Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-02-25
rWENTY-sIxTH CoNGREss---2d SESSION.
DEBATE on TREASURY NOTE BILL.

DEBATE on TREASURY NOTE BILL.
SPEECH OF Mr. WISE, OF VIRGINIA,
On the hill prouiding for issue Of Treasury Notes
House. OF REPRESENTATIVES, January q, 1871.
Mr. WISE having obtained the floor on the question
strike out the enacng clause of the bill to authorize
issue Of Treasury notes, in the Committee OF the
Whole on the State of the Union, rose and said
MIR. Chairman: Before | proceed to discuss the
question before the committee, beg leave TO prove
fact which stated the other day. by the PERMISSION OF
the gentleman from New York, (Mr. BarnardD when he
had the floor and which, am informed, was contra
dicted by member from Ohio, (Nlr Duncan0 when !
not in my seat
The gentleman from N. York was speaking of facts in
his possession going to show that there unknown
manipulated amount of public debt outstanding,
and the payment Of which has probably been postponed
by the present Administration, to fall upon those who
to succeed ACCOMMODATING and establishing this
fact, / obtained the gentiemans permission to state
that, during the last falls political campaign had put
my hands two circulars signed by the superintend
ent of works at Old Point Comfort and the Rip Raps
notifying the OF slaves who were laborers on
those works. that these laborers would not be paid until
the 1st day of January thereafter perhaps moi until
the lst day of April next and further, that the pay
the laborers after given day, would be reduced from
sixty to fifty cents per diem. in yerfcuton of this
statement now produce, from the Richmond Wing Of
the 25t Instant the following true copy Of the cir
culars saw addressed to different individuals:
"EsGIsEER's OFFICE,
"Old Point Comfort, Aug. l., $40.
"SlR-Yo hereby informed that the laborers en-
ployed the Notifications in Hampton Roads will not
be paid until the ls day of January, should the Co.
vernment prefer it, until the LIST day of April next.
"You are also informed that, under the present cir
cumstances the pay of the aboers after the st day OF
Sept next will be fixed at fifty cents per day. instead Of
sixty cents, which is now paid for them
81 am with respect, Sir, your obedlent servant,
ITO MIR. VIZ. JESSINGs, Hampton"
Two circulars like this, in every word md figure,
were placed in my hands at Hampton, and have one
now in manuscript, signed By this officer Lieut..
Col. R. E. DE Russy, who, | am confident would
have issued such circulars without authority from
the War Department. In vindcaon, Sir of that Of
icer, now ask my honorable colleague (alr Jones)
whether he knons that the Secretary of War did
to be issued authority for this circular:
mir. JONES of Virginia said that, after CONVEX
saton with his colleague, (Nr. WseD he (Mr. jones'
had called the Secretary Of War TO ascertain the
facts of the case he had expected that he should
this have received written communication on the
subject he had however, understood the Secretary OF
War TO state that under the power conferred upon the
President by the act Of the last session. to postpone the
appropriations for Notifications &c, written instruc-
tons were given to the superintendent of the works
from which i, proposed to withhold the appropra-
tons, to discharge the laborers employed them:
retaining many as might be necessary 10 pre-
serve and take OF large amount Of pershabe
property DeloUnlHn 10 tHe JHlltu lUdl LUIS
course rendered necessary in consequence Of
an apprehended deficiency in the Treasury, which
would put of the power Of the Department to adj
vance funds for these Objects until the ls of January,
lS41 the LIST of April and that the aborers employed
should have notice Of these Instructions we'll the
owners Of slaves, where slaves employed and
that was the request of the aboers them
selves that they allowed TO 20 on with distinct
understanding that they would not be paid until either
the lst of January the st Of April at the pleasure
Of the Government AS TO the reduction OF wages Of
which lis colleague spoke, he had called the attention
of the Secretary that subject also; and his answer
was that there existed good reason, his opinion,
why the persons employed on the public works should
be paid higher wages than received by those do
ing like service in other places; aud that the wages
paid were full equivalent for the services performed
MIR. Wise. ] thank my colleague for his frank
swer, which confirms my statement, and shows that
Lieut. Col. r. T. De Russy had authority for issuing
this circular. My object TO show by the state
ment that there IS outstanding public dcb-unknown
unliquidated, unmeasured But now go further and
say that payment for work and labor done and perform
ed and for goods furnished for Government has been
postponed without notice to creditors before the work
was done, or the goods furnished. ! have 4 witness
on this floor who believe is himself public CREDITOR
without notice before the debt contracted TO whom
payment has in like manner. been postponed. refer
10 my colleague from the Norfolk district, (Mr. NAL
lory) and ask him to state whether such be not the
fact,
Nr. Mallory III dHSWeT u CdiI III Is CoIIedguP,
observed that the statement made by Mr. Wise, in
one particular substantially correct. The Govern.
ment was not indebted TO Mr.. Nj. for any thing, what
ever it might be 10 his neighbors The circular inst
read TO the House he could vouch foT, having seen
several last summer in the hands Of his constituents
who were little surprised at the notice, hut who,
having retained their slaves for the purpose of working
on these Notifications, had choice left but 10 keep
them home in dcncss, to trust the United States
for their wages. The officer experimenting these
works, he well knew, had not acted without in
structons from headquarters, and lie felt assured
that his neighbors had made such application as
that alluded to in the letter Of the Secretary of War
read at the Clerks desk few days ago. This post
ponement proceeded doubtless, from the "Gghtness in
The Treasuru 10 the words of his colleague, MIR.
Jones' and to show how great was this " ightness, "
Mr. NJ stated that he had been informed by those in
whom he placed every reliance, that the bread and
meat furnished Government account 10 the laborcs
on these works not even paid for 10 say nothing Of
the wages of these men, which remained unpaid since
August last But the Brightness in the Treasury"
went even further than this postponement of the price
of labor and bread bill Of 50 for surveying small
niece of land purchased by The United States for the
use of Fort Monroe, presented, and payment de-
ferred for the want of funds This he had from the
Surveyor himself few days before leaving home Mr..
NJ said he had been wont to charge the honorable Sc
creary of the Treasury with permitting habit Of
looseness," las Mr. V. nj. Garesche would say,) to
work the Treasury, but he regretted this running
into another extreme, which had accustomed tight
ness that greatly ncommoded and injured those in Co.
vcrnmcnt employ.
MIR. WISE. IL matters not Sir, whether the post
ponement Of payment was for work done, or 10 be
done the work is done by this time, aud the payment
is postponed | have proved more than all stated |
do not usually attempt to prove my assertions. have
take the trouble TO do it in this instance, because
informed that communication directed TO the member
from Ohio (Mr. Duncan) from the Secretary of War,
seemed to contradict my statement.
GHere several gentlemen said to Mr. Wise, "No, is
only substantially the same as what MIR. Jones says,
which confirms your statement.
Mr. WISE continued. have never seen or heard
it, nor do care what it contains. should not be
prised it contradcted not only my statement, but the
Hon Secretarys statement 10 my colleague, DIR.
Jones,) US we'll the files of the Department itself
No matter what is its character for veracy, like not
the mode in which it before this Committee.
This is not the first time that, whilst debate has been
pending here in the House, the practice has been
pursued of running off to the Heads of Departments TO
get written unofficial communications to contradict
to puzzle members These Secretaries had much better