Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-05-17
= NJ. poIxDEx rags REPORT.
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sThe undersigned, one II the commas oners sp-
pointed by the Secretary of the Treasury, under
he Order. Of the President OF the United States 10y
commission bearing date lOth day OF May, iSil
waving perlot ned the duties required Of him, IN
iect,on With Mesrs. Kelly and Stewart, the Other
commissioners, - far as the same relates to the
xanna,ion and investlg alton into the affairs Of the
custom house in the city Of New York. has the
honor 10 submit to the Secretary OF the Treasury
the following report, beng condensed view of the
evidence taken before the commissioners, so lar az
the same may be deemed important To the future
action OF Constoss or Of the Secretary OF the Trea-
suty on the various subjects to which It reaies;
The undersigned has examined and considered
n report on the evidence and Investigations ct the
taken in the City OF New York,
p-epared and offered for his signature, 10y Alfred
Kelley ESQ one OF the commissioners, from which
rcport tho undersigned, after mature elaboration,
deems 1, proper TO withhold his assen, and sigma |
tue because said report does not, IN the opinion OF
tho undersigned, contain n fair and impartial repre-
seniation Of the testimony, given, the most ma
teral p,rts thereof, on the subjects which the
derscncd regards rs involving the most important |
nets Of the collector OF the port OF New York,
touching his powers and duties, and the great IN
,etests OF commerce placed by the laws under his
. supervision.
The undersigned deems It proper, however, to
state that there arc portions of SAID report to which
he IS not disposed TO object; but, m connection with
other parts OF the same document, II would be dbl
ncuIt To discriminate oetWctu hnc polNS W WhlNu
ms assent might be given and the Objectionable por-
ons of the report.
The undersigned has therefore deemed it proper
and due as well TO himself TO the Government,
under whose appointment he acted, TO offer his own
views Of the testimony herewith reported, and OF
the considerations resulting from that testimony,
without intending, in any manner, to impugn the
motives or judgement Of the other commissioners,
who may have taken different views oil the sub
scts brought before the and OF the evidence taken
and recorded Jointly by the commissioners.
The first branch Of inquiry to which the attention
al the comm ssioners was drawn by their commits.
sion is the abstraction and the msappcalion OF the
public money receivable by the collector or other
officers Of the customs which does not appear on
their accounts transmitted TO the Treasury Depart
ment
The testimony taken on these subjects may be
referred to in general terms, the is entirely
too voluminous TO be Incorporated IN this report;
but the more prominent points 10 which the under
signed desires to draw the attention of the Secre
larry Of the Treasury, are the following First
The expenditures falling under the head OF carriage
and labor. Second. Stationery and printing, storage
md other incidental expenses of the custom house
IN all its departments Third. Lighi-ho ex
penses, revenue cutters, and the expenditures in
CURED at the quarantine ground below the city Of
New York.
The manner OF keeping the various accounts OF
the Custom House, and OF the moneys received and
paid over TO the collector, through tie cashier or
lis assistant, and passed 10 the credit OF the United
States, as TO secure strict accountability Of
each officer, respectively, TO the Treasury Depart
mcni, viii be the subject oil another branch OF this
report.
FIRST, as to carriage and labor. The undersigned
his arrival in the city Of New ork, and at the
commencement of the Investigations which he was
charged To make, found all the arrangements OF the
Custom House, and most OF the officers thereof,
precisely in the condition in which they had been
left 10y Jesse Hoyt, on his removal from that Office;
and so they continued for several months after the
lauorS Of the commissioners began. IL will there
fore be only necessary 10 look into the system adopt
"a by Hoyt, TO show Its real character under the
new collector until reform produced, to some
extent, by The Investigations Of the commissioners.
IL will be seen that the expenditure OF money, by |
Jesse Hoyt, for carriage and labor, not only |
enormous in amount, but applied, as the undersign-
ed believes, 10 corrupt purposes, and paid out by
the order of the collector the accounting officer Of
the Custom House, without any sufficient voucher |
10 show the actual amount Of labor performed or OF
the carriage for which payment was demanded and |
made at the cashiers office. The goth answer of
John A Fleming, auditor OF the Custom House, in |
his testimony, will show the character and descrip. |
ton Of all the vouchers on which these payments /
have been made. They contain but two lines, with
out any specification whatever.
"Paid for carriage.
DO, for labor"
Which IN oil cases the Auditor, under the direction
OF the Collector, admitted a sufficient voucher 10
authorize the payment of any amount carried out |
hy the stOrekeeper, George A. WATSON whose re
CENT was taken for the same, under which il was |
charged to the Treasury Of the United States and
approved by the Department at Washington. No |
evidence was required from the storekeepe Of any
description, either written otherwise of the same
pnd 10y him for carriage or labor, TO whom paid nj
what time, or at what rates, but every thing con-
nec.Cd with the transaction was taken for granted
on the mere exhibition of the vague account. as
above stated and the amount of money from time
10 time called for by the storekeeper was by order
Ol The Collector and the sanction OF the Auditor !
an officer dependent the Collector) paid over 10
George A. WATSON, the principal storekecper of the |
appraisers store IN Nassau street. Ii appears from
the testimony Of many witnesses examined on this
subject, that. after MIR Hoyt became Collector of
the port OF New York, there were two privileged
carts employed in transferring goods ordered to the
public store IN Nassau street for examination either
from ships other public stores, and that all other
carts were excluded from participating in the trans
Ter Of such goods, notwithstanding great inconyen-
nee and delays were experienced by the want of
sufficient number Of carts TO perform the service re-
lurcd FOR the proper despatch Of the business in the
transfer and examination OF goods ordered TO that
t~TC by the Collector One of these carts 50 pri
Vuegej, IL is IN evidence, the property Of Geo
4. WATSON, the public stOrekeeper and the other
although entered IN the name OF George Shourt il |
nsy well be doubted whether by a secret arrange
nenl, some officer in or out Of the Custom House
did not receive proportion Of the profits The
fSttil tuupltu bJ Alt puDllE htoTGkeGpcr, VINO
Me owner OF one of these carts for estimating the
.harge on each package transferred to said public
tore for examination, was IN substance as follows:
IN each package from 3 to so cents according TO
distance; and H. at one load, the cart should bring
rom four TO eight packages, the full price Of load
was charged on each package ordered; so that
while the merchant could procure carts to transfer
goods an equal distance for from 81 TO so cents per
Dad, the Government was charged by these priv
eyed carts, owned in whole or in part by Cus,orn
louise officers, sometimes at the rate OF four full
Dads, and sometimes extending to the number of
ight loads, as appears by the testimony; aud ,hus
he labor which other carts would perform Tor ffty
ents, at the highest, charged TO the Govern.
rent al rates extending from two dollars per load
% four or even five dollars per load. This system
h charging will account for the enormous sums paid
% George A. WATSON for cartsge and labor, with.
'ut any sufficient voucher to justify H., and which
mounted according TO the statement furnished by
he AUDITOR TO the sum Of S9i ,43O %, rs lollows:
'f1i'msH'@ MoHeys paid az me Custom Honse. Ma,
Nart,(oT CarfaFs and LaioT at the Appyai,sy, Sf.,,
iH hs years lsi-, i-39 and 1870 pi1t
Iclrs. Carriage. Labor TotoI
n ls}s, s1O,1Gs 20 13 200 20 % l5g az
n l-}g, -, 32G 20 2I57g - 10000 "a
loo $40, 1898 50 1902 50 3OOg5 %
Total S9I ,43O %