Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1846-05-04

FIRST SESSION.
Wasn,ssTor, April "a.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

| House Vi KEfkf sfsN AipIS'
A. .os - the Joun,I had been red. SIR. C. J. IN
6ERsOLL and asked leave 10 maks pefso'a'
4 explanation.
ojvc,iou being made fom several quarters. he moved
Suspension Of The rules and The oon prevailed, yeas
! lU2, Bays25
And leave having thus been granted.
| Mr.. l.. J. IN1ERSOl.L spoke as toliows:
! Mr.. sPElKER: When Mr.. Webster, 10 vrueni
terms III Senate, assailed my truth concerning 'fansac
lions Of which proofs ought 10 be IN the lePsrtmea' Of
Stale, went there IN s-srrh oi them ih my vnd'caon
As member Of the Commute oi Foreign Ahsls, iof
years. have freedom vi access there, tiough
probably which any other member Vi Congress IS
MT entitled TO.
Searching proofs not 10 expose him, but vlndicaie
myself. fell mos, unexpectedly others ~h'eh led mr.
next day, 10 denounc. him as a delinquent.
When the Pfesidet's answer ~ the resolution 0i the
IIonse o Representatives refused certain documents,
repeated In general assertion. The In, Of his delinquent
cy, and added that 10 easily susceptible VI psoof ny
friends advised me 10 60 no further, surprising that MI
Webster would challenge investigation.
| Not having done 81, but having again, with oPp0-
brous language. in Senate charged me with slAnder
and called subslant ale my accLsailon Of him,
submit short statement, which may be tested asio
the truth.
| There are three charges II delinquency:
First. Unlawful use VI the fund appropriated for the
contingent service Of foreign Intercourse, community
called The secret service fund.
Secondly. M'saPply'rg part Of that fund to corrupt
party presses.
lhudly. Leaving the Department, Of State in deau.
| 10 that fund.
| First. Congress appfopriaies annually small sum-
commonly $4,000 Tor the contingent expenses Of Tor
eIgn intercourse; the disbursement u par o which IS
son ees uselully elandesine, but never rs has been
enormously supposed, corrupt. Whenever, III the Pres
dents ophion, II would be wrong 10 make public how
any part Of 1t is disposed Of he ceris aud. by ACT
ol Congress his mere certificate Is sufficient voucher at
the treasury for The required settlement.
These funds have, the last sixteen years, il not a-
ways. been in The hands Of clerk called, ny acts of
Congre y, the disbursng agent OF the department vi
STATE, who kept them IN banks agent The Official
routine Tor The Pesideni on Tie ItquisIlion o the Be-
celaTy oi State 10 authorize pay Vi The loney IRON
the treasury TO the discussing agent Of the Sac De
parleh Tie discussing agent Is d. blled al the lIeass
ury with the sum drawn INTO The Department OF D ate,
keeps 10 his credit agent bank and gives checks
required by The secretary, for payment 10 any person
he may designate.
IL this way The frs, check saw when went to the
department, drawn by the aeen, Tor The service al
New York in Mclaeod's case. 900.
Bot shortly alter President llarrison's DEATH and hes
fore Vice President Tyler at home IN chief na2s
racy-n April, lS4l-Mr. Secretary Webster began
entirely novel method Of dealing lh the secret service
fund Instead VI directing the Disturbing agent 10 pay
any third person. MIR. " ebsler required tile money 10
be paid 10 himself
In this way he drew TO himself from {, disbursing
gent twelve thousand dollars during The first nine months
OF Mr.. Websie's incunbency Secretary. about 300
month, in lS4l and three thousand dollas early
in 1912.
Thus he ook into his hands fifteen thousand dol
lars In the first twelve months. The President, there
is written evidence in the department To show, never
authorized this, knew nothing OF II, and when first
prised OF II, more than fourteen months after II had heen
going or, to the large Of fifteen thousand dollars
re fused IL his sanction.
II was Ill July, 1912. as the evidence in the de-
par'meni shows in Mr. Webser's handwriting that he
got Presidents certificate for four Thousand four hun,
dred and sixty dollars, "a AGO
Tha, Presidents certificate, Of which took minute
dated 18Th July 1912, is
To }. }. Crlenden, for expenses Of journey to New
al York SlO(
To +. O. j. Smith, for services connected with
the northeastern boundary 1900
10 Alexander Powell, for journey to, and stay on
the frontier in !s4i, on the subjec, Of The dis
: turbances .00(
, With several other items
The first item in this short account concerning Nc
Leod will show how | was led from that 10 ,iher OBJ
jecs; and some OF the other items III show the agents
whom, as Secretary Of Stale, Mr. Webster employ ed.
Both houses OF Congress, II not The public al large have
not been left in lenoranceof the characters OF
Iuse whom The Secretary If State btstow cd large
sums of public money. il their receipts corrocIly vouct
what they got.
In a memorandum Of payc eni to Mr. Webster by au
horliy of the President, there is minute dated Jun,
%, 1912, by cash returned, g., 600"
After drawn 81 900 10 himself during fifteen months
during which period there Is trace Of what he d,
with those large sums, he appears to have returned one
third OF the amount Withdrawn. Why return u, If Ia
ken tor any public purpose2 Where had IL been kept
IN any place OF deposile, separate from Mr.
Webs,er's private fuuds2 Did he use IN
These $4,000 were returned ten days after, accor
ding To the published correspondence, his negotiation
~nh the Brush envoy extraordinary began by eoavef
sationa and confidential intercourse without protocol
= or other usual records OF such Transactions
In 1915 Mr.. Webster. took HIM sell ~ 600 m,re
making altogether $l7 900.
On closing his account credtng the 5000 reirne,
and various o,her sums, t,ere remained n balance a
gainst him of 81 800 OF the secret service fund ON
OF the credits against 1t was for 81 400, published il
House document. report No 90 first session, 2Sth CON
gress-repon OF Mr.. Rogers for maps charts. surveys
and expenses of onne ing them 10 the Of government
ana Tor copies OF transcripts, aud tor varaus agencies
procure norn alton connected with the boundary ttea
~.
ms narlicuate and comprehensive mixture Of man,
inconstuous Items, without specf caun of prices
OF any apparent test Ut reciIude Mr.. Secretary Web
in sie certified himself proper credit for himself an,
ueducted from his debit the secret sury,ce fund
Without that credit his default to that iurd would TIA
been 49, $50, instead Of 81 go, which II WIS hen n,
was removed from Office
The $l7 900 were in his hands Contrary to uniform
9ssse II used BY him, contrary the subeasury ac,
Wne.ner So Is Tor him ~ make appear. The burden o
proof is on him.
Secondly: Application ofthe secret service fund I,
corrupt party presses. The Ashbuun treaty bea,s date
me YIN August, 1912. Congress were then IN session.
IN aho as Mr. ADAMS has charged me lately and confess
u'u ~hat little could ss OF small uiiuurity in
: me House Of Representatives I've had futy yo,es
uhk' under previous qusstIon) 10 resist a treaty
when Mr. WEBSTER has lately stated in the Sens ie
granted near half a million Of dollars from tho tr.as,