Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-05-23
S5I,7O3 90

lo'ui !" Jus' yours Sol,IO "
Average Sl7,234 AZ year
table is appended showing the prices allowed
for stationary by Hoy, and Curtis, and the market
price. Hoyt allowed from so TO $50 Ter cent. a.
bove the market price; Curtis reduced the prices
about 20 per cent generally being of course not
low enough by good deal.
"Tle single item of steel pens and uuills. of
the latter of which but few we're ordered. and
therefore scarcely worth mentioning amounted
during three years of Mr. Hoyt's administration
of the Custom House, to The sum OF S6z55 I6 I!
The price OF these pens, charged in the bills rem
dcred urd paid by Mr. lloyt, ranged from the min
inlum Of nine dollars per gross, to The nnrimum
OF twenty two dollars per gross, the larger nor.
lion being OF the lower class, which IRE in gener.
al use Tor clerks, both mercantile and official
The dispositions OF David Felt f.. |. Emo, and Jo-
siah Hayden, VINO are large dealers in the article
Of steel pens, are referred TO- TO show The stand
ard price per gross OF the descriptions used AZ the
Custom House. If purchased in boxes, which is
the most onrenient mode Of supplying clerks lrhe
cards being entirely useless,) il will he seen that
the first class Of Gillot's" Magnum Bonum pens
pens Of equal qualify, could be supplied in The
New York market, NJ four dollars fifty cents per
gross on tie card, one half that sum in boxes
aud what is denomnaled the commercial pen"
al TWO dollurs pei gross on the card, or S so i'm
boxes. Taking the average of these prices, and
considering that l9.20IiIs of The pens supplied to
the Custom House are of The latter class, it will
appear thar, ut these rates the sum appruprinted
10y Mr.. lloyt while he remained in office would
have supplied the enormous quantity of 432 237
pens, making an average Of 1909 per annuli,
TO he distributed among about one hundred clerks
who are constantly emp Dyed in writing, or an av-
erage of about 1900 pens each per annum"
Tie report states that Mr.. Emo offered to SUD
ply Mr. Hoyt such pens us he paid 50 per gruss
for, At S so per gross but he declined the offer
so decidedly, as 10 prevent repetition of il.
THE TREASURY ROBBED TO REWARD
PARTlZANS.
1t may be asked why particular individuals
are allowed aud paid at rates ranging from 50 TO
S22 per gross for pens, Tor the use OF the Custom
House, when al offer TO supply like articles at the
moderate price of 81 so per gross is conleinptu-
ously rejected aud stunned !? The undersigned
refers to the volume of evidence taken by tho
commissioners 10 demonstrate the fact which in
the absence OF clear proof, might well BIZ doubt
cd, that this and numerous other cases Of favor
isin, gross aud palpable that none can mistake
il, had their origin in spsiem Of fraud on the pub
lie Treasury TO promote the interests of selected mar
sdns, who could BE- relied on for Efficient services in
popular elections"
OFFICERS TAXED FOR PARTY PUR-
POSES.
This conclusion is strongly enforced by the mass
s0i evidence taken in relation TO the existence of
iCustom House TAX, regularly levied and paid, in
advance of elections for city officers, for Govern
or and Representatives in the Stale Legislature,
for members of Congress, and for President and
Vice President Of The United States, during The
,choie period of The too preceding administrations Of
The Federal Government This tar was graduated
on scale corresponding with the salary received
by each officer and the importance ofthe pending
election, and refusal to pay il was Immediately
followed by removal from Office.
OFFICERS PAID WHILE ABSENT FROM
THEIR POSTS ELECTlONEERING
1T wi1l be seen by the report of the Surveyor
and other evidence that numerous officers Of the
Customs were absent from duty, either by the ex-
press permission of the Collector or without CEN
sure from that officer, for weeks and months pr.
or 10 elections for no other purpose than 10 nfu-
ence voters, and lend their aid to the success OF
candidates favorable to the party in power, while
their salaries as officers OF the Government, suT-
Jersd no diminution in consequence OF their ali
sence from duly"
Moriliylng as i is, to be obliged to expose such
conduct in high and responsible officer of the