United States House Select Committee on an Alleged Abstraction of a Report from the Clerk's Office
Encyclopedia
The Committee on an Alleged Abstraction of a Report from the Clerk's Office was a short-lived select committee of the United States House of Representatives
appointed to investigate the disappearance of a committee report from the House Clerk's
office. The committee existed for less than one day, having been appointed on March 3, 1863, shortly before the 37th Congress adjourned sine die.
, a Republican
from New York
. Rep. Van Wyck, as the former chairman and a member of the Select Committee on Government Contracts
submitted a report on March 3, 1863, with his minority views of the committee's final report submitted previously that day.
Rep. Van Wyck was no stranger to cricism, as was the entire Government Contracts Committee during its existence. Van Wyck had been deposed as committee chair after periodic absences from the committee and other activities. When the committee's final report was submitted to the House on March 3, 1863, Van Wyck was given leave to present minority views of the committee to the full House, which per instruction were to be inspected by the other committee members. However, when the time came to review the report, it was nowhere to be found. The new committee chairman Elihu B. Washburne
, Republican
from Illinois
, objected to Van Wyck's report and its printing, claiming it had been "abstracted," or removed, from the clerk's office.
Mr. Washburne alleged that a member of the House had contrived with a member of the clerk's office to "abstract," or remove, the report from the clerk's office, and he demanded the creation of a select committee to investigate the matter. In floor debate on the matter on March 3, charges were made that Van Wyck's minority report was nothing more than a baseless attack on the committee members, rather than focusing on the subject matter assigned to the committee. Rep. Washburne also alleged that Rep. Van Wyck's investigation of the customs house was a personal vendetta against the director of the Port of New York.
At the behest of Rep. Washburne, a select committee was formed to investigate the matter. The House Journal of the day indicated that:
However, the committe was appointed shortly before the House adjourned sine die, so it had no time to report on its findings.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
appointed to investigate the disappearance of a committee report from the House Clerk's
Clerk of the United States House of Representatives
The Clerk of the United States House of Representatives is an officer of the United States House of Representatives, whose primary duty is to act as the chief record-keeper for the House....
office. The committee existed for less than one day, having been appointed on March 3, 1863, shortly before the 37th Congress adjourned sine die.
History
The committee was formed due to controversy surrounding a committee report filed by Representative Charles Van WyckCharles Van Wyck
Charles Henry Van Wyck was a Representative from New York, a Senator from Nebraska, and a Union Army Brigadier general in the American Civil War.-Early life and political career:...
, a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Rep. Van Wyck, as the former chairman and a member of the Select Committee on Government Contracts
United States House Select Committee on Government Contracts
The Committee on Government Contracts was a select committee of the United States House of Representatives from 1861 to 1863 during the 37th Congress. The committee operated from 1861 to 1863 investigating various charges of fraud in the issuance of government contracts related to the U.S. Civil...
submitted a report on March 3, 1863, with his minority views of the committee's final report submitted previously that day.
Rep. Van Wyck was no stranger to cricism, as was the entire Government Contracts Committee during its existence. Van Wyck had been deposed as committee chair after periodic absences from the committee and other activities. When the committee's final report was submitted to the House on March 3, 1863, Van Wyck was given leave to present minority views of the committee to the full House, which per instruction were to be inspected by the other committee members. However, when the time came to review the report, it was nowhere to be found. The new committee chairman Elihu B. Washburne
Elihu B. Washburne
Elihu Benjamin Washburne was one of seven brothers who played a prominent role in the early formation of the United States Republican Party...
, Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
from Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, objected to Van Wyck's report and its printing, claiming it had been "abstracted," or removed, from the clerk's office.
Mr. Washburne alleged that a member of the House had contrived with a member of the clerk's office to "abstract," or remove, the report from the clerk's office, and he demanded the creation of a select committee to investigate the matter. In floor debate on the matter on March 3, charges were made that Van Wyck's minority report was nothing more than a baseless attack on the committee members, rather than focusing on the subject matter assigned to the committee. Rep. Washburne also alleged that Rep. Van Wyck's investigation of the customs house was a personal vendetta against the director of the Port of New York.
At the behest of Rep. Washburne, a select committee was formed to investigate the matter. The House Journal of the day indicated that:
Mr. Washburne having, in his place, charged that the minority views of the select committee on government contracts had been abstracted from the Clerk's office by a member of this house, with the connivance of a clerk in the office, moved that a committee of three members be appointed to investigate the same; which motion was agreed to.
However, the committe was appointed shortly before the House adjourned sine die, so it had no time to report on its findings.
Members
| Members | Party | State |
|---|---|---|
|
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
Illinois |
|
William S. Holman William Steele Holman was a lawyer, judge and politician from Dearborn County, Indiana. He was a member of the Democratic Party who served as a U.S. Representative from 1859 to 1865, 1867 to 1877, 1881 to 1895, and 1897, spanning sixteen Congresses... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Indiana |
|
George H. Pendleton George Hunt Pendleton was a Representative and a Senator from Ohio. Nicknamed "Gentleman George" for his demeanor, he was the Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States during the Civil War in 1864, running as a peace Democrat with war Democrat George B. McClellan; they lost to... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
Ohio |