The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-11

bill to increase the rank and file Of the army, when
On motion of Mr.. BENTON, il was recommitte'
to the Committee on Military Affairs.
The Senate then adjourned.
| HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
The journal Of yesterday was read and approved
| The SPEAKER announced the unfinished bust
ness to be the bill in relation to mounted rAemen.
| SENATOR WEBSTER.
| Mr.. WINTHROP rose for personal explanation
i and having obtained leave, proceeded as follows
i In the course Of a service Of six years, | hay,
never before asked permission Of the House Il
| make what is called personal explanation. No
| am sure that | should do now, were my owl
conduct or character alone concerned. But do no
feel at liberty to allow anything to pass, as having
been spoken by me, which may involve the slight
est unjust reflection upon Others.
do not mean TO complain Of any reporters. o.
| the contrary, would make, both TO those Of th,
Integencer and those Of the Union, the acknowl
| edgments, for their general accuracy and excel
lence, which are Justly due from US all.
But this will say, that whatever | actually SAID
| in this House Yesterday, | am represented in the
Integencer OF this morning having conveyed al
idea, which certainly did not intend to convey.
If | was understood as meaning anything less
than that the charge OF being pensionsd agent Of IN
manufacturing interest brought against Mr.. WEBsrEp
yesterday, was, in every just sense, and in every
lust sense and in all senses whatsoever, unfounded
and untrue charge. desire now to correct that un
derstanding and to express that idea fully and un
qualihedly.
But there is another part OF the report to which
wish to allude. said that as to the fact which the
| honorable member from Alabama Mr.. YAscEY1
| had found in a newspaper, and which he said the
! whole people Of the United States were conversan
with-that the sum Of $780, 900 had been raised in
| some quarter for the benefit of Mr. WEBSTER or his
| family-I knew nothing, and therefore should de-
| \ al that I had that oh
| temen would observe the same rule as TO their as
sertions.
This remark was strictly true at the time al
which il was made. had, indeed, the news
paper statement had heard something Of a pro
posed manifestation Of regard and gratitude towards
/ Mr. WEBSTER. But so far as my own persona
knowledge reached yesterday, nothing of the sor
| had been done.
Now, sir, this morning know more about the
matter; and as the remarks which made yester
day might involve me in the su|oicion Of desiring
to remain ignorant myself and ~ keep others in ig
norance, and might look like an attempt on the part
of Mr. WEBsrER's friends to cover up and conceal a
transaction in the highest degree honorable both Ia
him and to themselves, take the very earliest op.
portunity 10 give to the House and to the country
the results Of my inquiries.
| cannot proceed to do SO, however, without ex-
pressing the deep disgust which feel for the sort
personal assault which has been carried in this
| House for day two past and for the necessity
which has been created Of introducing the privat,
affairs Of anybody before the country. But other,
have thought these matters fit topic for the
ellis Of the nation and upon them must rest the re
| sponsibiity.
desire, then, to make the following declaration
| by authority:
Mr.. WEBSTER does not a single dollars
worth Of stock in any manufacturing company what
| ever; nor is dollars worth of such stock held by
others in trust for him his family, or in any way
| - l.. IL
| in any way, in any mandatory whatever nor il
the rise or fall in any sort of manufacturing stock
property; nor has any transaction of any kind Ia
| ken place on condition of Mr.. WEBsTERs remain
| ing in the Senate or leaving the Senate.
Mr.. WEBSTER has disposed Of certain valuable
western lands at prices not exceeding their actua
| value, for which he has been paid. An arrangement
intended for his benefit which he regards as highly
honorable to him, and which, may say, is as high
a compliment was ever paid to any public man Ir
our country-being the provision Of an annuity foi
life-was announced to him here last month.
The gentleman making the communication &c
companed it with this declaration and statement Of
its origin and objects:
This fund has been raised freely and chserly by your
friends evidence of their grateful of the valuable
services you have rendered to your whole country They
have done without your sanction and with
some TO imagine that their purpose might not be
entirely acceptable to you Your friends are numerous
the who for five and twenty have rallied round
you But time will do its work all OF u.s. and when in
reasng age shall render labor rksome to and call fol
reposc these friends many of them may be in Their
graves If what has been done be not necdul for the
may yet hereafter tend to the comfort Of ad
cling and serve to recall to your mind friends whose
| hearts have been with you"
In this communication there is not the slightest
reference to Mr. Websters remaining in Congress
or to his leaving Congress: still less TO his support
Of any interest, any policy, or any party in the
country. Its motive is declared to be a grateful
sense of the valuable services rendered to "the
| whole country"
And take it upon myself to say, sir because
know, that this proceeding originated with persons
deeply, if not exclusively, interested in the com.
merce of the country. Nor is it difficult to under
stand how those interested in that commerce, as
well those who at all times gratifed with the
preservation Of honorable peace, and with an able
and successful defence of just maritime rights, should
find cause to be grateful for the public services of
Mr.. Webster.
But it is my purpose, on this occasion, to explain,
and not to euogize. Such an explanation was due
to Mr.. WEBSTER; but not to him alone. 1t was
due to the honorable and generous men, my consti-
tuents, who have been parties to this transaction,
and upon whom the charge of having pensioned an
agent to advocate any peculiar interests of their
own, is gross and unworthy imputation. II was
equally due to the Commonwealth of Massachu-
sets, whose immediate and honored senator and
servant, Mr.. WEBSTER is. He is here no agent
Of private individuals He holds his seat by the
free and unsolicited suffrages of the legislature Of
Massachusetts. He was elected by the honest and
Independent members Of that body two years ago,
as he had been several times before, because his
principles were known, and his ability proved; and
because in maintaining those principles, with the
unsurpassed power which he has uniformly exhibit
ted, they believed that he would advance the best
interests, not merely of their own fellow-cltizens
without distinction Of pursuit or party, but the best
interests Of the whole people of the Union.
With these remarks, | leave the subject.
Mr.. YANCEY (leave being further granted TO
him for personal explanatory said: | perceive, Mr.
Speaker, in the Baltimore American Of this morn
ing, in letter written by its letter-wrer from this
city, the following statement in its account Of the
proceedings of the House yesterday:
"Mr YANcEr spoke nearly an hour in continued
sniu,adversion upon Mr.. Webster. He would
oathe he said TO keep company 10Th Daniel Webster
and the whole speech was in the spirit Of this re-
mark"
The writer (said Mr.. W mistook my remark.
What did say, alluding to the facts had some
what fully demonstrated in relation TO his political
course during the last war and some other Of his