The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-05-11
gWentp= Seoenth Congress.
SECOND SESSION
IN SENATE,
TUESDAY, May 10, 1912.


under the Compromise act have been violated by the
imposition OF duty Of twenty per cent on silk and
praying that Congress may impose a specific duty of
one dollar on silk, fifty cents on gingham and TWEEN
ty-hye cents on cotton umbrellas. They also ask
that drawback may be allowed on umbrellas manu-
featured by them, in order that their trade with the
West Indies and South America may be revived.
MIR. TALLMADGE presented the resolutions Of
the Legislature OF Now York, requesting Congress
to take such action as they may deem necessary for
reduction Of the postage on letters and the abolition
Of the Thanking privilege.
MIR. PRESTON, in pursuance of notice, intro
duced joint resolution authorizing the Postmaster
General to extend the contract for carrying the mail
on the Potomac for four years. from the termination
of the present contract, in such way will secure
regular Transmission of the mail which was read
first and second time.
INQUIRY IN RELATION TO THE MADIsoNIAN NEWS
PAPER.
The following resolution heretofore submitted by
Mr.. Benton, was taken up for consideration, viz:
Resoireo, That the Committee on the Post Office
and Post Roads be instructed TO inquire in what
manner the Madsonian newspaper obtained know
ledge OF certain papers supposed to be filed in the Ge
neral Post Office Department in relation to the APP
pointment of Mr. Watson as Postmaster at ST. Louis
to vita letter from Mr. Benton to Mr.. Van Buren,
and another from Mr. Benton to the Postmaster Gene
raj and also in what manner the editor of that paper
became possessed of the information that there was
no other recommendation for Mr.. Watson and that
his appointment was made the sole recommends
ton of Mr.. Benton Also that the said committee
inquire into the manner in which the said editor OBJ
tanned copy Of the Postmaster Generals letter the
Senate's Committee the Post Office and Post
Roads, in relation to the nomination of Samuel b.
Churchill, and recommending him for confirmation.
And that they have power to send for persons and pa
pers and TO take testimony oath, and report the
same to the Senate
Mr.. MERRICK observed that the resolution pro-
posed "a most extraordinary kind of inquiry to be in
| ttfntal htrtb hal
had published what he conceived to be facts within
his knowledge, and yesterday the Senator from Mis-
souri, Mr. Benton) proceeded to show that they were
false. But be the facts as they might il woad be
very strange proceeding for the Senate to instruct
of its committees to inquire how certain editor had
obtained certain knowledge 1t appeared to him that
the statement of the Senator ought TO suffice, and
therefore he asked the Senator not to insist upon the
| adoption of his resolution. Thew had no right to in
situte such an inquiry; it would be great assump-
ton their part inquire into the conduct of the
editor of the Madsonian Ii it affected the Senate
| they might take some action, in breach of
privilege; but any publication, whether founded
on real or supposed facts, was not proper sub
| ject for the action of standing committee of
the Senate and therefore he hoped that the
body would weigh well the consequences which
might result from the adoption ofthe resolution.
Mr.. BENTON said that his object in introducing
the resolution was Of a wider and deeper cha
racter than the Senator from Maryland supposed.
Instead Of being private inquiry into the conduct Of
an editor, II was one of public nature in relation to
public matter, commenced on this floor not by him
| self, but by those who opposed to it.
Though nomlnally newspaper editorial the publica-
ton in question bore its face the evidence OF being
the work of the Postmaster General, and in violation
of rules prescribed for others. He wished to ascei-
tain how il that the editor of the Madisonan had
obtained possession of papers which had been with
held from him There were two ways in which the
editor could have obtained copies Of them was,
! from the Committee on the Post Office and Post
| Roads-the other, from the Post Office Depart
ment The article in the Madsonian which he had
referred, must have been written by person who
had access to the Post Office Department, negatively
and affirnlatyely That newspaper said that he (Mr
Benton) would not deny that he addressed President
Van Buren, in Mr. Watsons behalf, and urged his
appointment on account of his "party services" Now
these words "party services" purport to be literal
copy of his letter to President Van Buren, the
subject. This was not true, for he had never writ
ten sucha letter and he would here say that he
perfectly willing that every letter which he had
written when his friends were in power, and which
were in any Department Office of the Government,
should be made public But he did not mean to be
garbled and falsfed, and he would not submit to it
There was, that article, the mark to show that it
| came from the Postmaster General and he would
say in his place that it false. He asked the
Committee to examine and ascertain whether not
there pretenson of secrecy set up in the De-
partment while, at the time, false quotations
were going forth purportng to be true He had new
er written letter demanding the appointment of Mr..
Watson to the office Of postmaster at ST. Louis on
the ground of "party services"
| Mr.. LINN remarked that, after what they had
heard, he hoped they would consent to take of the
injunction of secrecy which practically worked nu
riously in great number of cases and could seldom
effect good object. But what the opinion Of
the Senate as to what secret and what was not
He could go to any of the Offices and examine letters
on file and the head of the Department would permit
him to take note of their substance. If he should
think proper to commit the contents of letter to
mory, he could do Therefore, the papers file
were not matter of secrecy at ALL With regard to
the case of MIR. Watson, he had never anticipated
charges against him other than political and therefore
he had taken trouble TO anime the papers relating
to that gentleman. The Senator from Illinois Mr.. Nc
Roberts, had them brought here and, after his colleague
and himself had looked Them they found the letter
Of MI. Wash and his colleague expressed his inten
ton to make it public to which he Mr. Linn did not
object Therefore, all the remarks in the Madisonian
relating to himself, and condemnatory of his col
league, were without foundation.
Mr. PRESTON made remarks as to the
manner of keeping papers in the several Offices and
in conclusions said that, if the resolution should be
passed, they could not force the process and obge
the editor to the questions proposed by the
solution.
I Mr. MERRlCK would observe that, with refer
ence to the publication of these letters in the Madi
sonan, he knew nothing save what he had heard to-
day. There was an obvious distinction between pa
pers communicated to the Senate and those furnished
by the Heads of Departments, who had charge of
them, TO othcrs All the papers from the fost Once
Department, in his hands, were there under the in
junction of secrecy. Whether the Head of the De.
partment chose to publish letters not another
matter and whether this was improper it was not for
HIM or for the Senate to inquire As to the relation
between the Senate and the Executive and the right
to withhold papers, he would endeavor 10 show to-
morrow what had been the practice of the Senate
and the Post Office Department in this particular,
and which had been sanctioned by Congress
: The resolution was then laid over until tomorrow
Mr. YOUNG introduced a bill for the relief OF