The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-12-17

bursed. That is all they seek. Any mis-
application, any sqnandering of funds, does
not in the end affect them. They are to be
repaid, however the money may be used,
and that is all they desirc.-I represent
those who are bound to reimburse the bond.
hollers--who have ultimately TO pay the
whole whether the money be well or in
spent. am required to be viglant, that
the tax payers, my fellow citizens, already
overburthened and struggling with most
commendable anxiety TO extricate them
selves from debt, shall not be compelled TO
pay, from the products Of their sweat and
toll, thousands upon thousands of dollars,
unnecessarily expended in consequence Of
your ignorance or malfcasance.
My co-trustees, as well as yourself, are
amply compensated, and it may be that
haste is no element entering into the subject
of their thoughts or yours. But the people
are in haste they feel that hope has already
been too long deferred: they are looking for
the revenue to be derived from the canal
they are looking for the many benefits which
they anticipate from its completion, and they
regard every unnecessary delay with imra-
tience, and they consider all conduct which
wastes their money as 1agitious.
You complain that my charges, as made
in New York, were too general. / offered
to make them more specific. and was de-
MED the privilege. My letter in New York
was, in truth, general, and was not design
ed either to reach the public, or as grounds
of accusation fortrial That letter was pub
lished by my co-trustees, not by me there.
fore all your splenetic railing OH that &C.
count does not reach my feelings. All your
upbraidings on that account belong to them
] needed time to procure witnesses TO sus.
tain such charges as / had made. That
time was not allowed me. Your witnesse,
were procured at the expense of the canal
fund, and most of them had been the recip.
tents of your favors, still hoping for further
rewards. My witnesses were, many OF
them, at distance, and had to be procured
at great expense to myself Many persons
who knew, or said they knew, facts impli-
eating your conduct. declined to testify, be-
cause they had unfinished works and unclos-
ed accounts, and, therefore, they feared thai
you would visit them with injustice and OPP
preston, should they disclose what they
knew. These things of themselves pre-.
scented fearful odds against me, even il
| had not had objections to the tribunal be.
fore which the sham investigation, which
you have so vauntngly paraded before the
public, was had.
Mr.. Leavttt, one of the tribunal. seemed
to think that he, too, was implicated, and he
embarked with as much zeal in your de-
fence as his own acquittal depended upon
yours. He even went so far as to caution
you against making any admissions, lest yo,
might confess you had done some acts which
should require yonr removal; lending moi
only his advice, but leaning towards you
with so much partially and favor, that had
no reason TO hope, though l should conclu.
sively prove fragrant acts of deriliction. OF
the planest want Of skill Oh your part, fol
any thing more, than a divided opinion
between himself and his co-trustce.
You seem TO exult, that you found some
to testify in your behalf no one had though,
you had fallen so low. as not to have any
supporters; it would be strange indeed il
you had not. But, sir, do not deceive your.
self; there is another tribunal, without pre-.
jndice, on the one side, or Partially, on the
other; where your conduct will be fairly
investigated, and where such an array Of
testimony will be presented; as in my opin
ion at least, will shew your conduct to have
been truly reprehensible, and your skill, ant
fitness to he inadequate.
When first assumed the duties of IN,
office, confess 7 was in good degree iG.
norant of them; but / also confess, | wa,
more ignorant of the character Of some oil
the men had to deal with. was so ig.
norant as TO have been greatly deceived BY
your apparent fairness and caDdor. You
pretended TO want more laborers upon the
canal; you published handbills declaring
such pre.ence. l felt it my duty TO co-op
crate with you. and ! sought to procur,
those laborers from Buffalo, New York
where laborers were plenty, and made ar,
rangements to have those laborers sent tC
you. But, when they came to you, 70,
would not have them. You said boasic,
(verily small matter to boast tf) of havini
procured 800 men, but these had now dwin
died down to $50. The reason why the
largest number did not come is that few O
those who did come at their own expense
and had been misled by your representa-,
tons and mine, returned to Buffalo and in.
formed their acguaintancCs, and the agcn
who sent them hi,her, that men could no
get employment if they should come. Tol
this fact / refer you to Mr.. Vanderpool;,
letter. And $50 labOring men were surely {
sufficient number to be duped by us in thi,
way; and you cannot complain that the 50(
man did not come since you would not hav,
employed any of them il they had. Yet yor
continually excuse yonr hardness and inef
ticiency by the cry Of want of laborers
but when the want is supplied, your mex
device is TO get rid Of them.
My efforts to induce the laborers, who
had quit work last summer, to resume theil
labors. came in for liberal share of YOU
ridcule. nevertheless, the men did resume
their work upon my representations after
you had failed in your exerion,. may
have overcstima,ed my efforts on that oc
cason, but eXer,cd myself in good iaitl
and it is TO that that attribute my success
| presume there was this difference, be
tween your condutt-your eflorts-ant
mine; strove to conciliatc the men, tina
the work might 60 on more expedi,iously
you preferred TO irrita,e them that they
might leave the canal and thereby have it.
completion delayed. Pardon me if cx
press my belief that hope Of a continue
ton of your salary was stronger than you
desire to sec the completion of the canal.
You would not then have raised the va
ges of the men because it would affect ~,
contractors. But some contractors " she,
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