Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-01-26
q " enay-fsaah Gos1sress---:sd SECS.


On his second call Tor information respecting ,hr h.ca,
arrangements with The Bank Of the United States ana
reviewing the Report Of The Secre,ury Of the irTasu
~, ia answer tn his first call Delivered 10 me &c
nue Of the Unllcd States, 18th Of January, 1867
The following resolution, ntI duced yesterday by MI
Ryrs, having been read
Hsorcd, That tie Pr sdrnt be requested To cHmnnn
Gale 10 The Senate al early day as prac'cHOe, he
terms vi aGy agrccm,ni mi rna or otherwise, winch
may have been rrilrrrd INFO between the Secretary 6
War and tie Eank If the Utited States respecting The
sale payment of more bonds I'll that nsu'"n
held by lie United States. relative TO The rrnreeds OF
the Opposite IL, roi in said Bank, the Pet"'s when,
AID thc rrrpnriIrs in which, lhpy were 10 be drawn
uu' the riacts where b. raid, aud the manner IN
which thy we're to be dlsJuT-rC; the time when 'ich
a:!argeIr mls entered into, aud whether with
the Bank dn city. with hg"nt or agents Of the
Bank ard IN he lcrr case, III naInes al such
agents. together with all The spondrnce which may
have passed between the Secretary Of War and the
Bank, ats agents in relation thereto Also, copies ct
all circulars Issnrd instructions given by any brhrc
If The War Department relative Ia the mode or medium
El;ch The money arising from The sale payment OF
the said bond or any part thereof, was 10 be GsburScd
and Ear as can te conveniently stated the amount
wch has been diSbHrSCG IN he miles ct tie Bank under
H.. said :nst5uct!ors aud lie ob cts for hch such dis
bu;seme MS we're mad together with oil corr sp"ndencc
nlnCh may have taken place between
tie Secretary Of War and the Bank OF The u STATES,
lis agents between hr. and any other Department Ct
tie Cove rnmcnl, The tcIualcr Of these instruc
lOGS
Mr. RIYES said il was proper he should eSplaC 10
IL. Senate The motive ol the additional call for Inorma
nn respecting the a.c Transactions brt"rrn III" TO
y, rnu,rn and the Bank Of the United States. which Is
contain in the resolution Just read II would be per
cryrd that the FIRST part q! lie r's"iuil"E calls upon
PrrstGtI al to be communicated 10 the Senate
the terms Of any agreement which may hav" been
entered into between the SCcrcifTy RI Ear and the
Bauk relative 10 lhr sale al Of its bonds
and the posite Of the proceeds thereof III The Bank
Among the most singular and curious drr'cr:mc mis-
crn'ard IN the very curious document, sent 10 Us ~
tn, Secretary Of the Treasury III answer Ia the original
call r Information, the extraordinary fact that al
though The Secretary u the Treasury himself, the
rspnmsibc ,i"auca! 'icrr Of the Government vas Tie
~ sGn authorised and directed by the lac, 10 Effect
s:lr Of the bonds Of the Bank. yet The
negotiation .! sale actually made by the Secretary
Z! Var The tormliites o.! the sale il was true,
wcCc sig,d by the Secretary Of the Treasury but the
r. al arferli III and conditions Vi the SAFE were negOii
ard by the Secretary u War, without the knowledge or
uarcIpal IGn rf the former Mr. ", odbury, from some
other had been unctrr mnn"us'y showed from
his STOOL first Lord of the Treasury, and MI Ponsrl
had rntruded into his place, To perform function e1
pics.ly G~rgaIed to the Secretary Of The Treasury by
law ar Woodbury. in short, now appears !F"'m ID.
