Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-08-08
WIG NOMINATION..
For the Herald Of the Tim,
Robert Ii. CranstOn.
(Continued from our last. }

And was not Mr.. Cranston right also,
in his opinion, that, before making any
further grants Of the public money for
such purposes, the House was bound to
inquire and know what had been done
with The immense sums already granted
and expended Repeated efforts had
been made to obtain an investigation in
to the causes Of the war, and its manage
ment, and an account of the expendi-
lures upon it. But they had invariably
been parricd and defeated. The only
information possessed by the House, was
such as had como to the knowledge OF
individual members, and was communi-
Gated by them TO tho House, with a re-
ference to the authentic sources from
which it was derived. This, although
undisputed as far as il went, was neces-
sarily, far from being full and complete.
Yet it was sufficient to bring to light
scenes of fraud and imposition upon the
government-scenes, not only Of un-
bounded extravagance and waste, but
Of embezzlcment and punder OF the pub
lie money, never before equallcd. |
can mention here but one or two instan.
ces. 1t appeared that in that region of
woods, 40 cords Of fire wood had been
made to cost the Government between
six and seven thousand dollars: and
thirty six thousand dollars had been paid
for the charter Of single steam boat not
worth half the money. But these things
became trifles, when it was made to ap-
pear that, during the whole period of the
war, the government agents or contract
ors had been in the practice of providing
themselves with sets of fspurious contracts
and receipts, TO be by them presented to
the Government, as vouchers upon the
settlement Of their accounts; which
vouchers covered, in most instances, full
five times the amount ever paid by them
(,he ugcnts) to tho sub-contractors.- -
For example, the agent who paid one
thousand dollars TO u sub C contractor, took
receipt for that thousand dollars, for
his own security, and at the same time
took false receipt for five thousand dol
lars, TO be used as voucher for his false
account against the Government. No
doubt the contractor got his part of
the plunder in tho 81 900, paid TO him.
Is there any friend to his country who
will say that Mr.. Cranston was wrong,
in not voting for millions more Of the
public money, to be put into the hands Of
such plunderers
But the cry against Mr.. G. was, that
he wanted to starve our gallant army by
leaving them in Florida, without supplies,
cxposed to a savage enemy. This was
most dishonest charge, for those who
made it knew that no measure could
have been adopted, which would so
speedily and eiiectually have given re-
lief to the army, and at which tho army
itself would have SO much rejoiced, as Q
refusal to make any further appropria-
tons to meet it there, TO be wasted away
and sacrificed in war the most odlous
to the troops, because the most disastrous
and inglorious that any army Of the Uni
ted States had ever been engaged in
Had the appropriations demanded - not
to make peace and relieve the army,
but 10 continue the war--bccn refused,
he executive must have made peace,
and there would have been an end in
the disasters and sull,rings Of the army
'n tha; case, the ordinary appropriations
ior the peace establishment Of the army, =,
(which ale always ample, would hav,