Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-05-02

reminded Of the experience Of thief who having bro
ken some dwelling in the darkness of night while
against some of the furniture upon spoil which
he did know to be there The gentleman seemed
sealtke providing about in secret place where he had
i Mr.. CHAPMAN here called Mr.. A. 10 Order and made q
| few remarks not heard by the Reporter.
i Mr. ASHMUN said that he had but carried out the gen.
emans graphic figure He had told the House he had
stumbled on something in the State Department Mr. A. had
only ventured TO carry the picture little further.
Mr.. BARCLAY MARTIN spoke to order.
/ And the CHAIR again explained
Mr. ASHMUN said he would leave that part Of the
subject and 90 to matter of more importance.
He would invite the House little while TO the charac-
ter of the Witness the sole Witness in support Of the gentle
mans charges against Mr.. Webster.
In judging Of him witness, and the credbty of his
testimony, it necessary recolect the position which
he Stood He had brought express charge that Mr. Web
had appropriated part of the service fund Of the
State Departmental his personal and private Now,
Mr. A. should have supposed that the gentleman from Penn
syvania the last the very last this country who
would have vcntured serious charge Of official population
against any other He repeated the remark He should
supposed that that gentleman would have been the last
bring such charge. The records Of Congress- would
have thought must have stared him in the facewould have
pased his tongue, in attempting to speak about any mans
using the public money Improperly. Could have been with
Of withdrawing mems thoughts and TecolectiOns from
delinquency, by directing alleged regulations
of others That gentleman had himself held public Office
under Government and he had continued to hold till he
turned out of by Gen. Jackson for official pecuaon, the
very first month he was in the Presidency.
Mr.. HOPKINS here TO ORDER insisting that the gem
eman from Massachusetts, had right go into charges Of
pecuaon alleged to have been committed under the admins
| tration of Gen. Jackson
The CHAIR replied that the House had tolerated similar
charges when made by the gentleman from Pennsylvania
supposed that they might be in order under the rules
the rules had been suspended He understood to rule
Mr. AsHMUS to be in order.
| From this decision Mr. HOPKINS took an appeal
Mr.. SCHENCK inquired whether appeal could be taken
under a suspension of the rules
The CHAIR replied in the affirmative.
Mr. BAYLY inquired whether, although the rules were
suspended the House still acting under the para
mentary law }
The reply of the CHAIR was not distinctly hea but
understood to be in the affirmative.
Mr.. ADAMS inquired, with warmth, whether the
Chair had decided that the law of the Parliament Of England
the law of this House, independent Of the rules of the
House so, he demanded to know what authority he
had given such decision
The CHAIR replied that he would respectfully refer the
gentleman from Massachusetts for precedent TO himself In
the of the 26th Congress- when that gentle
had occupied the Chair and rules in force III
the House, he had decided that the House under para-
mentary law.
Mr. ADAMS demanded whether, any decision made by
him, had been for moment ntmaed that this House was
by the law of another country when its own rules
suspended He denied it.
Mr. WENTWORTH said that the gentleman from Mas
sachusets had asked leave reply the gentleman from
Pennsylvania in defence of Mr. Webster Mr. w. had vo-
ted TO give him the liberty when he had listened atten
lively, but had heard nothing but personal attack the
tleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr. TIBBATTS moved to lay the appeal the table, and
demanded the yeas and nays
They ordered and, being taken, stood follows
Yeas 80 nays 81 So the appeal was laid on the table,
The SPEAKER here modified his decision, formerly made,
that all the rules of the House suspended He de-
eided that only such rules suspended prevented
teman from addressing the House without any question be-
fore it,
Mr.. ASHMUN resumed. He had Just stated that the
House must judge Of the weight of the and the
hmony from the character and position of the gentleman who
was both and witness The himself had
been public officer, and Immediately the accession Of
President Jackson had been dismissed from Office for abuses
connected with the public money Every knew that Gen.
jackson had into office under pledge reform abuses
in the Government And of the very first Of his ad
mnlstraon had been from Office the District At
toey for the eastern district Of Pennsylvania the ground
Mr.. A. had stated The Executive documents Of ls39-40
contained full history OF all connected with this matter The
gentleman from Pennsylvania had been removed the LIST Of
April 1929, although his Of office would have expired
IN the February following But the honest indignation Of An
drew Jackson against all pecuaon and maversaion would
not allow this person TO remain in Office that short rem
nant OF time he turned him out Immediately Yet, although
he was removed in April, 1929 his official accounts not
closed until 1882 ten years afterwards In 1886 suit
instituted against him by the Government. He reported
as public deaulter BY way of set-of he made the
enormous charges against the Government many of which
were dsalowed balance still remained against him Of
thyseven thousand dollars With the assistance of such
money but judgment still rendered against him for So $685.
This in May, 1887 but though the qudated balance
was found by Of the United States in that year.
not till the 10Th Of January, $780, that the last nsament of
his public debt was paid.
How his account made up the documents themselves
told in part, and tradition told the residue. There
cate of Judge Hopknson, from which appeared that
der the direction of this gentleman District Attorney,
hundred and yone es had been found by the grand jury
in the famous On single transaction the gentle
man had brought six hundred and ffy-one SUITS and bad
claimed taxable in them all He did charge every
chest Of tea. but every delivery that by this mode Of
procedure he secured himself the hundred and fifty
one actions, though the principle the same in ALL and they
all related to and the Transaction This it might be
said, violation Of law and il certainly true that
this procedure in sctnes according law Judge Hop
kinson certificate to that effect But whoha had been
lawyer did not that the whole transaction
nous abuse Suppose lawyer In private business should be
employed 10 collect dozen similar against nd
vidua founded in business and he should divide
them into separate actions and then charge the largest
the law would allow upon each Of them for the sake Of swelling
his profits what would any honest honorable man think
OF him twas for this and also for charging for what he called
exa-oclal services that he tunod out, and balance
oil about $4,000 in part outstanding against him for two
years. He tried to set off his debt by the enormous
charges Mr. A. had heard of but the jury allowed only
one fifth Of the amount Of them.
Mr. JOSEPH r. INGERSOLL nterposcd, (Mr AsHaus
yielding the foor) and said regret the necessity which
constrains to take any part whatever in this proceeding
From the beginning has been TO Of much pain
and have carefully RETAINED from every thing in connection
with i, except when duty has required that should give
vote have voted, and have done In relation
TO the particular statement made not ut liberty to
preserve silence Thus far the controversy has been
which my feelings of aileconae relationship alone
cerned different situation is created was counsel
for the District Attorney in the su with The United Staes