The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-05-12
soemth Congress.
IN SENATE,
SECOND SESSION.
TUESDAY, May 10, 1912.

MIR. BUCHANAN presented the petition OF a large
number Of umbrella manufacturers of the city and
county OF Philadelphia, complaining that their rights,
under the Compromise act have been violated by the
imposition OF duty OF twenty per cent. silk and
praying that Congress may impose a specific duty of
one dollar on SILK, nifty cents on gngham, and TWEEN
ty-five 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.
Mr.. TALLMADGE presented the resolutions of
the Legislature of New 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 a 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, such a way as 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:
Resotpeo, That the Committee on the Post Office
and Post Roads be instructed to inquire in what
manner the Madsonian newspaper obtained a know
ledge of certain papers supposed to be filed in the Ge
neral Post Office Department. in relation to the APP
polntment 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
no other recommendation for Mr.. Watson, and that
his appointment was made on the sole recommends
ton of Mr. Benton. Also, that the said committee
inquire into the manner in which the said editor oh
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 thew n nd ma
pers, and to take testimony oath, and report the
same to the Senate
MIR. MERRICK observed that the resolution pro-
posed most extraordinary kind of inquiry to be in
slituted by the Senate. The editor ofthe Madsonian
had published what he conceived to be facts within
his knowledge, and yesterday the Senator from Mis-
souri, Mr. Benton) proceeded show that they were
false. But be the facts they might it would be a
very strange proceeding for the Senate to instruct one
of It's committees to inquire how certain editor had
obtained certain knowledge Happeared to him that
the statement of the Senator ought TO sufice and
therefore he asked the Senator insist upon the
adoption of his resolution Thew had no right to in
stitute such an inquiry it would be great assump-
ton on their part to inquire into the conduct of the
editor of the Madisonian If it affected the Senate
they might take some action as in breach of
privilege but any publication, whether founded
on real or supposed facts, not proper sub
Ject for the action of a standing committee of
the Senate; and therefore he hoped that the
body would weigh well the consequences which
might result from the adoption Of the resolution.
Mr.. BENTON said that his object in introducing
the resolution was of wider and deeper cha
racter than the Senator from Maryland supposed
Instead OF being private inquiry into the conduct of
an editor, it was of public nature in relation to
public matter, commenced on this floor, not by HIM
SELF but by those who were now opposed to it.
Though nominally 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 1t that the editor of the Madisonian 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 one was
from the Committee on the Post Office and Post
Roads-the other, from the Post Office Depart
ment. The article in the Madisonian 10 which he had
referred, must have been written by person who
had access to the Post Office Department. negatively
and affrmatvely That newspaper said that he (Mr.
Benton would not deny that he addressed President
Van Buren, in Mr.. Watson's behalf and urged his
appointment on account of his party services" Now,
these WORDS party services purport to be literal
copy of his lottor to President Van Buren, the
subject This not true, for he had never writ
ten such letter; and he would here say that he was
perfectly willing that every letter which he had
written when his friends were in power, and which
were in any Department or Office of the Government
should be made public. But he did not mean to lie
garbled and fasifed, and he would not submit to il.
There was, that article, the mark to show that t
came from the Postmaster General and he would
say in his place that it was false. He asked tie
Committee to examine and ascertain whether or not
there was pretension of secrecy set up in the De-
partment, while, at the same time false quotations
were going forth purporting to be true. He had net
er written letter demanding the appointment of M |.
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 to take off tie
injunction of secrecy, which practically worked nu-
riousy in great number of cases, and could seldom
effect good object. But what was the opinion Of
the Senate TO what was secret and what was not
He could go to any of the Offices and ex amine letter,
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 me.
mory, he could do So Therefore the papers on file
were not matter of secrecy at all. With regard to
| the case of Mr.. Watson, he had never anticipated
charges against him other than political and therefore
he had taken trouble to examine the papers relating
to that gentleman. The Senator from Illinois Mr.. Me-
Roberts had them brought here and after his colleague
and himself had looked them they found the letter
| of Mr. 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 Madisonan
relating to himself, and condemnatory of his col
| league, were without foundation.
Mr.. PRESTON made some remarks as to the
manner of keeping papers in the several Offices, and
| in conclusion said that, if the resolution should be
passed. tney cOuld not force the process ana oblge
the editor to answer the questions proposed by the
solution.
Mr.. MERRICK would observe that, with refer
ence to the publication of these letters in the Mad
sonian he knew nothing save what he had heard to-
day. There an obvious distinction between pa
pers communicated to the Senate and those furnished
by the Heads Of Departments, who had charge Of
them, to Others All the papers from the Post Office
| Department, in his hands, there under the in
junction of secrecy. Whether the Head of the De-
partment chose to publish letters not another
matter, and whether this improper it not for
him for the Senate to inquire. AS TO the relation
between the Senate and the Executive, and the right
to withhold papers, he would endeavor to show to-
morrow what had been the practice of the Senate
/ I'd 10 A ,lnr