Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-05-03
TwHNrY-snvENra CoN0Ra.s.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
FNipAr, April >.

vote, ordering George POindsxtsr's Report to be
printed.
Mr. ARNOLD said il thi. report Was unaeeom'
par'ed by the evidence, and had go, into the House
"by accident" a some gentleman had intimated,
he should be against printing n, but such was not
the case; Il contained every word OF the testimony
a md. after the reports he had heard from various
quarters, as to the purposes Of the Executive IN
regard TO municaiing tito Congress, MIR A. was
for holding fast on to II, now they had got II. lie
~ as inclined to believe that the only way ever TO
get the whole report out Of the hands OF the Pres
dent was TO print the present copy OF 1t. The ru-
mors to which he referred deeply implicated the
political integrity OF the Executive; that, after hav
Jog foot this important investigation and got
the results into his ha lds, he should withhold
portion Of them in order concillate "Ihe Democra-
cy." A bird in the hand was worth two IN the
bush: he waited the document to the light, and
he hoped the House would 10 brought TO a direct
vote on the question OF printing IT. with that
view he would move the previous question. lCres
of "Oh, oh :" and remonstrance TO MIR A well,
then, won't make the motion: but 90 Tor light
TO the country. Spread the facts: give them TO the
Peoples is due the officers Of the custom house,
due to the Commissioners, due TO the President,
due to the nation.
MIR WISE went into a recapitulnton Of tic facts
in the history Of the appointment and do'nss OF the
Board OF Commissioners from May, lsll, when
Messrs. PoindeIter and Kelly had been appointed,
and on their recommend ,tlon, Mr. Stewart had been
associated with them to October, lsil, when new
Board had been designated consisting OF Messrs.
Pondoxtcr. Stewart and Bradley; the anxiety Of
the President that they should close their lahours
and report IN time tor hun 10 make the necessary
recommendations to Congress, and the resolution Of
the h ,ard On the 26,h OF December 10 close its
situngs On the 2sih OF December. MIR Stewart,
had reported in part On the lith OF January other
reports were made by Messrs. Stewart and Kelly;
and on the 9Th OF February. MIR Linz. Chairman al
the Committee on Expenditures IN the Treasury
Department, had introduced a resolution calling on
the Executive for the report and all tho documents
and correspondence connected with the subject.
At that time, Messrs Bradley and PvindeXe6 were
SKILL at New York, engaged m corclutng their 'e
port, and making synopsis of the evidence. IRE
President determined to wait I'LL their report should
have been received, before he replied to the call,
desiring, IN justice 10 Messrs PoindeIter and Bead
ley, that their report should not be forestaed by
that OF the other commissioners MIR Poindex,er
did not report till The 18th OF April: he had then
Withdrawn the report for some purpose. MIR
Sprisg: Tor correction We'll, for correction. and
had not returned till the Goth. Thus, though the
epott had been IN The department hut seven DAYS,
the committee complained OF delay in communies;.
ing 1t to the House. Ii must have taken the Secre-
tary alone three or four days to read l., and he
supposed lie had not vet read the whole OF il yet
both he and the President reQurcd time to read and
consider 1t. and to compare It with the previous
potts already rendered.
MIR w. then took up and commented on the re-
port Of the Committee on Expenditures, inquirng
how they knew the report had been made 10 the
Secretary, and why i had been Withdrawn The
report that but OF one Commissioner out Of
four; and how did they Get hold Of III They had
called 10 VAIN on the Secretary, and so they con-
eluded TO apply to Mr. PoindeXter himself, off
not appointed by the House but by the PresI.
dent, and whose duty il TO make his report TO
the authority which had appointed him. Mr. W.
would not say how that gentleman had felt himself
authorized 10 report the result OF his investigation "a
hon ia k.I Had h.
President for il, and that call had not We: been re
sponded TO. The report was not his il was the
property of the Governments il belonged TO the
Executive Department. Were Mr. w. President
and an officer should serve him so, he would turn
him out forthwith, would dismiss him instantly.
