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H. OF R.]

Wiscasset Collector.

[MAY 5, 1832.

Congress, in December, 1829. In that message he "in- On the 13th of January, the Secretary of the Navy revites the attention of Congress to a general and minute in-plied, "that as to the Navy Department proper, it is not quiry into the condition of the Government, to ascertain conceived that any of its present expenses can be retrenchwhat offices can be dispensed with, what expenses re-ed."

WAR DEPARTMENT, January 21, 1830.

SIR: I have the honor to lay before you reports from the several bureaus connected with the War Department,

Respectfully,

J. H. EATON.

trenched, and what improvements may be made in the or- On the 21st of January, the Secretary of War sends his ganization of its various parts." It might have been ex-reply. From this officer, the intimate, confidential friend pected that this great reformer, after having been thus of the President, availed, of course, of all his views, and long in possession of every department of the Executive ready to execute all his purposes, we might expect, at Government, and minutely examined all their operations, least, some intimation of the "comprehensive scheme" would have been prepared with the "comprehensive which had been promised. But here too we are doomed scheme of retrenchment" which his friends in this House to disappointment. Allow me, sir, to read his letter: had, at the present session, resolved that it had "a right to expect" he would "submit to Congress." Sir, I have carefully looked into the documents accompanying the message; but I have looked in vain for the "comprehensive scheme" which the profound wisdom of the Presi- on the subject of a resolution of the 5th instant, referred to me by the Committee on Retrenchment. dent, aided by nine months' close practical observation, might enable him to suggest. Instead of such "comprehensive scheme," he contents himself simply with the communication to Congress of a letter from the Fourth Auditor to the Secretary of the Navy, relative to the "confused The reports referred to by the Secretary of War are, in and unsettled state of the fiscal accounts and concerns of the first place, those of the head of the Pension Office, the the Navy Department," and making various suggestions Commissary General, Commissary General of Subsistence, on that subject, the wisdom of which has, to this day, been and Paymaster General, all of whom say that no reduction unfortunately hidden from all but their author; but in all can be made in their offices; and, in the second place, of of which he is careful to omit any distinct recommendation the Major General, Surgeon General, Quartermaster Geof a "retrenchment" in the number or salaries of the neral, and the heads of the Indian Bureau and Engineer officers connected with his department." and Ordnance Departments; all of whom, instead of reThat part of the President's message to which I have commending a reduction, actually ask for an increase of alluded, was referred to a committee of seven, five of whom were decided friends of the administration. To the same committee was also referred the resolution of the 27th of February, 1829, relative to the "comprehensive scheme," and "the lopping off of useless offices."

CHARLES A. WICKLIFFE, Esq.

the number of clerks in their respective offices.

Next comes the "Great Magician!" And may we not expect a "scheme"--a “comprehensive scheme," from him? Hear him. After deliberating upon the subject two months, he addresses the committee on the 4th of March, as follows:

"My opinion is that there can be no reduction in the number of officers employed in the Department [of State] without detriment to the public interest. On the contrary, the insufficiency of those whose employment is now authorized by law to execute the various duties incident to the department, is found to be productive of inconvenience to the public service."

Now, sir, what was the result of this reference? Where is the report of the committee? Where the promised "scheme of retrenchment?" Like the rainbow, it still recedes, and still eludes the eager grasp of its pursuers. But why was not the public expectation gratified with a report? The history of the proceedings of the committee will furnish an answer to this inquiry. Before I proceed to look into it, I must do that committee the justice to say that an examination of the journal of their proceedings has He then refers to two communications made by him to satisfied me that the failure of any practical result was the Committees of Ways and Means and of Foreign Rela owing to no negligence of theirs. They honestly and tions, upon the subject, (which I am unable to find,) and faithfully performed their duty, as might have been ex- says, "It is deemed unnecessary to recapitulate the pected from such a committee, and especially from their grounds upon which the proposed augmentation is recomable and indefatigable chairman, [Mr. WICKLIFFE,] who mended." Here, then, we have the "scheme" of the is now before me. But they could do nothing without the Secretary of State, an augmentation instead of a reduc"cordial aid" of the Executive. To him they looked, and tion in the expenditures of his department! had a right to look, for the necessary information. But they looked in vain, as the result will show.

