Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-09-04
THE DENLY CASE.

Wnal IS me lew % thp idst steamer, ana WRat
does il command in Livsrpo0H i
THE DENLY CASE.
The Union publishes the following communi
Gallon ir,m tan intelligent corus1 onden,, who
thoroughly understands the subject, and who
lr,lf appreciates The conduct OF MIR Denby:"
FIR The Union.
Observation-Disclosures CASE OF MR..
DENNY.
Sensible al last, Of The drastIous efec's OF a
sys'em ni deliberate and heanrss prescription
oi faithful ministerial officers, the desperate men
who dhecl, unfortunately iur The couairy, its
affairs Tor the moment, have eniea vored To Iraw
Oft public condemnation from their fahr.s
conduct by attempting 10 sustain themselves
through The impulalion OF want OF fidelity in he
prescribed officers 1nom they have removed -
Among those upon whom they have Attempted 10
Fix the charge Ut "robbtry" and defdlcallon, is
Nathaniel DENLY. lie Is Virginia his State
/ has been uniformly and consistently democratic
Stals he is denounced as a deauller under a
democratic administration; in that adminisra.
iun a beloved and distinguished Virginian pre-
sided over The department TO which Mr. DENLY
was atarhec; and The importance OF proving
MIN rGbber ard defauer is by these concur.
ring cicumslan ,es, greatly increased Add 10
these col alterations Inc further one, that Judge
Mason, The late Secretary OF the Navy, did,
without his aerGcy, suppiant the owner and d.
rector Of public press in the city OF Richmond
VINO sought The presidency OF the James River
and Kanawna Company, with its emoluu,en,s,
honois, ana patronage, and the people OF the
couGuy cen soon understand why il is that so
much Importance and false coloTIns is given 10
The transactions Of Mr. DENLY with the govern.
meDt. That there IS IN asceIlaincd indebted
ness by this gentleman 10 The government none
los nj q; that this Indebtedness is considerable,
az / nil; bur that il is an Indebtedness amount
i!s 10 delalcaion in its properly otious under
siai:ng, is yet 10 BE- established. lie. The folio ".
ius brief sa,m ent be considered, and The Just
al tair m.n OF all parties pass on il. The
facts stated may be relied en-.
Years since, and long teiore Mr.. Polk came
INFO office, the government found il important 10
institute commercial agency a, Marseilles, for
The main purpose ci there providing The means
o! meeting the vans Of our feet in The Medier
rdnean. Or s.amen had 10 be paid, our CHI
Gers TO be furnished with money, and our ships
with supplies ard the means Tor ref ling. To
effect ,hi>, money had TO be placed near TO the
cruising groun! OF The ships, in The hands OF
some laihul and responsible agent. Vain al
Temps had been made 10 accomplish this object,
and sOne !, SEES had been sus aimed by ia: gov.
einm.n,. As substitute for The previous sYs.
icnl, i. was finally determined (al what lime is
not exact known, but most certainly many years
before Mr.. Polk becsm. Presidency 10 establish
commercial agency al Marseies, aud 10 re-
quie u! the ascn. bond and security in sum
tqaal 10 any rfooahlc amount he might have in
ms hands. NJ ssrs Fitch g. Co. cuLinned tof
some yeais I" transact the business Il this
agency. In lS4i Inc lhcn I'D ninisralion-at he
head II which was Mr. Tyler-detelmit 10
appoint new agent. MIR DENLY was s.ecltd
aud his nomination submitted 10 The Senate, AMI
approved by that body NJ, DeBby was required
10 eiTe Lund, with security. 10 be approved by
ci;:er me attorney lar the United States or The
a:pc Of INC district court Of The United States
ta' ice eastern district OF Virginia. This bond
vas given, aud approved by The judge It's
p-naiy was two hundred lhousard dollars !;
old connected With the bond, and as a part Of
Inc whole, was an Arrangement! or contract by
which Mr. DENLY agreed 10 pay, from line 10 lime,
as The aemaId' G! The government required,
Ma!sclles, all necessary sums Tor ia.elIug The
wants o! our squadron ~ hs McietsaasGn SEA-
THESE payments were 10 be made i'll Spanish
pillar dollars or IN soveGeigns OF francs. Mr.
