Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-01-29
SPEECH OF MR.. STEPHENS,
OF GEORGIA,
In Defence Of NJ. Cor@in against The Charge q
Jeing improperly connected nth The Gardner Claim

In Defence Of mr.. CorUin against me C7idTge Of
beng improperly connected nth The Gardner CLAIM
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, JANUARY ID, 1853
The House having under consideration the motion to
recommit the bill to prevent frauds the Treasury
Mr. STEPHENS, of Georgia, said The bill under con-
sideration Mr. Speaker is reported by the select
mtee Of this House appointed 20 investigate the Gardiner
claim. do not any connexon which it has with the
business submitted to that committee. Ii to
before the House ANONYMOUSLY. suppose it must have
got here by unanimous consent The committee certainly
had authority from this House to report it, SO far
the BILL therefore, is concerned shall treat it as an in
dependent before this House, if reported by
any individually and shall not connect its merits with
the investigation Of the Gardiner claim for see no le
climate connection between and the subject referred
that committee for investigation. The BILL believe is
in substance the introduced into the Senate
\ by Senator from North Carolina, (Mr. BADGER.) In
the remarks which shall make upon its merits shall
necessarily in noticing the topics Of discussion which it
has given rise to- introduce Of the subjects which
the gentlemen have alluded to in the progress of the de-
bate The gentleman from Ohio, (Mr. OLDsD for in
stance, who, l believe, addressed the committee first
upon this subject and whose speech reported for the
first time in the Globe Of this morning, ;onsider
the report of this bill by that committee confirming
his original remarks in relation to the Secretary of the
Treasury, (NIr Corwin.) do not consider it / do
consider that there is any thing in the report the
committee which justify such an inference II take
this occasion to state to this House that think thnves-
tgaton and report of that committee fully and completely
exonerates the Secretary of the Treasury from hat i'm
proper connection with the Gardiner claim which be gen
ueman from Ohio Mr.. OLDs) seemed to entertin the
opinion suspicion that he held. notice the allowing
in the report of the gentemans remarks and Aall be
brief upon this point:
Mr.. Speaker, will say that the time od the
resolution FALLING for this committee of inyesgaonhat
hnd not settled conviction mind that Corwnut
have hvn or at least have strongly suspected the audn
lent character of this claim That hot been
changed but greatly confirmed by the evidence reported by
the committee But sir notwithstanding these convictions
had of making such chargein the resolution
knowing the utter imposbiy of PROVINCE mans thoughts
or impressions Nothing in the language the resolution
in the remarks with which accompanied.he resolution
be construed into such charge"
Now, sir have the remarks of thegentleman as made
before this House. in which he says
Through the investigation of Congress their aphnism
has been exposed and Crawford loadeyth the
of the American people, has received hisaspors perpe
tual nfamy But Corwin still remains whipped of justice
True sir his catspaw accomplish in The fraud is loaded
with irons and branded by public sentiment as perurer
and orger but the master moving prhe head and brains
in the fraud through the negligence of his House, still
permitted TO control the Treasury of the United States
Mr.. oLps. That is quotation froma speech made in
July upon entirely another question: il which referred
incidentally to the Galphnism of thecountry 1t had
no connexion with this resolution whatever.
n Mr.. STEPHENS. These remarksmade by the gem
tleman in connexion with this subject Is he prepared
now before the House to say that he this expression
back?
Mr.. 0LDs. No, sir. say that thu remarks made
at the time offered this resolution sh,w that intended
to make 10 such call upon the House br investigation
i Mr. STEPHENS Then, if the gentleman does not take
They were remarks made by him inthis House and to
the country before this committee WIS raised one Of
the reasons for raising the committee though they may
not have been made the time the Committee was order
ed Now, then, the gentleman oueat either sustain
this charge before the House, modify it, must con-
slider 1t as part Of the remarks made by him which in
dueed the House to raise the committee. This the
gst OF the accusation 1t is not ny purpose at all to
discuss the merits of the Gardiner CHM that is whether
was founded in justice, whether ii fabricated
fraud from beginning to end Thatwas not before
the investigating committee. on free to state how
ever from reading the report of tbs investigation
fully concur with the other gentlemen THAR impress
sion Is that it is fraudulent But tie subject referred to
that committee investigate and which so far as their
report is concerned, is before House. is his (Mr.
CorSins) improper" connexion with the claim because
the very resolution offered by the gentleman passed
, by this House, stated that
Whereas strong suspicion rests upon the public mind
that fraudulent claims have been allowed by the Mexican
Claim Commission with which Il Is suspected tina
Thomas Corwin Secretary Of the Treasury, has been p
Resora, commirree, consisting Of Eve u.abes
this House. be appointed By the Speaker ali thu
facts touching the Of the said Thomas Corwn h,
present Secretary Of the Treasury with the said Gardner
claim what fee If any he was to receive for his services a.
agent counsel for sad GARDENERS what interest if any
other than his fee interest he purchased held either
directly indirectly, in said claim, and the paid
stipulated 70 be paid therefor and condition Of such purchase
at what time he ceased counsel or agent Of said
GARDENERS whom ami for what consideration he dspoed
h fee interests to whom and for what consideration he dis
posed Of his one-fourth interest in said claim"
The only question therefore far the report Of that
committee is concerned is whether the Secretary Of the
Treasury was improperly connected with the claim OF
which there suspicion Of fraud attached it. That
is the only question. Well sir, does this report OF
the committee raised at the instance of the gentleman
from Ohio, sufficiently show and to the country that
there improper connexion at all on the part of the
Secretary Of the Treasury with the claim The gentle
man from Ohio attempts TO argue not and the whole Of his
speech seems to be sort of upon the committee
that was raised at his instance least il struck
me- lie seemed TO be grumbiDg at their conclusion.
IS that conclusion Of the committee the real point
in issue! Here is their language:
/" NO testimony has been adduced before the committee
proving or tending 10 prove that Hon Thomas Corwn
had knowledge that the claim the said Gardiner
fraudulent or that false testimony forged papers had
| or we're TO be- procured 70 sustain the same"
The testimony before the committee shows concusivey
that Mr. Corwn had interest whatever in this claim
after he became Secretary Of the Treasury the
mittee say that there is evidence showing tending
10 sor that even rate citizen in his vocation
An attorney, he knew any thing all Of the fraud There
is nothing, then connecting Mr. Corwn improperly with
the claim But Gays the gentleman the committee have
reported this BILL Now, IL is to that point that wish
speak briefly because this bill not reported by any
authority conferred the committee does il touch
the case before them. do intend to let the gentle
man escape in this way call the attention Of the House
to this fact that II Mr. Corwn Secretary Of the Urea
sury had been improperly connected with this clam--as
was ntmated in the original charge-there would have
been necessity all for any special bill to reach his
4 delinquency.
Sir the founders Of Government in one Of the first
acts passed byCongress after the organization OF the
vernment sufficiently protected the Treasury Of the Uni
ted States in this particular If Mr. Corwn acted impro-
perly you need pass law for others you can now
prosecute him, and upon him the punishment he de-
you need not let him pass from defect Of the In
~ The ~.