Thus, all the departments, when the question is directly put to them, not for the purpose of continuing to deOn the 6th of January, 1830, they addressed a letter to ceive the country with professions of retrenchment, but each of the heads of the departments, in which they re- with a view to bring the Executive up to the point of requested reports as to "whether any officers in their ducing those professions to practice-all the departments respective departments can be dispensed with; what ex-say that no reduction can be made; while most of them penses retrenched, and what improvements may be made ask for the means of augmenting their expenditures! in the organization of their various parts." From these responses we might expect, what has inNow, sir, I beg your attention to the responses which deed taken place, a constant effort on the part of the Exewere given to these inquiries. cutive to increase the number of officers in every depart On the 11th of January, the Secretary of the Treasury ment of the Government. Let me now show you, sir, the made a communication to the committee, in which he re-extent to which this effort has been made, and how far it ferred them for information touching the practicability of has proved successful.

dispensing with officers, and the retrenchment of expen- In the first place, Congress have been asked to make ses in his department, to reports which he transmitted provision for an assistant Secretary of State, which has from the two Comptrollers, first four Auditors, and Regis-been refused. And although there is one more clerk in ter of the Treasury. The Third Auditor reports that the Department of State than in March, 1829, we have there had occurred one vacancy by resignation in his of- been asked, at the present session, to make provision for fice, which he had not found it necessary to fill; and the five additional ones. In the Patent Office, a branch of the Register says that he has dispensed with one clerk, whose Department of State, though there is also one more clerk salary, however, he recommends to be divided among the than in March, 1829, Congress have been asked to make remaining clerks. With these exceptions, they all say additional provision for twenty; eighteen of whom, it is unthat there can be no reduction of officers or salaries. derstood, are now actually employed.

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in 1829,

1830,
1831,

[H. or R.

$534,829 58 543,234 90 559,330 83 $1,637,395 31

$488,164 17

509,801 33
507,136 41

1,505,101 91

I will remark, in this connexion, that the chairman of Expenditures in the Executive Departments the Committee on Finance of the Senate, a leading friend of the administration, has, at the present session, upon the request of the heads of the departments, moved an appropriation of 10,000 dollars, to enable them to employ additional clerks in their several departments.

Expenditures in same departments
in 1826,
1827,
1828,

In the Post Office Department, Congress have been asked to provide for an additional Postmaster General, (not granted;) while, to the thirty-eight clerks employed in that department, when it left the hands of Judge McLean, in 1829, twenty permanent ones have since been added, at an annual additional expense of seventeen thou- Excess of this administration over the last, $132,293 40

sand four hundred dollars.

But the most extraordinary exhibition of the "lopping" Here, Mr. Speaker, is reform, "too legible to be oversystem has been made in the Treasury Department. And looked!"

here, before I proceed further, I beg permission to ask, With the first message of the President, seemed, until what has become of the recommendation of the Retrench- recently, to terminate the professions of reform. The sement Committee, that the offices of Second Comptroller cond was entirely silent on the subject. But it became and one Auditor should be abolished? This was thought, important, in his last, to renew the professions. Accordat the time, to be a very important part of the "scheme ingly, he says: "Our system of public accounts is exof retrenchment." Why has the President overlooked it? tremely complicated, and it is believed may be much imBut, sir, if he has forgotten it, it has not been overlooked proved. Much of the present machinery, and a considerby others. In pursuance of a resolution of the Senate of able portion of the expenditure of public money, may be the 31st January last, a call has been made upon the proper dispensed with, while greater facilities can be afforded to department for information whether those two officers could the liquidation of the claims on the Government." be dispensed with. To that call a negative answer has been given!

