The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-02-04
THE r EPUBLIG ).
SPEECH OF HON. a. H. srEpHENs,

claim. Delivered in the House Of Representatives.
Of the United States, 1Hursday, January 10, 1853
Mr.. KING, Of New York. call for the regular
order of business.
The SPEAKER. The first business in order is
the motion to recommit the bill to prevent frauds
upon the Treasury. 3@ 3.
Mr.. STEPHENS, of Georgia. The bill under
consideration, Mr.. Speaker, is reported by the Sc
lect Committee of this House appointed to inyesti-
gate the Gardner claim. do not see any connex-
ion which. it has with the business submitted to
that committee. 1t seems to be before the House
ANONYMOUSLY. supposeit must have got here BY
unanimous consent. The csmmihee certainly had
no authority from this Hosze to report it. So far
as the bill, therefore, is concerned, shall treat it
as an Independent measure before this House, as If
reported by any individual, and shall not connect
its merits with the investigation of the Gardiner
claim, for see no legitimate connexion between it
and the subject referred to that committee for in
vestigation. The BILL believe, is in substance the
same one introduced into the Senate by Senator
from North Carolina, (Mr. BADGER. In the re-
marks which shall make upon its merits, / shall
necessarily, in noticing the topics of discussion
which it has given rise to, introduce some of the
subjects which the gentlemen hare alluded to in the
progress Of the debate. The gentleman from Ohio,
Nfr OLDs,) for instance, who, Ibelieve. addressed
the committee first upon this subject, and whose
speech is reported for the first time in the Globe
this morning. seems to consider the report of this
bill by that committee as confirming his original
remarks in relation to the Secretary of the Treasu-
| ~, Mr.. Corwin. | do not so consider it. do not
consider that there is anything In the report Of the
committee which can justify such an inference. /
take this occasion to state to this House that think
the investigation and report of that committee fully
and completely exonerates the Secretary Of the
Treasury from that improper connexion with the
Gardiner claim which the gentleman from Ohio,
(Mr Obs seemed to entertain The opinion or sus-
picion that he held / notice the following lin the
report of the genteman's remarks, and shall be
brief upon this point:
ssMr. Speaker, / will not say that at the time
offered the resolution calling for this committee OF
| investigation, that had not settled conviction
upon my mind, that Corwn must have known, or
at least have strongly suspected, the fraudulent
character of this claim That conviction has NOT
dence reported by the committee. But, sir, not
withstanding these convictions, l had no purpose
of making any such charge IN the resolution, know
ing the utter impossibility Of proving mans
of the resolution, or in the remarks acih sphic ac-
companied the resolution, can be construed into such
= charge"
Now, sir, have the remarks of the gentleman
as made before this House, in which hessays:
Through the Investigation of Congress, their
Galphlnlsm has been exposed; and Crawford, load
ed with the execrations of the American people,
has received his passports to perpetual infamy.
But Corwin still remains unwhipped of justice.
True, sir, his catspaw and accompce in the fraud
is loaded with irons, and is branded by public sen
timent as a perjurer and forger; but the master
moving spirit, the head and brains in the fraud
through the negligence of this House, is still per-
mitted to control the Treasury of the U. 50
Mr.. OLDS. That is a quotation from a speech
made In July upon entirely another question, in
which referred incidentally to the Ga1phinism of
the country. 1t had no connection with this reso-
luton whatever.
+ Mr.. STEPHENS. These were remarks made
by the gentleman in connection with this subject.
lis he prepared now before the House to saythat
he takes this expression backl
Mr.. OLDS. No, sir | say that the remarks
made at the time offered this resolution show that
intended to make no such call upon the House for
investigation.
z Mr.. STEPHENS. Then, if the gentleman does
not take them back, or modify them, he should
make them good They were remarks made by
him in this House and to the country before this
committee was raised, as one of the reasons for
raising the committee, though they may not have
been made at the time the committee was ordered.
Now, then, the gentleman ought either to sustain
this charge before the House, or modify it. must
consider 1t as a part of the remarks made by him
which induced the House to raise the committee
This was the gist of the accusation. 1t is not nv
purpose at all to discuss the merits of the Gardiner
claim; that is, whether it was founded in Justice or
WIcIHSI IL was d iuDflCdlcu ITduu from beginning
to end. That was not even before the Investigate
ing committee. am free to state, however, from
reading the report of this investigation carefully
concur with the other gentlemen, that my Impress
ion is that it is fraudulent. But the subject referred
to that committee to investigate, and which, SO far
as their report is concerned, is now before the
House, is his (Mr. Corwins) ttimproper'' connex-
ion with the claim; because the very resolution
offered by the gentleman, and passed by this
House, stated that,
Whereas strong suspicion upon the public mind
that fraudulent claims have been allowed by the Mex
that Thomas Corwn Secretary Of the Treasury has been
improperly connected: Therefore,
bes of this House, be appointed by the Speaker to
gate all the facts touching the of said Thomas
Corw, the Secretary of the Treasury, with the
said Gardiner caim what ee any, he to recevefor
his services agent counsel for said Gardiner what in
eres if any, other than his fee interest," he purchased and
held, either directly indirectly in said claim and the
paid stipulated be paid therefor and cond
ton of such purchase; at what time he ceased to
what consideration lie disposed Of bis fee Interest," 10 whom
and for what consideration he disposed of his onefourt
terest in said claim"
The only question, therefore, so far as the re-
port of that committee is concerned, is, whether
the Secretary of the Treasury was improperly
connected with the claim of which there was
suspicion of fraud attached it. That is the only
question. Well, sir, does not this report Of the
committee, raised at the instance of the gentleman
from Ohio, sufficiently show to us and to the coun-
try that there was no improper connection at all on
the part Of the Secretary of the Treasury with the
claim' The gentleman from Ohio attempts to ar-l
que not ; and the whole Of his speech seems to be
a sort of censure upon the committee that was
raised at his instances at least it SO struck me-
He seemed to be grumbling at their conclusion.
What is that conclusion of the committee on the
real point in issue? Here is their language
No testimony has been adduced before the committee
provng tending to prove that the Hon. Thomas Corwn
had any knowledge that the claim of the said Gardiner
fraudulent that false testimony forged papers had BEEN
or were TO be- procured 10 sustain the same.'' =
The testimony before the committee shows con-
clusively that Mr.. Corwin had no interest what
ever in this claim after he became Secretary of the
Treasury; and the committee say that there is no
evidence showing g or tending to sho1o, that even
as private citizen, in his vocation as an attorney,
he knew any thing at all of the fraud. There is
nothing, then, connecting Mr.. Corwin in.properlu
with the claim. But, says the gentleman, the |
committee have reported this bill. Now, it is to
that point that wish to speak briefly, because
this bill was not reported by any authority con-
ferred on the committee, nor does It touch the case
before them. do not intend to let the gentleman
escape in this way. i call the attention of the
House to this fact that if Mr. Corwin, as Secre-
tary of the Treasury, had been improperly con-
nected with this claim-as was intimated in the |
ha hcoy,