Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-01-03
Congressional Debates.
[prom the National In,elligencer.
sPE z CH Cv Mr.. WISE ON PUBLIC
DEFAULTERS, &C.

MIR. Cambreleng having moved that
the Executive communication respect
ing the defalcation of Samuel Swart-
wout, the late Collector Of New York,
except 80 much thereof rs relates to .
modification Of the revenue laws, be
referred 10 a select comrhttee--
Mr.. Wise moved that Il be referred
TO Committee Of the Whole on tho
state Of Union.
This notion taking prccedcnce Of
that for Il select committee
Mr.. Vice rose and addressed tho House
in support Of ii. When Gen. Jackson, tsaid
he,) in his last message to Congress, left be-
hind him certificate of the honesty, probty,
and good dcmeanor of oil his Departments,
doubted the truth OF it. I believed then that
corruption was the order of the day." and 90
charged. believed then that the officers
of the Departments were not merely picking
and stealing in small way, that they were
guilty Of petty larceny, that they were
sweeping OFF the public treasure by millions.
and were guilty Of grand larceny on grand
scale. 1t seems now that Swartwout, the
Collector at the city Of Now York, point
where twothirds Of the entire revenue OF tho
Union is collected, had been embezzling
that message was delivered 10 US, notwith-
standing the certificate Of honesty under the
word Of Csssar, that was good against tho
world. told the country then that honest
Lewis Department was rotten to the core {;
and asked for a committee to probe it.
The committee was raised; but the Presi-
dent let this House, the grand inquest OF the
! nation, know that his officers were above It's
scrutiny, and the doors were shut in our
faces. But now-now that the horse 10
stolen--tho organ of the Administration in
this House proposes gravely to shut the
door What good will il do now? fyou
had let the committee 90 on with its exami-
nations in 1886, you might have saved from
half q million to a million and quarter Of
dollars. ! mean in this one case. But this
case is but one out of thousand-ay, out OF
fifteen hundred cases Of default. What can
be the object of raising select committee
now, gravely to inquire into the truth Of
fact which every body knows? The leg
SUBJ Treasury has departed and you never
will be able, unless you put stop to steam
navigation across the Atlantic, to hold any of
them long enough to investigate their ac-
counts. What is TO be gained? Do you
want to see how the thing was done, and
show how it may be done again? DO you
want to institute a rogue's college, to teach
all the rest of the sub.rreasuries how to
steal the public money! Is it for that you
would raise a committee? would rather
/ investigate tho accounts Of the present Col
lector; not that have any ground OF allega-
ton specially against him IN particular; but
| if We are to examine, let US examine those
who are not of. Swnrtwout is of, and Price
| after him, and God knows how many more
are to follow. Let US pin them down, sny,
while we have got them. ] can conceive but
one object in view in asking for this commit
tee. 1t is not to ascertain the defaication
the Secretary has nscertained that. But
there is another question-who Is to blame!
Has this happened with the connivsnce OF
the Secretary Of the Treasury? Is that the
question for this committee? Sir, l have
some little experience in this business of in
vestiga,ion; and ask that II you give Us
committee, it shall not be stocked commit
tee. Let it not be n stocked pack. But what
time is there for such an investigation? 1t
the object is a bona fide investigation, II
. cannot be done this session. But suppose
the real object is to whitewash Levi. The
committee is to cast all the odium on Swart-
won't, who is laughing at you in bis sleeve,
and laughing your inquiries to scorn. Why
not investigate Price? Why not Gratiot?-
Why not make the investigation general and
sweeping? lfyou do, the task, warn you,
will be immense. Two months? II is q
work for years. Your committee cannot get
TO work ill after Christmas; and then there
will but about fifty working days remain. is
I that a period in which to examine the ac-
counts Of the Collector Of the port Of New
York for period Of seven or eight years2
Why do you want a committee to prove
that Levi is not to blame3 lis vain. 1t is
Idle. 1t would be useless TO demonstrate
that he was. Was it not demolsstrated in
the case Of Reckless, the Collector Of Amboy?
Was he not convicted by that upright and
honest man. Mr.. Parker, Of New Jersey p
Was il no. proved that he had embezaled
the public money? and proved % clearly,
and brought home 80 closely, in spite ofevery
evasion, that President Jackson himseh was
convinced, and ordered him to pay back tho
money? But what then? Reckless had
been one Of tho most active par,isass Of the
and u,ay be fourishing as collector 10 this
day, for aught ] know. Mr.. Rspdolph. Of
. New Jersey, here intimated 10 M. Wise that
, Reckless had resigned last sprinG.] Mr..
Parker felt delicate and sensitive In the case,
; az his own character might have been COM
, promitted and, after fixing the fraud upon
, him, he demanded his removal yet he was
not removed. Aud shall nevor forget the
remark Mr.. Parker made TO me at the time
!. Said he, Mr.. w. there 10 one thing thst q
u very hard under this Government. and ]
!. know but one thing that is hsrdefs ut 70
almost impossible for an honest man 10 ges
lIinto Office, and il is 9 little more impossible
. to get dishonest man out" sugh.I-
In that case brought home TO the President
!, and Mr.. Secretary Levi the sessater Of thst
defalcation. They know IL they admitted
, il they ordered their man 10 pay back tho
= money he had dishonesty taken, yet they
kept him in Office! But now that the ieprosy
had broken out into the open view Of oil
linen; now when the corruption 10 too mon-
s,rous TO be concealed any longer; nov
honest Levi asks you 10 give him white
washing committee. Men who knsw OF
fraud and pccula,ion, and perjury, and vast
ing of The public money, and set their faces
I against oil investigation. end gave . general
certificate Of the honesty Of these very rob-
bers now, forsooth, ask select committee,
that they mey be whitewsshedi I will have
neither part nor lot in the matter. ] see .
coming day-a day, thank God, not now sssy
! Ear of, when that chair shall be 6lled v',h
one who shall give us q committee who will