Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-04-25
EASTERN TIMES.
Bath, Thursday, April %, 1850.
The Galphin Claim.

the present administration. What with Mr.
Meredith's uniustifable expenditure of 81 ,2sl-
s97 when the law had limited him to $3.50
900 for collecting the revenue from customs
for period of six months and the allowance
OF numerous private claims, some of which
have been repudiated as worthless by former
administrations, the powers that be, are ex-
pending the peoples money. with ga perfect
looseness." The most palpable instance is that
recently brought to light, of the allowance of
the nice little sum of one hundred and ninety
thousand dollars as interest money on the Gail
phin claim, which claim, rcitdoat interest. was
allowed by the last Congress. The admins
tration of Mr.. Polk disalowed and refused the
claim for interest, acting upon the well estab-
Eshed customs of the government, never to al
low interest on claims, except when directed
by an act Of Congress, the principle that
the government is always ready to pay what
ever is found on settlement to be due.
The history of the affair, we extract from
paper friendly to the administration and con-
sequently entitled to some degree of credit =
Much excitement exists here Just now, on
account OF the recent payment of The in
teresis on the Galphin claim an old stager
before Congress. Its history affords SO apt
an illustration OF the way in which such
matters are managed, that | must write. In
1913, an old Scotch trader among the Greek
Indians in Georgia, prosecuted claim, in
pounds, shlllings, and pence, against the
English government. amounting in our cur
rency TO $4,000 The breaking out of The
the money. When the first Congress under
our constitution assembled, he or his repre>
sentatives were on hand, urging the claim
upon the United States Treasury. II was
resisted until late reriod in the lifetime of
The late administration, when much dinging
procured the passage of an act for its pay
ment. The parties to whom it was coming
received from the treasury the amount of
the priGcpal-Mr. Walker and the Comp
troller OF the Treasury, Mr.. Mccullough,
peremptorily refusing to pay the interest,
las not authorized by The law for which Mr..
George w. Crawford, the chief ofthe agents
who successfully prosecuted it before Con-
gress contended. He is now Secretary of
War, and few days ago is understood TO
have procured (some one else being the os-
'enslble agent from Mr. Secretary Meredith
an order for the payment Of the interest,
amounting 10 the snug little sum of one
hundred and ninety thousand dollars =
The money has actually been paid. Mr..
Whiltiesey, The Comptroller so famous for
his integrity and firmness, refused as peremp-
torily as his predecessor 10 make the ray
ment, as under decision of his own; that
is, he signed it under protest that he did so
under the orders of the Secretary of the
Treasury. This is the history of this pluck
~ t1r iS hai OH
all over Washington just now Mr. Craw-
iord'S part Of the proceeds is supposed to
range somewhere between fifty aud one hun
dred thousand, after pocketlng which, he
can afford 10 give up the salary Of the Sec
rotary of War, for the balance of Gen. Tav-
lor's term. The election of General TAYLOR
was indeed fortunate circumstance for Mr..
George w. Crawford.
But to avoid the charge Of being partial in
our endeavors to give the facts in this matter,
we take the liberty of quoting from the other
side. The Washington correspondent of the
Boston Post, in allusion to the same subject,
writes =
have no hope now Of the Department of
the Interior being abolished this session
The enormous patronage OF that department
the recklessness with which that patron-
age has been used Ivy the inscriptions poll
illcian now at The head of it, instead eff act
ing against The continuance of the depart-
ment, has sustained ii, and is gaining for it
every day new friends in and ont of Com
sress. Nothing is more certain than that an
administration, if il has not the power of
doing much for itself, can sustain itself
through its friends. Gen. TAYLOR NAV not
have the power of causing himself 10 be re-
nominated, much less does he stand he least
chance OF being Reelected bur Gen. Tav-
lors cabinet may manage TO grow rich While
IN power, and to put money INTO the pockets
OF their friends III more than one manner
Thus Mr.. Webb pocketed an outfit for charge
1t atfaIres, when it was known that he could
not be confirmed ; and Mr.. Ewing. as well
as Mr.. Collamer, employ clerks in their de-
Parinent not warranted by any law of Con-
gress. But these are ludnitesima consider
allons IN comparison to what the Secrelar-
les are doing for themselves. They suffer
themselves TO be employed as agents for
claims leaving the decisions TO the Attorney
General, and then pockeling some ninety or
hundred thousand dollars in fell swnop.
This is the highest game of hfag have vel
seen, and deserves some public notice -
There is the G-n claim which has inst
been allowed back interest and all. (out Of
which The Srecretary of War is said to have
made pretty penny,) and there are others
which have been disallowed by the late adj
minisiration but re-openeG since and paid
How is that do not mean to say that
these claims are not just bu; after The story
the wings circulated about the claims of Gen
Cass as governor of The Northwestern Ter
rtory, think il would not be amiss 10 ex
anime little INTO the shor, career of the
present lncumbents in Office
The present administration seems 10 have
adopted the motto of The fleeing Freedman
at Waterloo. SatUe qui peut only thai
they conslrue it literally Sare all who
may, from The wreck, that is to saw
The above extracts explain the whole mat
ter-the secret Of success is clearly perceptible
in the n'odas operandi of the present admins
ton officials limitations have been put forth,
10 ease tender conscience. that these proceed
ings were discountenanced by some of the Cab.
met and that rupture would be the result
but the participation of the present Cabinet
olhcers IN the great fraud upon the people, by
which they were elevated to power, has had
tendency to endaw them with wonderfully
i'nerai IDEAS OF political honesty and rectitude
OF conduct. They doubtless consider their
safety secure so long as they are able to cling
10 the skirts OF that party which possesses "all
the rension' morality and honesty of the
country We read of men. who
II