The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-16

meeting OF whig members IN a room at the Capitol,
on the Friday before the sailing of the steamer Cam.
bria, at which the British minister was charged 10
be present. and where IL was said 10 be agreed to
have vote taken to be sent off TO Great Britain by
the return Of that steamer. 3. An admission by
Mr.. Senator JoHS M. CLAYTON, that he was present
at the British minister's table when the strength
of the British Oregon party in the Senate was
styled, ''ioas counted by their noses" No..
Each of these specifications were found, upon in
yestigaton, TO be utterly and entirely false
]. With respect to the dinner at the British min
isters and the alleged corrupt conversations there,
the editor and the Publisher Of the Times paper
each declared on oath that he had personal knowl
edge Of any such dinner or conversation. The two
persons named by them witnesses having" "a
knowledge" of the dinner, entertainment, and Of
the conversation there held--namely, Messrs. Sam
uel Medary and L. C. Turner-swore positively
that they had "knOlolsdgs'' Of any such dinner,
conversation, or entertainment. There remained
then no persons for further examination on This
head but the senators charged with being present at
the supposed dinner; and the editor and publisher
Of the paper having each refused say that he ex-
peeted To prove by any member Of the Senate any
conversations with the British minister Of the
character mentioned in the publications, and
having, on the contrary, sworn that they did
not expect TO prove any such conversations
by said senators, 1t appeared 10 the commit
tee that there was no foundation for calling the
il deemed proper to make known to the sena-
tors, whose names had been given in as Witness
es the facts in relation TO the made OF their
names, that they might act in relation TO 1t as they
thought proper. They were informed accordingly;
and the senators so informed, each for himself,
promptly sent in sworn statements utterly contra
dieting all that was imputed TO him. These state
ments with the other evidence, entered on the
minutes OF the committees proceedings, and leave
no doubt on the minds Of the committee that the
whole story in relation to the dinner and the alleged
corrupt conversations, is a false and contemplate IL
bel.
g In relation to the meeting Of the whig senators
in the Capitol, and the cosetng Of the British min
iser with them, the Friday before the sailing Of
the Cambria and the alleged resolve then taken, to
have an immediate vote on the Oregon question to
send out by the Cambria, the committee, after full
and careful inquiry find the whole story to be un-
founded and untrue that there was no meeting Of
such senators on that day-that the British minister
was never at such meeting on any day-that there
a meeting day or two before the day charged,
at which the sense Of the meeting in relation TO
the Oregon question was precisely the contrary OF
the resolve imputed to it in the publications. being
in favor Of delay Of the debate for two weeks in
stead of hurrying a vote TO be carried out by the
Cambria. These facts are proved by whig mem
bers present at the actual meeting. And further,
that in conformity with this resolve postpone the
debate, senator at the meeting Mr.. DArTosl was
appointed to move the postponement in the Senate,
and did so; and only withdrew his motion after de-
bate and opposition. And thus this story of whig
meeting in the Capitol attended by the British min
lister, is proved to be an absurd fabrication.
g. With respect to the "nosec ourlting" at the Brit
ish minister's table, the whole story has had ter
mination ridiculous and contemplate that the
committee find 1t difficult TO speak Of il in the tenn
perate language which becomes report TO the Sen
ate. State papers seem to descend from their dig
nifty when compelled to notice things so despicable,
IL 4 - l. -
ter OF our institutions requires 1t 10 be DONE and the
committee will discharge their duty in the fewest
possible words.
Publications in the Times newspaper had charged
this species of counting the so-caled strength Of
the British on the Oregon question in the Senate of
the United States, and the British minister's table
was made the place Of the enumeration. On the
first day of the meeting Of the committee the editor
Of the Times (Mr. II. II. Robinson) wrote down, in
the presence of the committee, that he expected TO
prove by Mr.. E. b. Schpabel, of Philadelphia, that
Mr.. J. M. CLAYTON, a member of the committee then
present, had admitted that he present at the
British minister's table when this counting bu no
ses" took place. Mr.. CLAYTON instantly demanded
the production of the witness. Fortunately, Mr..
Schnabel, contrary TO his intention expressed the
evening before, in the presence Of the editor of tho
Times had not returned that msrning to Philadel-
phia, and quickly appeared before the committee.
On seeing what was written down expected to he
proved by him, he manifested perfect amazemcnt--
declared that he could not sustain Mr. Robinson
that he totally ignorant of everything attribu-
ted to bim-that he had never seen Mr. Robinson
until the night before, when he casually met him at
the room of a member of Congressional he had
asked him what proofs he had to carry before the
Senae's committee to justify his charges and talked
with him about some of the rumors in circuation;
and that all that attributed to him was false and
unfounded. Mr.. Schnabel expressed his extreme
modification at being called witness in such
md ia IN lraa ofk
biities were wounded at finding himself in such an
unpleasant situation.
The next morning communication was received
from Mr.. Robinson which he desired to have enter
ed on the minutes of the proceedings as a correction
of his previous reference to Mr. Schnabel declaring
it to have been an "inadusrtence" and that Messrs
Medary and Turner were the persons intended to be
named. Soon after Mr.. Schnabel himself appeared,
and asked to add to his testimony Of the previous
day what had occurred since his examination on
yesterday, which was, that he had met Mr.. Robin
son that morning, who had acknowledged his mis-
take-retracted what he had imputed to Mr.. Selma
bel--and promised to have his reraxit made known
to the committee. The additional statements of
each were entered upon the minutes Of the proceed
ings, and the inquiry considered finished the COM
mttee seeing no reason to examine Messrs. Mcdary
and Turner, who had previously sworn that they
had no knowledge ofanything that had ever been
said or done OF the British minister's table. But Mr.
and examined to that point, and both fully declared
that they knew nothing of any dinner at the British
or any conversations there or any adj
missions of any kind from Mr.. Clayton, and that
hey had never spoken to, or conversed with him in
heir lives, and had given Mr.. Robinson no nforma.
ion on the subject
Thus terminated the examination into the only
angible specifications under The general charge OIL
corruption against senators contained in the publ
cations in the Times newspaper Of the dates referred
70. The examination terminated in the total over.
throw Of those charges; and however unfounded and
unworthy of notice they have been shown to be,
the committee believe a service has been rendered
70 the institutions Of country and to the decen-
cies and hospitality of private life in exposing
them to the contempt they merit. 49,.
The committee coninc themselves in this report
to the results established by the testimony, in which
they unanimously concur. The testimony itself is
set out in the minutes Of the proceedings, and
the committee have to say that all the witnesses
before them testified readily and frankly,
except one, "a Mr.. g. T. M. Davs,j who had &C.
himself to be the writer of the extract