The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-02-28
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The SPEAKER said that when the House adj
journed yesterday the Clerk was about to read the
following paper.
MIR. STANLY. Read it as an act of courtesy,
Mr.. VENABLE. 1t ought to be read.
Mr.. JONES, of Tennessee. Let it be read dis
pose of it, and then proceed to other business
MIR. LETCHER. That will be satisfactory.
The letter of the Secretary of the Interior was
then read, as follows:
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIoR,
WAsHINeToN, February 25, 1853.
MY DEAR SIR: Twas surprised to learn last even
ing that had been assaled in the House of Repre-
sentatives yesterday, for wrong alleged to have
been committed by me in regard to youth named
Collins, who is clerk in the Pension Office AS
you were kind enough to contribute your aid in
my defence, and as you are my immediate repre-
sentative, beg leave to furnish you with state
ment of the facts of thecase in the hope that you
may be able to find suitable opportunity present
them to the House of Representatives and the
country.
In the month of April, 1852, Mr.. Collins, a clerk
in the Pension Office, died suddenly, leaving
widow and number ofchildren, as was informed,
in state of great destitution. On the day of his
death, and while his corpse still lay in his house.
the Rev F. S. Evans, who had been minisering to
his wants during his illness, TO the Department
and with great feeling represented the distressed
condition of the family, and begged me appointa
son of the deceased clerk to fill his fathers Mace
He represented him to be boy about fifteen years
ofage, and candidly admitted that he was not com.
petent TO fill the position without assistance. But
he informed me that to obviate the difficulty he,
with the consent of the family of Mr. Collins, had
spoken to Mr.. Kane, an able and experienced
clerk, who was friend of the late Mr.. Collins,
and that ne had consented to exercise a fatherly
supervision over the boy-to instruct him in his
dunes, ana to perform such parts of them as the
boy could not discharge; and that it was under
stood that Mr. Kane in consideration of these ser.
wees, was to receive suitable compensation out
OF the salary OF the boy. Being thus assured that
the public Interests would not suffer by the ar
rangement, agreed to appoint the boy to his ia.
theirs oihee. In regard to the further details
know nothing, as the parties all stran tn
me, and up to the present hour do not know tina
i ever have seen one of them. l heard no com
plant from any quarter, and had aattered myselF
that had done commendable act in saving
family from want, and putting meritorious bow
in the path of promotion. But in the month of
September last Colonel GENTRY called at the De-
partment and made some complaint on the SUBJ
iect to the chief clerk, who addressed letter to
the Commissioner of Pensions asking an explana-
ton of the facts.
On the first of October last enclosed copy OF
the report of the Commissioner of Pensions to
Colonel GENTRY, with letter of my own explana-
tory of the facts Of the case, which regret that
Colonel GENTRY did not think proper to read to the
House. now send you copy OF it.
Mr.. GENTRY has fallen into several errors oil
fact. The boy was not represented to me as six
teen years of age, but about fifteen, and 80 far
from being competent clerk he could not perform
the most simple duties of the station without aid.
mad nothing to do with the negotiation OF the
pSoHlehts ana certainly OfQ require
that 1t should be entered into 1t was family
arrangement, voluntarily agreed upon by the par
ties interested, before was consulted. presume
should have known nothing about it, but for the
fact that it necessary to give me some salts
factory reason for appointing boy of such tender
years, and who was acknowledged not to be COM
petent, without aid to discharge the duties of the
office.
Without some such satisfactory assurance az
was afforded by the engagement of Mr.. Kane,
certainly would not haye appointed young Collins,