Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-03-18
CONTRACTS FOR WAR SUPPLIES.
HOUSE OF REPREsENTATIFEs-M4ne4 Is. ls4s

copies oil
of contracts communicated by the War Department reported
the following resolution, which read and agreed to
Resosd That 10000 extra copies of the abstract OF cor
from the Department OF War; communicated on tr
10th January last be printed Tor Tie Of this House.
Mr.. THOMPSON, Of MISSISSIPPI was opposed 10 the
solution he did believe that report of these contacts
would be OF any interest to the public might he examined
by those interested in the contracts tdhe mass OF tie com
munty would probably read or look at il.
MIR. CROLlER said that the resolution bad received the
sanction OF two different OF the House, viz ahe
Committee Expenditures in the Ws Department and the
Committee Printing The document proposed to be print
ed contained abstract Of all the contacts which had beer
made by the War Department during the last year. contracts
which might probably amount 10 s50,s903laO. He would
with certainty they did reach that amount bn
The aggregate amounfwas certainly not ihan 800
The printing Of the proposed number OF copies would co
about S400.
There were two reasons hch had ndsaad e COMMITTEE
report this sesoutie The House In abe FIRST place. she
subject was ITSELF OF great apotancei very isge
of money involved; e infr would he val
able and interesting in Eaous asPects and surely was due
the people The Uned States who furntshednhe
that they should have opportunity of seeing how their
ney had gonewhat had been dane with IT, ana who had got
IT. They had right know how this immense sum con-
trbuted out Of thar hard eaIRngs had been expended
Much and useful Information woxld be disseminated
by the printing and distribution Of ts document at would
for example, present VIe the prices of the munitions
OF different portions Of the county. 30 ioI trsm Its
being OF interest only contractors Mr. O. believed that
there document that would be read by the people with
you'd very naturally kKow how those entrusted with
lis application had discharged their trust Is was one OF
ihe considerations which had INDUCED the eanttee 10 report
the resolution
But there was another and very important reason The
committee hal been charged with the duty OF masking inquiry
whether frauds had taken place IN connskna with hss
letting out Of contracts.
Mr. c. would net say thai frauds had occurreds but this
he would saw IA az there had heen high charges al
lowed and lid paces had been charged TO the
Government If this document should be printed and eifcu-
lated through the country this Information would Dc got by
The people and they entitled 10 receive IT. Many OF
these contracts made direct contrssenton % law,
in accordance with il The contracts had not all OF
been made they ought TO have been and by law
required be- Many Of them had been given out to
tractors privately without being published the requisite tine,
published ALL 1t true that many OF the contractors
Of the sricte honor and The terms which the
contracts let were many cases extremely economical
Il due such that this fact should be known, while
il equally proper that where the the of
all this, this also should be exposed.
Mr. e here referred 10 instances which occurred in the
campaign of Gen Taylor, in which very exorbtant prices
had been given for transportation while lay upon
the Rio Grande He nsanced contracts made WITH the
of steamboats, and the per dem paid for mules While
mules could be had the spot for 33 cents per day.
500 horses and mules had been purchased in Ohio
portalion of which cost the Government $500 000 Among
these allowances there which might first appear
10 be very reasonable and very low which, close
examination and knowledge Of all the circumstances, would
be found to be enormously high In Mr.. e. district pub
ished made with individuals Offering under the all
vertsement had been rescinde and private made
with individuals in their place. Mr. q. contend
that where abuses had been preated they ought TO be
posed, while If they fairly and hpnofahy made and full
filed, the fact ought be known Why did gentlemen de-
sire to withhold the publication Mr.. C., conclusion,
moved the previous question
The previous question seconded put and carried AMI
the main question being on the adoption of the resolution,
e vote taken by telers and carried Ayes So noes &c.
- the resolution was agreed TO.
TnrnspAr, MAucu II, ls4s
Mr.. COBB, Of Georgia. moved reconsider the vote by
which the resolution reported Mr.. TnoMrsoy Kentucky
from the Committee Printing, directing the printing ten
thousand copies Of tile abstract of contracts
Gated the War Department in January last ordered
TO be printed.
Mr. COBB said he had very few words offer by wa;
Of giving his for moving the reconsideration He
tersined little doubt that very few members Of this House
knew what the character Of the document.
Mr. CR0ZER rose 10 point of order, and, stating that
the previous question had been moved upon the adoption
the resolution inquired of the Speaker If the motion
slider debaiahe
The SPEAKER replied tina, j, was-the precious question
having exhausted itself.
Mr. CRoZIER remarked that il in Order he had no OBJ
lection 10 the matter being further debated On the contrary
he very glad the gentleman from Georgia had again
brought il up.
Mr.. COBB (resnming) said the members Of the House
not OF the of the document of which they
had ordered this number of copies be printed He
himself informed OF full character when this
luton adopted yesterday Ime Iaey upon adoption
ne hunted for the document in order it, and he
found bad not been printed and therefore posses
son OF the House, though had probably been examined by
the COMMITTEES TO whom referred. He had, however
obtained copy Of the document OF similar character
session OF congress and, upon examination of the manuscript
IN the hands OF the pniof had escertaned 10. the 5oc
ent OF this session coespondei with that Of the last
o. congress La moving to reconsider this r;oluton no
wished distinctly 10 be understood by the House b,, he Al
no, object to the printing n,le document me printing had
beer ordered time sgo and in the hands OF
lie printer ought TO be printed and put possessios
the House and Of the Committee in order that might
have the information contained To that he had obiec-
ton whatever His objection 10 the printing Of
number. for the that was pupoed 10 be,
abstract the contracts made by the officers of the army.
1t did communicate 10 the couhty that information which
was perhaps the object Of geuamen to throw before the
people but general account, calculated TO d
gross injustice the character Of those officers who had mad,
the contracts without aIojng the opportunity their par
give the country any explanation whatever The print
ing Of this number (vhe,ber intended not
calculated have the effect Of inducing the opinion
the part Of the country that Congress looked upon these
tracts with suspicion, and regarded them Frauds and there
by the character Of those individuals whose
nectcd with them would, without determination, be called
sur and opportunity whatever be given them for expa
nation
He would refer Of the items contained in this docu
men Of the last session e Congress for the purpose Of
h5ng is character ard the ground Of the objection wbc
be took TO printing number He read an en
t1r The transportation Of troops $1,000. Now this
that said in reference this contract Whether