THURSDAY, JAN. Is.
{"newspaper_name": "Portland gazette and Maine advertiser.", "edition": "01", "page": "p2", "byline": ""}
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After the commitment of number OF
local and private papers the House again
went into consideration of the


CdSE OF JOHN ANDERSON.


After debate, the House resolved, ll9
to ~, that ii had the power TO arrest, exam
inc and punish the prisoner; and that he
should not be discharged from his arrest.


John anderson, was then brought 10 the
bar by the Sergeant at Arms, and interro-
gated by the Speaker.


He acknowledged his name, his having
delivered the letter to Mr.. Williams !;
and then offered TO the House his defence
in writing.


Witnesses were then examined touching
the character of Col. anderson. Among
them were Gen HARRISON, and Col JOHN
SON, ofthe House /; Ill spoke OF him in high
terms of commeLia,ion.


"A question:" says the National Intelli-
gencer, in summary. of this examination,
"put TO one ofthe Witnesses towards the
close of the examination, bore away the at
tention ofthe House from the enquiry be-
fore them, respecting the conduc, of John
fnderson, to one very different namely,
whether, in the personal knowledge or gen.
eral belief of the witness, money was, in any
case, received by any of the officers Of gov
evnn1enf, of any grade, for Fastening clsims,
or for extra services The witness had
heard of such things, but personally knew
nothing. How had he heard of them, and
by whom received, was the next question.
The witness was about TO state what he
had heard on the subject, when debate a.
rose on the propriety ofthus goingl into
an examination; improper now, il was said,
because irrelative TO the question before the
House, and because tending to implicate,
on The authority Of mere rumor, those who
might be very just and upright officers


These circumstances excited consider.
able agitation; the short debite OF the mo-
ment resulted in an Adjournment, in order
10 consider more coolly on the course p.1p-
CT 10 be pursued.


"Ths course that will be pursued on this
jublec,, we have no doubt, will be, TO ap
point committee, with power 10 send for
persons and papers to make inquirysand re-
port 10 the House such facts relative TO it,
as they may be able to ascertain.


1t would, perhaps not be proper 10 dis
miss this general statement, without ad.
ding our impression that the practises re-
ferred 10 are not of that criminal nature
which, at the first blush, and without inqui-
ry, might be attached to them. The only
instance particularized by the witness, was
the case of clerk receiving five dollars
from claimant Tor obtaining for him a land
warrant. Of the Nervousness of this Of
fence, the reader will Judge for himself
We will only add, that il is fact as no:ori
Gus as the advertisements ofa newspaper,
that clerks have done agency business, as
they do also pursue mercantile or other bu-
siness, and even exercise professions, when
disengaged from the ordinary routine OF
public duties. Whether this be criminal
or not, whether ii be right or wrong, we
say not but the fact is unqueslionable, and
has existed as long as the government"
