng be-
trayed at the same time the weakness and the des-
provided that all committees shall be appointed by
the Speaker unless otherwise specially directed by
the House. in ,chieA case they shall be appointed By
ballot" This provision enables majority of the
House to order the election by ballot, as substitute
for the appointment by the Speaker. Amy other
mode OF appointment, or election than by the Speak
err by ballot, is not within the rules ofthe House,
but requires change ofthe rules, and consequently
he af tyvo hirdc IF he
to adopt it-no rule being susceptible of change by
smaller number But in view of all this Mr..
Cambreleng retreated from his proposition to have
the appointment of the Committee by the Speaker,
which majority, if disposed, could have retained,
to aproposition to have inserted Gas majority might
also do) in the resolution tor appointing the Com
muee provision for appointing it by pira poec
pot If this had succeeded, it would have required
vote of t,rotirds of the House to sustain tie resolu
ion and without such wo-thlrds, in such event. the
whole investigation would have been defeated
Now this was tantamount to the confession, that
If the investigation could not be made by commit
tee appointed by the Speaker and consequently by
a committee that would be bound by every inclina-
ton and feeling of subserviency to protect the Off
GERS Of the administration from public censure and
indignation, the party Of the Executive in the House
were for defeating investigation altogether. This
premonitory symptom of glazing distrust thrown
over the officers of the administration by its own
partisans-hs bold attempt to shield them from in
vestigaon entirely or what would have been ,anta-
mount thereto to suffer their official conduct to be in
vestigated only by those who had and felt deep and
immediate interest in covering up all their faults,
could not but admonish the opposition to persist in
their original purpose to not only effect an invcsga
ton, but to effect it by committee incapable of be-
ing either seduced by the batteries, overawed by
the frowns of Executive power. They did 50 per-
sist, and they triumphed in the House. The COM
mittee was elected in despite Of all the suberfuges
and impediments resorted TO by the administration
rartu and Il was invested with the most nlenarv