Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-04-20

lInp ,'at e,T and drained committee to 'nqun.,
mas 10 The violation of the seal OF ccnhdsh.e ,s.
tho STATE Department, &C., &c. Here .ne 10,
snmo,ion wa. broadly made by me HOUSE -
he nseal Of confidence of the Department "a
S,.,en had been violaIed and the conimlt'ee naa
al, "a renort how, and by whom the Vioia'iun
~ bcen made. This committee, IKE 'he
'',asr made report, bit. Hnltke u. renas'e3 y"
,,rd;.t |, offered resolution, winch was auop-
rcd "Thal The report and record OF pfoceeu,us'
~ he committee, and all the testimony, DC pm.
rod tor The use OF The House; that Inc speaker oe
a;-sc,ed 10 furnish copies OF the document, Wnen
.rosd 10 the President Of The United States, ana
r. ,hs Secretary Of State; and that The committee
No ROY discharged from further consideration Oh
he sphiect." So ended a very grave legislative
- rce On. Calculating The old fable OF The "mouh-
tain in labor" ,.,,,d;,o ., This
.on,,ed c,se OF breach Of ''lhe sea- oil commence
~ he Denartment OF State" it is necessary 10
Near in mind, that, with respect 10 Inc lunu iol
"con;insent expenses OF foreign intercourse, nI
President OF the United States is the knoWn anu
,be ou{u knopn agent. See opinions OF Inc ~
lofneys General, page 47O. and Mr. IyieI Us
,;monv before the seecl commiite ol when W.T..
Vin,on was chairman, Reports OF committees; l..
session 29ih Congress, No 664, page TO- Ihat
The Undersigned, under authority from the ffesl-
den, received from the treasury, Tor disbursement,
ADVANCES of money from that fund That he was
| cn,r.ed with those advances on the books IL me
,re.snrv. and hat he was consequently Inc kn00n
soen, 1t the President therefor: That ne was al.
| "a AGENT Tor The Secretary OF Stale iof the iunds
O, his department and those under MS conroi, oe-
| inc in the difficult station of serving Two mas
lers: That while thus acting as agent OF the ffe-
yanceu To .uf. " ehsler strlT, OF nal gmcer, al
| "iorcisn intercourse fund" for which nc Inc un-
defsienrdl did MOI obtain credi, on the treasury
| books, neither was that gentleman charged there
with. Thus, although the President had a per-
feet right. as he stated in his testimony, to
have made Mr. Webster his agent, he did
moi exercise that right fully, bat made him an
agent SUD rosa. Things went on in this way for
| more Than a year; and no account Of The monies
advanced 10 Mr.. Webster having been rendered
10 the President, he expressed desire 10 have the
matter settled Ii was then that the former gen.
lleman reqnesled certificate IRON the President
10 cover yitaout spec. cati6Y, The disbursement OF
a sum OF nine thousand Two hundred dollars
This the latter did mol grant; whereupon the for
i mer rendered a statement OF disbursements, spe-
citic 10 The amount OF four thousand Tour hun
bred and sixIy dollars, 10 cover which the Presi-
dent granted to me, the undersigned, his ceriid-
cate, upon which obtained credit on The books
OF The treasury.
Upon giving TO me this certificate, the Presi.
dent handed to me tbs papers transmitted to him
by Mr.. Webster, which he had required previous
TO giving il, with an injunction 10 preserve
them carefully. SO that they might be forth.
coming whenever the disbursement 10 which
they related should be questioned, stating that he
did not wish to have any imputatlon on his char
acler then or thereafter. He asked if had a
confidential drawer in my office in which ]
could keep them, &c. Now, when II Is con-
sidered that wa. al that time doing business
with him as his aeent-that be had refuse TO
Mr.. Webster a certificate for 50 200, and had
granted one for less than hall OF that amount,
only upon The rendition, by that gentleman, OF
a specific statement, accompanied ny vouchers
that he expressed solicitude lest there might
be any imputation upon his character TO guard
against which he handed 10 me The paper, for
salekeeping, 10 be forthcoming in such an
eyent-whst could infer but that he gave them
TO me a. his agent, and for the purpose which
he specified? Could l. unless specIa ~ inform
ed 10 that effect, have supposed that he intended
To place them in The custody of the person 10
whom he would not Without them have granted
The certiicate | night as well nave supposed
that he would refuse 10 pay deb without
taking receipt, aud thai he would then place
The latter in The hands Of the creditor for safe
keeping and production, in case nc saould again
be called on ID pay the debt This brings me
10 the part was called upon to enact in relation
10 this affair, which has brought down on me
The weight of Mr.. Webster's malign influence
how justly, leave 10 himself hereafter 10 ue-
,ermine.
