The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-02-04

pass no new law for others; you can now prose-
cute him, and visit upon him the punishment he
deserves; you need not let him pass from defect Of
the law. calthe attention of the House to the
act creating the Treasury Department in 1888, to
show that there is necessity for this bill to meet
any future similar to that then before the COM
mittee. read the eighth section Of that act:
SEC. 8 And be further enacted That no person APP
pointed to any Office instituted BY this SHALL directly
indirectly, be concerned interested in carrying on the
business of trade comnerce be owner whole or in
part of any vessel purchase BY himself or another
be concerned in the purchase disposal any public seci
rites of any State, of the United Sntes take OF apply
ransactng any business in the said Department tan
what shall be allowed by law; and if any person shall
be deemed guilty of high msdemeanor, and forfeit to the
United States the penalty Of and SHALL upon
BE holding any e under the United
Sir, if Mr.. Corwin, as Secretary Of the Treasu-
ry, was !" improperly connected . with this claim
against the Treasury, as charged, here is law of
the country that has been in existence since 1882
under which you can proceed against him, and by
which you can not only displace him, but disgrace
him forever. If, therefore, the committee under
took to recommend this bill to meet Mr. Corwin's
case, | beg to inform them, and the gentleman
from Ohio, that their work is but an act of super
erogation. Here is law quite sufficient for them
or him to act upon. My object, sir, is to discon-
meet this bill, upon which intend to speak here
AFTER entirely from the matter and preferred to
that committee. But / wish to premise few re-
marks upon the facts reported by that committee
and which have been commented on in the debate
Now, Mr.. Speaker, these facts are, that Mr.
Corwin, while he was Senator of the United States
was employed as an attorney before the Board of
Commissioners to adjudicate claims against Mex
leo in behalf of Gardiner, claimant, and that he
also took an interest by assignment in his claim
These facts are admitted. The gentleman from
Tennessee, Mr.. JOHNSON argued yesterday that
1t was NAHUM IN Sc; that it was ,erong in itself for
member of Congress to appear as an attorney for
fee or reward before any such tribunal. Is that
gentleman right in that position? If he is Mr.. Cor
win did something wrong in itself, and deserves
censure. If not he is certainly above the reproach
of even the most fastidous in what he did. Let US
refer to our history this subject Every gentle
man who hears me knows that it is usual, and has
been from the beginning of this Government for
Senators and members of this House to appear as
counsel for fee and reward or compensation, before
the Supreme Court of the United States, to appear
before any of the courts of the Union, and before
commissioners appointed to adudicate claims SINH
lar to these-before just such tribunals as this was
Nay, more; believe that even anterior to our
Revolution, Dr. Franklin did not consider it NAHUM
to receive fees and act as agent for several of
the colonies before the proper departments of the
government of the mother country, Great Britain
He was the regular agent, first of Pennsylva MIA,
others of the colonies. i maintain, therefore, that
there is nothing in the thing itself which, by the
general consent of our countrymen, even the wises
and the best, is, or has been considered, wrong in
acting as counsel or attorney, agent for proper
compensation in such capacity. / believe it is a
historical fact that, after the Jay treaty. there was
commission instituted for the adjudication and
settlement of claims provided for in that treaty, and
that the ablest attorneys in the country at that
time appeared before the board thus constituted
amongst them members of Congress.
Again, at the close Of the last war with England,
under a convention, a similar board was consti-
tuted. The celebrated Mr.. Pinkney, of the State of
Maryland, "a distinguished member ofthis body-an
honor to his State an honor to his country man
whose eloquence was perhaps never surpassed-a
man whose integrity never was questioned, SO far
as know-he, sir, appeared, as ! am informed,
before that commission, and argued important cases
as attorney for parties in interest. Who ever heard
his conduct questioned? Who ever heard an I'M
putation cast upon his character for thus advocat-
ing the rights of those who sought the aid of his
legal counsel? i give him as one instance amongst
Others But further still. | have a paper before
me, from which it appears that the Hon. George
NJ. Dallas, while he was Vice President of the
United States, received fees for prosecuting, with
others, claim before one of the departments-
others were engaged with him in the same case.
members Of Congress, of the highest character anf
the strlctest purity. How can men thus employed
be said to be employed against the Treasury of the
United States? In most instances the only ques-
ton is who among several claimants shall receive
a particular fund
before which Senator Corwin agreed to appear as
counsel. He was not the only member of Con-
gress who appeared, or agreed to appear, there as
counsel. And if there was anything improper in
his connexion with it, was it not SO with other
members of Congress? Mark you, do not allude
tn hxyxr Of
any of the gentlemen whom | shall name, but
do not intend, sitting here in this Hall, to permit
false impression to go before this country or that
Mr.. Corwin, who is distinguished lawyer, shall
be made scape-goat of by any gentleman upon
this floor. Mark you, that the whole charge sus-
tanned is, that Mr.. Corwin, aohile Senator, was
employed by DR.. Gardiner to represent his claim
as one amongst other La,oyers before the Board of
Commissioners. For the testimony is conclusive
that, perhaps, knowing the statute of 1885, which
have read, if from no other consideration, he dis
connected himself from that relation before he as
sumed the position Of Secretary of the Treasury
But the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. OLps) saws
that the transfer of his interest was all farce
Well, IT SO, the issue is between him and his COM
mlttee. They do not report that it was farce |
The witnesses are unimpeached, and they swear
that 1t was an unconditional transfer of all his in
terest in the claim. am bound, therefore, SO to
it. Well, then, sir, was Mr.. Corwin the |
sci before that Commission. | have not seen the |
docket, but speak from information which has |
been communicated to me, and which | have no |
doubt is correct am informed that the honor I
able Senator rom Missouri Colonel BENroN) an I
peared in a case there. Lam informed that the
honorable Senator from Louisiana (Mr SouIE)
appeared in case there. I believe that the hon
orable Daniel Webster appeared as counsel there
IN two cases. The honorable Mr. BRIaHr, a SEN
ator from Indiana, appeared there also in four cases.
IS am informed Whether those gentlemen an
peared for fee or reward, / do not know. come
nowto this House; and mark me again, that do
not intend to cast any mputation upon any gentle-
man, because do not consider myself that there
was any wrong in it. There was no law against
t, and 1t had been the custom of the country from
he beginning, for men holding such positions to
act M such capacity But am informed that the
honorable Mr. HewARD, of Texas, appeared be-
ore that Commission in behalf of some claimants
The honorable Mr.. EwINe, of Tennessee, who
was then, but not now, member of this House, II
appeared there as counsel, or represented some
oarty, as am told. The honorable Mr.. PHELPS,
IF this House, did the same thing.
Mr.. PHELPS. The gentleman from Georgia
8 mistaken in relation to that matter
Mr.STEPHENS. Well, sir, shall be glad to
,e corrected. only speak from information re- I
;eived from others, as have stated Fl