Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-03-18

mat contracts hau
been made during the prosecution Of that Now, he pro-
against this Of holding the head OF the War De
pament and the Administration responsible for the conduct
OF individuals who acted upon their responsible o
GERS OF this Government aud particularly upon
document sent which did So evidence Of
stances under which they acted
lie therefore proposed instead OF the printing OF these extra
documents as the proper course and the ne usshed by the
circumstances OF the that called for by
Of justice to these officers Of the Government well the
heads OF the War and Navy Departments, and alt others in
erested-thatthe document, originally proposed and
had been the invaabe CUSTOM should be printed that the
information which it should he laid before Congress,
and placed IN the hands of the Committee Public EEpend
lures IN the War and Navy Departmentso the former
which the gentleman fom Tennessee belongedwha would
have in their power bring it to the notice Of the country
y looking into those cases where frauds had been
ley investigating those instances where individuals had made
contracts ia corruption and fraud upon the Government The
gentleman from Tennessee alluded TO which
either within his personal knowledge or information Let
him direct his and that of the committee to the
veaigaton Of this let him the power Of this House
tor the purpose Of gathering evidence which these charges
are made Fair opportunity should be allowed to every cE
Ger 30 explain his conduct IN Transactions which charges
brought against him. IL when this had been given
appeared that any of these Officers had acted unusab, lot
the committee soeed step further and inquire whether the
superior officers Of the army who had these matters under the
supcrIson had ALLOW ed them pass unrebuled uncesued
let them ihe very head Of the Department and of
the wherever they found any ng improper
unjust they found frauds sanctioned in
k,ed but those and sanctioned them espon
si5le before the country He submitted his friend from
Tennessee whether this not the only which, in JUS
tce to oil interested could be pussed.
This document, containing abstracts of and pay
ments sent in according law by the head Of the De-
paent to furnish information which the House, if they
discovered frau could base their action and not the
gentleman sm Tennessee seemed to suppose the pur-
of going out before the country the basis puta
tons of fraud which could he sustained il The whc
cumstanoes given Justice HE individuals immed
aey concerned, well to the heads of the Departments
and the Erecure required that such should be based
en- some more substantial foundation
The gentleman from Tennessee had said that the opposition
Of his (Mr CoBg's) side of the House this printing ma
infested desire on their part TO suppress information This
was not They had desire whatever suppress II
had been communicated Congress nv the head War
Department; had been ordered be printed and placed
the possession of every member of the House and of the
commisee All the objection was 10 printing extra
Der, 10 he sent throughout the country charge,
intmaed by the gentleman from Tennessee upon these Off
GERS and upon the head of the Department Il wholly
wrong involving men IN charges Of which they entirely
innOcent.
He trusted, therefore, that the gentleman from Tennessee
would consent to this reconsideration and that the committees
of this House would investigate the natter and
they found that frauds had been committed that individuals
had used The power of their offices improperly unus,y the
Government, he would go with the gentleman, and he
thought would the whole House. fereting these frauds
and holding those who had committed participated in
justly responsible before the country Let the responsibility
iaH The heads OF those who cupabc
volSe innocent whose connected with these
contracts
Mr. CROZ!ER remarked that he had before sad yes
teray and day. he opposed the discussion of
this question: # The gentleman desired-not at all He
glad the gentleman had brought it this morning gave
him the opportunity of correcting mistake made the Intel
gence in the report of his remarks yesterday, by which he
made to that for the transportation of eight hundred
horses and mules from Ohio the the Government
$500 ooo What he had said was that the of these
horses and mules about $50 000 and the of their
transportation was about $4,000, being s33 so per head
that while the Government paying this high price for
horses and mules in the State Of Ohio and these high prices for
their transportation TO the State of Texas Gen. Taylor at
the very time hiring mule and driver upon the Rio Grande
for fhy-fse cents per diem, and mules which much
better adapted TO the for which he wanted them than
those which purchased being already broken and that
under the entered by Gen. Taylor on the Rio
Grande cost less TO transport his whole army the banks
of the Rio Grande to Monterey than the of these eight
hundred mules and horses in Ohio, and their transportation
Texas
Mr. THOMPSON, of Mississippi should like 10 know
why horses purchased in Ohio
Mr. CROZIER. That is the very thing want to know,
too He had said yesterday that was the part Co
yenmen Of the head OF the Department, gross OF
judgment, negligence that amounted 10 fraud to in
quire into this matter and he had said then that any body
would take up these abstracts-
Mr.. FRIES. in,erposng, (and Mr.. c. yieding,)
derstood to advise the gentleman that perhaps best
TO make the charge of fraud upon this Ohio contractors for he
was Wing, and belonged to the gentlemans party
Mr. CROZlER (resuming) said il frauds have been
mtied TO whatever party the person belongs let them be
exposed He further said ina, General Taylor If they
would crunze his contracts upon the Rio Gaude had made
them all with the rigid regard economy Steamboats,
had been chartered by officers half price that Others
had chartered boats for He did not wish TO dsparage the
officer who had made these contracts praise Gen. Tay-
or, who contracted at low for the mules and boats
Of which he had spoken his yesterday nigh,
be that there might have been much demand for them
when Gen. Taylor made his contracts but must strike
every body that Gen. Tayors less than half
the price Of those subsequently made.
Now having corrected these Of the gentleman from
Georgia. he would to the argument the gentleman
and what was He says this document should go
why print this thing all Why should il be printed anu
to Congress If it is likely to be Misunderstood and to
lead TO the condemnation of these officers Why, that is
reason why should be suppressed altogether whereas the
gentleman knew that had been ordered be printed for the
Of this House, and he only desired additional number
Of COPIES which the gentleman to reconsider The
gentleman from Georgia and bis party profess great reliance
the knowledge and intelligence othe people, and yet he
not willing that the people should have abstract Of
tracts which made by of the gentleman party
Mr. Marcy the Secretary Of War Did the gentleman
TO be understood being apprehensve about the peoples
amning document this House by the Secretary Of
War Oh, says tie gentleman, give a committee. A
committee Of what kind Acommttce with majority Of bis
own political friends Why not send TO the people, and
let them examine il Was the gentleman afraid Of that
Ms DUNCAN, Of Ohio rose and, having obtained per-
mission to occupy the floor for the purpose said had been
stated That the person who obtained the contract for these