In April, 1876, Mr.. Ingersoll stated in the
House OF Representatives that when Alr. Web
ster in ,lruleni terms in the Senate, assaiied
his truth concerning transactions of which
proofs ought 10 be in the Department oil State,
| he went there in search of them for his vindica-
tion: that, searching for proofs, not 10 expose
| him lMr. WI but TO yindlcate himself, he
fell ..most unexpectedly" on others, which led
him, next day, TO denounce that gentleman as
delinquent.
The manner in which Mr.. lngersoI "iel IN
o. n.ctedlyn upon The proofs OF which he founded
mis- depubcialions was as follows: He was reIeI-
ed ~ the aching Secretary OF Stale (Mf. TfisO
10 me Tor information respecting The institution u
snecial mission 10 England. Having disposed oil
that lneuily. he [5e!ns chairman THE committee
On Foreign Affairs wanted 10 ascertain me diit
renee between The appropriations annually MADE
-pue for The contingent expenses of foreign IN
rercourse" and The other for contingent expenses
~ All The missions abroad" and The objects TO
which they were severally applied. 10 explain
his luly. / produced the books in which The &C.
counts oil these appropriations were KEEP; IN one
| NJ which The entry OF he payment 10 Mr.. Web
.ter Of Al $50, certified by The President caush
his rye, and he inquired what mat was loff
renled that was 10. disbursements made by maj
| gentleman, covered by The cehihca ol Inc Ere
sident. tor objects net deemed eXprde"tlo DC men
specified. He then questioned t''e propriety OF
| me Presidents cunduct in granting cettiflcate
tor sucn sum- without knowing me objects 10
which il vas applied. On being assured BY M
,hoi ,hr Pfesi enI had not done 81, he sill doubt
ID and continued 10 press me as 10 my KNOW.
led qs Iha, he had not 50 acted, when informed
Jim ibal that officer had not granied The cei'f-
.Is ,v;hnnf an account, and had lett the papers
IN nv charge tof his vndlcation. H. tesiret 10
see Them. and |, as felt IN duly 10 Mr. rye!
5uund 10 do, produced Them, LILLE thinking ina!
hey would implicac Mr.. Webster, or DC uscc
Tor that purpose.
>, lsne,i, ,ban couii have wished, and yet not
sufficiently so 10 explain all the facts. refer
,ny nupreiudice1 person 10 the reports OF the two
rommit,ees-( House Of Representatives reports
Nos 6s4 and 656, OF the Isl session OF the 29th
Conoress.) Before one Of those commHtees-a
majority whiss-l may say hat was tlied iof
violating the seal Of confidence Of Inc Depart
nenl OF State Tha. committee, though ceElaiI-
IL no. very iavorably disposed TOWARDS me- Iaiied
10 express an opinion, even after having, for the
avowed purpose OF impeaching my veiaciy'
brought forward MI Tyler, and adopted The I'M
precedened measure OF submitting TO his pefusai.
batore questioning him, nv written testimony
Was this done 10 enable him 10 shape his answer
10 suil their purpose7 They tailed however, Tor,
Notwithstanding that his testimony appears 10 De
mys,iied he could only regret that l had misop.
pretended him.
| think the testimony makes it apparent that
N, characterization was on his size. The first
question propounded TO Mr.. lyle, was, What
.papers, crcrs, or memorandums OF account
YOU left with The discussing 0gsnt Of me Stdtc
DEPARTMENT, Edward Slubbs T. &c. &c. In his
answer, ne expressly avoids helefm agent oil
the Stac Department" He styles me "'he agent
for diplomatic iu,ercoursc"-''lhe agent and pub
lie otficer"-sthe confitena agent Of the fund
= ..z.i..aanr Ren GSh "a Sci a nd |