dncuenIs in signing his name to h" formal articles "t
sale however uncDnsciUus 10 himself at The time,
ministerial c"tS pam III The hands oil his colleague
The Story Is n very curnus one, and viii give It 10
the Senate from the documents themselves. The sale
wns corciadcd by letter from Mr.. Woodbury. 10 MIR
Manchester, (h- agent of the Bank) dated the tOh OF
July, to letter Of the agent bearing date the
2ls Of July GA the face OF these papers the tran>ac-
ton d naked and unconditional sale ut the bond,
OH The terms prescribed by the law. Ia few days. how
ever the Treasurer b:gan by The direction Of The Sr
crciary o the Treasury 10 draw on the Bank ioT por
ton of the proceeds the bond sold. lie had diawn
10 the amount Of 10000, payable in Fhd0dephta and
GOOD part % it III avor OF officers aud agents rrsd
ing there. Though there nothing III Tins, ncLn
slsent. il" Trnotest degree, with The terms oi sale
coucuitd by Nj "n"G5ury; yet, on the - h day
t., August, less than fortnight alter The sale
cudrd Mr BIddIc, President If The Bank, sat down
and addrrssd Letter 10 The Secretary Of the lrea
sury mIlan!ug OF these drafts Gn attire dcpnriurc
from Ike terms n purchase, and then tells him what
sc terms q pmth'sc as settled between HIM and
Mr. Pulnsru. viii read 10 the SENATE small pCf'i"n
Of extraordinary Letter. lhr d cUsuirs Vl Ch MUS;
have startled Mr.. Woodbury., not I'tlr lie says 10 Tie
Secretary You could not br OF what had occurred
BOT :oen this Bank and the ar DE- paiiI"ni. respect
To- the bond of I-9 (he bond s1!d and think H. there
fare due you state prrcSr ihr footing upon which
thu mailer stands Bfr- making any "iirr ior his bond
had The dsifHrt itr III ;hr Secretary 81 War
that ahpu I the bond cannot be G guilty trausirr, To The
use of the Department. bat may 1ayfIpcHynn
the strict T., rruarCP of the terms al agrer III which
may informally enter INTO with you, aud Ne tie then
proceeds 10 detail tLs terms OF agreement which were
actually entered INTO br"etn hIH aud TIE Secretary oi
ar and who. were, as he Consndrd. GfpTtd JTOm,
by the drafts the Tca3ur made pGypbic IN Phndci
phia Mr. Woodbury., IN answer 10 tins coInunnica
t,n expresses great "s"PrEc at thu disclosures made
nv he made III D IN" Eii!d
self wt the agent at She Bink-and never 'su@prct
cd The existence any such Arrangement having
bcrn made By NJ PUnseit. SiIii. trsr &" agree
m, nj as entered into by the Srcrslury Of War, wrrrac
cnesced in aud adopted by MIR Woodbury., were finally
carried cut ~ the letter. and iorm as shall hereafter
show the true agreement between the Bank and the |
Government, respecting the purchase o. lis bond
f. arprars also. that tho Secretary nt War. not only
made Tie original agreement with the Bank, Tor the
sale of the bod but entered into s'ipuarIuns with II
a, col
p,Icularly to the manner IN winch the proceeds "t The
hond were be dSurs"d by the agents OF the Govern.
me nt and the medium ~ which those disbursements
uere 10 be made. Inc second part OF The r. restitution.
,h.,,Cr requests line President Ia cumun cate To the
senate any circulars issued instructions given 10y the
authority of The Secretary OF War; relative to The mrdr
and MEDIUM IN which the public disbursements, ac
c,unt of tina, department, were I" be made, together
with cppIes Of all the correspondence which may have
,oss,d between that officer and The Bank others
snec'inr the suhi"ct matte! ct these institutions, as well
a. of the original agreement made by him with tn" Bank
far The sale 0f bond. These documents ARE obviously
necessary supply chasm IN those already c"mmunl
Gated and eompI'ts the history OF transaction, which
is destined form of the most curious as well
rs Important chapters in the financial annals OF Inc
country :,
Having xplaned The nature Of the information sought
BY thus additional CALL and the reasons Tor making IT,
MIR Rves said h- should proceed to examine the
renor, made by the Secretary of the Treasury in answer
IN the former call aud show tina, it fully sustained
every inference and allegation he had made, in relation
IN the recent transactions between the Government anu
Bank He held perfectly in order to do 80 on The pre-
So nj motion and he believed that the discussion was call
ed for by the highest interests Of hs county hollow
sbuut o ;riumph had bfen raised The coming IN OF
the report when he accidentally absent from his
seat; and he was prepared 10 show that The report
and documents fully sustained every thing he had SAID
on the original Introduction OF his resolutions ann even
disclosed nnre If lllegay than hr had then suspected
10 exist But any gentleman doubted whether the e1
animation he proposed TO make of the documents no"
brlnre U.s. would be order The present motion, he
would with pleasure, give way tor HIM 70 make tha'
oupstion and TO take the sense Of the Senate upon il,
before he proceeded any further
GMr WRIGHT here and made The question OF
order, which was discussed by him. MIR. King OF Ala
bama and Sir. Rves. general opinion being indicai-