American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-04-28
american Republican.
rRepoued for the American Republican,
First SESSION OF the 29th CDHGiEh.As
WAsHNGroN, April 81, 1916.

an answer to the resolution of Mr.. j. Nj. Clay
ton, concerning French Spolations prior to
1900; ordered to be printed.
Mr. Fairfield presented remonstrances from
ship-owners and masters in Kennebunk, Ban
ror, Portland and Bath, Maine, against the re-
peal ofths pilot laws of 1887.
Nj Pearce, from the committee on the lii
brary, reported a joint resolution authorizing |
the employment of Hiram Powers to execute
certain statues for the U. States; the accompa- |
nying report was ordered to be printed
Some bills from the House were read and
referred, and the Vice President signed the EN- |
rolled joint resolution concerning the Oregon
t8fritoTy.
A variety of reports from committees, chief
iy adverse, and of private interest, were taken
up and concurred with.
The motion of Mr.. Breese, to reconsider the
vote by which the bill from the House, for ex
tending the jurisdiction of the United States
over the Oregon territory, was referred TO the
committee on Territories gave rise to brief
discussion, end was finally withdrawn by the
mover.
The special order, being the bill concerning
French Spoatons prior TO 1900, was taken
up, and
Mr.. Dix in behalf of the minority of the Sc
iect committee on this subject, Consisting
the minority-of himself and Mr.. Mangum,)
addressed the Senate in 4 historical argument
adverse to the claimants.
while Mr.. d. was speaking, sevcrel MESA
ges in writing were received firm the President,
and package accompanying these, and MAX
ing part of them, was prize for the public
printers, if they get it, for it required the
strength OF two men to carry 1t to the SecIcta-
rvs desk.
MIR. d. begun by remarking that he was not
SO fortunate as the Senator from Delaware,
who had concluded by assuring the Senate that
he had no friends interested in these claims,
nor TO any great extent were his constituents
Interested-the reverse was the case with Mr..
ID. he had several personal friends among the
claimants, and his constituents were largely
interested, for if the bill passed, more than
one third of the amount, viz: 100000,
would go to New York He had read nothing
but was favorable to the claims, and after
much reading and elaboration, and upon their
own statement Of the case, he had come to an
opinion adverse to the claimants; he believed
they had no valid lain on the Treasury. The
argument so often addressed, that out of TWEEN
ty-lour reports on this subject only three or
four had been adverse, as showing their JUS
tice, was not entitled to the weight which was
attached to t-for the Parliamentary usage
was, to gvo all subjects to those VINO were
known to be friendly to the subject of refer
ence Mr. d. spoke until nearly o'clock
Mr.. Fairfield next obtained the floor, and
on his motion the Senate passed into executive
session.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
MIR. G. J. Ingersoll asked for a suspension Of
the rules to enable him to make personal ex-
PLANTATION.
The question was put, and the Speaker be-
ing unable TO determine how 1t was decided,
the yeas and nays were called for, and were
ayes l02, noes %.
Mr. c.. J. Ingersoll rose to his explanation.
He had made three charges against Mr.. Web
ster, of which the following are the heads
list. That Mr. Webster had made an I'M
lawful use of the Secret Service Fund.
Cd. MsaPplying part of that fund to the
corruption of the party press
Sd. Leaving the Department Of State de-
fiulter to the above named fund.
With reference to these charges, he said he
MIR. l. had had access to the Department OF
State as a member, for some years, of the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, but probably
no more than other members Of the House
were entitled to. That he had gone there,
when assaed by Mr.. Webster, to search for
evidence to sustain his former charges, in the
course Of which he had found evidence of the
charge he had made-the first item he found
being one for $1,000 in the Mcleod case. Up
to April lS4l, he said the custom had been to
place the Secret Service Fund in the hands of
the DIsbursing Clerk of the Department of
State, on whom orders were given for the pay
ment of the necessary amounts. In April
1871, shortly after the death of Gen Harr-
son, Mr.. Webster had pursued a different
course, and had required the Discussing Clerk
to rriy # hat IN no Of ha
nine months he had drawn from the agent
$4,000, and early in 1912, an additional sum
of $4,000, making total of ST. ,000-that the
only vouchers for the expenditure ofany portion
of this sum up to the 18th of July, eigh-
teen hundred and forty-two, were for $4,46O,
of which $1,000 was paid to J. J. Crittenden for
travelling expenses, Sc, in the Mcleod case,
$4,000 TO F. o. |. Smith and $1,000 to Alex'rI
Powen for expenses on the northern and north
eastern boundary, with other items making up
the amount stated. On the 23d June, 1912,
there Yves all item of $4,000 returned into the
hands OF the Disbursing Clerk; and in lS43 adj
ditionalvouchers for $4,000, leaving unaccount-
ed for 81, 900, exclusive of an item of Sl400
made public as charge for maps and travel
ling expenses.
With reference to the second charge he had
made, he referred to the contents of letter
iIui4l l. ~ - Nohd>iI HL1ihcu PINdIcJ vi
file in the Department, congratulating Mr..
Webster on the new mode he had adopted for
settling the N. Z. boundary, and making
some mention Of modes he had adopted to d.
rect public opinion Alright, and claiming COM
pensation therefor.
With reference to the third charge, he said
Mr. Webster left the Department delauter,
and that the Secret Service fund account was
not settled by Mr W. until the lst February,
le45, when vouchers were produced from +.
O. J. Susth ior $500 additional, and from
George Smith, who was since dead, for $500,
who, however, denied previous to h death