The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-01-08
THIRTY-FIRST CONGRESS.
SECOND SESSION.
TurssAY. JAsuAsY I. 1881.
SENATE.


Ms,srs DICKINSON and WALKER presented
MILITARY soUsTY LAspr
Mr.. FELCH, from the Committee on ruo ll
Lands to whom had been referred the Joih' Ieso'
luton from the House OF Representatives, ca plaha,
torv of he act of September 2sth, 1850, entitled
IAN act granting bounty lands to certain oihoers
and soldiers who have served III ~, mlilAiy scr
Vic. of The United States" reported the same buck
without amendment, accompanied with an adverse
report.
MIR FELCH gave notice that he would hcteaiter
ask leave % introduce a bill for the relief OF VIII
liam A. Richmond.
RAILROAD FLORIDA.
Mr. YULEE, pursuant 10 notice, introduced a
bill granting alternate sections OF the puol'c Ahu
to the State of Florida, 10 aid Ia the CONSTRUCTION
OF railroad from the Atlantic 10 the Gun oi h'h-
leo; which was read twice and referred Ia the Com
mttee on Public Lands.
REMOVALS FROM OFFICE.
The Senate then resumed the consideration OF
the special order the unfinished business OF yester-
day, being the resolution OF Mr. bRApBuhf caiihe
for information in respect TO removals from ounce
by the administration OF General iaylor'
Mr. EWING addressed the Senate, prinelPaiiy
upon the causes for the removal oil Colonel Weller
and General Lane. He said that on a former coca
sion he had, in reply TO question put TO nm ny
same circumstances, and with the same knowledge
the Senator from Michigan, stated that under the
of facts he would have advised the removal oil Colo
mel Weller. The Senator from Michigan seemed
TO doubt the sincerity OF that statement lie now
proposed to show that he would have done so.
He said that, among other facts known To him
personally, was one which he would now exhibit 10
the Senate, and which alone would have been
sufficient to have induced him Il advise Weller's
removal. He read a certified copy OF the report OF
the master in chancery made TO the court of com
pleas of butler county, Ohio, IN which 1t APP
peAred that the defendants in certain cause, re-
ferred to said master, were commissioners, with
whom deposited in trust certain public funds.
That this fund loaned out by said commits
sioners, all of whom were Democrats, To each
other; and that John b. Weller, who was Sccre-
tary to the Board Of Commissioners stood charged
with the OF s 10 1888 90, for which there was
account of how when he had received the
same; and that in this amount Colonel Weller was
defauter. This fact OF his being deiaulter was
we'll known to him, Mr. EWING, at the time the
removal Was made, tho he had not at that time
the record before him
Another reason which was considered in his re-
lnoval was, that Colonel w eer, it was well known,
was, habitually incorporate. Ills office was an
important one /; he had TO lead men and to tai
charge OF public money sa ey Colonel Weller had
given no bond he had left the United States one
month before be needed TO have done; and one
month after his departure from the United States
he was farther from the place OF bile business than
il he were in New York, for in New York he could
have obtained conveyance for himself and party,
and at Panama, where lac was, he could not OBJ
tain such conveyance. He left the United States,
too, in rather an expeditions manner, and while
this proceeding in chancery was pending. know-
ing all these things, he MIR. could not con
slider Colonel Weller fit person Tor the Office and
he somewhat charged with the proper per-
formance of the duties imposed on Weller's COM
mission, he felt it 10 be his duty to advise his re-
moval And he would have done so whether hc
Wing Democrat.
He hoped the Senator from Michigan would now
be satisfied that he meant What he said when he re-
piled TO that Senator's question. He considered
that man who was detaultcr should be APP
pointed to any office under the United States which
would carry with II the custody or disbursemo n
VI the public moneys. In one case, while he wa
Secretary. he had recommended the appointment
Of man 10 office whom he considered and believed
TO be trustworthy; subsequently he was satisfied
that that detaulter in HE own State, and
he Immediately advised his removal. General
Taylor, instantly being apprized OF the fact,
moved the individual.
Tho removal Of Colonel Weller had been pro-
claimed by dozen voices a clear case OF naked
prescription He saw no very great prescription IL
the removal of one Democrat and the appointment
of another Democrat to succeed him.
Colonel Weller had labored hard In the Presi-
dental canvass for his party, and deserved an of
fee. He received one, but not such one under
other circumstances he would have received. j
had become, from time imneInorial, the custom o
the Democratic party to appoint the unsuccessful
candidate of their party for governor to foreign
mission. Such was the case with Shannon ant
Tod. Had the Democratic party succeeded in tina
election, Colonel Weller would have received in al
probability such office. Certainly he would no
have received one in which nc would have had tn,
control of public moneye
MIR. f. next adverted 10 the causes for the reno
val of General Lane, and cited several com iaints
made against him on account Of the manner IL
which he discharged his duties as Superintendent
of Indian Affairs.
rious reports made by the commanding and subor
dinate officers engaged at Buena V lsia, and thei
illusions To the conduct OF the I'd regiment of In
diana volunteers, and compared them with Gene
raj Lanes subsequent publications., in which h
imputed falsehood and untairness to General lay
lor. He contended that for this Impeachment u
the honor Of General Taylor, Lane should have BEEF
removed.
He maintained that none had been removed from
office except for cause which did exist, or whicl
the President at the time Of making the rcmova
believed to exist He gave the history OF the growt
Of the principle of prescription which he considered
was hrst practised after the 4th OF March, lo2s
The administration of General jackson remove,
every man in office in Ohio no was not friendly Z
that administration. They seemed 10 have acte'
the advice of Timon to AIcibiades Let not tn,
sword skip one" In conclusion, Mr.. E. denounce
the principle of prescription for political opinions.
Mr.. CASS said that at the time he had put tn
question TO the Senator whether Colonel Welle
would have been removed had he been a Wing, II
for his removal had been stated, except tina
his quarterly accounts had not been duly settlc
up. He had demonstrated that Colonel Weller ma
complied with the terms of the law, and had ask e.
the question, because he did not believe that Whil
would have been removed, had he complied will
the acquisitions OF the law.
As to the charge of Colonel Weller being de
iauter, nothing had then been said of He un
derstoou now, however, that that charge mad oeel
used during the gubernatorial canvass III which
Weller was candidate; and the weight 10 which
II was entitled might be Judged of by the fact tina
in that election Colonel Weller came within thre
hundred votes of being elected Governor of tn
State Of Ohio. And, subsequently, his nomination
Commissioner to run the Mexican boundary hat
been confirmed without single objection. Ill
heard before that Colonel Weer's habit
rendered him unable TO conduct business.
Mr. BRADBURY defended the resolution.
Mr. DOWNS alluded to several removals in Lou
islana and denied the possibility Of any real cause
other than difference of political opinion for thei
removal
The subject vas then postponed.
And the Senate adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Mr.. JOHN BELL, elected in the sixth Congres
sonsl district of Ohio TO supply the vacancy coca
stoned by the death of AMOS f. WooD was intro
duced by MIR. PoTTER, and took the oath to supper
~. 81. ,t,hx :,