The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-05-09
OLD POINS
In THE NEW YORK CUSTOM ROUSE

iH 'Eftic NEW uES. CUSTOM HOUSE.
BULWER'S lamont OUTDONE.
Banium- Cock .staniey's I.troductioa. Kno,cleagc
and DsferW,a,aiim--Ihe committee knowing the
general desire TO be made acquainted with the pro-
ceedlnss OF the commissioners, and believing that it
was due not only to the House of Representatives,
but TO the American people, that abuses should be
exposed and feeling anxious that measures might
be taken durn. the present session TO prevent the
recurrence OF the degrading enorniies practiccd at
the New York Custom House, determined to call
on Mr.. polndexter. one of the commissioners. and
to submit the result of his abors to the consideration
of the House [Bah!l
Old Poins Grand OPENING ~ Dirt aud Drayd ee
tnedt Discoveries IN Carts. Horses and their Dr.
res--first, as TO carriage and labor. The under
agned, on has arrival in New Yerk and al the conf
mencement OF the Investigations which he was
charged TO make, found all the arrangements of the
Custom louise and most OF the officers thercofpre-
cisely III the condition IN which they had been left
by Jesse Hoyt, on his removal from that Office and
so they continued for several months after the la
bors OF the commissioners began Ii will therefore
be only necessary TO look into the system adopted
by lioyt, to show rs real character under the new
Collector, until areiOrm was produced, TO some ex-
tent, by the Investigations OF the commissioners
II will he seen that the expenditure of money. BY
Jesse lloyt, for carriage and labor was not only
enormous IN amount, but applied, as the undersigned
believes 10 corrupt purposes and paid out by tie
order OF the Collector to the accounting officer of
the custom house, without ANY sufficient voucher
to show the actual amount OF labor performed, or
of the carriage for which payment was demanded
and made at the cashiers Office.
Old Poins on Jesse Hoyt'S fado,un--F dciof,sns
ia gc,sera!1he Particulars Character. George
A. Wasson) was made use Of to go abroad TO other
cities, and seize goods which had regularly passed
the Custom House, in New York, and in short was
sort of facotum fMr. Hoyt, and in the seizure and
condemnation of goods, was one Of his standing
witnesses in court, both in New York and else
where. He IL the same person OF whom Mr.. Saull.
Lawrence tof the house Of Lawrence Stone, Il
Lawrence) says in his evidence +" that he believes
him to be competent, faithful, and upright, in the
discharge ofhs duties, and that he shall continue OF
| that opinion until he Is proved otherwise The
| purposes to which The services, in and out of the
| custom house, Of this individual George A. Was
son. applied. under the orders aad instructions
OF Jesse lIoyt, will sufficiently explain the grounds
on which Mr.. Lawrence placed so high an estimate
| on these services.
| OH Poins further remarks on Facio,rms-Als
On dts,'a ton Of Goois-Old Poins becomes moral
also appears III evidence that great variety OF
petty frauds aud Illegal practices perpetrat led
by this same individual, George a. WATSON and
| without entering into detail cfthe testimony given
before the commissioners Gu these Matters, il will
! be sufficient TO class them under the general heads
| OF abstraction OF goods from the public store IN
Nassau street, for his own use, which done to o
| considerable extent, as viii abundantly appear BY
| the testimony of Floyd d. Archer, John Soaring
! and others the purchase Of goods at the nine
| months sales, sometimes in his own name and
| sometimes in the names of other persons, of the
quality of which goods he had acquired anaccurat
knowledge, by sppraising and packing them, which
was denied 10 all other bidders, who were not al
| lowed cithcrto or examine these goods when
| offered nj auction the abstraction of custom house
coal for his n;c, and the employment Of labor
ers hired and paid at the public store, to labor for
| his own use and benefit.
old Potsis on the Iiora's OF Po'tics al kargs No
thing said Of Wtae Drinking al The city Hole.
| Old Poils becomcs Pious and Potriotic--aR bit his
Eight Dollars q day--This conclusion ia strongly en-
forced By the of evidence taken in relation e
Dfn HON fny nj Wv 10
wed and paid, in advance reflections for city off,
GERS for Governor and Representatives in the State
Legislature, Tor Members oil Congress- and for Pre-
siden and Vice President of the United States dur
ing the whole period of the two preceding admins
| trations OF the Federal Government. This tax was
| graduated on a scale corresponding with the salary
receiyedby each officer, and the Importance of the
| pending election, and refusal to pay il was imnlc
! diatey followed by removal from Office. 1t vii
also be seen, by the report of the surveyor and othe
evidence, that numerous officers ofthe custom.
were absent from duty, either by the express per
| mission OF the Collector or without censlre from
| that officer, for weeks and months prior to cleo
tons. for 40 other purpose than to influence voters
and lend their aid to the success OF candidates ia
vorable 10 the party IN power while their salaries as
officers Of the Government, suffered no diminuon
IN consequence OF their absence from duty. Ii Is
Notifying to be obliged 10 trace the conduct Of a
high and responsible officer OF the Government to
motives so unworthy OF the station he occupied
and of the moral character of the country; but n
faithful discharge OF public duty leaves the under
signed no alternative but TO animadvert freely on
official nalpractlccs so gross and alarming, esta-
bllshcd as they are by chain OF testimony which
TO every impartial mind must be conclusive,
Old fons on Hector Craig Papsrmaking ---a7.d
Justice Oltfoias Leares OF S,ceg,ins. -Nesrly the
Same remarks may b. applied to the principal sur
vcyor of the port, Hector Craig; who being paper
manufacturer supplied his own department with
paper, amounting in the whole to Sizes, during his
term of Office; and what is still more remark able.
the bills were made out in his own name, al the
foot Of which he certified, under his own signature,
that the amount was lust" and, without any other
evidence of their accuracy, they were audited and
paid M the cuttoln house.
Old Pous on the Prire Of Paper, and of OGcial
Corruption. ~-OM Poiils becomes cconcmicai, and
drinks ,r1tey for ole dag ,cihout braaly. .S1iun IN
trouble at Mis f'lct-From review of all the eyi-
dence taken on the subject of stationery, both as to
quantity and price, the undersigned cannot Tor a
moment hesitate IN ascrlbing the amount ordered,
and the prices paid for these articles, 10 consldera-
tons and motives founded in official corruption 1t
is not within the scope Of human reason. cancldly
exercised, 10 draw any other conclusion. The
whole expenses incurred by Mr.. lloyt for these
supplies might have been limited 10 the paid al
the custom house in any year OF his adminislra-
ton, or even less Fifteen thousand dollars would
have been amply sufficient for the whole term Of
three years; and thereby, with ordinary economy
the government might have saved on this single
branch of expenditure no; less than thrty-fve thou
sand dollars.
Oh Poins on Stationery and Figures -OM Poins
1tco'ncS 0fY ana hecdSd SU norm d6on these tt1eS-
The following IL the average statement Of the
amount paid for stationery during the whole term,
commencing with the year 1925, TO the close Of
Jonathan Thompson's term of service as collector,
and running through the wholeperiod of Mr. Swart-
woul's term, and also that of Jesse Iioyt and j. j.
Morgan, bringing the whole expenditure down TO
the date Of the appointment OF Edward Curtis.
Stationery ios.''.'. ..''''. 1925 S5,333
Do 1926 2,7T2 rs
Do ...:.:.......".:.i 1888 s ssSS c