New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-05-04


Removal op The CRFrK INDrANs-The Com
mi,tec Of the House on Public Expenditures in the
course of their Investigations have discovered in
stances 81 the most enormous extravaganza and
proiigacy in the removal of the Creek Indians
as in every other branch of the Government sub
Zee, to their examinations In their report they
mention one or two contracts made by agents IN
that service which serve to illustrate the general
corruption that pervadcd the whole. In 1886,
Can't John Page, on behalf of the L. ). Govern
mcnt. contracted with the Alabama Emigratins
COMPANY for the removal of the Creek Indians
from Alabama to within twenty miles of Fort Glib
son. The whole number to be- removed was TO-
533: but the Government wishing TO raise a com
pany for the Florida service agreed that the iami-
lies of those who would enlist should rsm0iH in
Alabama until their rctsrn from Florida. There
were 1859 who thus remained, and were after
wards takcn at Tie dircct expense IF Government
IA Pass Christian. Their expense thus far was
already paid for once: bu, the Emlgratlng Com
pany on sending in their account demanded and
received pay for the removal of the whole 6,133.
for the wh.le distance, and not satisfied with this
double payment they presented n separate account
of eo1 for each of the Indans--because they had
removed them from Pass Christian by steamboats,
instead Of wagons rs was stipulated. The Score
tarv of War, Mr.. Poinsett, at first refused to pay
this additional charge but afterwards changed
his mind and nolw outstanding the Company had
ALREADY received s9j $50 for transporting these In
dians when they had not in fact removed them
any part Of the distance, they We're paid adj
dtionally for Transporting these same Indians from
Pass Christion to the point Of destination, the
enormous sum of $50 1873. The Company wa
also allowed for extra scr,ice S384S4 u, which
added TO the other sums and $3.50 768. the price
paid on the first contract gives the Of $500 ,440
rs the sum total
The Committee have made estimate Of the
necessary expense of removing these Indians in
the way propescd--by wagons and after making
what they deem liberal allowance for each item,
and $40. 00G for contingencies, they declare that
the whole service could have been performed for
siOl .5l7--thus saving $l88 ,923; and if there be
added to this s63.750 arising from the sale OF the
wagons at half their original cost. 1T will be seen
that the enormous sum of $25e ,673 was absolutely
thrown away bv this spendthrit policy and by the
bad mapae cement of the Government agents. But
the Committee make n still farther estimate, by
which it appears that by an economical employ
mcnt of steamboats, in ciecting the removal of
these Indians, the whole service might have been
performed for the sum of 1886. $50
These accounts, the Committee observe, seem
never to have been subjected to any scrutiny by
those TO whom they were submitted. Whateyei
has been cxpcsdcd-no matter how eXtrayagant
the price paid or however useless the articles pur
chascd-has been allowed aud not the slightest
check ha. been placed upon the will or the profit
g0cy of the contracting disbursng officer. The
laws are now amply sufficient to remedy this enor
nous cvil-and Congress cannot properly exercise
any power over it. The whole responsibility rests
with the President He alone has the power OF
dethroning from therdsgracsd places of trust those
who thus waste the public money. \ close scru-
Tiny snl prompt and full exposure of all tins
wasieiu proiigacy are the .urcst means of prevent
ing ts recurrence