Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-07-24

officers of the army from their permanent posts.
anu, u not entirely place them under The super
'n.enoanee ob aod subject t,e" To tho orders
OF the Indian agents; il would bring them Into
such contact as might be productive OF very
unpleasant results. Touching the I'd query, tho
most preferable mode Of furnishing the Indians
with supplies would bo by contract, which,
when IL is considered that II would he bat tenn
P"rary, TINT the erection al buildings Mt three
different points for storing the provisions would
he requisite; also the employment If number
Of men to herd the cattle. aud to guard Them
from theft, and the propriety ot the contractor,
calculating other contingencies, must necessarily
make tho prize Df the ration very high, AMI tar
beyond what il could he supplied tor, provided
it " delivered in bulk at one given point, and
there was a certainty Of the supply being more
| permanent than is for the present anticipated.
In fact, all circumstances considered, is my o.
pirion that il could not he furnished for less
ttan eighteen or twenty cents
Very respectfully,
Your most obedent servant,
GEO. GIBSON. C. G. 8.
| Hun. JoHS II. EAroN, Sec'y Of War.
- But ms MnJor Hook, also attached to the
commissariat d fored with me in opinion M tn
the Of The Indian ration, took an early op-
| poriuuity consult PERSONS acquainted with
| tho resources Of the Arkansas country as TO the
| quantity Of hecf and corn tn he procured in the
Territory and from the information received
| | was convinced that il would not lie necessary
to transport provisions from the neighhoring
states. and that, consequently, the price given
10 The Secretary was much too high, of whicl 4,
informed lin, aud, think, requested permits
! sion TO make another estimate !: to which he re-
piled that it Was not necessary, as he would adj
vrrtise kr proposals 10 supply the removing
Indians with rations. The Secretary frsoueot.
W spoke 60 me uron ito subject Of these suppli-
es, and asked my opinion as to the proper mode
81 suerd'"g the Indiaus against imposition ia,
the event of Contract beiug made.
Some ticae after this, left the city on leave
ot absence, and Oh my return was informed BY
MAYOR Hook that he had been called upon nv
| the Secretary of War for another estimate, aud
that the President had deterni,ie to have these
! rations supplied through tie Com,nissa,y's De.
parttnent, which plan was subsequently adopted,
anu IS now in progression.
"Qlestion by the chairman. At what time
was the plan adopted Of having the rarions sub.
piled through the Comulissary Department,
''Answes. Officially, in May, 1880
"Qnestion Ivy chairman. You state thar ynu
sent one of the gentlemen of tire Subsl s,ence
Office to ascertain what had been the cost of
the indian ration: to whom did you send that
gentleman!
" Answer sent him u the clerk in the Sc
co3d Auditors ofSce, who settles Indian ac.
counts OF that kind
" Question by chairman. Did you receive a
communication, in writing, from the clerk so
| named.
"Answer: I did not.
"Ques,ion 10y the chairman. VIVA, was the
information you received?
ANSWER. That the rations had cost 1we,ss
cents or about that.
"Ques,ion by the chairman. Do you know
| w"e'ner oainuei Houston was in Washington
on or before the 9Th of February, 1880?
"Answer. believe he was.
| "Question by the chairman Won any
conversation with him on the subject of Indian
ratiuns?
| "A"swer. General Houston called upon me
my rations.'
Lei the reader hear in mind that Houston had
oeen mere that he had applied for a pyipnf,
I contract; that, on the 5,,, Major Eaton is.u.,
an order TO General Gibson to reuor, t.wha
| price OF the ration and delivery might be cons;
dercd lars" that, before Gen. Gibson could
respond, ne 'waited upon the Secretary of
War for further inforrnation;" thar he een, Con.
Oh inc gentlemen OF the subsistence office In as
certain what had been the cost of the ration in
the new country" that the application was
made to one of the clerks Of the second audi.
o'' WIN. ID. Lewis,3 "who settles Indian &C.
counts OF that kind that he received for answe,
THAT The rations had cost TWENTY cen,s. n,
tnereahonts;" thai, deceived by this information
| Zen. Hioson reported, Oh the 9th Of Februarv
th"t. IN his opinion, the ration ."rouIl no, b,
urh'shed Tor less than eighteen or twenty cen,s;'
| VIC "'o'""Ns pscaine satIs he'd, ana inform
ed mo Secretary that this price " - "much In
htgh and that, when he applied to the Secrs.
! tary tor permission to snake aaofaer estjmot. ,
MIR. Eaton rePled, "thai 1t was no, necessary. NJ
ne would advertise for proposals." sc.
| Ii appears thai the accounts for ra,ions nj
| this kind were settled in the second aurrtor,s
WIN. b. Lewis) office. Why dill Mr.. Ea;on
not can upon hir' Lewis Tor an estimate of the
cost? The object in advert ing is admitted IN
have been o guard against autirirated censure
But Tor anticipated ''censure," Mr. Eaton would
nave gwen Houston priodte contract
On the'loth. Eaton wrote TO the President:
| ruhc tneh must act, not merely not to de
serve bui' also, not even to seem deserve CEN
sure. Accordingty, l have said to General
Houston, that we cannot make a private cDB,rac,
1 witb him but mu t advertise for proposals. -
tie as qutte satisfied soith The course''
4 Why was he satlsfedl Was il because !;
was understood between Eaton and him. tina
taonsiOn should have tile cnntrart at sigbt.,r
cents! IL 10 proved that, on The 18th of March
| more than thirty days after the dare of the L.,
ter TO The President, 3Gaimn intended 10 rive the
contract TO Houston, at eighteen or tweuty
cents; the precise which General Gibson
had been cheated TO- report as fair price, and
which he informed Mr.. Eaton WIS much ,oo
high" and requested, bat WINS refused permits
sion TO Withdraw. And what giyes more force
10 fbt5 circumstance, u, that the Secretary oi
War, on the 18th Of March, aud The PresiJent
on the 18th March both referred TO this report nj
Gen. Gibson as n gust ficatirn for the rsntrac,.
which, they boIb admitted rbcy intended In cl,se
on Tho next day with houston, at eighteen
cents.
We say that Gen. Gibson was .ohe1teJ ;,,o
making this report, because. ~ The FIRST Idare
Maj. Eaton knew tiIat the accounts f. r Jr di,n
rationS had not s'sen settled or purchased 1bro,
his office Whom he applied 10 the clerk hs re-