The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-27
THE DAILY UNION.


Just. III.
The sums Mr.. Smith vouehes as got by him from
Mr.. WEBSTER are $4,000 for services connected
with the northeastern boundary, and two years af-
ter he vouehes $500 more, as will be shown.
Thirdly Leaving the Department Of State in debt
to the secret service fund, $3.50.
The records of the department show this default
beyond all denial or question.
They show, furthermore that it was neither paid
or accounted for during nearly two years after Mr..
WEssrER's removal from Office
They show several letters sent to him by Presi-
sident Tylers direction, urging payment, and eva
siye letters Of excuse from Mr.. WEBSTER for non
payment.
At length, a peremptory letter that exposure
would or might be the consequence Of more delay,
produced reimbursement. But settlement did not
take place I'LL the LIST February, l645 ten days be-
fore President Polk arrived in Washington to be
inaugurated, when Mr. Webster produced another
voucher from Mr.. F. o. J. Smith, for an additional
$500, and other vouchers, one from George Smith
for $500
George Smith, since dead, denied that he had ever
been paid or vouehed more than $3.50, to which sum
Mr.. Webster reduced the $500 at first demanded
as his agent now in Washington, will prove
Granting all the vouchers Mr.. Webster produced,
there was nevertheless balance of about 200 due
from him. at all events when he left the department.
That sam he was IN default to the secret ryce
fund, after ereditlng every thing IN the way OF re-
payment, Offset, or voucher, that he claimed.
In all have said in this affair, no SllusiOn has
been made to any private aggrayation. Regrettlng
the exposure forced from me, having afforded Mr..
WEBSTER several opportunities 10 meet the charges
in his own way that which he chose, left me no
alternative but this forbearing Justification Of my
self
A resolution, or committee which cannot inst-
tute, viii soon test the truth Of my statements.
NJ 4 HAVING conrlnded--
Mr. AsHMUN ross and asked leave of the
House TO make brief reply.
Objection was made.
M w. HUNT moved that the rules be sus-
peuded.
Mr. PENDLEToN demanded the yeas and nays,
which were ordered
Mr.. @. s. HOUSTON desired the Speaker to
state what the motion was.
The SPEAKER. IL is for leave TO reply in the
form Of a personal explanation.
Mr.. G. s HOUSTON. did not understand the
gentleman as wishing TO make personal explana-
ion.
MIR. AsHMUN. will put the motion in such
a form that there shall be no question about It.
appeal to the justice and generosity Of this House to
allow me to reply.
The SPEAKER. All these explanations and
replies are foreign te all the known rules and laws
of the House. They can only be received by unsn-
imous consent, or by a suspension of the rules And
the chair doubts whether, under the latter pro-
cess, they can he regularly made.
After brief conversation in which Messrs.
BOYD, MCKAY, HUNTER, and PENDLE.
TON participated,
The question, Shall the rules be suspended"
was taken, and decided in the Affirmative as fol-
lows;
YEAs-Messr' John Quincy Adams, Arnold, Ashmun,
S1Hs oR S5%E,d BsSs o1a B wa% SISSS
bell John II Campbell Carroll Cathcar John O. Chap
man Augustus A. Chapman, Chase, Chapman, Cobb,
Cooke, COllsmeT Collin, Constable, Cranson CroIier
Daniel Dargsn, DArragh, Garrett Davis, DelanD. billing.
ham Dixon DObbin, DOekery, Dunlap, Erdman John
II Ewing Faran Foot, Fries, Garvin Gidiings Giles
Gordon, Graham, Grinne Grover, Hlmlin, Hampton
Holmes Edmund w. HUBBARD samuel D. Hubbard Hud
SON. Washington Hunt James B. Hunt, Hunter Charles
ngeBol, Joseph r. 1ngeTsoll, Sesbom Jones Preston
King, T. Butler King, Lawrence Lake, Leib La sere
Levin Lyon. Long, Lumpkin, Macay McClellaod, Nc
Connrl McCrate. Jas Mcdowell McCaughey, McIlysine
Mckay, Miller Morris, Morse, Moseley, Owen. Parish
Payne Pendeton, Perrill Petit Phelps Pollock Price
Rahbun, Relic, Ritter, Roberts John A. Rockwell Runk
sawelle scsmmon sehenck Seaman, Seldom, Severance
bert smith Caleb D. smith, stanton starkweaiher
stephens strohn, Sykes, Thibodeaux Thomssson, Ben
jamin Thompson, Thurman Tiehats' Tilden, Trumbo,
Vance, Yinon. Wentworth, Wick, Wright, YRneey,
NASs-Messrs. Bigg. Reuben Chapman, Clarke. cul.
lom Cunningham, Gentry, Harrison, Herick, Hopkins
Geo. S. Houston Andrew Johnson George W. Jones,
Lewis, Barclay Martin, Root, Sawyer, Thomas Smith
Jacob Thompson, White, Woodruff Woodward, and Yell
"a
SO the rules we're suspended.
And leave having accordingly been granted
Mr.. ASHMUN thereupon took the floor.
Mr.. HUNTER rose and requested of the gentleman
the foor to be allowed to PROFOUND an interrogato-
ry to the gentleman from Pennsylvania, (Mr. NIGER
soLL.)
Mr.. ASHMUN. Certainly.
Mr. HUNTER. | wish to ask of the gentleman
from Pennsylvania whether he ever received any in
formation on this subiec from Mr.. Trst, who was
then acting Secretary Of State'
Mr.. INGERSOLL replied that he had received
no intimation or information of any sort from him.
MIR. BAYLY mr. A. further yielding the foor)
said he believed he understood the gentleman from
Pennsylvania to disclam imputing to Mr.. Tyler, the
late President of the United States, any fault in ref
erence to the abuses that had been committed in this
fund. Did he understand the gentleman correct
lyI
Mr.. INGERSoLL. Yes, sir
Mr.. ASHMUN resumed the floor, and proceed
ed
was very confident, Mr.. Speaker, (said he } that
the sense of justice that prevails in this House
would not preclude me from an opportunity of re-
plying to the member from Pennsylvania Alter
the repeated, deliberate, cold-booded ebutions of
that gentleman here
The SPEAKER inerposed to order. The gen.
tleman from Massachusetts, must avoid personali-
ties. Although the House had suspended its rules
~
the responsibility of requiring the gentleman to pre-
serve the order of the House.
Mr. AsHMUN. We'll, suppose it was perfect.
ly in order for the member from Pennsylvania to
utter all sorts of abusive epithets about an absent
gentleman, and that senator, calling him by name
too, and yet 1t is not strictly parliamentary TO i'm
pute any bad motives to-
TheSPEAKER. The Chair has no power be-
tween present and absent gentlemen, but he has
power between present gentlemen, and it must be
exercised.
Mr.. ASHMUN, (resuming) intend to keep
myself strictly within the rules Of order. | was
saying, that | was sure, after the repeated, de-.
liberate premeditaied assaults, which the member
from Pennsylvania has made on the distinguished
member from Massachusetts, this House would not
refuse to hear word or two in reply, and the vote
of the House just taken has not disappointed me.
think the House, as the nation, are not only sur
prised, but are mortified at the scenes which have
been exhibited here. The House has been de-
nounced abroad in the press and by the people, for
its wanton violation of good taste and good man
ners, but think offence has been committed
here higher than that against good taste and good
manners. ] think an offence has been committed
against society as well against the reputation of
l. + r.