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

from the attack made upon MN.
The SPEAKER No debate is in order.
Mr. WENTWORTH. am not debating.
am merely asking for information. ! voted in favor
Of a suspension Of the rules that the gentleman
might defend Mr.. WEssrER. have listened 10 the
Defence and candidly | think that the gentleman
has been making personal attack ever since he 10.
gan.
Loud cries to order.
Mr.. TlBBATrS TO the Spesker) Is it in order
TO move that the appeal be laid on the table,
The SPEAKER. IL is; and II the motion pro-
walls the gentleman from Massachusetts Mr.. AsA-
ausl will be authorized TO proceed with his re-
marks.
Mr.. TIBBATTS. make the melton.
Mr.. HOPKINS. | ask the yeas and nays, that
il may be seen who il is that is willing thus 10 con-
| sumo the public time here.
The yeas and nays were ordered, and, having
been taken, resulted as follows; '.
| YEAs-Messrs John Quincy Adams, Arnold, Ashmun,
Barringer Bsdinger Bell peterborough Milton Brswa
| Bumagtoa, VIM, W. Campbell John n Campbell, Car,
be CSnstOu, CToIisr DarTagh Garrett Davis Dsisno.
Dixon, Doeksry, John H. Ewing, Foot, frss, o.ddnys.
. o SI9i E. snT Rd, h1sR.sT hc%s %.
W HUBBARD Samuel o. Hubbard Hudson, Washington Hunt
Preston King Thomas B. King Lsib Lewis Long. Mecst
land, SeGaughey, Mellyane Marsh. MILLER Morris Aone
A. Rockwell Rank, sshsnek' seaman seldom. sessrsnes
Alexander D. Sims Albert smith, Thomas smith. Caleb b
s ssaamiH SS%rsoS. TSSrnsS fS. Tasn TTsaSs
Vance YiaIOn, white. wilnOi, woodward whshi. ana
NHSs-Ms.p. B.yly, Bisp Bowlin, Boyd BrodAs.d,
William O. Brown. Caihesr, Augustus A. Chapman CHIP.
man. Clarke, Cobb, Collin Sullo@ cunnisghsn, Dshs,
Giles Goodyssr Grover, Hamlin, Hsrnsnson. Hopkim
HOugh, o s Houston. James B. Hun, Joseph JohPs0n.
Naelsy, Mcdonald, Jane. Mcdowell. Mckay, Barclay
Martin. Moulion. Niyea, Norris, Owen Parish. rsruIl
| seammon Leonard n Sims, Robert smith, stanton STARK.
weather. Jacob Tha@Psoa. Wentworth, Wick. Wood.
woodruff Yanesy, Yell, and yost-oT
| So the appeal was laid on the table.
| The SPEAKER Since this question has ansen,
the Chair hnds IL necessary 10 modify lis original
| decision upon IT, The Char has decided that al the
rules Of this House suspended; but finds Il In
dispensably necessary TO withdraw that decision,
far as all the rules are eoneerned and TO decide that
emily such rules land none other( as permit the
gentleman to address tho House without any subject
| before Il, are suspended.
| Mr.. ASHMUN then proceeded.
/ Mr.. ASHMUN resumed. Before proceed, sr,
said he) wish TO ask Of the Speaker single ques
ZION. Will the hour.rue apply TO this debate
/ der the suspension Of the rulesi
i The SPEAKER replied that il would; but the
time consumed by points Of order would not be de-
| Quoted from the gentlemsn's time.
/ Mr.. ASHMUN. | have just stated, sir, in order
that the House and the country might Judge Of the
| weight OF the accusation and the testimony which
is brought to sustain it, that the aeeuser himself
was formerly public officer that on the accession
ofGeneral Jackson to Office on the 4th Of March,
/ 1923, he was dismissed from that Office; that
he was dismissed for abuses in Office connected
with public moneys. We all know that when
General Jackson into Office, one OF the pledg.
es he gave us in his inaugural address was, that
/ there abuses which were 10 be reformed, and
| he considered himself pledged TO reform them.
This was one OF the first acts Of his administration
to remove from Office the district attorney Of the
| eastern district OF Pennsylyania, the ground
| - k.ua al eli hnld IN .x,xt h., n.
volume ofexecutive documents for 1899 and 1870,
which contains the history Of the transactions to
| which allude. The gentleman was removed from
| Office in March on the LIST Of April, 1893; HE
| term ofofice would expire in February, 1880;
had less than year longer to run; snd yet General
Jackson, with that honest indignation which, what
euer may have been his other faults, he had Of all
sorts Expectations, did not permit him to enjoy the
| remainder OF the term. He removed him, and ap-
pointed in his stead Mr.. Dallas. And the Official
account was not cosed-the balance Of that account
| was not paid into he treasury until l639--neary
ten years after he removed from Office. Sir, in
| 1885, suit commenced against him; he had
been reported defaulter to the department.; he
presented large and enormous charges to offset the
balance against hun, and they were disallowed by
the accounting officers Of the treasury. suit was
commenced against him for some S37, 00O; he pre-
| sented an account-an account which is presented
| in this document, Of the most monstrous ems that
official eyes saw, and in tina, suit, in the year
1887 with the assistance Of such means he could
got upon the spot in Pennsylvania, he 90 far
/ reduced the claim of the government that
Judgment was rendered against him for $685.
78-almost $4,000 That was about LIST Of May
| 1897. liauidated balance was then found
by the courts OF the United States for that amount
and yet it was not until the 18th January, 1882
that the last amount of that Indebtedness was paid
into the Treasury Of the United States nearly two
years after that amount had been found by the jury
and judgmcn, entered by the court. The first pay-
ment was made in March, 1888 Of 81 800, and on
the 10Th January, 1885, (most two years after,) the
| balance paid. @-
Now, say, if any gentlemen and all gcntlsmsn
will think the whole public ought to-investigan
these accounts, they will find that he retained 10 bic
hands an immense amount of public money; that
when pressed to suit by the agents Of the United
States, he brought in an account composed of the
| most monstrons items as an offset; and that final
| ly judgement of nearly $4,000 was found against
him. and that judgment was not satisfied ill two
years afterwards. Well, how his account was
made up tradition tells us somewhst--this document
| tells somewhat This is the certificate Of Judge
Hopknson Under the direction of the district at,or-
ney the grand jury returned 65l bills of indictment
in certain tea case-which was all one transaction.
arose upon two three cargoes Of tea that were
delivered out in violation of the laws to A, B, c,
&c The district attorney was directed to prosecute
them, and instead Of bellng them in one or two &C
counts, he lbelled each package, having 65l bills Of
indictment issued out, each of which he levied his
charge of costs. Now, it may be said it was accord
ing to law; Judge Hopknson certified this enor
nous amount, it was true; but he considered il was
an unusual charge, every lawyer knows. And It
was charge much greater than he was entitled to
under the spirit Of the law. And besides this, he
brought in charge for other services--for extra
official services And after this amount was made
up, judgment was rendered against him Of nearly
$4,000 in 1887, and it not satisfied till March,
1889. am reminded 1t is fact, that the Jury only
allowed about one-fth of the account presented.
| Mr. J. R. INGERSOLL interboscd (Mr. Am
NUN yielding the foor) and said regret the neces
sty which coustrains me to take any part whatever
in this proceeding From the beginning il has been
to me cause of much pain; and | have carefully
RETAINED from every thing in connection with il, ex
cept when duty has required that should give
! vote. have voted, and have done no more. h
relation to the particular statement now made, am
not at liberty to preserve silence Thus far the
troversy has been one in which my feelings OF afec
Tomato relationship were alone concerned. A dif
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