The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-03-16
IN CONGRESS- OF THE U. STATES.

Mr. COBB, OF Georg ia moved reconsideration OF the
vote by which the House on yesterday adopted resou
ton authorizing the printing OF 10000 extra copies OF alb
ceeded to state his reasons for making the motion; but
was interrupted by
MIR CROZIER, who made a point of order The pre-
vious question yesterday ordered upon the resolu
ton; and. under its operation. it passed He sub
mted that the gentleman could not now debate it upon
The SPEAKER overruled the point of order
Mr. CROZlER have no DESIRE sir, to prevent this
debate. | would rather it should go
Mr. COBB. thought 80, from the point of order that
the gentleman has made IIaughterl MI c, then went
in support of his motion He did not object to the
printing OF the document 1t ought to be printed, and
entirely to the printing OF the extra number proposed
The for this objection was. that mere alb
stract OF contracts made BY officers in the army II
did not give the information which the gentleman
from Tennessee, (Mr. CRozIER, perhaps, desired IL
was but partial statement of transactions, and cacu-
lated to do injury to the officers whg asd maas an5 by
comparing it with the one now IN question, ne iopnd
to be of the character precisely tie wished that
each member of the House had copy OF the document IN
his hands, that he might what IT was that they had
voted to print He read an extract from the document
to show that it did not give the particulars, the mnuta
of the contracts the circumstances under which they
had been made 1t sent out the names of the parties
contracting with the broad nmalion that of their
contracts were frauds but without giving opportunity for
showing upon which OF those contracts the charge OF
fraud would lie.
The nsinuation thrown out did specify persons
guilty, the innocent included with them Some OF
the contracts upon their face did appear to be exorban
but inquiry into the attendant circumstances would
show that the officers of the government had exercised al
their ability TO obtain reasonable and economical
terms but the exgencies of the case, and the scarcity
the time OF the article OF service required had forced
The object of the printing OF the extra copies appeared
very much like party attack upon the administration
An attack was made upon the head of the War Depart
ment and through him upon the administration, instead
of the individuals who might have made improper con-
tracts being held responsible for their ndi vidua acts
Mr. c. proposed that, instead OF printing and crcula
ting this document, should be adopted which
would be just proper, fair and honorable towards the
officers who were charged generally with fraud to the ad
minstrahOn and to the country his proposition was,
that the Committee Expenditures in the War Depart
ment should take the document and examine it. IT, upon
tx Hr eGfuoi psa on
all the attendant circumstances fix the guilt if any,
where belonged, and the responsibility upon those who
had laid themselves liable to it. If these abstracts went
out however, the parte evidence given by some
of these contracts, which appeared exobtant upon their
face would do great injustice to worthy and upg mt OH
GERS, who had served their country faithfully in the per-
Torrance of the duty assigned them Mr. c. repeated,
that he did not wish TO prevent the public from getting
tgaton should be had Justice to the officers implicated
in the wholesale charges which had been made demand
ed that full examination should be had
Mr.. CROZlER expressed his qualification that this de-
bate had given him opportunity to correct
in the report of his remarks made yesterday upor
this subject. published in the lntelligencer of this
in Ohio He contended that the cost OF transportation OF
mules bought in Ohio for the Of the army, was more
than the transportation Of the b bag Of Cen Iaylos
while the very highest price was paid for the mules pur-
chased the time that General Taylor able to
hire mne c %hs e'y he mules
Mr. CROZIER. That is just what want to know.
want to know why it was that glazing waste of the
public funds permitted That sagreat error of juds
men; il evinced great neggence-neggence amounting
10 fraud.
Mr. FRIES suggested to the gentleman from Tennes-
see that he should also let the House know that the
fraudulent in Ohio eff fraud had been commit
ted) was one of his own political friends
MIR. CROZlER did not care for that. He would be
disinterested than the gentleman from Ohio, and
would hold up frauds before the country, whether COM
Mr.. G. proceeded to show that the argument of the
gentleman from Georgia Mr. CoBD was, that he would
not let these abstracts go to the people, because might
mis- cad them; and this refusal, he said from a
gentleman of that party processing TO, rely so much on
the virtue and intelligence of the people. 1t was ncon-
sisen in that gentleman he thought to be unwilling to
BY of their Secretaries (Mr MarcyD and it was
proposed to publish i without note or comment ~
Mr. EVANS Of Ohio nterpOsfng here and Mr.
FRIEs] who had the contract alluded to IN OHIO
Mr.. FRIES replied that he was MIR. Minor, of Co.
Mr. EVANS. | know him very well. He orr
ginaly democrat; and it may be the fact that the
tract given him. in order 10 bring him back into the
Mr.. FRIES He is one of the standard wings of the
State and voted for the gentleman my colleague when
he was candidate for the place he now occupies.
Mr.. CROZIER. Even then, if he can be corrupted,
it is certain, all events, that this contract did not
rupt him. Mr. c. proceeded in reply to the gentleman
from Georgia If the Committee the Expenditures OF
the War Department should make report these mat
the gentleman suggests, 1t would be SAID at once
that it was garbled statement He preferred to take
the abstract furnished by of their friends. and
send forth the administration statement. The gentleman
saws the people will mistake and misunderstood the mat
ter Of the abstract But do not the people know the prices OF
hay and straw, and all descriptions provender and povis-
ion for the army Do not the of steamboats, know
the of freight and transportation all our coasts
and rivers How, then, there be any misleading the
tractor should be alarmed at proposition to let the peo
pie know what they have done This abstract OF con-
tracts, he said. might embrace short history of the
penditure of about fifty millions of dollars.
Mr. MCKAY, Tin his seat,) Was that amount expend-
ed last year?
Mr. CROZIER No. sir; mean that amount has been
expended during the The appropriation for def
ciencies was twenty eight millons and this added
former appropriation of thirteen Millions and the
more appropriated at the commencement of the war,
have the sum of fifty millions. But he did not sup
nose that all the under these appropriations had
been reported The abstract he still thought might en-
brace an amount of expenditure equal to- twenty-five oil
thirty millions at least and he could not see why an ac
count OF the outlay of so vast sum OF pubic money
should not 60 to the people
Mr. C. further stated his information and belief thai
the printing proposed would cost only the ptful sum OF
four hundred dollars and he would venture to assert
that document more interesting than this, to all the PEG
pie, would not emanae from Congress during the whole