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Congressional

Congressional image Congressional image
Parent Issue
Day
27
Month
April
Year
1846
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

T I ApniL 8, 1840. In the Señalo, a brief discussion ag-,in took placo on a resolution calling upon the President for inforniation relativa 0 the üregon negotiaticn. Mr. Dickinson, in a speech of nearlv three hours, repelí od the assault of Mi Webster, made jcsterday. The House was engaged in a discussie on the Scoato bill to provide für tho or ganizaiion of a regiment of mounted „flc. men Aprii, 9( 1S46 In the Senate, }hc discussion on the res olution calling on the Prosidcnt for corres pondonco on the Oregon negotiation, was rosumed and continued througl, the mom, ing hour. Mr. Mangum addressod the Scnato on the special order - tho notico. ín tho House. aft?r the journai of ves terday was iroad. Mr, C. J. Jngers)l, ilav. ingobtamed the floor, addresd the House os l'üllows :Mr. Speaker : I hnvo put the few words I dcsire to sáy, in writi,,r, tlmt there ÚZ bo no misropori or mistako ubout ihem I wiild notkthüi.ululycnceof I losse fur my personal vindication, bul fho occasion n.volves tho most preciöua privi lege of members of ibis House D vrhicli lbo people are represonted, lts freedotn of speech I)ú8 been grossly uttockod, thro me, by a senator, Mr. Daniel Webster O hitn as a senator, or an individual i huvo never spoken here. Of Daniel Wobstei's.misconduct as Secrctary of State 1 have often spoken, mostly to censure it,'in ihe instanco which provoked bim th8 ses sion vvith a severity wliich I acknowlcdiio justifies retort. ö All I rise now to do, ia to nsk the IIouso to indulgo me witli a word of e.xpluuntio of somo resolutions, to which, 1 supposo tliere can hardly bv. objection.lf ndopted, I presume they xnny be answered by next Moriday ; and ihcn I shall prny pennission to speak on the subject. One of ihom is designed to brin officially beton this House tbo jouma) or minutos of the Committeo on Foroign Affairs, in Kcbruary, 1813, wlmn tho honorable gntlemun from Mnsrinchuseils, [Mr. Adnms.J wns chairman of ihe committee' Accor.jing to good preeedents and nuthorities, I orn cntilled to rcad these minutes to tho House, without its leavo. Buf as doubts may bo entortaiued, I j-refor to obvióte all objections by oblaining itasancl:on in forrn. These minutes will provo tlial Mr. Secrelary Websier made known to mernbers of ihat eommittec, by a wrjttën communicalion, iho President's wish for a snecial mission lo Great Britain, whioh special mission, I ihink, it will sufïïcientlv oppar, was to settli; :he Oregon question,' by yield' ing which, Mr. Webster bas lately'denied cur right te ciaim.The resollado for information, Trom the Detriment oí State, will bring forth pro fy of Mr. Secretary Webster',, jnisdemeanpra in office, his fraudulcnt misappücation and porsonul use of tho tüM), and corruptie party prestes wit! the muncy appropriated by luw for llio contingent oxponses of foreign inicrcnu.se. Whcn dischargad as he was, from tho departhiem !o which ha was so great a disgrace, he wM a delinquent, a public defaulter. He did not account for tho pubhe monu y he flnudulenlly abslractcd f.om tho dpartrnent till more than a yéar after ho was oxpellod from t, and did not account for niost uf t then, by paying buck the moncy he ahstractodbul by vouchers from notoriotisJy base agenïs of his chüico. who icceipted for r, u bv expended in managing party presse. Pa fers from the Department of Staïo. some of thtm sitfncd by him, will reveal the mystery, of which ono of hts corrupt níícnt.s, ín a letier to him marked "jmvaie " pplaudsas Mr. U'ebster's i,ew and admirable modo of sotcliiiK iht, Northeastern boundnry question, nftër tho fortv vears'viuvHDiiup, luwevar nonost and patriotic, of Washington, the Adumsos, Jefferson Madison, Monrpe, Jacksoa, and Van Buren, who did not considor h right to expend public moneys in cörrupting the proas and the pco)le. Il is sicküiiinir, if not sn1 rertüty, that a man of fino iúnliñc, ua prepostcrously as proianely miscaÜcd Godlike, should bo exposed in his metra and pallfy contrivancos and associatioos with notoriously baso fe.low in palpnb!yie misusooftho public rnoney. When I spoke the ofleiwivo wo.ds of the Sccretary which ppear to have goadd hi,n to the madnoss gonernlly betraymg the guilty, 1 Imvc „o idea of the oxient of h.s oiience. Indeed, I havo not npw, f0r detection has only begun since he called me to it. Ono of his coadiulors wrileslo the Socretary of State, that he presumes tho contingent fund is ampie, and the Secretary '3 centro 1 over it complete.i hese pnpers, when mado printéd documents, wiHshou-, also, application ofsomo of the samo secret contingent fund to the rotease of McLeod, and although Mr. Webster is reponed to have said in the feenate, ihat thore was only one Jetter on Ihat subject, threo in onO and tho snmo day will appear. VVhether, when possessod oí tho proofs oí Mr. Secreiary VVebster's mnlvtrsion, corruption, and delinqency, his offencesw uouesmea impeachable misdemeanors m office, conviction íor which míght remove him from the SonMe, and disqualily him to hold any office of honor, trust, or profif, under the United States, will remain to be considered. Should it prove necessary to go to ihat extremity, tho similitude will be wonderful with a graat English lawyer, called by a pojt the wisoat and meanost of mankind. It will be prceved that ihe detection, if 1 am not mistaken, which my former dies. closures may lead to merge my individual wrong, and even th injustice doneth:ough mo to the representativo character, froedom and privilege of tho House in the much greatar importautíoof misdemeanor in ofilce. When Congress sees the proofs I propose to stibmit, they will judge all parties and do what is right. It is üseless, and would be worse than usoless, for me to apply epithats to Mr. W bster. I dsir to try him, and be tritij myself by proofs.