Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-01-30
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.


resolution calling the Secretary of the Treasury for nfor
nation regard to the continuance of inspectors and weigh
and gaugers the customhouse who have been
dispensed with and the 22d he had offered another,
curing 10 the persons employed in procuring information
and aiding draw up the tariff of 1886 Both of
calls of character that required early The
Secretary OF the Treasury required by law furnish to
the House such information contained in his Department
the House might require Half the session gone
and yet had been received from the Department
reply to the calls One ofhese Of such nature that it
might have been answered in fifteen minutes any me and
the other would not have taken long but Mr. X. had been
informed that the Secretary had said that he should send
any answer to the call.
Mr.. GEORGE HOUSTON inquired of the Chair whether
this privileged question. The retailing here Of reports
obtained from Pennsylvania avenue surely matter of
privilege.
The CHAIR said the gentleman had risen, he stated,
to question OF privilege, and must be allowed the
question The gentleman would confne himself to that.
Mr.. RATHBUN after again referring the facts he had
before stated said that the point he made this that the
Secretary bound by law reply the calls of the House
for information contained in his Department yet after the
session half over, he had wholly omitted make any
reply of any sort call made early second day of
the II inquiry these facts should be proved would
he not stand convicted of dsegang his official Duty and Of
dsespect that House And would not the House adopt
such measures regard to its dignity might demand
The CHAIR here suggested to Mr.. RATHBuN that il was
under the impression that report had been made from the
Treasury Department in answer to the call
Mr.. RATHBUN said he was that reply had been
made to the inquiry respecting the weghes and gauger but
notice whatever had been taken of the other call Mr. r.
said he was not disposed to call upon the House any
else OF its authority to-day in this matters but if reply the
resolution of the House not very speedily furnished he
should call upon TO vndcate its authority and dignity
by requiring its calls for information properly and prompt
ly responded to-
Mr. BAYLY said it happened accidentally that he was en-
abed to defend the Secretary in reference to his course in this
matter As he found that the chairman of the Committee Of
Ways and Means possession of the requisite nfor
nation in regard it. he wished what he happened to
know of the facts.
The CHAIR said that there no question before the
House.
Mr. BAYLY asked leave to make statement of facts he
presumed there could be objection this
Mr.. COLLAMER said he should object Let the Secre-
ta make his own defence and give his Of the
matter.
Mr. COBB thought due to the Secretary that If there
facts which excupated him from censure opportunity
should be given them He therefore moved to post
ponehe consideration of the order of the day one
afford that opportunity
Mr.. HOUSTON said that the gentleman from Virginia
only wanted ten minutes
Mr. COBB modified bis motion so as to postpone the spe
cia order until the explanation should have been made
Mr.. COLLAMER thought il better to pass resolution
calling the Secretary for the Of the delay An an
to this would give the explanation, if there was any
be given.
Mr.. SCHENCK inquired whether there was now what
the rules recognised as the " morning hour 7"
The CHAIR replied there not was suspended by
special order of the day.
Mr.. SCHENCK said that was entirely new doctrine
The question being the motion to postpone the special
Mr.. ROOT demanded the yeas and nays and they were
ordered.
Mr.. COBB thereupon withdrew his notion
Mr. ROOT renewed it, and demanded the yeas and nays
agreed to.
Mr. BAYLY observed that in the effort to save Time more
time had been consumed than his explanation would have
occupied.
hal
other Matters and in the Of conversation he happened
to speak of the calls from the House of Representatives and
stated that he had not the clerical force which physically
bed him to reply to the calls made upon the Department
Among others the Secretary had referred this call the
ply to which would he said require correspondence with
the customhouses in every part Of the Union that it would
take heavy clerical force prepare answer TO IT, Mr..
b. had expressed to him the strong conviction that If that
was the case the call ought not TO be answered. and that he
very confident that this statement should be made the
House, the House would not insist upon the CALL But the
Secretary replied that the call had been made that Congress
had right to make il, and that in due time he should put all
his force upon the reply.
Among other calls made upon the Department. the Secre-
tay said there from the Senate nquiring what
articles the existing duties in the tariff act of 1916 could be
increased that he considered this of more pressing mpor
tance and demanding his first attention. and stated that he
at work day and night in preparing his reply. He stat
cd however, that he collecting the information asked by
the House, and alluded 10 by the gentleman from New
York. and would communicate soon as was obtained
He had stated Mr. b. believed in the answer given 10 the
genteman's other inquiry.
Mr. RATHBUN said that the Secretary had stated that the
calls OF the House had occasoned much labor and that with
out greate force he should not be able answer them but
the statement had been general one having special refer
this call.
Mr.. BAYLY resumed. The Secretary in the CONVERSE
ton alluded had reference to the calls Of the House gene
rally, and his inability without superior force to comply
with them. As to this particular call, Mr. b. intended TO
move that the resolution be rescnded.
Mr. CARROLL inquired of the Chair whether the gentle
man from Virginia within the privilege which had
been granted him facts in defence of the Secretary
He not giving the Secretars reasons but his
The CHAIR said the gentleman had had leave to explain.
He would conne himself within the limits Of that permission
Mr.. BAYLY explaining why the Secretary had sup
posed other calls to be of pressing nature than this
To make his reply satisfactory would be requisite to refer
to secret information received from secret inspectors employed
by the Department detect frauds the and the
necessary effect of this would be the disclosure. of the
OF The secret agents employed and they would thereupon pro-
badly be removed wholesale,
Mr. RATHBUN asked whether there existed any law
thorlzing the employment Of these agents
Mr.. BAfLY said he presumed there was He thought
the Secretary quite right In the delay which had occurred
but could not long continue, as he was now engaged in
preparing his
Mr.. SCHENCK said the gentleman from Virginia had
spoken Of set Of officers whom the Secretary called secret
inspectors There law that Mr. S. had ever heard of
for the employment Of that description of revenue officers
Mr. 5. had offered days since a resolution inounp
the names Of agents secretly employed ostensby for the de-
lection of counteres the national coin among whom was
one by the Of Haight who said to have offered
bride member Of the Legislature Of Iowa to vote for GER