The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-02-15


investigation, il not time for those who rested
under these charges to call for the proofs The SEN
ator remarked that they would hear Of more abuses
than they had stomachs to bear. Now, II the report
be made and if it should show that his party friends
were involved in these mal-practices, he would con-
denim them; but, without taunts OH the past or COM
ments the present. he desired to get at the acts
and If the resolution exceptonabe IN It's phrase
oogy or substance, he was willing to modify ~.
Mr. MANGUM said that he had had resolution
in his drawer for the last len or twelve days. ,he "o
ject of which TO elicit the information caeu LOT
by the resolution OF the Senator from New lamp
shire but when the report of the commissioner sna
have been laid before them, he would present ", Us
would then be necessary omake oher inVesusai11"s
to ascertain not only what was wrong during tue las,
Administration, hut whether the state OF things had
been made any better since and he hoped that they
would look to frauds not only under the last put uh
der the present Administration lie conceived tha'
thew were unable at this time, TO determine all The
ponts on which they desired to elicit the whole truth
he therefore moved that the resolution, Tor the pre-
sent be laid upon the table.
MIR BUCHANAN concurred in the views ex-
pressed by the Senator from Kentucky with regard
TO the power of the President TO appoint the commits
SION but as TO the sending Of young men to France
TO learn ride horseback the Senator had hap
by knack of ridicule, and the whole amount OF the
matter that the Secretary of War had sent some
young officers to France for the purpose OF learning
military scpline in arm OF service in which the
army of the United States had not much experience
He would not say whether this exercise of authority
right wrong bui If these officers received on
ly their lawful pay, and went abroad to get intorma-
ton, it might be justified. II, however, they were
sent merely learn ride they had better been sent
the Camanchcs who were better horsemen than the
French. The Senator told them not to "halloo until
they got out of the woods" but were they never to
get out They had been hallooing for a long time,
and had been calling for specifications OF alleged
abuses; they had been calling spirits from the
vastly deep" for nearly year, but none had
made their appearance. They had no spec-
ications. and they could not lay their hands up
on them. He hoped Senators would hasten their
examin alton, and he would go along with them. II
was very probable, nay certain, that some abuses had
existed under the late Administration, for the vigi-
lance ofno Administration could prevent them but 1t
was satisfactory his friends that they had been call
ing for year and no proofs had been sent to them
When he the name of Samuel Swartwout as
candidate Tor the Vice Presidency Con the same Pre-
sidenal ticket with distinguished gentleman now
in the Cabinet he looked for abuses, for whenever
collector of customs turned politician, 1t became his
interest to accommodate merchants as to secure their
support, and then farewelto honesty. Who could
say word against the present collectors Did not
that officer sweep the custom house as with bosom OF
destruction Did he not remove those who Were
there when he went into office, and was not
the custom house now under the control of the
Senator's friends, both high and low Whence
then, was the necessity for commissions Was
not the Cllstom-house filed by Democratic Wits,
whose duty it was to detect frauds committed
by their predecessors lie did not know in what
position the Whgs stood but did they not support
the President with the exception of his two veoes,
and had not President Tyler approved all their other
acts; He was then, Wing President with the eX-
cepton of Bank of the United States, and, accord
ing to the admission of the Senator from North Caro-
rolina (Mr. Mangum,J the head of the Treasury De-
partment above all suspicion.
Mr.. MANGUM AS far as know.
y MIR. BUCHANAN said that the office of First Con-
troller given TO that gentlemen by General Har-
rson (whose decease no man sincerely lamented
more than he did,, and why had not that gentleman
been appealed to- to ferret out some of these abuses
But let Senators inquire of the head of the Treasury
Department and ascertain the extent of the abuses,
and, when they did so, if they did not find him as
ready as any Senator to correct them, he was
mistaken in his own opinion. Let them have
the facts, and then it would be time enough to
crimnate and recriminate and he presumed that all
abujes had ceased since Mr. Curtis went into office,
BIZ still they ought to look and see how he had pro-
ceeded.
Pennsy vana seated he was, near him and his Mr.
Clay's) friends had not imbibed of the princi-
Piles which actuated the Wings upon his side of the
chamber, and he hoped that little of those prn-
cipes would have reached the Senator's heart; but
the Senator would still attach himself to the other
side, Notwithstanding all his (Mr. Clay's) kind atten-
tons. They had, however, gained something, and
he gave the gentleman credit for his candor
in asserting his (Mr. Clay's) principles with
regard to the appointment of the commission. The
Senator was, 50 far as that concerned, good
Whig and he congratulated him on the conversion,
and hoped that he would be restored to religion and
to patriotism once more. But The Senator seemed to
have got too much in his head about Presidential
candidates and, according TO his MIR. CLAYs) re-
collection, this Sam Swartwout never was candi-
date for the Vice Proficiency
Mr.. BUCHANAN You don't read the newspa-
pers.
Mr. CLAY said that he read too many of them,
and that his friend from Pennsylvania had been re-
viewing this subject with too much scrutiny and nice
ty But where was the seepless eye of eternal vigil
lance that watched over the Treasury Department
when Sam Swartwout was nominated for the Vice
Presidency, and previous to which frauds had
been committed at the custom housel BE would,
however, take tic occasion to say that he
believed that Mr. Van Buren, was originally
opposed to the appointment of Mr., Swartwout, and
he had understood that the Senator ilom Pennsylva-
MIA also opposed to the appointment; still the Sc
lection made by the man ofthe IRON will. II was
impossible for gentlemen to escape from responsibility.
Jesse Hoyt appointed by MIR. Van Buren,, bat the
appointment made aga st the consent OF the Sc
nalor from New York. With regard to the increase
of the cost of collection at New York, the per cent.
was 43 under the collectorship of Jonathan Thomp-
son. but under that of Swartwout it was 267. 1.-THE
Senator would not be responsible for this, would he
answer for Jesse l1oyt?
Mr.. BUCHANAN. No, sir.
Mr.. CLAY. What in the Devil are you response
BILE for He was a thorough going Locofoco he
never had any Wing sympathy, and yet the Senator
had no sympathy for Hoyt Does the Senator charge
the Wings with responsibility
Mr. BUCHANAN don't know.
Mr. CLAY said that he would be extremely happy
to know, and that bad Sam was, the cost of col
lection had nearly doubled under the administration
of Jesse Hoyt, and had increased to OH Under
Mr. Jonathan thompson, with a revenue of fif
tie m Millions the total number of persons en-
poyed was 1863 but after the first year of Sam Swart
won't the number increased TO 1885, and it then
ranged from year to year as follows 2l5, 243 269,
1928. 1874, 4O7 Jesse came in with 407 persons, and