Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-06-01
TRUTH INDICATED.

TRUTH INDICATED.
happesrs 10 be altogether due to the request of
q citizen mot connected with the Administration
shsi we should transfer TO our columns the follow
ing article. which appeared in the !. Union' of
yesterdays
Fsox IHE "usIoS " %.
Ths Esins committee about to cast their Crawford
bshen campsy IN the shsde in the extent and character
a ne Developments they bring into light The test-
noay furnished them by Mr. Ewing himself proves that the
- often ecisd Chiekaaw claim [s56,000) paid 70
~ cofsasn q ~. city, the assignee Of Dr. William M
0sin On The declaration Of that gentleman (Mr. Corcoran
shaf hsmsfy there had been In the Treasury Department
Psef d sonsy authorizing Dr. @. 10 act the agent In
eesssns hs claim Surely, The psyee not the person
an whose sos Declaration such payment should be made
" lhs dssh0fsins eIIicsrs Of the Government"
The above, from the correspondent Of the Penn
sylsanan, being of the same tenor with the many
misrepresentation with which il is attempted TO
pro occupy the public mind, plain and unvarnish-
ed history Of this . 80 often rejected Chickasaw
elaim may no, be unacceptable TO those seeking
afier truth.
In the first place, the Chickasaw claim was neUer
rejected by the last or any other Administration on
she contrary, il was allowed and passed by every
proper accounting officer Of the Government--the
Second Auditor and The Second Comptroller-and
approved by the First Comptroller, and only not
War, BY reason Of doubts. not as 20 the merits Of
the case bat 10 his jurisdiction to direct transfer
Of the appropriation.
In ,hs lensr Of Secretary NANCY to the Second
Auditor, he says:
81 hsm mo cfal authority in the premises butss
psesssn u my Individual views only say that the
cs1sne ccss u tho Treasury satisfied that error has
been committed ought 70 be corrected. unless there Is le-
gal phcn sgsins opening and reconsderDg the matter
Whether prohibition 10 imposed by the fourth section
Of the law o March o 1884, question which belongs
cusssy he accounng officers Of the Treasury to decide.
In regard 10 this question, 10 not my duy am pre-
pared 70 express sn opinion"
Nov, will bs perceived from tho above that Secretary
Marcy clearly Of opinion that there was any error in
the accounts o the Chickasaw should be corrected, not
by him. but by .lhe accounting officers Of the Treasury"
unless prohibited by tho fourth section Of the act Of March
isa5 which subsequently repealed BY Congress- the
recorded documents show, with the express view of removing
this prohibition.
Dr. WIN. M. Gwn had been fa some time engaged as the
regular agent and attorney # the Chkasaw Indians
erng from the Government the interest improperly withheld
iom them under stipulated compensation Of one-ha be
covered He had paid these Indians considerable
amount and had due him fifteen thousand dollars, when
he ssceaned ha, the United States had improperly charged
10 hese Indians hundred and twelve thousand dollars for
removal and subsistence in plain and unequvoca violation
This information he promptly communicated to the In-
ans proposing to rnquish his unsasfed claims for the
contingent recovery Of this claim. This proposition though
acceptable the Indians he induced by Major Arm.
srong the then Indian agent reduce the amount
recovered and which Major Armstrong subsequently charac
terized as liberal and magnanimous.
The claim then presented, Gin ls45 and the errors
and improper charges clearly pointed out nvesigat-
cd end the admitted, but met with the objection
that the fourth section Of the civil and diplomatic bill ap-
proved March g. ls45 inhibited the e-openng Of
previously settled. Here il rested until the section
pealed by the 9Th section Of the civil and diplomatic bill ap
proved August 10, ls46 The claim again presented,
examined and aoWed by all the proper accounting officers
Of the Government and certificates Of allowance issued, and
failed receive the covering warrant Of the Secretary Of
War, for the reason before stated.
From him. in this opinion, differed the late learned law
officer Of the Treasury, Mr. McCullob, whose opinion,
aboundng authorities and preceden may be found among
the papers
There win also be found among The papcrs an opinion
the late Attorney General and the late Secretary Of the ea-
suy from which il Is obvious that the only objection
entertained by either Of them the payment Of the claim,
was the prohibition U tho 9TH section the of Sd March,
1S45 subsequently repealed Thus stood the when
the present Administration nalowed and passed. and
certified but not paid.
Geneahat officer, concurrins IN opinion with the late First
Comptroller and Second Comptroller, and lste Second Audi
cor Of the Teasury directed TO be paid in tho mode
and out Of the fund pointed out by the late Comptroller Mr.
McCuloh.
So much for the claim (" so often rejected"
The interest Of Dr.. Gwn (haD has been purchased by
Mess Corcorsn & Riggs end duly assigned 10 them. The
power Of attorney and contract with the Indians had been
previously deposited with the Government and been rocog-
missed by the payment Of S. 60 10 under ny the last Ad
minsraon The power of attorney had been ques-
toned, or the consideration disputed When this account
however be settled the original power le with the
papers in the Treasury could be found The Second
Comptroller though that the copy presented be
and Of the with the original deposited with
him, required that the copy should be ses,ed and auhen
Gated BY the affidavit Of the party 70 constitute ega
voucher This s iavt nodoub, he could have made hm
se be had before passed upon il and upon directed The
IS. l60 Is 10 be paid.
Indeed In that cass, the power Of attorney contract with
Gwin distinctly recognized and acted upon not only by
the late Second Auditor, General McCas and the pssent
Second Comptrols, Governor Pau bot by the late score
tay Of War, Governor Marcy. and ito late Commissioners Of
Indian Affair." Colonel Me under date of the th Augus
1916. also BY Mr.. Walker, The lale Secretary of Inc
Treasury.
So much Cor The claim being paid upon she decsrssa cf
the payee. b not the purpose of this communication
make an argument but simply 70 submit The TRUTH.
OUR MINISTER AT LONDON.