The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-01-27
r. NJ. SAUNDERS.
Hon. DAVID HENsHAw.
Secretary Navy U. S.

WASHINGTON, January 9Th, 1874
SlR: have carefully examined the docu-
ments, now before committee of the House OF
Representatives, which, as member of thai
committee, you were so kind as 10 allow me 10
read, relative TO a settlement between the Com
monweallh Bank of Boston, a Government de-
posile bank that failed in the early part of 1888,
and the Treasury of the United States, by
which certain lands that the Bank received from
company called the Warren Association were
appraised to the United States, in part payment
of the debt due from the Bank
had supposed, from The reports abroad, and
spread through a large portion of the public
press, that there might be in those documents
allegations against my private or official charac-
ter but find none such in them.
Insinualions, and even positive declarations
newspapers, that charges against my per onal
integrity and private character have boen laid
before the Senate, and caused my rejection.
Not to dwell upon many remarks Of This ma
,ure, which have recently appeared, this ex-
tract from leading Wing paper 10 Boston, the
is'Sh'hS ~S"ib"'t 20 S''ep' 40
general charge
Mr.. Henshaw has been rejected by the Senate, as
we anticipated. Ii appears that only right Senators
were found 10 vote IN favor of his nomination. We
do not believe that the Senate Influenced in this
matter by any iactious feelings party considera-
tons and as IT Is admitted on every hand that Mr.
lienshaw makes an excellent Secretary Of the NAVY
50 far as mere quai.f concerned, it follows
that he must have been rejected in consequence of
yup1 nd cbl t,i.b
have been alleged against him, Of uniusiihable. con-
duct in relation TO the Commonwealth Bank and mat
tiers connected with the management of that institu
ton have been thoroughly investigated by the Senate
and rortd to be trvs"
| have no authentic information that any
charges were against me before the Senate. /
have, however, requested Senator to procure
the removal of the Injunction OF secrecy; and
it any thing be alleged against my character,
private or official, il will be reiuted.
The interest you have manifested, that JUS
ce should be done TO my character, induces me
TO give to you narrative Of the facts in the
case, and thus TO repel the imrutaton which
mslevolence has cast upon me-
The Boston Evening Journal charges me
with :" unjustifisble conduct in relation 10 the
i'hhh' NuiNH III 1900
Other papers have charged that cheated the
fishermen by paying their bounlies in the bills Of
the Commonwealth Bank, knowing the Bank
would fsil-that was concerned in 'iraudn up
on the Government in procuring some land of the
Warren Association to be appraised to the Gov
eminent much above its fair value and that de.
signed TO defraud my creditors about that time
by collusiye transfer of my property. These.
! believe, are all the charges made against me.
and must admit are very serious aud grave
charges. publicly refuied them some six ears
ago, and believe ehectually silenced, for the
time, if did not put to shame, the miscreants
who propaga,ed them.
am at a loss TO know why an attempt, except
it spring from the foucst malevolence, is. or ever
was made, to hold me responsible for the failure
of the Commonwealth Bank | never was
Director Of the Bank, nor a stockhodcr. | be-
lieve, lill some half dozen years after the Bank
went into operation. The stock then bought
held, and the value | lost at the time the Bank
failed. ] was not then debtor to the Bank,
nor to any one else. ! was endorser, or surety.
TO the amount Of some seventy thousand dollars.
for a near relative, who owed this sum TO the
Bank at the time Of its insolvency Part of this
money had been hired of the Bank during the
suspension ofspecie payments, when the cur
rency was neatly ten per cent below par Many
Of the debtors Of the Bank svailed themselves
of right which all possessed at that time, and
paid their liabilities to The Bank in ITS own bill.
which were at from 30 to so per cent. discount.
Bu, not so did my relative, proverbial for his high
sense OF mercantile honor, whose paper I had
endorsed. His notes were paid in specie funds.
at an extra cost, over the paper Of the Common
wealth Bank, Of some twenty-five to thirty thou
sand dollars, 10 place himself and friends beyond
the reach Of mslev oent imputstions and il has
so placed them.
The charge Of cheating the fishermen, in pay
ing them in money that knew would be dcpre.
cisted, carries IN its absurdity its own refu,a.
ton. Paying the fishing bountles was an Off |
c,al act, in which had no personal interes,
whatever, and the idea that sDy man would de.