DENLY was 10 be allowed tour and three qual.cis
per cent On all such payments. To him the 60
vernmen, was 10 advance in sums OF fifty ,hous-
aIdi as he might make acquisitions for the same
a. least Xix moaths before The payments were u
be made al MaIseilles, and he was entitled 10
ninety days previous notice VI the sums which
nigh u required 10 be paid 10 the government
or The pursers vi The ships al Md.scll,s. IL Is FUR
her aeIeed hat the advances 10 be made 10 Mr.
DENLY ale 10 IT. paid TO him, or his properly
constituted agent in The city Of New York. In
American silver coin; that Mr. DENLY is 10 be
liable lur all charges OF freight and insurance,
and other chiigcs incident 10 the remission u
the funds 10 Maiseilles, and that he was further
To be- sui jrct 10 all The hazards attending their
uaneai!s,un. Such is a substantial outline OF
this arrangement, or, 10 speak more technically,
Contract between the government and Mr.. Den
By. Al The same time il was entered into and
executed, The sut-!reasury law had not been en-
acted
Shortly after making the contract, Mr.. Den
By, 10 whom some advance had bsen made under
it, leh this country, having previously appointed
Nit Chale, F. O,borne, OF The city OF Rich
mont, It's agent, with authority 10 him 10 re.
cc,se The advances stipulated 10 be made by The
! Government. A private agreement was made
te,wecn MIR. DENLY and MIR. Osborne That ioT
such lime rs The funds thus received by Mr.. o..
borne Tor Del by might remain with Osborne, he
Was 10 ALLOW DENLY interest. OF This agreement
il is certain tina, inc then Secretary OF The Navy,
and all Of the securities residing in Virginia, had
no knowledgr unit after the failure Of .ur. o.
borne IN tie spring Of lS4S, and ii is believed
that none Il them came 10 his knowledge until
the idtter par. Of The year 1913.
10 the yeais l845 and 1886, our fleet in the
Mediterranean being small, aid, indeed, parl
Of has time no government armed ship being in
| that sea, very lncGnsidarabc amount was I'D
vanced - Mr.. DeLby. Bat in l847, when rev.
tluiutary cumnoions disturbed Inc whole OF
the Souh and II d lie Of Europe, and demanded
that our commeIs. in The Mediterranean should
be cared for, The administration in anticipation
oil The approaching demands, Increased, IN Inc
latter pait ot The year lSi7, The advances TO Mr..
Denby, and made Two heavy payments 10 Mr..
Osborne his agent in The Unla d States. BY the
terms oil The contract with DENLY, ne was 10 be
al all The coss and Liable TO all the risks Attend
ing the transmission OF the tuLds from the Uni.
ted States 10 Marseilles. This being the case, il
was clearly bis Ugh! and The du'y Of his asen.
to adopt such means for placing ihcse funds in
Marseilles 10 III ,et the wants VI The govern
ment, as 10 Them might seem the most
pruaen, and safe. This RICH. being cs-
Idclshed under the contract, il became a
mere matter Of discretion with either vi these
geE;lemeu in me selection oil The mode OF getting
the mercy To Marsellles. No one expected his
10 IT, doae by The remittance OF American silver
coia 10 Matseilles, II this coin hal been fool
ishiy sehl there, !, was not The coin cDvenaned
10 b. paid GU; t1r that coin was 10 he Spanish
pillar dollars. or sovereigns or francs. The
American silver coin paid in New York
was then 10 be converted into other and differ
ent coin, TO be dsbursed at MarseiIes. To
make remittance, then, in the American silver
coiu, could not have been anticipated, and no one
could have expected ibis at the time How else,
then wes this remittance 10 be madei II might
have been elected by the purchase Of bills
But lei il be remembered how disturbed and un-
settled had become the moneyed Affairs of all
Europe in The year I5i7, and how Abe dark
cloud then gathering broke with devastating
force, and swept down line strongest house, in
The I'd ly part OF lsi5. The bes, banking houses
OF tho world were suspected. The Barings and
Rolhschiljs were distrusted, and vague rumors
from time 10 time Of even their inability 10 meet
their engagements came 10 us across tho Atlan
tic. II was Just about this time that Mr.. O'-
bJrIo, acting as the agent for Mr. DENLY, and
10 king forward 10 the period when The govern
men, would equire its funds st Marseilles, made