But it is idle to inquire after reductions under this administration. We are rather called on to follow it in its efforts at augmentation.

At an early period of his administration, the President asked Congress to provide for the appointment of a Solicitor of the Treasury. A law was passed, and the officer has been appointed, with a salary of three thousand dollars, who performs duties which had previously been performed by other officers of the Government, and mostly by the Fifth Auditor.

This part of the message was referred to a committee, of which the humble individual who now addresses you happens to be a member. Animated by a sincere desire to carry the recommendation into effect, the committee instructed their chairman to call on the several departments for such information as might enable them to mature a plan to effect the object. The chairman accordingly addressed letters to the Second Comptroller and Second and Fourth Auditors upon the subject.

And now, sir, what has been the result of this effort to obtain from the Executive the information necessary to enable Congress to carry his own recommendation into In 1830, ten additional clerks were asked for the Gene-effect? Sir, five months have elapsed, and not a single ral Land Office--not granted. The last extravagant ad- response has been given to the call of the committee! ministration reduced the number from twenty-four to Upon this, I leave all who hear me to make their own eighteen.

comments.

Let me now look at the custom-house branch of the Permit me, Mr. Speaker, to advert to another promiTreasury Department. And to this I beg your particular nent item in the report of the Retrenchment Committeeattention. In March, 1829, there were in the custom-the "Executive patronage of the press." In allusion to house department officers of every description, to the the publication of the laws, and the occasional advertising number of eleven hundred and sixty seven. There are, and job-work for the Government, in all which the comat this time, in the same department, fifteen hundred and mittee estimated that there were employed about one hunnine: increase in three years, three hundred and forty-two.dred printers, they say: Now let us see what these additional officers have to "When your committee look at this amount of patrondo. They are supposed to be employed in the collection age, placed, without control or responsibility, in the of the revenue arising from the customs. Well; in 1828, hands of the Executive, or in those of the subordinate the last year of the last administration, the receipts from chiefs of his departments; and when they reflect on the the customs amounted to $23,205,523 moral mechanism upon which this patronage acts, with a power that seems irresistible, they would deem their duty very inadequately discharged, if they did not propose 23,101,794 some remedy for abuses already existing, and essentially liable to be augmented.

The average annual receipts from the same source, in the years 1829, '30, and '31, have been

*

The

Difference, $103,729 danger which assails the freedom of the press, through Thus, while there has been an average annual diminu- the insinuation of this species of influence, is far more setion of the receipts from customs of 103,729 dollars, there rious than any star-chamber code of pains and penalties. has been an increase of the officers employed in the col- This pecuniary censorship of the press must end in its utlection of those customs of three hundred and forty-two, ter prostitution to an indiscriminate support of the acts of (about thirty per cent. on the number employed when Government, however injurious to the rights and intethis administration came into power,) at an annual com- rests of the people." pensation of more than 200,000 dollars!! Here, sir, is The gift of prophecy itself could not have enabled the the promised retrenchment-this is the reforming admi-committee to describe more accurately the control which nistration! is, at this moment, exercised over the press by this admiPermit me, now, Mr. Speaker, to call your attention nistration; for no administration of any Government have for a moment to another branch of the inquiry connected better understood the "moral mechanism" which may be with the Executive Departments--I mean the actual ex- moved by Executive patronage, and the "irresistible penditures in those departments during the first three power" which it is capable of exerting through the press; years of this administration, compared with those of the nor has any been more entirely unscrupulous in availing last three years of the last administration. itself of that power. But to the report.

H. OF R.]

Wiscasset Collector.

[MAY 5, 1832.

