Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1849-11-01

, >--~--~--N~~0~-o-> -~~--~-oo~-> -~----o >~>~,-
We cln the following from the Wash.
ington correspondence Of the Loui.yill.
Courier !:
One Of the most barefaced imposi,;o,.
upon the Government thai has ever be.,
practised by any Administration in m.
disbursement OF the public monies, tran,.
PRED under that Of Mr. Polk, and will i
learn, be brought 10 the notice Of Con.
gress at an early day in its session. III.
imposition is based upon the manner \
awarding contracts for materials and l.bo,
Tor The New Custom House in New a..
leans, now in progress Of construction
They were procured principally tlro,,,h
the agency ola Mr. Gwinn, of Missis.;r.
pi, now believe flourishing in Califor.
MIA, and who, if reports speak true, by ma
means went unrewarded for his serv;c..
They were given TO contractors as r.
ward for partizan services, and al price,
rnino,s 10 the Government and Al -,
with every principle Of justice or reason.
So eSorbilant were many oil The rate,
and so nahifestly unjust TO the Govern.
ment, that very large sums have been Y.
fered by Vie Government 10 several en-.
tractors 10 Surrender their contrac,.
which Of course they refused 10 do. OWN.
10 the fact that large as was The sum off,
ed they could make double or treble N.
amount by holding ON 10 the same. tn
principal contractors 10 many Of these =.
brilliant lettings are ss follows:
Mitchell Howell & Coates, confr,et
dated April n, ls48, for all the brick
work Of Custom House.
Bebb, Kendall & Co., contract. IAN.
date as above, for Is, 5000 brick for
Custom House.
VIM. A. Woods, contract, dated Anr;l
%, lS48, for $1,000 barrels Of sand "a
Custom House.
Edward Learned, r., contract dated
May 10, 1S4S, for 1000 barrels Of Nv
dIaulic cement for Custom House.
Dennis Cronan, contract dated Nov. II.
1848, 10 haul all materials for tile Custom
House.
Luther Mum, and others, contract dated
Dec. 4, lS4S, to deliver the granite for
the Custom House.
Luther Mum, assignee of Adoph Da-
Wis, contract dated Nov. %, lS4S. for The
delivery Of graz lie fof the Custom. House.
Samuel +. Butterwo rth, contract dated
May 10, l84S, TO deliver $4,000 barrels
Thomaston lime.
Edward r. Sherman; contract dated
March q ls48, 10 deliver marble tagging
and tiles for Custom House.
The aggregate Of these contracts does
not fall short but little, If any, Of two mil
lions of dollars, the fulflmeft of several
Of which will not be REQUIRED fot months
and years. Take for instance the last
contract in the above enumerated lif.
made on the rery last day Of Mr. Folks
administration, for the marble tagging and
tiles, which, under any circumstances,
will not he wanted for two or three wears
to come. What palmer evidence Of po-
litical corruption and abuse of Executive
powe. can be furnished than this, else
why contract on the day previous to the
Of the Government deyolv-
ing on General Taylor, for materials that
cannot be used for three years to come in
The construction Of the Custom House at
New Orleans? Ii will also be seen that
two other large and important contracts
were let by the late Secretary Of The
Treasury, in The month Of November last,
md another in December, ALL after j, was
lscertained that Cass was defeated and
General Taylor elected. This Custom
House affair will Undergo a rigid scrutiny
~ the committee OH public expenditures
'f the next House of Representatives,
which will be followed by developments
u corruption and acts of imposition upon
he Government, that will make even the
hardened repfobates of Locofocoism irem-
,le in their shoes. ] have nay eye upon
his matter, and you car depend upon my
seering yon Thoroughly advised Of the de-
as they may ensuc.