The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-09

penses of foreign Intercourse has been placed at the
disposition OF the Executive, and part OF Il can b.
applied TO secret service. And there is law on the
statute book coeya with the formation Of the gov
ernment which authorizes settlement at the Treas.
ury Department of the accounts for such portion OF
this contingent appropriation as may be made on
the certificate OF the President. II the gentleman
by his resolutions, intends to call for all papers that
may be on ME In relation to this subject, the very
object Of the law authorizing these expenditures 20
be made will be completely defeated. And il will
stand as precedent to justify similar proceeding
| in all future cases.
| Mr.. lNGERSoLL begged to say il answer
to his honorable friend from North Carolina, that
he sorry that the gentleman interfered at all in
the performance ofa high public duty growing out
Of the resolutions which he Mr. H. had brough to
the notice Of this House. He knew that the gentle
man honest man, and an independent member
ofthis House, specially careful OF the public
moneys, and that he would be upon this occasion
as he has been upon all occasions, one OF the mos
foremost TO pay proper attention to their protection
There are as the gentleman says, two funds APP
| propriated by law annually, and placed under the
disposal Of the President through the Department OF
State one Of which, as his honorable friend, the
chairman Of the Committee Of Waysand Means in
umated, was sometimes called "secret service
fund" IL was not true, the gentleman said, that
from the foundation OF the government there has
been law regulating the matter. He has not look.
ed al II said Mr.. L.. lately or so carefully as
have. The law is dated LIST May, 1910, and will be
found, think, in the fourth volume Of the Laws OF
the United States, 3oSd page By that law the Pres
ldents certificate is made to cover various expendi.
lures which are deemed of confidential character,
and are certainly not proper in most instances for
public exposure But, Sir this resolution. calls for
proof of abuse ofthst fund
Mr.. TRUMAN SMITH rose and addressed the
| chair.
Mr.. INGERsoLL, declining to yisld) No; ex-
euse me, sir.
Mr.. SMITH. ! rise to point Of order. wish
| to know IL the resolution Of the gentleman from
Pennsylvania does not lay over under the rule.
The SPEAKER. The House, by unanimous
! consent received the resolution.
Mr. GNGERSoLL. That question of order be.
ing disposed of, is there any other
Mr.. SMITH. 1t is not disposed of. | rise to q
point Of order.
Mr.. lNGERsoLL. Does the gentleman ap.
peaR
The SPEAKER. The gentleman rises to point
Of order.
Mr.. INGERsoLL. The gentleman does not APP
peal. Then claim the floor.
M. SMITH said he wished TO make an inquiry
Of the Speaker, in relation to this point
Mr.. lNGERSoLL. Yes, sir but do not yield
the floor for inquiry.
The SPEAKER The gentleman from Connect
cut rises to point Of order.
Mr.. SMITH. ! wish TO inquire Of the chair
whether the Speaker understood the House 10 do
anything more than merely consent to the gentle
mans introducing the resolution which is now be-
fore the House?
The SPEAKER. The chair distinctly put the
question, and no objection was made.
Mr.. SMITH. ] understood that merely to be
upon receiving the resolution.
The SPEAKER stated, that not only was the
resolution received without any objection; but the
chair put the question the yeas and nays on the
adoption Of the resolution and still no objection was
made, and the House ordered the yeas and nays.
Mr.. lNGERSOLL now resumed the floor. 1t is
the resolution, therefore, (said Mr.. l., about which
| am addressing the chair; and | am sorry that my
friend from North Carolina, (and he is the last man
from whom should have expected any opposition
to this resolution,) obliges explain the subec
for as before said, had put in writing and that
very briefly, all which thought it was necessary
now TO refer to- and that other things might be re-
served for the coming in OF the papers. | say
through you to this House, that my resolution pre-
dicates a gross abuse of that fund. My resolu.
ton asserts that Mr.. Secretary Webster has ex-
pended through vile agents part Of that fund in
ruPting the PRESS in corruptng the party PRESS and
corrupung the party press for the purpose Of ac-
compshing the treaty Of the northeastern boundary;
and the question for this House TO decide now is
whether, il there were forty laws from beyond the
beginning OF the government, any gentleman would
prevent these papers from being brought forward
Sir, this s an extraordinary case; this is no COM
mon case. | would be the last man, sir,
for my connexion with the Committee on Foreign
Affairs, and from what know, and have known
about these matters should be the last man to in
erfere with the ordinary application of this secret
service money. But will state what know to be the
fact, and what presume the chairman Of the Com
mittee of Ways and Means knows to be the fact,
that from the accession of that extraordinary man,
Andrew Jackson, in 1929, down to the de-
parture from Washington Of Mr.. Van Buren,,
at the expiration of his presidential term, not one
farthng of that money was kept from public view
and that the private use of it did begin immeds
after Mr.. Webster came into Office,
Mr. MCKAY here rose, and Withdrew his obiec-
ton to the resolutions.
Mr.. INGERSOLL hereupon yielded the floor.
Mr.. DROMGOOLE obtained it, and demanded
the previous question.
Mr.. WINTHROP demanded the yeas and nays
on the previous question.
The question was put, and taken on seconding the
demand for the previous question: and decided in the
negative yeas SO, nays Is.
Mr.. DROMGOOLE again obtained the floor; and
was recognised by the Speaker.
Mr.. CULLOM rose to move a reconsideration of
the vote, refusing the second of the demand for the
previous question, having voted under msapprehen-
sion, in the negative.
Mr.. DROMGOOLE, however, insisted on his
right to the floor, and proceeded to remark that he
had but few words to say, and the few remarks
he meant to say, would be in exoneration Of the
said anything complimentary to them) The reso
luton offered by his honorable friend from Pennsy-
vania, related to point of history when the then
Secretary of State had been separated from the
Wing party, when he was acting with, (Mr. D.
believed,) the most corrupt administration that ever
existed IN this country AT that time, the wing
party denounced the then Secretary of State; how
far they can since justify themselves in now again
applying to him, the epihet of "the Godlike," he
should not attempt to examine. They had go, to-
gether again; but at the time when he was Secretary
Of State, the party alluded by the honorable gen.
tleman, the wing party Of the United States were
as wide from him as are the poles asunder. Mr. ID,
believed perfectly, absolutely, in the charge made or
implied in this resouto that there was corruption
IN that administration unparalleled in this country.
Why, sir, in alluson to the northeastern boundary
| shall not call by name the individual
who was pretended democrat whom the
President appointed a commissioner to run
that line. 1t was sufficient for him that a son of
DANIEL WEBSTER, the Secretary, was engaged in
the business, and it sufficient for him 10 saw
that If they could extort all the correspondence
there will be proof the most ,oa;t;y,