ITEM DETAILS
Title: House of Representatives. Edmund L. Du Barry
Author: Mr. Bayly, from the Committee on Naval Affairs
Publisher: United States House of Representatives, Washington
Publication Date: April 26, 1848
Edition: First separate congressional printing, Thirtieth Congress, First Session, Rep. No. 510, to accompany bill H. R. No. 437
Condition: Good
ITEM DESCRIPTION
Today we are pleased to offer this original 1848 House of Representatives report concerning Edmund L. Du Barry, a United States Navy surgeon whose petition came before the Committee on Naval Affairs during the Thirtieth Congress. The report was issued April 26, 1848, as Rep. No. 510, to accompany H. R. No. 437. It presents Du Barry’s claim for official restoration, rank, and arrears of pay after a dismissal from naval service that the committee describes as a serious administrative injury requiring congressional relief.
The report gives a compact but substantial account of Du Barry’s early naval career. According to the printed text, he was appointed a surgeon’s mate in the Navy on June 30, 1823, promoted to surgeon on May 24, 1826, and served in the West Indies under Commodore David Porter during the American campaign against piracy in those seas. The account states that Du Barry suffered repeated attacks of yellow fever during that service, returned to the United States with shattered health, and requested a short suspension of orders so that he could attend a dying father while also recovering his own strength. The request was refused, and the subsequent dismissal became the basis for years of memorials, executive review, Senate action, and congressional consideration.
The printed memorial and accompanying argument make this much more than a routine pay claim. The report draws in the Navy Department, the Senate, President Andrew Jackson, former senators R. J. Walker and Garret D. Wall, Secretary of the Navy Mahlon Dickerson, and Attorney General Hugh S. Legaré. It argues over the President’s power to restore an officer by antedated commission, the legal effect of Senate confirmation, the difference between rank and pay, and whether an officer wrongfully deprived of service could recover the compensation attached to the office. The text cites constitutional provisions, Navy pay statutes, Navy Department regulations, the “Red Book,” Judge Story’s opinion in United States vs. Vinton, Chief Justice Marshall’s reasoning in Marbury vs. Madison, and contract-law authorities used to support Du Barry’s claim.
The argument is especially tied to antebellum naval administration, medical service, Caribbean anti-piracy operations, yellow fever, and the legal mechanics of federal appointment. Later government-publication indexing records a related 1850 House report on the same Du Barry petition, favorable to payment of arrears of pay as surgeon in the United States Navy, and notes that the later report adopted the report of April 26, 1848. That makes this 1848 printing an important earlier form of the printed record in the Du Barry matter.
Physical condition is good overall for a fragile, roughly 178-year-old congressional report, but the binding is rather fragile and should be handled carefully. The pamphlet is in self-wrapper style or removed-report format, with the first printed page serving as the front cover and a blank final leaf at the rear. The spine fold shows exposed stitching or sewing remains, old binding holes, splitting, small tears, chipping, and small losses along the fold. The front leaf has toning, foxing, scattered staining, dust soiling, edge wear, softened corners, and pencil writing or numerical notes in the right margin. The rear blank shows heavier age toning, scattered spotting, surface soil, and light staining, with additional small chips and wear along the spine edge.
The interior pages show general age toning, scattered foxing, small stains, occasional soil, mild edge wear, corner softening, and some waviness or handling creasing. The inner margins show old stab or sewing holes and minor paper stress where the leaves open, consistent with the fragile binding structure. The text remains readable throughout, and there are no large losses into the printed text visible. The final blank leaf is present and shows transfer, shadowing, and heavier age discoloration from long storage.
Make sure to see the photos above for complete details.
22 pages.
Measures approximately 8 3/4 inches tall by 5 1/2 inches wide.
KEYWORDS
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