Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-05-13

,snrelv By foreign competitions referred 10 the Com
mittee Manufactures. :, ...a,.
Mr. B. also presented two memorials from c'uAtn,
of pennsylvania, in which the memoral'sts slate thal
,hors !; an absolute necessity for action by Congress
an III. tariff previous 10 the 3Dth june because, a.
,h, lime ali protection TO domestic industry Will De
taken off and consequently, all branches OF monuiae
tnres in the country will be inJurously ahecteo'
CONGRESS doe. egislae, IN ANTICIPATION, 10 prevent
such evil referred W 'he So" va
lures. .,, :. ppNToN
nm "Wednesday last, taken up and sgreed to, VIZ:
Rcsoired That the President OF The " oe requesa
I'd ., communicate TO the Senate all the information
..b;cb may be in the General Land Office, mputing
mnroper conduct in the Registers Office 10 Mr.. NJ I;
Taylor present register and former clerk IN Inc apu
Office in st Louis -. , ,rn,r,,,Xr
MIR BENTON rose TO present resolution IN relation
TO the archives of the General Post Office, and the
confidential secret character which was claimed lot
them He sad that he had stated in his place, few
dovs 90 that he should have occasion to bring the
character of secrecy assumed for these papers 10 the
test and this seemed TO present Itself very
OPPORTUNITY ON Friday last when newspaper IN th's
civ assumed give the character and part OF Tie
contents of Of the papers which he wished to see
He The re(re applied 10 the Postmaster General 10
l. The pa pers file in relation to the removal OF MIR
Watson from the place of postmaster at st Louis z
The papers file in relation TO his appointment TO that
:, office g. view Of MS (Slr. 81 own letters on file
was to use the coaenis OF the papers as he thought
prope, With The first Two requests, the Posimas,er
General declined a compliance. To the third he an
swcred that The letters of himself (ar. on this point
were in the Treasury Department
Mr.. i. stated that lie Immediately applied at the
Treasury Department. where search was made for the
letters referred TO, without finding them that he np
ped again on Saturday. with the same frutless result
and that he had sent up inquire this morning, and ex
peeled an answer in the course OF The day.
no ime is Y, Sunday (yPster
dav,-he had received from the Postmaster Gene
ra informing him that two of his letters had been found
in the Department Saturday, and copies Of them sent
10 him.
Mr. b. then read the Postmaster Generals note and
the copies Of the two letters sent, as follows:
Il PosT OFFICE DEPARTMENT
May 4 1912.
Sir was mistaken yesterday when told you
there were letters of yours the executive es oil
this department relating to the appoinmentof Mr. Wat
son. postmaster at St. Louis. Upon careful ex-
animation Of those files, have found today Two, CO.
pies Of which ore enclosed
am yours, &c,
e. A. WICXLIFFE.
Hon. Thomas H. Benton.
SENATE CHAMBER. June a, 1910.
Sir: The Missouri delegation wish 10 be informed
whether Mr. Thomas Watson, formerly deputy post
master al ewbern, ~ Caroline, in eeault to the de-
parimeni, and how long he was postmaster there? and
whether SUCH he gave general satisfaction TO the
? department.
Our reasons for the inquiry are, that he is among
those respectfully recommended TO us for an appoint
ment in ST.. Louis, where he now resides. And We
would wish 10 know whether his conduct heretofore
, furnishes any objection 10 him.
Yours, respectfully,
', THOMAS Fl. BENTON.
Hon. MIR. NILES, Postmaster. General
> WASHINGTON Cry June IL, 1910.
Sir: We recommend 10 you Thomas Watson, of st.
Louis Missouri for the place of deputy postmaster at
that place. to succeed Mr. Hunt, Whole term will ex-
pre early in July InOS II BENIoN.
s LEWIS LINN.
To the Postmaster. General
, Mr. e said that the copies Of these two letters were
very material TO him. They were found since The Ma
dsonian article written and falsied 1t IN several
particulars They were good far they went, and
i showed that Mr.. Watsons fitness fnr the Office he
sought was referred to the Post Office Department it
SELF whose deputy he had been for twenty FIVE years
tine principal town in North Carolina, and that recon-
mendation was made in his behalf by both The Senators
from Missouri As far as they went, they fals6ed the
Madisonan article. But they did not reach all tina
wa, said in that article and which assumed to speak
papers yet found Mr.. B. then read the part of the
article referred TO- us follows
:, ale (hIr. Benton) will not deny that he addressed
h President Van Buren, i'll Mr.. Watsons behalf, and
urged his appointment account of his party services
He (Mr. Benton) will not deny that he then addressed
= letter to the then Postmaster General, demanding tn
appointment Of Mr. Watson. the ground Of his saeri
fees in connection oh The Argus; and that The appoint
! ment ,cas absolutely made under these circumstances
It inasmueh as no ether peraqa &C. rwo stfers Of .
, (Which, If in existence) belong to the archives re
y Post Office Deparment-are blazoned 10 The public
= and their contents assumed to be given. Words are
even put between inverted commas, being precise
quotations. and others ulicsed 10 lasen attention upor
them deny the correctness of these statements, ane
call for of the originals The two letters fur
. nished yesterday fasify part Of it. The others, il
y produced, will falsify The remainder.
!, Mr. B. then read his resolution, to show its charac
Ter, and Tint its object TO ascertain in what manner
If the editor of newspaper in Washington obtained q
= knowledge of the post Office archives, which we're as
n sumed 10 be secrets from members of Congress and
Il their constituents, whom they concerned The nor-
nation to the editor seemed to have been full and COM
plete-b positive and negative showing what was
, and what not in the department, and what could
only be known in the department. If true to wit: that
ri Mr.. Watson was recommended by other persons
, and that his appointment absolutely for party ser
\ vices, on the demand Of Mr.. Benton.
y Mr. b. said there further inquiry in The reso
luton; and that was, 10 know how the editor of the
Mudisoniun obtained possession of Of The letters in
the same bundle, and relating to the subject from
, which he had published copies Of lhosc of MIR Wash
and Mr. Taylor. Mr.. b. read the letter referred to,
o No. ], III the exhibits of the article, as follows:
y "Posr OFFICE DEPARTMENT, March 80, 1912
IL "Dear Sir: In pliance with your request IN be
half of the Senate committee, herewith send you the
papers on file recommending Samuel b. Churchill "a
l. postmaster at ST. Louis. may be permitted TO So 2
l. personal knowledge of Mr.. Churchill from his nfan
: cy jnsies me in recommending him to the President
gentleman of WORTH of strict honor capacity, and
o fidelity.
i livery respectfully,
S "Your obedient servant,
d &C. A. WICKLlFFE.
e "Iion. MIR. McRoberts IT, S. Senate
Having read this letter, and shown that, besides an
swering The letter for the papers it went further, ano
recommended MIR. Churchill, and in the same bun
die of other recommendations in the hands of the Sc
mates committee Mr.. d. snd he would here follow The
i Postmaster Generals movement in a similar case, ane
inquire of the committee if this paper not in lhe
possession as part Of the Churchill papers, and whether
they had given out copies, authorized the publication
in the Mati.onan.
b (alr. McRober,s said no copy had been given cut
and Mr.. Merrlck understood 10 answer the same