The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-02-28

.ssopsd That the Secretary of Interior be requested
10 furnish this commlee with copies all dismiss
ing clei ks from General Land Office the ih oil
March. 1870"
have the honor to be your 9bedient servant
Hon T. EWING, Secretary of the Interior,
DEPARTMENT THE INTERIOR.
r@H Washington, June 90 1850.
sir 1 have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of
your letter Of the l4h instant accompanying resolution
Of The committee OF that date, which requires fur
nsh copies OF all letters dsmlssDg clerks from the Gen.
eral Land Office since The 4th Of March, ls4a. +
have considered this carefully, and compared with the
resolution OF the House which the committee and
defines and limits It's powers, and is clear TO my mind
that the committee authorized inquire into the
matter embraced in the resolution or to send Tor persons
and papers respecting H.
and waived it, hoping thereby to draw the attention OF
the committee to the Limitation OF their powers but this
is a second and still wide and obvious departure,
and do not deem further acquescence on my part con
sIstent with right and duty. s#1 .us
II must be obvious that to department which owes
duties to the public, and desires promptly perform Them
serious must arise from investigation
at large directed to no point and governed by no law
and there are various consequences OF no slight mo
ment attending this investigation, even when confined
within its proper and legitimate limits In some branches
of il the rights OF individuals affected or rather,
their remedies suspended by 1t; and all my rights
~ an executive officer are TO some extent affect
ed, and the regular and daily discharge OF my du-
ties or less obstruced and retarded do not object
this far the committee acts under the authority
of the House, but think improper for me voluntarily TO
admit where IL is unauthorized and illegal and II the
limits fixed by the House be asregarded by the commit
tee and il acquesce in their assumption OF indefinite
powers, the investigation is then without bounds as to
extent. without direction as to It's object and what Is
still more important to me, without m as 10 lis durd
hon
In my letter OF the 9Th ultimo had the honor to in
form the committee that | claimed and exercised the
power of removal TO all clerks in the General Land
Office, except those who hold their Offices by the APP
pontment OF the President and Senate and that did
by virtue Of the provisions of the 9th section of the
~ March \ rpcnu
Misses the power OF such removal IN the head OF the
Treasury Department and by virtue also OF the power
of supervision that Office transferred from the
treasury and vested in this department by the Sd section
of the act OF March g. s4s, Chapter 1857 This is sui
cient 10 enable the committee to raise question as TO
my power of removal, if under the resolution OF the
House, they feel authorized TO do so.
The resolution of the House authorizes the committee
TO inquire into the fact whether have made appointments
of clerks the General Land Office; and if so, by what
authority made such appointments
None having been made by me- the accusation TO the
rineipal fact fails of course and the committee pro-
TO extend their investigation to removals. because
lepower to where no legal provision nerposes
prevent IL. is incident 10 the power to appoint
The committee, having no principal matter OF invest
cation before them claim pursue what would be in
cidens to supposed principal il that principal existed
mucA eth The resolution Of the committee csnno, be JUS
ti6edgo The fact distinctly stated, that claim and
else the power OF removal sufficiently raises the question
of power II the tribunal be authorized 10 consider The
form 0f the letters OF removathe number of those let
te-the reasons, il any, given in them. which all that
could be Obtained from the copies called for, are mere IN
cdeats TO the power oil removal and Its exercise III,
then sbe right to examine into The fact and the power OF
appointment confer the right to inquire into the fact and
20 OF removal its incident and the exercise OF this
incidental power confer the right TO inquire into the
aAd cause OF removal incidental to that aso the
committee may go from incident to incident I'LL every
cevate matter OF executive administration is brought
under their revision. To this cannot consent; and
thersfove, and for all the above stated decline
to send the copies required
hass the honor to be, very respectfully your obedent
servant, l.H. ~
.G-1'.iE 7.sa . sro,.# T. EWING, Secretary.
Hon VIM A. RICHARDSON,
Chairman OF the Selec, Committee, House OF Reps
Ma TURNEY The senator irou Ohio comes into the
Senate this morning upon the presentation OF the report OF
the Secretary OF the Interior, with welprepared set
SPEECH with view vindcaie himself only agains,
the remarks which ] made former OCCASION but
against the proceedings of the House of Representative
at the last session and he TO think tina, may
come in sort of resduary legaee for the capital TO
be manufactured OF the proceedings OF the commit
tee in the House. will say to that senator that have
ambition TO come IN for any portion OF that estate
think the country has passed upon IT, and am very
certain that the present Executive OF the United
States has passed upon it, Not member OF that cabinet
is to be found in the present cabinet They are gone
and new set OF cabinet officers have been called
to the aid OF the Executive, and with them | am
villiMg TO leave ii. have made no reference TO the
,Sos 81 the House had no participation in
TO make speech, surely he was under some obligation
TO me for ahording him opportunity reply to the
proceedings OF the House. and wipe out, If he can the
censurs passed by those proceedings
So far ~ the paragraph which he read from my re
arks concerned which he says applies the senator
from Caliiornia, IMr. GwIs,l | have tins remark TO
makex The remarks exactly correctly reported
In lho~e remavks, however it will be perceived that
referred TO no particular individual repeat here that
received chs information OF doorsthat derived 1t
from an Ngent of the nation who informed me that he
would pteSsht this claim for payment TO Congress, and
then gave The deailA OF the facts upon which his aprl
ca,ioa would he founded Now, sir the senator from
Ohio says made a charge upon the senator from Cali
fornta deny it, and challenge that senator TO brsg
his proof 4 spoke of the fact as heard IT, do not
vouch tos its correctness. informed the senator that
the information which had derived from out oil
doots, aad told HIN II from the agent who intends
to pcsseht this claim IN behalf of the nation have The
money refunded to lhem, am not responsible for the
truth Of the statement Besides | Implicated gentle
the acts and vouch for them way or the other
Such inf6fmstion as had ! gave to the Senate and
for Whit purpose For the purpose, the says OF
making chsr9e against the senator from California.
No. ~ IL ID hol,rne nor has II the semblance OF truth
made the statement discussing proposition to amend
the bill ~ the senator from Wisconsin, which amend
ment would require that this fund shall be paid TO indi-
viduals and NOT TO be diverted as appears from this
port which reserved the senator from Ohio, then Secre
ary OF the Interior. did divert il, to the payment OF pr
vats 'ciairne
word or two now in relation to this resolution. Al
debate in this chamber the senator from Ohio ad
dresses note the Second Auditor oil the Treasury and
the next morning tones in with an answer, which an
swer be uses and puts forth as Information 10 be relied
upon whrh did not contradict We were told IN that
ans~er at there number oil other cases in which
the senator from OHIO when Secretary OF The INTERIOR