Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-05-03

blk, dof delivering store 10 form the Island
on the Rip Raps." This assertion, az well
as the others, on which the paragraph is form
ed, is stated To be OH the authority of the OBJ
scrvations made by Mr.. Cooke, in the House
of Representatives, on that subject As 1 be-
lieve no member would deliberately make
mis-statement, infer that there is some mis-
apprehension as To what Mr.. Cooke is report
ed TO have said, rs 1t contains scarcely the
semblance Oftrutk.
/ never formed ny contract with Mr. Mix,
nor, in fact, any contract since have been at
tached to the War Department. The contract
with Mr.. Mix, to which the paragraph refers,
was formed with the chief OF the Engineer
corps, and had no connection with, or con-
troll whatever over, the execution of it. 1t is
true, however, that nine months after the for
nation ofthe contract, became interested
To Il certain extent in 1t by sub contract with
Mr.. Mix, and not by contract with the go
vernment. Although in SD doing, have vio-
lated no law, nor any duty which owed to
the public, yet, on reflection, finding that i
was exposed, from my situation, although
could eXerciseno control orer the contract,
tn improper insiuua,ions, | determined, AS
early as possible, to Gvest myself af all in
terest in it, which accordingly did, within
few months after became interested in it.
The contract. and nay connection with it,
were investigateuby a committee, of which
Mr.. Cooke was chairman, appointed for that
purpose, in the spring of 1929, before which
full investigation took place 0f all the facts
and circumstances connected with it | un-'
derstood the committee to be fully satisfied.
In fact, feeling Il soiicitude about my charac-
ter, and conscious of having acted with the
purest motives, and finding the committee
delayed making a report, spoke to some of
Its members and requested report should be
made and understood from them that they
did not think it necessary, as they had found
| nothing TO in,peach my conduct. Under these
circamstaucesit is certainly matter most un-
| expected TO ne that il should become sub
ject ofcensure at this late period, when all the
members Of the committee, except one, have
ceased to be members of the House.
| The either assertions, that the contract was
| secret 0ne, and highly advantageous III the
contractor at the time ofits formation, | h.
iieve 10 be equally without Gsi;mGation. 1t is
understood that Mr.. Minis proposal was the
lowest ol scvsralhy half IL dollar perch, and
theInprcsson nj the time was very far from
| lis irelng advantageous To him. At the time
became interested, il presented the prospect
| at very moderate profit only. Whatever adj
vantages have since accrued to the contract
| have resulted from the great fall in prices, and
|
been source OF deep regret, not because ]
have violated any law, err that the public has
sustained any less, hut;because it has been "A
! source Of Misrepresentation and much vrxa-
! iioa. G.. VANDEVEMTE,B.
! washington, .Gprii 90. 1922
i We took occasion, when f,le list of unset
!: tied balances from the Third Auditors office
/ was first published, under the sanction of Con
gress, to say that this publication was an act
| of the grosscst injustice To the parties, whom
right or wrong it Implicated, aud who, by it,
were rriade, III many instances, responsible for
the neglect or incapaoiiy Of the accounting
voiTicrrs of the Treasury. We have been alum
dainty confirmed, by subsequent events, in the
1 opinion we then expressed ;and by none ,sllorc
| Than by the unauthorized and unloun6ed s,,g-
Grsions against two Gf our most gesps ctable
and cntcrpriZing citizcas, which the following
orrcsrondencerepes 1t cannot be doubted
that In this, as in every other government, pc
culatinns occasionally take liace, and rogues
sometimes fatten with impunity On the spoi,s
of the people: and there can be no higher
duty in the editor ola public paper than to
l-expose 80 scorn and reprobation, such guilty
\ MISUNDERSTANDING care first 10 ascertain hei,
l,gaiH But il must he obvious TO every one
that If, for the purpose of fomWnting party
I feuds or gratifying long cherished aniinnsities
against any set 0i men, the books ofthe Trea-
sury are To be ovVrhaucd, and nne-sided ac-
counts are 10 be extracted, withuNt Enquiry
as To what dependencies there may be, OF
why they are not closed, great Injustice viii
/ he done so individuals, and still greater to the
cause of truth and honor.-For every wei
l-nuthcnticated 'contradiction;of these accounts
while il cxoneratcs the individuals concerned
o. a
other statements, and thus actually defeat.
the santary operation of public opinion in re.
g;srd So those who may really deserve all its
'excrti0n. ~: T. Amer.
NEw-YORK, 9th April, 1922
\ Dear Sir-Enclosed you have IA full state
mcnt ofthe whole ofEckford s. Browns bust
ness with the United States, and copy o.
Mr.. Frccmans' letter, which you will be pleas
ed tn publish in the Evening Post of this day
am your most Obedient servant,
II. ECKFORD.
\ To he Editor efthe Erening Pas,
Dear SIR have Just seen pamphlet con
tanning series of letters signed "A (" Native
Vfrginian," wherein he observes that Eckford
& Brown, contractors for he knows not what
had, however, received from the government
large sums of money, and never had rendered
any account.
In the abseGce Of Mr.. Brown, | feel called
upon to give the necessary explanation.
Abouthc first of Brcember, 1914, EckfoKI
81 Brown contracted with the Nary Depart
ment to build and complete, two line of bat
tic ships, and one frigatc OF the largest class
The United States, on their part, agreed to
pay us in advance, one hundred Thousand
dollars, and each succeeding moath, the same
amount until the whole sum was paid.
The government failed, totally, IN their pay
ments-we, however, individually, borr wed
sufficient sums To go on with, by pIedging all
! we were work. aud all our credit