As a remedy for the evils pointed out by the committee, recommend that, in lieu of the ministers plenipotentiary they make the following recommendations: then at the courts of Spain and Colombia, with salaries of

1. That, instead of having the laws printed, as then, un-nine thousand dollars each, there be substituted chargés der the direction of the Secretary of State, the work des affaires, at salaries of four thousand five hundred dolshould be done under the direction of the Secretary of the lars, making a saving of nine thousand dollars per annum. Senate and Clerk of the House. This recommendation sounded well in the ears of the This has been entirely disregarded. General Jackson, farmers and mechanics of the country, who expected, of on coming into power, appointed a Secretary of State so course, that when the great reformer came into power, it eminently distinguished for impartiality, and a disregard would be immediately attended to. But what did Geneof all selfish considerations, that it altered the case-en- ral Jackson do with this recommendation? He disregardtirely altered it! ed it, as he did all the other recommendations of the com

2. That the Secretary of State shall designate the print-mittee: and instead of effecting a saving of nine thousand er of the laws of each State, to print the laws of the dollars a year, he actually recalled the ministers at Spain United States.

This will not answer present purposes. The adoption of this rule would occasionally confer the privilege of printing the laws upon a printer who is not of the orthodox faith; and this would greatly mar the harmony of the system!

3. That the printers who print for both Houses of Congress shall print, within the District of Columbia, in their papers, the laws of the United States, and the advertisements of the departments.

The present printer of both Houses (General Green) can probably inform us why this recommendation is disregarded.

and Colombia, for no imaginable reason but to provide places for his partisans, and substituted ministers of the same grade, (who have been continued with the same salaries to this time,) with outfits of nine thousand dollars each; which, with the quarter's salary allowed to each of the recalled ministers, and other expenses connected with sending the new ones, involved an extraordinary expendi ture of more than twenty-five thousand dollars. I cannot stop to indulge in comment on this violation of pledges, and squandering of the people's money in the work of "rewarding friends and punishing enemies." I must proceed.

The committee next recommend that a further retrenchment be made, by dispensing with chargés des affaires at 4. That the job printing, binding, and stationery, for Chili, Buenos Ayres, and Guatemala. To this recom each department, shall be furnished by contract; propo-mendation no regard has been paid. Chargés have been sals to be advertised, and given to the lowest bidder. continued, up to this time, at Chili and Buenos Ayres, and would have been at Guatemala, but for the state of anarchy in that country, which prevented the sending of the chargé, for whose outfit and salary an appropriation had been asked and obtained by the present Executive.

Yes-the lowest bidder, sir! Proposals to be advertised! Perhaps the late Secretary of War, and possibly the President, could tell us whether this has been done, and if so, how!

5. That the distribution of the laws of the United States by public carriers be dispensed with.

The practice here proposed to be dispensed with was a fruitful theme of complaint under the last administration. It was, nevertheless, continued during the first two years of the present. It has since been changed to the old and unsafe mode of transportation by stages to the extremities of the country.

The "contingent expenses of missions abroad" next come under the notice of the committee, the usual general appropriations for which, they regard as an extravagance worthy of a special effort at reform. They, therefore, recommend that, in lieu of a general annual appropriation for that object, there be "a fixed appropriation for the contingencies of each mission, varying from 300 to 600 dollars, according to the exigencies of each." General There is not, in fact, one of these recommendations ex-Jackson came into power; and what has been done with cept the last, to which this reforming administration has this recommendation? Nothing. He has, annually, askpaid the slightest attention whatever. ed from Congress, and obtained, the same general appro But what has it done? Sir, it has perpetrated the very priation of 20,000 dollars for the "contingent expenses of abuses of the patronage of the press so eloquently, and, as missions abroad," as had been before granted. it has turned out, so prophetically described by the Com- In fine, the committee sum up the whole, by saying mittee on Retrenchment. No sooner did the late Secretary that, "in the expenses regulating the foreign intercourse, of State take the direction of affairs, than every printer of they are decidedly of opinion that the diplomatic relations the laws who happened to be opposed to General Jackson, of the country are on a scale unnecessarily expensive." was displaced, "for the purpose (to use the language of I need not remind you, Mr. Speaker, how fruitful a theme the retrenchment report in describing the evils of a pen- of reproach throughout the country was the alleged exsioned press') of purchasing the joint and harmonious travagance of the last administration in the management of action of one hundred papers in the uncompromising vin- our foreign relations. Bearing this in mind, and rememdication of those in power, and the unsparing abuse of bering, as you doubtless do, what a glorious reform was those who are not." And how effectually this great ob- promised in this respect, I doubt not you will be amused ject of the Secretary has been attained, I need not say. in looking at the comparison, which I am about to institute Nor has the patronage of the press been limited to the between the expenditures, under the head of "Inter publication of the laws. More than fifty editors or print- course with foreign nations," of the last and the present ers have been appointed to highly important and lucra- administrations. I will take the first three years of the tive offices by this administration; and this under circum- present administration, and the last three years of the last. stances which have irresistibly forced on the public mind Thus:

