Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-02-21

hanks were with his party. But very lit
tic would be found with those individuals
who had been dragged up here for the
purpose ofbeing charged with being pets
of the administration. He pronounced |
the charge to be unfoundcd.
Mr.. Pichcns urged the House to the
question on sllspending the rules.
Wr Smith having, after much difficulty
and many cries f"order," obtained leave
to correct Mr.. Gorldnd's statement so
far as the State of Maine was concord,
stated that the only pension agent in that
State was a ull-bloodcd, wholehog, Hart
ford Convention party tool.
Mr.. Garload, amidst much confusion,
replied that that would have been so much
the better reason for his being GOOD de-
mocrat. He understood the individual
referred to was President of bank.
4, Loud and general cries of" order. 81
The question was now put on Mr..
Joncs's motion for going into Committee
of the Whole, and carried without a
count.
IUr PicSenS asked and obtained leave
to introduce the following resolutions:
Pesolred, That the Presiden, Of the United
| STATES be requested Ol in his opinion i, be M,
| incompa bic with the public inlercs, to do SOY TO
c0ininun cate 10 This House any Information in his
| possession respecting the CONDITION Of the citizens
Of the Uniled States doing business the past Year
| in China the state Of the American trade with
that counrr, and the interests of the People and
commerce Of The Un,ed States. al cIed by the
recent measures OF the Chinese Government for The
suppression Of he conrahinb or fore ibie introduce
ton ofoplum into China : also, whether the British
| Government has given notice that Of the Uoired
| States ola purpose to blockade the ports Of China
of other hostile intention towards that Govern
meni: and any other information posse .sed by the
| Executive in rela ION to the above matters
ReSOiced, That the Secretary Of the Treasury
be directed TO transmit to This House statement
If the commerce and navigation between the U. >
and China from 1921 to 1889 inclusive, exhibiting
for each year the amount of specie the vaine aud
description 81 manufactured articles the value and
description Of other merchandise /; and the total
amount exported the quantity and value of Ieas
the value Of silk goods {: III" value Of other mer
chandlse and the total amount imported the
number Of sh'ps: the amount Of tonnage !; and the
number Of seaDien employ ed.
The resolutions were agreed to.
On motion of Dir Curtis, bill from
the Senate in relation to the registers of
vessels employed in the whale fishery was
taken up, read twice, and referred to the
Committee ofC ommerce.
tmhe sa 0Hs oh tPt tic y yf6t into y! G9mmtGs
ar Lincoln, of Massachusetts, in the
chair,) and took up the bill making APP
preparations for the payment of certain
revolutionary and other pensioners of the
United States.
Mr.. r. GARLAND rose to reply to what
Mr.. SMITH, of Maine, had said, and
proceeded to read the names of several Of
the pension agents, together with the
amounts of money in their hands, as sta
ted in printed official return from the
Department; among them were General
John p. Van Ness, of Washington !;
Isaac Hill, of New Hampshire Mr..
Brockenbrough. of Richmond, Virginia !;
and George w. Jones, of Wisconsin.
He repeated the question he had put, in
the House, to the chairman of Committee
of Ways and Means, viz, whether the
pension agents had not the money appro-
priatcd by this bill already, in fact, in
their hands, and whether such was not
the practice of the Government?
Mn. JONES said that he thought he had
already fully explained on that subject.
He was not prepared to state positively
or exactly what the practice Of the Co
vcrnmcnt in this respect had been, be-
cause he was not in possession of the re-
quistc Information but he presumed
that when provision was made to meet
the payment of pensions, it was done in
time to have the funds required at the Sc
vcral points where they were to be dis
bursed. He then went into the details of
the estimates on which the present bill
was founded.
Mn. BANKS, of Virginia, took the floor
: for the purpose of explaining in relation
to DIR. Brockonbrough, of Richmond,
| whose name had been referred to by Mr.
GARLAND. DR.. B. had no more TO do
, with the investigation or payment OF the
, claims Of revolutionary pensioners than
, the gentleman from Louisiana. His was
a merely ministerial agency, in strict full
lilmcnt of law. Mr.. b. concluded by
| moving that the committee rise, and re-
t port the bill to the House.
= Mn. MARVIN, of New \ ork, address
scd the House at some length on the evils
oftho existing mode of compromising pen
5 sion agents, by an advance to them OF
: public money before it was needed, that
the use of it might be remuneration iol
= their services. Mr.. Nj. referred to a de-
t bate on this same subject at former scs'
S sion, and to the position he had at tha
finn ass,nnd and the returns which hal