MIR Nj. A. COOPER reminded MIR w. that it
had Tor years been the practice for subordinate
agents OF the Executive TO communicate directly
with committees Of the House. Such at least had
been the course OF things for the last three yeats
ever since he had had the honor OF seat in Con-
greSs.
Mr. WISE said he was little older member
than the gentleman from Georgia, though a much
younger man: and he knew that this never was
done but with the knowledge and 10y the consent
OF the Department.
Mr. COOPER. The gentleman does not under.
stand me "a defending the practice Tor a moment
Mr. WISE. Not at oil. He then proceeded to
inquire who was George PoIndexterl And, after
passing high compliments on his intelligence and
standing, his ftaressness and independence, and adj
uniting he had been among the LEADING members in
the Senate, and the Ajax OF legislation in his own
State, inferred from the whole that he must well
know the course OF the Committee TO be an abuse,
and, II now the floor OF the Senate would be The
last man TO justify IT, Mr. w. did not know which
was the most reprehensbe, the conduct Of the
committee the conduct of the Presidents subordi-
nate. The committee had no business with the
document IL was matter between the House of
REPRESENTATIVES and the Secretary Of the Treasury.
The House had taken it into its own hands and
that az the instance of this committee itself and but
for the delay oecasioned 10y this very Commissioner
himself, the information would have been before
The House iong ago. IL would not, perhaps, be
decorous for MIR w. to inquire, while they were
censuring the President for no, having read, con
sldered and communicated this repor, in seven days,
sabbath ineluded-i. c. six days) whether they
had read It themselves
Mr Sprgg. They have not.
Mr. Wise was sorry to hear II: (but il was not
for him to comment on what was done in commit
tee) Certainly they ought not to have got an or
der 10 PRINT before they had read IT, unless, indeed,
they had had copy OF II m the committee before
any copy was sent 20 the Executive
Mr. w. said that, as 10 desire to suppress the
facts IN this case, he promised to show az much
activity in ferreting out abuses now as he had shown
IN 1889, and II they could produce to him any evil
dence that the President intended 10 suppress anv
part Of this document, he would deuounce him most
heartily.
MIR w. had hailed the appointment Of Mr. Poins
dexter on the commission with the Iivesst pleasure
IA voice; THAT might be inferred from your
nrgumenL"J
He believed the New York cusiom.house uass
cancer on the country, end he wished II probed 10
The core and Gil the corrupt and irritating matter
removed. The reports of Messrs. ely and Stew
art were no doubt valuable, but they were not the
men that he was; either here or NJ home. His re
port would prove grariOrem-of greater weight with
The country, however, both 'extfinsicslly and in.
tfnsc'lyi and Mr. w. thanked him for II; he
huped The House would print IT, md study d too.
tie suppress such a document No. far from y
lie had no vengeance 10 wreak on Mr. Curiis. none
on Mr. boyt mis- personal relations had been friendly
with both OF them. MIR Curtis had been nominated
not by Mr. Tyler but by General HAIR s1n. and the
nomination had been confirmed by the Senate . he
should Judge his case he would that OF hrs oSn
b other; he sought not 10 screen him. and he be.
leved he would challenge invest CATION. # he did
not, The mere doubts OF the public would damn him
" he had been guilty Of abuses Of his Office, Mr..
w. pledged hImselftO unite in exposing them and IN
getung him turned ont Of his place. Mr. WIS OBJ
loct was not 10 suppress the printing ofths report.
the gentleman from Ohio could Judge whether IL
would be an net Of justice 10 Mir Kelly to do so :
hl Mr. w. was anxious for was that the Execu.
i've conduct should be placed IN fair light before
the world.
Mr. ARNOLD. will say this much. am i'm.
formed on good authority, that the President has
nho thot report before MN for ten days, and has
not read one word oft
Mr. WISE. Tha. is not true.
mr. ARNOLD. ! assert that II is true-th,t in
the lace Of he gentleman
Mr. WISE. The report was mad, m ,b. t1,h
Of April, then vithdrawn and not returned an 49,,
2Oihi u was sent 20 the Secretary on the 9O'b =,
was not IN the hands OF the President before tie
2Oih.