the conviction that it has been done as a reward for parti- Expenditures in 1829,

san services; and, in the language of the committee, to

$179,597 07

secure the "utter prostitution" of the press "to an indis

1830, 1831,

294,067 27

injurious to the rights and interests of the people."

criminate support of the acts of the Government, however

298,699 95

trenchment report. It was deemed necessary by the com

I turn now, Mr. Speaker, to another part of the re- Expenditures in 1826,

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the people had been taught to believe there was great ex

foreign affairs of the country; in the management of which

mittee to apply the pruning knife of "reform" to the

1827,

257,923 42

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travagance. The committee, therefore, in the first place, Excess of present over last administration

$83,248 55

MAY 5, 1832.]

Wiscasset Collector.

[H. OF R.

Take another view of the subject, which presents the the Massachusetts claim. I omit, also, payments made on expenditures of the administration, after it had got fairly account of the public debt, which have, ordinarily, no"under way," with a full opportunity to develop its po- thing to do with the extravagance or economy of any adlicy, compared with those of the last administration, simi- ministration. With these omissions, the account stands larly situated. thus:

$592,767 22 Expenditures during the first three years of the present ad

Thus, the last two years of this administration exhibit an expenditure, under the above head, of The last two years of the last administration,

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456,396 66

Excess of present over the last adminis-
tration, in two years,
$136,370 56
Here is "retrenchment" for you, Mr. Speaker! Verily,
this is a reforming administration!

Sir, all who watched the commencement of this administration with an impartial eye, plainly saw that "to this complexion it must come at last." The recall of some half a dozen ministers and chargé d'affaires, and the enormous expenses of outfits and transportation, in public vessels, of their successors, gave but too sure a presage of the results which have followed.

ministration. 1829-Whole amount of expenditures, Deduct payment on account of public debt, Deduct payments under treaties,

1830--Whole expenditure,
Deduct public debt,
Removing Indians,
Fifth census,

1831--Whole expenditure.
Deduct public debt,
Removing Indians,
Massachusetts claim,
Fifth census,

25,044,358

12,383,867

28,168

12,412,035

$12,632,323

24,585,281

- 11,355,748
17,625
42,000

11,415,373

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Among these cases, that of the recall of Mr. Middleton, our minister to Russia, and the appointment of John Randolph as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to that court, is worthy of special notice. Of the political character of Mr. Randolph, it is my purpose to say nothing; nor will I dwell upon the peculiar circumstances connected with his appointment, or the extraordinary fact, that, instead of requiring him, as is usual, to repair to the seat of Government, to receive his instructions, the Secretary of State condescended to repair to Norfolk, and there wait upon the minister for the purpose of communicating them. Suffice it to say, that the instructions were receiv ed. The envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary received his outfit of 9,000 dollars, and was, with the new secretary of the legation, Mr. John Randolph Clay, transported in a public vessel, at an expense estimated Expenditures during the last three years of the last admiat not less than 40,000 dollars, to the place of his destination. He was presented to his Majesty the Emperorremained near his court ten days--retired to England, where he resided about fifteen months--returned to the United States, and received a compensation at the rate of 9,000 dollars a year, for the whole period of his absence: thus subjecting the Government to an expense, independent of his transportation in a public vessel, of near 25,000 dollars for ten days' service at the court to which he was

sent.

