Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-03-29
q strong case Of eerruriion.


age OF his office is his main relinnco-and this is
augmented diminished, as useless expenditures
are Increased or abolished. His interest, therefore
leads HIM 10 oppose any retrenehment and he re-
CARDS every effort Of Congress to abolish sinecure,
and arrest extravnganee, as an attack upon him
as persecution by the Clay Wings! With regard
to the malpraeiees Of the Van Buren, dynasty, he
Is as tender and considerable, rs though they were
the acts OF himself. These he considers as so much
capital for himself They serve as hostages for the
fidelity Of every delinquent and so long rs n. is
President, they will constitute ecetual safeguards
against any opposition from Lny Locofoco in Office
But Notwithstanding this opposition to rerench-
meni and reform, on the part of the Executive, the
Wings IN Congress have per,eyered msnfuily, and
they have succeeded in bringing out some case,,
which will s,arIle the public mind. We have one
oil these now before us, in Report from the Com
mitieo on Public Expenditures, in relation to the
removal OF Chickasaw Indians, in 1856. From the
Report, It appears that contract for the removal
In steamboats,, was made with one Simeon Buckns,
at specified sum. Buckner, accordingly. trans
ported 3oOl Indians, for which he received sios..
Sii 81. One item Of this large sum was esq $40
Ter baggage-or 1904 tons. The Committee svow
'he'r ignorance Of what this baggage consisted
Thirty pounds, per CAPITA is the usual allowance for
lndIans--as they rarely travel with Other eouip.
ments than gun, box Of paint, a blanket. and
perhaps, bow and arrows. Allowing 81 pound,
TO each the baggage ofthe 1901 would have amount
ell 10 only IS tons, instead Of the 1904 charged -
The Committee show that, if the Government, had
hired the boats, at $500 day, which would have
been n liberal compensation, the expense of reno.
val would only have reached s24 OOO-bsing n
c'ear saving Of Ss4 600.
But this is not all, nor the worst part Of the
transaction. On the % OF July 1910, the further
sum Of s37 ,749 was paid to Backner. The ground
on which this payment was made is thus stated by
the COMMITTEES: -"Only 1901 could be persuaded 10
20 by the boats; the balance Of the trte refused IN
do So and travelled by land TO the country allotted
to them West OF the Mississippi For all these In
dams, who thus went by land, Captain Bucknsr
charged the same price for transportation as il they
had gone in the boGts-nnd for this he was allowed
and paid, as above stated, the sum OF S37,749: in
other words, he paid for ransporling on boat.
indians who travelled through by land"i
The accounting officers at FIRST, and for more than
two years, refused to allow this claim. But after
wards during the animated canvass Of is iO i, WAS,
under very peculiar circumstances allowed, through
the aid and interposi,ion Of Col. Dick Johnson who
received half OF the money, as loan. We annex
that portion Of the Report, and will tomorrow
give the whole of it, presenting a striking case
OF waste and corruption.
This transaction, which cost the Government
sIi6293 so, ought not to have COS, more than
2i,OOOl Ii is by such transactions as this, that
the Government has been bankrup,ed-and pub,
lie debt created. The substance OF the people has
been wasted upon parlisans and favortes; and of
the millions and millions consumed by Var Buren,,
not single monument OF public utility can be
shown TO accoun, for them. They are Gone-and
one, but committee Of Investigation, after Ia
borous search, con tell where-and the Wings.
who are diligently employed in detecting the rogucs,
are TO be he'd responsible for their depredationsi
In,rrosaforss Prepourded 10 Siuson Buelner by N,
Committee on Public EIPsnd'iErs', and AiS ansis.r,
thereto, under oath.
LIST interrogaory. Under contrnc, for removal
Oi the Chckasaw Indians, you appear to hive re-
eeived the sum Of SJ7,749, on % July, 1910; thar
= rtqusi,ion drawn on the Chicka,nv fund
for that amount, which was subsequently presented
81 the United S,a.cs Bank for payment; that il wa,
returned and this tcquisiion issued IN rs stead
Please explain why this rtqulsition wrs paid by
the United States Bank, and why 1t was returned
rnd divided.
Answer 10y the witness. A, the time mentioned
no did receive such rcqrsltion, which he took 10 MIR
NOurse, broker, within the city Of Resbinofoc
md ncgot1,cd 70 with him, md received a check
for ie,7i9 The balance Of Sl50 900 lc in the hand,
Of Mouse, for the use Of Col. X. NJ. Johnson IN
whom lie h,d az oed TO loan hat sum, and for which
he had fai1 Johnson's notes. Mr. Johnson being
about TO leave the city. this arrangement was made
az his request, and the notes taken on the day the
requisIon was received. There we're two notes
taken, no endotscr upon the noicF. The notes
were without interest; DOES not recol ect whether
the notes were drawn az nlnJ and I've We, or twelve
and eighteen months
"a intsrrogatofy. The contract appears 10 bs in
your name; was any person interested with you,
either directly or indirectly N tho same; il co. who
was it7
Answer No person was interested With him in
the contract.
81 iotorogatory. IN tho se,uomcntof your Nc.
count with tho Department, Old you engage any
agent or attorney; and ifso. who was III
Answer. lie hid M agent bot tho good will and
assistance Of Col Il. NJ. johnson, who aided in ihe
proper presentation Of the papers Col. johnson
introduced hin, and attended with him almost daily.
until the requi.iion was obtained.
9TH ineuogatorY. What has been paid on said
NOES; when, and in what manncr7
Answer. lie received no money upon the notes
The property nt the White Sulphur Springs. In
Kentucky, was taken in payment Of tho nolts in
April last The property then IN posse sson Of
a man by the name Of Forbes, on q ieas-. By
agreement between witness and Mr. Johneon, pos
session was 10 he given the frs, Of January last;
witness took bond Tor tho deed. md delivered VI
nc notes TO Johnson. Tie property consists nj
900 acres Of land, besides valuable buildings. Does
not know Of any membranes on tho property.
Johnson said there was not Has not taken the
potresson oi tho property but has written Johnson
70 make Tho 10 sporiton Of the property by way
Of lease, no en-, un witness arrives there II Be-
only tho Undivided half Of the White Sulphur
Springs property that tho witness IS to receive 10
payment
5,h nteuoea,ory. Where did you reside At the
timo Of making tho notes, and sincs7
Answer. Witness resided, at tho time ard since
the notes were taken, IN Atksnsas. Did not see
Col Johnson from tho time tie notes we're taken
until las, April, when hs agreed 10 receive the
White Sulphur Springs us aforesaid. The resi- |
deneo Of witness from Col. johnson is about one |
thousand Two hundred miles. The land, including |
the Improvements. worth, at the time he took il,
about $50 per aero.
9Th in'sriOga'ory. YOu say that when you do