The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1845-04-11
From he n. y. Courier.

The Naval Committee in tho House of
Representatives, previous 10 the adjourn.
mcni Of Congress, made report in rela.
ton 10 the notorious /abriskie contract.
which must he regarded MS document of
some importance in Judging the admins
traiIon Of the late acting President. 1t is
one Of the many facts which combine to
distinguish the administration as the mean
est and most corrupt by which our country
has yet been cursed.
The facts are hielly these: March, %,
1914, Mr.. J. c. Zabriskie, New Jersey
Tyler man, called upon Mr.. Tyler and re-
quested Of him, for a friend, contract to
furnish timber for the Navy. The friend
was Mr.. Voorhees,, chief Of the Bureau of
Construction and Repairs, and as an Off
Ger Of the government legally incapable of
holding or deriving any benefit from pub.
lie contract. Mr.. Tyler referred Mr.. Ia.
brskie to Com. Warrington, acting Sc.
cretary of the Navy, to ascertain whether
the timber was wanted. Com. w. told
Zabriskie that it was not wanted. Ia.
briskie reported that il was wanted. Mr..
Tyler forthwith issued an order 10 ale,
J. c. Iabriskie have the contract" Ia.
briskie took the order TO Mr. Voorhees,,
and assigned il over TO w. c. n. Swift,
who was moi present. VOORHEES, took the
assignment and SOLD il to Swift. For this
transaction he was to receive $4,000, and
did receive $1,000. A final contract be.
tween Swift and the Bureau was prepar,
ed; but before il could be executed, Mr..
VOORHEES, was killed by tho Princeton ex-
plosion, and Com. Morris took his place :;
on examining the affair he refused to exc.
cute the contract, and handed The matter
over 10 Mr.. Tyler, who annuIed part Of it,
and ordered the fnfilmcnt of the rest.
This sOccinct statement Of the case is
sufficient 10 show that Zabriske lent him.
SELF the use Of his name, and his influence
with the acting President 10 obtain an ille-
81 contract. for another person by whom
II was 10 be sold; anu IT, -aoco,rl;sh
this object he rcsorled to fdiSehOo3, repor-
ting Com. Warungton's answer to his in
quiry rs precisely the reverse Of that winch
he gave. Zahriskio testified before the
Committee that he had derived no benefit
from the transaction upon which the
Committee very Justly remark, that while
il makes his conduct more inexpIIcable, II
is not whit less deserving Of censurc.-
He assumed all the risk and shame of the
corrupt proceeding, while another enjoyed
the whole reward. He "aiding in detraud-
ing the government, as mere amateur,
wthou, any expectation Of benciitting HIM
sclfw
Mr.. Voorhees, violated his oath, and cor
ruptly betrayed his trust by the sale of
contract for his own emoiament.
As for tho nolog President, a. his sta
ton was higher and his duty more delicate
than either of the others, so was his con-
duct now more diseracelul. lie had no
business to give out the contract at all, but
nSurped the duties of subordinate depart
men,, for tho sake of rewarding an active
partian. He had himself signed law re.
quiriug every contract to be publicly ad.
vertised. He was the first to rioidfe that
same law by giving out a contract which
had not been advertised. He took Ia
briskir's word instead Of formal report
from Com. Warrington, and thus disre-
gardcd all the iormalltles usually required,
for tho public security, IN matters of so
much public importance.
The whole transaction was most dis
graceful to all the parties, and especially
On T., tho actinu President