What compensation has been claimed by, or allowed to, the secretary of the legation, who was thus left in charge of its affairs, I am not able distinctly to state; but I have reason to believe that there has been claimed by, or allowed to, him, in some form, an amount much exceeding the ordinary compensation of 2,000 dollars per annum, allowed to secretaries of legation when not left in charge of the entire business of the mission.

But it is said that, although the expenses of intercourse with foreign nations have been increased under this administration, yet it has done something; that its vigorous and successful diplomacy, far exceeding that of the last administration, fully warrants its extraordinary expendi

tures.

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Before I proceed to examine this subject, which I intend to do, by instituting a comparison of the results of the negotiations of the two administrations, I beg per- Expenditures, first three years present admission, while upon the subject of expenditures, to present a comparative view of the whole expenses of the Government during the first three years of the present, and the last three years of the last administration.

ministration,
Expenditures, last three years last adminis
tration,

Excess of present over last administration,

$38,783,411

37,797,479

$985,932

In stating these expenditures, I omit from those of both administrations all items of an extraordinary character, such as payments made by both to claimants under the Comparing, as before, the two administrations, in the treaty of Ghent, and the treaty with Spain of 22d Febru- last two years of each, (which, for the reason before menary, 1819; and by the present administration, for removing tioned, is the fairest comparison,) the disparity is still more the Indians, taking the fifth census, and in satisfaction of striking. Thus:

VOL. VIII.--174

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Wiscasset Collector.

24,745,130

[MAY 5, 1832.

sident upon the subject of this treaty, to which I have alluded. In giving an account of the foreign relations of the country, and the result of his efforts to place them $26,151,088 upon the most favorable basis, the President, after alluding to "the injury to the commerce of the United States, resulting from the exclusion of our vessels from the Black Sea," and "endeavors" which had "been made to obtain a better state of things," said, "sensible of the importance of the object, I felt it my duty to leave no proper means unemployed to acquire for our flag the same privileges that are enjoyed by the principal Powers of Europe. Commissioners were consequently appointed to open a negotiation with the Sublime Porte. The negotiation was persevered in, and resulted in a treaty, which will be forthwith laid before the Senate." He then proceeds to describe the great advantages which will result to the United States from the provisions of the treaty thus concluded.

1,405,958

This excess is rendered the more extraordinary, by the fact that the policy of the present administration, with regard to internal improvements, indicated by the vetoes of the President, has resulted in a large diminution of expenditure, on that account.

General recapitulation.

Excess of the present over the last administration, during the last two years of each

