The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-02

y X,
exercise the duties of commanding officer in that
Department.
By order;
Signed, X. JONES, Adjt. Gen.
The above message read, and then laid on
the table and ordered to be printed
The Senate then adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE
THE GALPHIN CLAIM.
MIR. TOOMBS moved that the House proceed to
the special order Of the day.
The SPEAKER aaid thai i,c would state the pend
Mr.. TOOMBS ! believe il is in order
The SPEAKER. The report Of the select com
mittcc on the Galphin claim ID the special order.
motion is pending (madc by Mr.. Preston KING)
postpone the further consideration of this subject
until to morrow two weeks This is the first bust
meas in order,
Mr.. BAYLY. move to amend.
The SPEAKER. An amendment has been of ,
tered to postpone until Monday.
Mr.. BURT. That amendment, which | offered,
has been superseded by the adjournment of the
House on Saturday. ! am not willing that the
matter shall be postponed any longer. ! withdraw
my amendment
Mr.. BAYLY. | move to amend by inserting
MIR. McCLERNAND inquired whether the reso-
luton of gentleman from Ohio not the first
business in order.
The SPEAKER replied that if the special order
should be postponed the resolution would take pre-
cedence, having been introduced under suspen-
sion of the rules, and would have to be disposed of
The question was then taken on agreeing TO the
amendment Of Mr.. BAyLY, aud it was decided in
the Acknowledgment lO5, nays IS.
The question stated agreeing to the mo-
ton, as thus amended, postponing the Considera-
ton Of the Galphin report until to- morrow, when
Mr.. DOrY moved to lay the motion OH the table.
Mr.. THOMPSON, OF Mississippi, inquired whc-
ther, if the motion should prevail, it would carry
the whole subject to the table
The SPEAKER replied in the affirmative.
The question was taken, and decided III the mega
tlve-yeas 2S, nays l61.
The House then refused to postpone the consd
Grafton OF the report the claim vi the representa-
OF George Galphin until tomorrow.
The House proceeded to the consideration of the
report.
MIR. BURT called for the reading of the resolu
tons OF the ma jority Of the committee, and they
were read, as follows:
/. That the claim Of the representatives Of
George Galphin wns moi just demand against the
United States
2. That the act Of Congress made it the duty of
the Secretary OF the Treasury 10 pay the principal
on said claim, and it therefore paid Sin con
iorInity with law" and "precedent."
3. That the act aforesaid did not authorize the
Secretary of the Treasury to pay interest ON said
claim, and It's payment was not Gin conformity
with law" or precedent"
Mr.. BURT said that his object in rising to
remove certain erroneous impressions which had
gune abroad IN the letters of the correspondents for
the newspaper press. lie desired that the country
a
solitary material fact stated in the report of
the committee; (hc meant, when he spoke of
the report, to the parliamentary phrase, the
majority of the cominittee.) Ia that report there
not d single material fact which was contro-
verted in the statement Of facts made by his friends
of whom his friend from Ohio (Mr. Disney was
one. lie believed that the committee, in submit
Ting the report and the resolutions had discharged
properly the duty cou1dcd them by the House.
lie desired The House and the public press under
stand that, IN making up the report Of the facts,
II was the design OF the committee-the deliberate
purpose oi The committee avowed and prosecuted
throughout-to make no statement Of fact whatever
which Wa. not established by incontestablc proof.
His confidence in the accuracy Of the resolutions
the proper conclusion from the iacts, had been con
hrned by all hs subsequent research and relec-
ton. Tie pledged himself 10 sustain every material
ground assumed in the report
Mr.. TOOMBS said he would endeavor TO prove
not only that the conduct Of the Secretary OF War
right, but that the interest ON the claim was
allowed IN pursuance Of law and precedent; and
he remarked that he expected to be able to show,
on the hrmcst principles Of national justiCe-prin-
ciples affirmed by civilized nations in all ages aud
which found resting place in the Constitution Of
the United states-thst the principal and interest
ought 10 have been paid by tie United States He,
IN the course OF his argument, referred TO the his
tory Of the case, and To documents. To sustain the
position assumed by him. la conclusion, lac sub
united resolution, (as an amendment TO the
lutOns Of the select committee that there is no ey-
idence submitted by the COMMITTEES to which was
referred the letter Of the Secretary of War asking
an investigation Of his conduct and relation to the
claim OF the representatives Of George Galphin,
which impugns his personal aud official conduct,
an officer Of the Government, ia the settlement
OF the said claim by the proper officers Of the Gov
eminent.
MIR. CoNGER, in the course of his remarks, said
that the claim unjust, and that Secretary
walker In paying II, not only ought to have been
npeached, but removed from Office. lie de-
nOunced and condemned the conduct Of Mr. Craw-
Meredith. in al tfy
interest, as unjustihable and dangerous. There
WAS no authority for connecting the President Of
the United States with this transaction, nor ground
for sssaiiing his fair fame His character vindi-
Gated him against any charges Of corruption aud
dishonesty.
Mr.. BROOKS spoke about the importance Of the
subject before the House. great principle
to be decided, namely: whether, after the principal
Of n claim was ordered 10 be paid, the Attorney
General should look behind the law, and decide on
paying nearly two hundred thousand dollars az in
tcrest one claim. lie then proceeded TO reply to
Mr.. looms, who had addressed the House this
morning That gentleman, when he alluded TO the
gentleman from South Carolina, INDUCED in sweet
Sounds which soothed the ear; and when
Mr.. BURT here He trusted the gentle
man from New York would not indulge in person
alitics, and called him To order for introducing
him (Mr. b. in this conneSion
Mr.. BROOKS said that lac was only spea king Of
the marked difference in the tone and temper Of
the gentleman from Georgia; and he was about to
say, when he (Mr. T. addressed n gentleman on
the other side, 1t was in tones which soothcd the
ear; but when he spoke ofthe gentleman from Ohio,
(Mr. DIsNrr,) and 'thc gentleman from New
York" (Mr BRooxs,) II was in the rough, ragged
tones Of the grizzly bear. He would always speak
with decorum, and in manner becoming a mem
Der of this House lie said that this claim was
always voted down in the Georgia Legislature.
lie had not imputed dishonest motives 10 the Sec
rotary Of War; he had not brought Mr.. Crawford
here; Mr.. Crawford brought himself here. Al
though the conduct Of Mr.. Crawford might have
been proper in his own judgment, as no doubt II
was, il was his duty TO proclaim his conncxion in
full and emphatic language 10 the President, who
thought that the claim was before Congress until
Mr.. Crawford called on him second time. The
Secretary should not only have held himself above
suspicion, but not liable TO suspicion, like CGsar's
wife lie ought not TO give his enemies an oppor-
tunity TO lay the imputation lie believed that,
from the Pacific TO the Passamaquoddy, the con.
ne,ion Of the Secretary with this claim was de
nounced. All the Wings can do is 10 regret the
circumstances they arc honest party, AND should
not be injured by IT,
Mr.. BRICK remarked that the fiscal year has
ended, and new one just begun; but spproPria-
tons to pay the expenses Of the Government have
not been made. We are engaged in discussion