The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1846-05-14
MR.. INGERSOLL'S CHARGE A
GAINST MR.. WEBSTER.
MR..

against Mr. WEBSTER, as will appear from the
following:--
In the House, April Goth, the rules were
suspended by vote of l02 yeas, to 25 nays,
permitting Mr.. G. J. Ingersoll to make per
sonal explanation in relation 10 matters be-
tween him and Mr.. Webster.
Mr.. G. ]. INcERsoLL then spoke as fol-
lows:
Mr.. SPEAKER: When Mr.. Webster,a in
virulent terms, in Senate, assailed my truth
concerning transactions Of which / proofs
ought to be in the Department of State, /
went there, in search Of them, for my vim
dication. AS member of the Committee
Of Foreign Affairs, for some years, have
some freedom Of access there, though prob
ably none which any other member of Con
gress is not entitled to.
Searching for proofs, not to expose him, but
vindcate myself, fell most Unexpectedly on
others, which led me, next day, to denounce
him as delinquent
When the Presidents answer to the re-
solution Of the House of Representatives re-
fused certain documents, repeated in gen.
eral assertion, the fact Of his delinquency,
and added that it is easily susceptible of
proof. My friends advised me to 20 no
farther, supposing that Mr.. Webster would
challenge investigation.
Not having done SO, but having again,
with opprobrious language, in Senate, charged
me with SANDER, and called on me to sub
stantiate nay accusation of him, now sub
nit short statement which may be tested, as
to truth.
There are three charges of delinquency:
First Unlawful use of the fund appro-
priated for the contingent service of foreign
: intercourse, commonly called the secret SER
vice fund.
Secondly. Misapplying part of that fund
10 corrupt party presses.
Thirdly. Leaving the Department ofState
in default to that fund.
First Congress aNropriates, annually,
a small sum, commonly $4,000, for the
contingent expenses of foreign intercourse; !;
the disbursement of part Of which is some
times usefully clandestine, but never, as has
been enormously supposed, corrupt. When
ever, in the Presidents opinion, il would be
wrong 10 make public how any part of it is
disposed Of, he so certifies, and, by act Of
Congress, his mere certificate is sufficient
voucher at the treasury for the required SET
tlement.
These funds have, for the last sixteen
years, if not always, been in the hands of
clerk, called, by acts of Congress, the dis
bursting agent of the Department of State,
who kept them in banks, as agent. The
official routine is, for the President, on the
requisition of the Secretary of State, TO
authorize payment of the money from the
treasury to the discussing agent of the De-
partment. The dsbursing agent is debited
at the treasury with the sum drawn into the
Department of State, keeps it to his credit
as agent, in bank, and gives checks as re-
quired by the secretary, for payment to any
person he may designate.
In this way, the first check saw, when l
went to the department, was drawn by the
agent for the service at New York, in Nc
Leod's case, s. 900.
But, shortly after President Harrson's
death, and before Vice President Tyler was
at home in chief magistracy-in April, lS4l
MIR. Secretary Webster began an entirely
novel method Of dealing with the secret SER
vice fund. Instead Of directing the disburs-
ing agent TO pay any third person, Mr.. Webs
ter required the money to be paid to himself
In this way he drew to himself, from the
discussing agent, twelve thousand dollars,
during the first nine months Of MIR. Webs
ter's incumbency, as Secretary, about S 300
amon,h, in ls4l, and three thousand dollars
more early in ls42.
Thus he took into his own hands, fifteen
thousand dollars, in the first twelve months.
The President, there is written evidence in
the department to show, never authorized
this. knew nothing Of it, and when first ap-
prised of it, more than fourteen months after
il had been going on, to the large amount Of
fifteen thousand dollars, refused it his sane
tion.
It was not till July, ls42, as the evidence
in the depastment shows, in Mr.. Webster's
own handwriting, that he got Presidents
certificate for four thousand four hundred
and sixty dollars, ($4, ,46O)
That Presidents certificate of which
took minute, dated 18th July, ls45, is
To J. ]. Crttenden, for expense Of journey
to New York ...,...."'.".....".".."$ ."$l0O
To F. O.J. Smith, for services con-
nected with the northeastern boun-
dary..............~.... .................."".2,O
10 Alexander Powell, for journey to,
aud stay on the frontier, in lS4l, on
the subject Of the disturbances''.".l ,OO(
With several other items.
The first item in this short account, con-
cerning Mcleod, will show how was led
from that to other objects; and some of the
other items will show the agents whom, as