Norther, S. P. Wiggin, Jona. Barker, Robert DEAR SIR: An attempt is making to remove the pension agency from this office to Concord, in this State. During the session of our LegisPortsmouth, August 20, 1829. lature, in June, a memorial for that purpose SIR. In my last, I stated what information I was gotten up by Mr. Isaac Hill, Second Comp- had respecting an intended removal of the pentroller of the Treasury of the United States, sion agency from this office; to which I am faand signed by divers of his warm political parti- vored with an answer from the acting Presi sans, and others specially interested in the mat- dent, of the 4th instant, saying that my letter ter, addressed to the Secretary of the Treasu was referred to the Committee on the Offices, ry, urging the central situation of Concord as a and that Mr. Biddle would, in a short time, reason for the removal. I do not understand visit this place. By to day's mail I have receiv that any fault was alleged in the manner of do- ed a letter from the Secretary of War, of ing the business here. Mr. Hill's object which the enclosed is a copy. I presume Mr. doubtless is to benefit a small bank at Concord, Pickering will soon present the order for the of which, till his removal to Washington, he books, papers, and balance of money. Doubtwas President. Believing that the Secretary of ing the right of the Government to transfer the the Treasury could not be desirous of the re- Pension Agency without an act of Congress au the parent board, or from the President, after his arrival here. And not knowing the time when I may expect him, I deem it proper to forward this information, and to request early J. MASON, Esq. Portsmouth, N. H. instructions. As the next semi-annual payments of the invalid and revolutionary pensions will be due the first of next month, any considerable delay of a determination would occa- SIR: I am this day favored with your letter sion inconvenience. It will be recollected, of the 13th instant, enclosing a copy of an orthat, although the returns to the departments der from Mr. James L. Edwards, for the delive at Washington, state a balance of pension funds ry to Mr. Pickering, of "all the books, papers, due the Government at this agency, yet, that funds, and other property, belonging to the there is an actual deficiency of about seven Pension Agency of New Hampshire, now in teen thousand dollars, occasioned by the defal. your possession." /cation of Mr. Cutts, the first President. This Since the receipt of your letter of the 10th has, agreeably to directions heretofore receiv- instant, enclosing the copy of a communication ed, been supplied by over-drafts of the Pen- to you from the Secretary of War upon the sion Agency, on the bank. I suppose this loss same subject, the directors of the bank have must be borne by the bank, and not by the Go- caused the acts of Congress to be carefully exvernment. But on this point, in case the trans-amined, and, though they do not affirm posifer is to be made, I want instructions. The tively that there is no such authority as the Secretary of War has no control over the navy Secretary has claimed, it is believed there is and privateer funds, and yet, it seems, by his none. letter, that the order to transfer them, with the This board, therefore, cannot but approve invalid and revolutionary funds is to come from the advice of the directors of your office, in him. No intimation is given of any direction which you declined complying with the order, of the President of the United States for doing until the instructions of the parent bank should this. I am, with much respect, be received. Your most obedient servant, J. MASON, President. The PRESIDENT of the Bank U. S fear there might be objections to allowing payments made after the presentation of the order. Very few applications for payment will be made before the first of September. The ag-J gregate of the pension funds is about eight or nine thousand dollars, if no deduction be made for Mr. Cut's defalcation. I presume this proceeding is without any previous arrangement with the Bank of the United States, and if so, I think it most extraordinary. The paying letter was received at this department, from pensions was part of the duties of the Commis- W. Pickering, Esq. he agent recen ly apsioners of Loans, when, by an act of Congress, pointed by the Secretary of War, paying the all those duties were transferred to the bank, United States' pensioners in New Hampshire, and the office of the Commissioners abolished. intimating your unwillingness to turn over to The revolutionary pensions, although created him the books, funds, &c. of the agency. since the passing of that act, have, by the con- Mr P. was appointed at the request of struction given to it by the Government, been large portion of the members of the Legislature included within its provisions. How can the of your State, and with a view of accommoExecutive Government then sever these duties, dating the pensioners In changing the agenand assign one part, the paying of pensions, to cy, the Secretary of War conceived himself agents appointed without legal authority, (as I authorized by law to do so, and was actuated think,) and leave the other part, the transfer- by a regard to the interests of the pensioners, ring the public debt, and paying the interest in wishing to have them paid in that part of the and principal, to be performed by the bank? State where the greatest facilities are presented. The circumstance that the imposing these du- The Secretary of War is, however, now absent, ties on the bank by the act of incorporation, and before the discussion of the right of this was intended to relieve the Government from department to appoint Mr. P. could be termiexpense, by subjecting the bank to it, has no nated, the time for the semi annual payments bearing on the power of the Executive to make would probably arrive; and from a controversy, this change. thus protracted, great inconvenience and disap The order also seems to me to be quite sin-pointment to the pensioners might arise. The gular. Without having examined the statutes acting Secertary of War has, therefore, directof the United States to ascertain, (for which led me to say to you, that he waives a discussion have not had time,) I believe there is no pen- of the subject, and, in accordance with the prosion office in the War Department, with duties posal