Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1846-05-07
CONGRESS-.

'eo prior 70 lSOO, was under consideration. i,
In the House, Mr.. Ingersoll renewed his as
sault upon MIR. Webster, in relation TO tho unex.
pected discoveries he had made at the State De-
partment.-He said that on the receipt of the
residents message, refusing the information
called for, that he had contented himself with
merely stating that the charges could be proved
oy the evidence in the Department. He did not
go farther, because he had been told by his
friends that Mr.. Webster himself would demand
an investigation. AS this had not been done, he
now ielt called upon to come forward with his
proofs MIR. lngersoll then reiterated his charges.
LIST. Unlawful use of the secret service fund.
2nd. Misapplica,ion of said fund for corrup, par.
" purposes. Sd. Leaving the State Department
DIS oeiauiter. The secret service fund, he said,
was always kept in The hands Of the .'disbursinp
agent OF the Department, and that contrary to
all usage, MIR. Webster had drawn to his own
order $4,000, and there was evidence in the De-
partment to show that the President did not an.
prove the proceeding. OF this SIS, 200. MIR. w.
| returned $4,000 in June 1912, and $4,000 was
settled by the Presidents certificates, the greater
part OF which was applied to the corruption of
the public press, through the agency of f. o. ].
smith That after creditng sundry other items,
Mr.. Webster was still defaulter when he left
the ofhce TO the amount OF two thousand dollars,
and that although repeatedly written to by the
President, he did not make up the amount until
ten days before the Inauguration of Mr.. Polk
The evidence OF all this, MIR. lngersoll said, was
to be found in the Department. MIR. Ashmup
replied to these charges in very severe manner,
alleging MIR. Ingersols statements to be all false
and that he would not have dared to utter them
had MIR. Webster been present. He said it i'll
became man who had himself been turned out
of office by Gen. Jackson for peculation, to make
such charges. MIR. J. r. Ingersoll explained
lie said he had been the counsel of his brother
in the case-that he knew the fact that his bro
Their had been trying for long while to bring
the government 10 settlement, and that at leno,h
| he proposed to submit the case to a Jury, which
was agreed to. MIR. Ashmun, after paying high
compliment to Mr.. ]. r. Ingersol, went on to
refer to the facts as he found them in the public
documents, which showed that Charles j. Ineer-
SOIL had not paid the amount assessed against
MIN oy the Jury for nearly ten years afterwards
Nir. Ashmun went on TO say that insidous at
tempts had been made to enlist MIR. Tyler in this
assault upon Mr.. Webster. MIR. C. j. InqersolI
enquired whether the member meant to saw that
the attempt had been made by him. Mr.. Ash
nun said he did. Mr.. Ingersoll retorted ..it is
false; it is false" Great confusion ensued.-
Mr.. Ashmun remarked fthe gentleman expected to
draw on personal quarrel by such language, he
would be disappointed. He came from country
where they did not fight duels, nor use pistols.
bowie knives, nor daggers-but though thew did
not use them, they were not afraid of them. If
any body doubted his courage, he invited him 10
try him. After several Intellectual efforts 70 Law
the whole matter the table, resolution was
adopted authorizing a committee to investigate
the charges against Mr.. Webster with view to
an impeachment.
On Tuesday, in the Senate, Mr.. Miller present. !
ed the resolutions Of the Legislature of New
Jersey demonstrating against the repeal of the
Tariff of 1912.
In the House, the following committees were
appointed, Messrs. Schenck, Dobbin, Stanton,
Mcllvaine and Rockwell, to investigate and re.
port upon theS manner in which C. ]. Ingersoll
obtained his information in relation TO Mr. Web
ster from the State Department. Messrs. |
Petit, Vinton, ]. Davis, ID. p. King and Wilmot.
to investigate the charges against Mr.. Webster,
with view to an impeachment. The day was
spent chiefly upon the bill relating to the Smith
sonian bequest.
On Wednesday, in the Senate, Mr. Jarnepan
introduced preamble and resolution, 10 author
ze the President, with the advice and consent of
the Senate, TO appoint Board of Commission
ers to settle all claims of our citizens on Mexico.
Inc preamble sets forth that repeated WRONGS
have been permitted by Mexico unon the persons
and property of our citizens, through long
course of years that all endeavors to obtain re-
dress have failed, and that having rejected our
Minister and every pacific overture, no aierna-
tive Is left TO us but to make peremptory de-
mand for settement.--The resolution was referred
to the committee on Foreign Relations. The
bill granting alternate sections of the public do
provement, was passed.
In the House, the bill i'm relation TO the Smith
sonan bequesi, was read third time and passed.
On Thursday. in the Senate, the bill from the
House to establish the Smithsonian Institution
was referred to select committee. The bill to
aid the State of Mississippi in the construction Of
Railroad from Jackson, through Brandon, TO
the Western boundary Of Alabama, was then
taken up, and after some debate, was slightly
modified, and finally passed. The Senate then
adjourned over until Monday.
In the House, no business of importance was
ansacted.-Afier the presentation of one or two
petitions, it adjourned over until Monday, for the
purpose Of having the Hall cleansed and the
SIMMER mattinU laid lowp