Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1846-06-15
soTEs con lks y -.
FIRST SESSION.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
DANIEL WEBSTER

j.
Official misconduct while he held The office OF Secretary
ul STATE Of the United Siaes stated thai HE cofnnli-
ice had agteed upon report, and he moved lhat lie
have leave ay il before the Huuse
Ihe SPEAKER said The House acting nnd"r a
Suspension OF rules and thai herrfre The mo'la could
not be put II M objected. lhs tepofi would be Re
we'd as by uaaalmaus consenl.
NJ mrfnbet ohjacllng-
/ Nh NINToN sent his report to the Clerks table.
and SAID concluded with two resolutions requiring
the prompt OF the House; the other 10 lie over
with the report
Mr. DOUGLASS called for the special order of the
day
The SPEAKER said that, having waited some time
ascertain IT any objected receiving the report,
and having been made, he considered The repur
having been received by unanimous consent, it WAS there
fore, before the House, and be disposed ui brnre
the special order could be taken up.
Mr.. DOUGLASS then moved that the report he
| laid on The table and printed
The reading the report was called for. 1t was Oh
jected H. ard the Speaker put The question: Shall
be read 2'
/ And II passed in the affirmative
The report then read. and is as fallows
/ The Select Committee OF tbe House of Representa-
tives appointed 10 investigate certain eharges made hy
the Hon CH,RLEs j. lNGERsoLL against the Hon
DASIEL WEBSTER, l,r official misconduct while he
held the office ol Secretary d State the United States
beg leave 10 report
That they have gwen To The subject referred them
patient aud aburons lnve.tgaton and have collect.
ed large OF testimony. the result OF hich only
without going lno lis details, they deem II necessary
10 present 10 the House.
The committee ~ the first place. directed tb,ir aien,
ton 10 the first charge against Mr. Websler that with
out the know ledge Oh the President Of tn. United States
and contrary 10 usage. he had taken o hands OF
the ordinary discussing agent and Hlo his por>
tun ot that parl OF The foreign Intercourse fund cnmnn-
~ known 'lhe Secret Service Fund :" and ammo.
prated Il To his own The commllIe find that by
law. this fund is committed 10 the exclusive control OF
the President of the United States. who may If he
think proper, keep the money himself aud dslurse it
from his own hands, he may commit the keeping aud
diNbnrsemento II 10 such agent AGENTS under his d.
rection as he may deem II exprdienl appoint. H.
consequence, The committee presume OF she many
and important duties hch necessarily constantly occupy
the whole time and attention of the President Of the
nicd States, s0 As IL render very Troublesome and diff
cu for him, IN person. 10 keep and dshurst tins fund
and make lis accounts, he has always from The first
establishment of the Government entrusted the discharge
of these duties 10 other hands
As the Secretary of State Of the United Saies is pe>
ruliary the confidential adviser Of the President IN
whatever concerns The foreign relation a the country
he woud seem 10 be the natural aud appopra are agent
Tor The discharge OF these duties, If he could perform
Them without derimen to other public business ni nigh
er importance Accordingly, the COMMITTEES find that.
IN th Administration Of General Washington the elder
Adams, and parl OF that Of Mr.. Jefferson while the If
flee OF Secretary of State held in succession by Nj
Jay, jefferson, Randolph Pickering Marshall and
Mr.. Jefferson, The whole of this fund was under the dl.
recton and sup rvson Of The President of the limited
States received kept and dIsbused by The Secretary Of
State.
In The early part Of Mr. Jerspn's administration the
Secretary OF State, without any law requiring il s ems
to have Been relieved from the discharge of his dn,y
and the keeping and discussing of thus fund under The
Presidents direction, appeus II have been passed over
INTO the hands of agents, whose accounts after recp,y-
ing the sanction ol the President, are settled at The
/ lTeaSury Bu chs has h.ao do
IN the powers duties OF The President 10 respeci to
THIS iund from the time ol General WASHINGTON ia the
present day This change have been made to, The
enience of the Secretary Of State and nat FINN ,,y
want OF confidence which Mr.. jefferson had in N,
Madison. "
The committee have examined Mr. TYLER the late
President OF the United Safes. IIe testified hat when
he came into the Presidency he found the t,reon rela
tons OF the country very delicate condon in 90,
tam particulars. winch the COMMITTEES do not deem /, ~,
peden 10 specify, requiring in his opinion Il q enaly
heht oi Confidential agents. and Tor reasons ASSIGNED by
MIN TO the comm tee. he regarded his Secretary a.
SAFE as The hlies person To select and employ them
Under an impression entertained both by HIM and Mr.
w tOS'eT hal tbs was the usual and proper made ~.
suggested mat The money should be discussed NV Al,
WEBSTER, and i"r mat purpose placed In his hands n,rs
Won VI inc ofegn intercourse fund which was then ~.
ING IN deposte with Mr. Snbhs the ordinary dsnrs,n
agent MS had not been done before for p ,,g o,s
knowledge OF the modern usare in resnact ,o tho l
ing and discussing this fund, ii is not pprob,ho lot
MI ingerSoll INTO the erroneous belief thai this nou,y
had come improperly and without the Presidents s,rr
uon, at Mr.. Nebster's instance into hi. hands re-,
there can be no doubt that the President had ,,n,I -
thory to commit 10 his Secretary the kpeplnu and die
nursing Oh ''s money, and that he alone had rohi In
Judge OF It's exnedIency The committee fad from The
testimony thai all The money put into his baoJs ,,a
placed there with The knowledge and sanction and nv
he order OF The President and su much of II az v.s m
resSafy WAS dIsbnrSed IN accordance with his views
'''"''' "o' htto'" Tor The purposes contemplated