Alexandria Gazette

INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE.

To the Editor of the N. Y. Cour. & Enq.

The Committee of Investigation have made but little progress during the week. The witnesses who attend, assume the responsibility of answering those interrogatories only which they think proper. In such a state of things, the developments must necessarily be limited. Never was a party more heartily sick of an undertaking, than the friends of Mr. Van Buren are of this investigation. They announced to the country, that the President was willing to throw open the doors of every department, and to aid in the most thorough investigation, wherever there was the least suspicion of delinquency. The party almost unanimously, in the House of Representatives, voted for the appointment of the Committees. They authorized those committees to "send for persons and papers," and the Speaker of the House appointed on each committee six Administration, and three Anti-administration men.

Such was the commencement of this pretended willingness to promote an examination into the abuses committed by the Government agents. And now, what do we behold? A refusal of witnesses to expose (if they possess the knowledge,) the frauds and corruptions of their employers and associates. Have Congress the power to punish refractory witnesses? If they have, will they exercise it? Speculative opinions on this point would be useless, when the question will be decided so soon.

A few days since Mr. Wise stated to the Committee that one of the charges which had been made against General Jackson was, that he had interfered in the elections of the people; and that by virtue of his office, and the aid of those who held office under him, he had attempted to influence, if not control those elections. Mr. Wise added, that he now stood ready to prove the truth of this charge: and for this purpose, the Hon. Mr. Standefer, a member of Congress, was in attendance as witness. He wished the witness sworn, and he would prove by him—that the President of the United States had written a letter to Benjamin F. Curry, agent for the Cherokee Indians, urging upon him (Curry) that nothing must be left undone that could be done, to defeat the election of Standefer; and that this letter was read on all occasions when it was likely to produce effect.—The majority of the Committee refused to permit the witness to prove the fact. Is it the design of this Committee rather queerly situated! One set of witnesses refuse to answer questions implicating the Government agents or officers. Another set of witnesses are prepared and willing to implicate the same officers, and the Committee refuses to let them answer.

Judge Taney has replied to the Committee in a manner respectful to them, and highly creditable to himself. It appears that Mr. Elliot, while President of the Union Bank of Baltimore, wrote to Mr. Taney, then Secretary of the Treasury, that the board of Directors of the Union Bank had refused to recommend Mr. Whitney as a suitable person to be placed at the head of a Bank bureau in the Treasury department. To this Mr. Taney replies, that the project of such a bureau is to be considered exclusively as Mr. Whitney's project; that he has not committed himself to adopt it, and that if adopted, he had not committed himself to appoint Whitney.

I understand that the sub-committee appointed to examine certain letters and documents in the Treasury department, have commenced the performance of that duty. From what has transpired in the case of Whitney, I suspect but little will be found to establish the charge which on the one hand has been made, and on the other stoutly denied. It has been asserted that the different banks throughout the country were selected or rejected, in some instances on political grounds; that these institutions felt that they must be considered friendly to the administration if they hoped for favors from the Treasury department: that through this channel, with the immense funds of the Government, a most alarming monied influence might be exerted in every district of our country. All this has been denied; and although I believe it to be true, yet I cannot think that any monied institution, or the officers or stockholders of such institution would have the audacity to place upon the records of the department their claims to the public deposits, for political reasons. This part of the labor, therefore, of the sub-committee, will in my opinion, be time lost.

The Spy in Washington.