which you have made in your letter of legally defined. I suppose Mr. Edwards to be 20th instant, desires you to continue in the disa mere clerk in that department, entrusted charge of the duties of pension agent, as herewith the ordinary superintendence of military tofore, until the return of the Secre ary of War Mr. Pickering pensions. And for the meas re in question, to the seat of Govern nent. something more than the signature of a clerk has been requested to deliver to you the sum of might be expected. Besides, that department $24,862 25, and the semi annual statements has no control of the Navy and Private Pen- which have been recently transmitted to him, sions, and no special direction of the President to the end that no obstacle may be presented of the United States is intimated in the letter to the regular payment of the pensioners. or order. I am, &c. JAMES L. EDWARDS. MASON, Esq. President I have taken the liberty of making these sug- J. gestions rather as a justification of my own conduct, than through a wish to influence the course to be pursued by the bank. I am, &c. J ASON, President. The PRESIDENT of the B. U. S. An additional reason for presenting to the any commitment, and especially the indulgence public these remark, is found, in a statement or manifestation of the slightest feeling in favor reported to me, by unquestioned authority, to of the officers of the bank; in the persuasion have been made by a Mr. Platt, at a public ho- that if the charges should prove unfounded, I tel in Trenton, soon after the publication of Mr. would be better able to vindicate them against Adams' report, in which he, Mr. Platt, alleg- prejudice; or, if true, that I might more sucing himself to be a director of the U. States' cessfully mark the line between the officers and Bank, and undertook to vouch for the truth of the institution, and contribute with better effect Mr. Adams' charge. I had until then suppos- to its preservation; acting on the principle that ed that Mr. Biddle's concluding letter, of the the abuse of power on the part of officers could 9th October, and its explicit retraction of pre- furnish no excuse for the destruction of so valuavious imputations, had received the candid and ble an establishment, which could not be apunqualified sanction of the whole board. It now plied to every institution of the most enlightenappears that I was mistaken in this particular; ed civil society, nay, even government itself. and it becomes the more necessary to seize the Under these circumstances, after I was inform present opportunity for exposing the calumny ed that a specific and imposing charge would on its first appearance. Having been promul-robably be made against the officers of the gated by an ex president of the United States branch in Louisville, Kentucky, for having used in the legislative hall, and thus openly by a di a part of the funds of the bank to promote their rector of the bank, it cannot fail to justify this views in a State election, received the letnotice. To be silent, would be to sanction for truth what I know to be false, and deeply pre- This charge is substantially contained in the judicial to my character. This ought not to be following letter, which then made its first ap expected. pearance in writing, though often repeated oral ter of Mr. Woodbury, then a Sena or of the be the judge. Of my own motives none can United States from New Hampshire. In trans- so well judge as myself; and I, therefore, claim mitting that letter to the board at Philadelphia, the right to deny the imputation in the most it occurred to me that the opportunity was fa- unqualified terms, and to testify that, from the vorable for intimating to them, that some jea- beginning to the end of this proceeding, I was lousy existed as to the integrity of some of their fluenced by no other desire than to see abuses officers; which intimation was given in the if any there were, corrected; and avert imhope of exciting their vigilence and care in re-pending danger from the bank. moving every cause for complaint; but in doing A brief reference to parts of the correspond. this, it was evident that my own motives were ence will explain these motives more filly. liable to misapprehension, and I chose, rather the too confident, if not presumptuous, asserthan leave suspicion to interpret my silence, to tion of Mr. Biddle, in his first letter of 18th make a frank avowal of the principles, which July, that he was satisfied no loan was ever it appeared to me, ought to regulite the ac ions granted to, or withheld from, any individual on of the bank. Those explanatory suggestions I account of political partiality or ho-tility," knew, might seem to be officious or superflu- though accompanied by very proper assurances ous, when the peculiar circumstance under of the disposition of the board to correct every which they were made, was not known; this abuse,ins ead of strengthening my hand against was, however, of little moment, but it never the complaints which were pressing upon me, occurred to me that those friendly intentions eviden ly weakened it; as the accurers of the could be so misunderstood, or my expressions bank, predispos d perhaps to believe evil, so perverted and misrepresented, as they were would pay little regard to the judgment of a * found to be in Mr. Biddle's letter of the 15th tribunal which had thus predetermined the inSeptember; still less did I afterwards suppose, nocence of the accused, even before the chargthat any person, however his judgment might es were specified, much less investigated:-thbe blinded by prejudice or constitutional opaci er remarks in the same letter were of like tenty, could, after reading my letter of the 5th of dency. Perceiving this, my letter of the 23d October in reply, and Mr Biddle's answer, July, was written mainly to call Mr. Biddle's closing the correspondence, denounce the pro-attention to the weak points in his of the 18th, ceeding as an effort very thinly veiled, to in the hope, that while it might promo e a more exercise a control, political and pecuniary, efficient course of proceeding in the correction over the proceedings of the bank and its branch- of abuses, it would elicit from him, better ares, highly exceptionable in principle, and even guments and evidence in defence of the integcontrary to law." But of this the public must rity of the officers of the bank, than the naked |