New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-05-09

To winch may be added the singular fact. that
in the bin for February, l.ll there Is an item g
card Peruvian pens, extra fine, $l2." being one
dollar and thrlythree cents per pen, Tor the cspe-
ca use of an il spector of the customs charged WIN
the Keeping OF the public store on Staten Island
The enotmitics canno, but strike the mind OF eve
~ rejecting man with Advertisements They are
evidences of official delinquency IT not downright
corriirt;on. which have but seldom, IT ever occur
red in any civilized country upon the iace OF inc
earth: and the minute detail which Is here gwen
of them is designed to draw the attention OF the
Government to the reckless expenditures of the
public money made under the authority OF Jesse
Howl. late collector OF the port of New ork, aud
thereby enable the constituted authorities the bet
ter to guard against the of similar abu-
ses in future.
Cor .idcIing that the six months commencing on
the Is, of October, 1910, and ending with the first
quarter of l84l. the quarantine regulations ceased
to operate. and consequently the supply OF sta
tonerv was required at the public store at the
quarantine landing considering, also, the large
amount of bs paid during these months, for blank
book printed blank, paper OF various qualities,
pens, and other articles, at prices enoi mous and
excessive beyond all former example; the inter-
ence would seem TO be neither unreasonable nor
improbablc. that these bill, were wholly fictitious,
and designed to cover advances of money made to
th. storekceper on Sialcn Island for secret pur-
poses ola nature requiring ccnccalmeut, aud which
could not with safety be disclosed in the quarterly
accounts of the Collector with The Treasury. No
one can look at the bills vi h iull knowledge
tina, the articles not waited in tia discharge
Of the public duties OF the storckeeper and with
hold hls belief in the conclusion which Is drawn
from the premises. The imprea'lonisvery strong,
that the same end was intended 10 be accomplish
ed hy the bills already 40 iced and commenced OF,
for supplies OF books, staorcIy,ar printing, at the
custom-houSe; which impression is heightened
by the testimony Of Mr.. Fleming. the asher, who
states IL der cath, that the quantity ct these arli-
cles ordered was greater than could be used by
the several departments of the cu,tom.house-
Bat the whole of these bills were audited and paid
To the order OF Mr.. Fleming, without regard 10
quantity or price, he looking, as he said. only 10
the footing, as comprising the excu' OF hi, Official
control Over them. THIS source ot expenditure,
with such facilities, and without chock. m .ht be
carried TO any cX rene desired, in the absence oil
all restraint al the Treasury Department which at
that time was IN no instance iutcrposed, by the
requisite vigilance Of the accounting officers oil the
Treasury.
To what extent these abuses have been looked
into aud reformed, by the present Collector, is but
impcricctly known; but, SO far as the evidence
has been furnished, comparative statement viii
be exhibited.
From a review of all tie evidence taken on the
subject OF stationery, both t. quantity and price
the Undersigned cannot for a moment hesitate IN
ascrbias the amount ordered, and the prices paid
Tor these articles, TO considerations and motives
founded IN official corruption; il Is net within the
scope ot human reason, candidiy exercised 10
draw any other conclusion. The whole expenses
Incurred 10y Mr.. Hoyt tor these supplies M Sn'
have bccs limited to the sum paid at the custom
House IN any one year ct his administrative "
even les. fihccn thousand dollars would have
been amp,v sufficient to~ the whole tcrn oi three
wears; aad thereby. with ordinary economy. tie
Government might have saved on this single
branch ct expenditure not less than th''ty-hNe
thousand dollars