Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-03-13

I
ciency of whose administration the security of the
national Treasury must ever depend.
! PREDATORY REMARKS OF THE COMMIT.
TEES REPORT.
The Select Committee, chosen by the House oil
Representatives on the IL and 10 utimo, to IN
vestigate the defaleations Of Samuel Swartwout,
| late collector of the customs at the port OF New
| York, and Of other officers, have devoted to tue
faithful discharge of the duties assigned them, the
limited time allowed for the purpose by the short
ness of the present session of Congress.
IL was most obvious, however, that the whole
field of inquiry presented by the resolution appoint
ing the Committee, cosld not be properly traveIsed
10 report thereon either satisfactorily TO the coun-
nv OF TO the Committee, during the short remain
der Of the present Congress. This impressed upon
the Committee at once, resolution, which has
been rigdy adhered TO, Of limiting the inyeshga-
ton to such branches OF the subjects referred to
them, as had most deeply excited public anxiety
and alarm, and to undertake only so much Of these
as might be thoroughly exhausted within the allot-
tod period Of the Committee researches. Butthe
important results which have been attained, not
withstanding the disadvantages adyerted TO, can
not fail to inspire the county with confident hope,
that the high obligation which will rest upon the
successors Of the present Congress IN the Leglsa'
ture Of the nation, to resume and complete the
great work Of investigation and reform OF the alar-
ming condition and abuses ot the Executive De-
partments of the Government, from the highest to
the lowest and from the nearest TO the remotest
functonaries, will engage the prompt and efficient
action which its magnitude demands.
Guided solely by the character of the develop
ments which the investigation imposed upon them
by the House has calculated, the Committee can
not resist the conviction, that at no period IN the
history of the Federal Government has there been
deeper or better founded cause than exists at the
present moment, for every patriot heart to desire
prompt contamination OF that signal =" task 81 re-
FORM schich public sentiment many years since
Inscribed on tie list of Executive duties, an char
acters too ieg6ie 10 be o0eriooked requiring, par
ticuarly the correction of those abuses which have
brought the patronage of the Federal Government
into conflict with the freedom of elections, and the
coanteracii0n Of those causes lchieh hare d'sfur6ed
the rtghttal course Of appointment, and haze Pld-
cea or continued posoeT in aatawfat0T Incompetent
haAds.S"
The first procedure Of the Committee after or
ganizng itself for business, to visit the city OF
New York. to inspect there, in pei son, the original
records and papers of the Custom-House, in CON
iunction with the examination OF such witnesses as
might be supposed capable of shedding light upon
the inquiry involved by the defalcatons OF Mr.
Swartwout. Thenceforward this branch OF the in
vesiigation was conducted pursuant to the resou-
ton Of the House, viz to ascertain the "causes ami
extent" of those defalcations; the length OF time
they have exi ted; the correctness Of the returns
which have been made by Mr. Swartwoat, and the
Naval officer at New York, aud any other officers
connected with the adjustment OF his accounts.
Concurrently with the Investigation of Mr. Swart-
wout's defaIcations those of William NJ Price, late
District Attorney in New York, were likewise kept
in view; and the fullest practicable extent OF inioI
nation respecting them has been obtained, and will
be adverted to in the sequel of this report.
The correctness of the returns which have been
made by the present collector OF customs and the
Naval officer at the port of New York, was also
sought to be examined by the Committee while in
that city. Considering that the Customs collect
ed in New York equal nearly two-lhirds ofthe whole
amount collected in all the United States, as sta
ted in the special report Of the Secretary OF the
Treasury on Mr. Swartwouts defalcations, (Honse
doc 10. D. 6, of the present session. the Commit
tee did not suppose that they should faithfully dis
charge their duty the House, pay proper def
erence TO that patriotic dlstu which pervades the
country at the present time in regard the affairs
of the Custom House at New York, they 10 Ii
nit their inquiries to the returns of the late Coec-
TOT and Naval officer and neglect entirely those OF
their successors which must. at all times be 10 the
country of equal interest with the former, and at
the present time, OF even more immediate import
ance TO the security of the national Treasury But,
in the execution OF much OF this part Of their in
auries as related to the present Collector Of New
York. they were compelled to encounter most I'M
expected obstacles nterposed by The Collector him
self and setting defiance the authority delegated
10 the Committee by the House. The facts connec-
ted with the bafed endeavors 10 obtain information
for the House and country from this officer of the
Executive branch Of the Government, no is in inn
mediate charge Of and control over public moneys
that equal nearly twothirds of the whole amount
collected from customs in all the United States,
will be more specially detailed in a subsequent por-
ton Of this report.
The Comn4i.tee will remark here, that, in the
onset of the investigation they have made they sup
posed it both proper and safe to place themselves
somewhat con6dngly under the guidance of the se-
veral special reports which had been made to the
the House upon the subject of Mr.. Swartwout's de-
falcatons by the Treasury officers previous the
appointment Of the ommiitee--combning in this
view. reports from the Secretary of the Treasury
the FIRST Comptroller, the Solicitor, and First Au.
ditor OF the Treasury, exhibited in House docu
mert 3. 1t, however, very soon became evident
that those reports not TO be implicitly relied
on as auxlaries in finding out either the law or the
facts OF the case and that, on the contrary, they
! furnished an obique view OF both the causes and
duration Of Mr.. Swartwouts deialcations as also oil
/ the law and many material facts which develop the
true character Of those delacations. OF necessity
| therefore these rersrts although emanating froH
the highest order Of official fanctiouares employed
in the collection and disbursement of the public re
venues, became the subjects Of cautious and crt
cal examination, as any other portions Of evidence
which the case presented, and such il viii be OBJ
lieatory upon the Committee to treat them in thii
| report.
La reviewing the details Of their labors, so tina
the progress and results Of them may be presented
in the simp lestiorm, The Committee propose TO con
slider
Part 1.-THE defalcationS of Mr.. Soart.
1cOut.
inaugural Address of President Jackson, Msrcl
4, 1929.