In the Executive Departments,

In the intercourse with foreign nations,

In the general expenditures,

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The general impression created by this message throughout the country, was, that the commissioners who nego91,101 tiated the treaty were all originally appointed for that 135,830 purpose by General Jackson; that they opened the nego1,405,958 tiation, and that the negotiation thus opened resulted in What a fulfilment of the predictions and promises of re- the treaty. The people of the United States did not even form and retrenchment, which were to take place under suspect that one of those commissioners (Mr. Offley) had General Jackson's administration! been appointed by Mr. Adams. They did not suspect But the gentleman from Mississippi, [Mr. PLUMMER, ] as that that commissioner, in conjunction with Commodore if conscious (as he must be) that no real reform or re- Crane, had been instructed to negotiate the very treaty in trenchment has been effected, seeks to excuse the Pre- question. They did not suspect that, under that instrucsident, by saying that "his efforts have been paralyzed by tion, a negotiation had been actually opened, and that the Congress." Paralyzed by Congress! Did not General reason why it was not brought to a successful termination Jackson commence his administration with an overwhelm- was the limited pecuniary means which the last administraing majority in both Houses of Congress-composed of tion had been able to place at their disposal. And they men who had aided his elevation to power? And yet the did not suspect that all this was known by Generał Jackgentleman from Mississippi, who says he has been sent son, within twenty days after he came into power. All here by the people of that State to defend General Jack-this was carefully concealed from them in the message, son, and who may be presumed to be not altogether igno- and they were given to understand that General Jackson, rant of the grounds upon which he places his failure to sagaciously perceiving the great advantages of a free trade fulfil the pledges of reform, says that "his efforts have to the Black Sea, originated a mission for the purpose been paralyzed by Congress!" Yes, paralyzed by his own opening a negotiation to obtain it. friends!!

of Now, sir, I do not know who wrote this message. But What an inconvenient appendage to General Jackson's one thing I do know--it was an act of most flagrant injusGovernment is a Congress! Let us, Mr. Speaker, dis- tice. Mr. Speaker, I cannot find language to express my pense with it--Senate and all! Invest the President with emotions on reading it. For the honor of my country, I an iron crown, and a hickory sceptre; give him the "Kitch- would, if I could, blot it from her records. But, sir, the en Cabinet" for advisers, and then we shall have a Go-"spot" is here, and "all great Neptune's ocean cannot vernment--a glorious Government! wash it out." And is General Jackson capable of this? The gentleman from Mississippi proceeds to say that I would fain not believe it. Rather would I believe that the operations of the administration, whenever they have the wand of the "great magician" touched this paper, and been "untrammelled," have been eminently successful. made this blot. As a proof of this, he refers to the President's negotiations with foreign Powers, and points to their successful results in the treaties with Denmark, Portugal, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, France, and England.

Permit me now, Mr. Speaker, to advert for a few moments to the treaties negotiated by this administration, (alluded to by the gentleman from Mississippi,) and to institute a comparison between them and those negotiated Before I proceed to examine these treaties, permit me, by the last administration. I must be brief. Mr. Speaker, to express my surprise that the gentleman 1. Treaty with Denmark.--Indemnity for spoliations, omitted any allusion to the treaty with Turkey. An allu-$650,000, concluded 28th March, 1830. Negotiated by sion to that treaty, in summing up the successful diplomacy Mr. Wheaton, under instructions from Mr. Clay. of this administration, would not, I am sure, have been 2. Informal arrangement with Portugal.-Indemnity for omitted three months ago. It is not until recently that four vessels and their cargoes, taken and condemned in the almost universal delusion in regard to it--a delusion 1829, about $140,000. Negotiated by Mr. Brent, long a created by the President's message to Congress in Decem-resident chargé d'affaires of the United States in Portugal. ber, 1830, and since kept up by the partisan presses 3. Brazil.-Informal arrangement; indemnity; not apthroughout the country--has been dissipated. It is now prised of the exact amount, though not large. Negoeffectually dispelled by the frank admission of the honora- tiated by Mr. Tudor, under instructions from Mr. Clay. ble chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations, [Mr. ARCHER,] recently made on this floor, that the treaty, for negotiating which this administration claimed the exclusive credit, "was commenced, if not matured, by the last administration." And this has been confirmed by the

statement of the late President made here.

I cannot, Mr. Speaker, permit this occasion to pass, without particularly adverting to the message of the Pre

4. Colombia.--Informal arrangement, by which the vessels of the United States are placed on the same footing with regard to import duties in the ports of Colombia, as the vessels of Colombia, to extend only to December next. Also, an indemnity to a small amount, the negotiation of which was closed, or nearly closed, under the last adminis tration.

5. Mexico.-Treaty of commerce, navigation, and limits.

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