Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-04-18

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Resolutions.
WAsHINeroN, April Z, 1s4e
most exciting debate occurred in the House
this morning, which occupied the whole Gay, on
certain resolutions offered by Mr.. C. J. Ingersoll,
which will be found below, and which will he
prefaced with some remarks of the most pointed
character In reference to Mr.. Webster.
Mr.. Ingersoll said, have put the few words
desired to say into writing, that there may be no
misreport or mistake about them.
| would not ask the indulgence of the House
for my personal vindcation; but the occasion
involves the most precious privilege Of members
of this House, in which the people are represent
ed. Its freedom OF speech has been grossly at
tackled, through me, by a Senator, Mr.. Daniel
Webster. OF him, as Senator or an individual,
I never have spoken here. OfMr. Daniel Web.
ster's misconduct as Secretary of State have of.
ten spoken mostly to censure it, in the instance
which provoked him this session. witha severity
which acknowledge justifies retort.
! All rise to do is, to ask the House to indulge
me with word of explanation of some resolu-
tions, to which suppose there can hardly be OBJ.
lection.
If adopted, presume they may be answered
by next Monday, and then shall pray permis-
sion to speak on the subject.
One of them is designed to bring officially be-
fore this House the Journal or Minutes of the
Committee of Foreign Affairs, in February, ;si3,
when the honorable gentleman from Massachn.
sets, Mr.. Adams, was Chairman of that Com
mittee.
According TO good precedents and authorities,
I am entitled to read these minutes to the House,
without its leave. But as doubts may be enter.
tanned, l prefer to obviate all objections by oh.
tanning its sanction in form.
These minutes will prove that Mr.. Secretary
Webster made known to members o. that com.
mittee, by written communication, the Presi-
dents wish for special mission to Great Bri-
tian, which special mission, think will sufici.
emily appear, was to settle the Oregon question
by yielding what Mr.. Webster has lately denied
our right to claim.
The resolution for information from the De.
partment of State will bring forth proof of Mr..
Secretary Webster's misdemeanors in Office his
fraudulent misapplication and personal use of the
public funds, and corruptng party presses with
the money appropriated by law for the contin-
gent expenses Of foreign intercourse. When
discharged, as he was, from the department to
which he was so great disgrace, he was dilin-
quent and public defaulter. He did not &C count
for the public money he fraudulently distracted
from the department till more than year after
he was expelled from it, and did not account for
most of it then by paying back the money he alb
stracted, but by vouchers from notorously base
agents Of his choice, who recepted for it, to be
expended in managing party presses.
Papers from the Department o: State, some of
them signed by him, will reveal the mystery of
what one of his corrupt agents, in letter to him
marked private, applauds as Mr.. Webster's new
and admirable mode of settling the Northeastern
Boundary question, after the forty years blum
dering, however honest and patriotic, of Washing.
ton, the Adamses, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe,
Jackson and Van Buren,, who did not consider it
right to expend public moneys in corrupting the
press and the people
1t is sickening, if not sad reality, that man of
fine abilities as preposteIous!y as profanely mis-.
called God.like, should be exposed in his mean
and paltry contrvances and associations with no.
toriously base fellows, in palpably vile misuse of
the public money.
When spoke the offensive words of the Se-
cretary, which appeared to have goaded him to
the madness generally betraying the guilty, had
have not nowi for detection is only begun since
he called me to It, One of his coadjutors writes
to the Secretary of State that he presumes the
contingent fund is ample and the secretary's con.
troll over it complete.
These papers, when made printed documents,
same secret contingent fund to the release of
Mcleod and although Mr.. Webster is reported
TO have said in the Senate that there was only one
letter on that subject, three in one and the same
day will appear.
Whether, when possessed Of the proofs of Mr..
Secretary Webster's malyersation, corruption
and delinquency. his offences will be deemed i'm.
peachable misdemeanors in Office, conviction for
which must remove him from the Senate, and
disqualify him to hold any Office of honor, trust
or profit under the United States, will remain to
be considered.
Should it be necessary to 60 to that extremity,
the simlitude will be wonderful with the great
English lawyer, called by poet, "the wisest and
meanest Of mankind"
It will be seen that the detection, If ! am not
mistaken, which my former disclosures may lead
to, will merge my individual wrong, and calm
the injustice done through me to the representa-.