The New York herald., 1850-05-20

Q.-Wss there any general understanding
A-There was no understand on the SUBJECT
Odd you get the $4,000
A.-No, sir.
Q.-Are you to get it
Al suppose not
A-Because, suppose Mr.. Crawford las other
uses for il.
The next thing that we come across,
Is another curious cause
Tom Ewing and the Potta watomies
And the claim Of the Chic kasaws
How their case gets on, is not exactly known
Mr. Richardson, the chief nquisitor, hnds It an up
hill business against the keen and shrewd Mr.. Fln-
ton, the chlrf defendant OF the criminal IN commit
tee. We suppose, however, that Mr.. Ewing Wiii
escape upCn tecbncal!ties; but with regard 10 MS
interesting disclosures II this committee ialls,
the expeditions 10 California and new Mexico, ana
the case of the Douglas house rent, may be taken
mp as d last resort.
But Of all the the docket,
No man could bring up sich "A
Curious, funny trial rs that
OF dear old father ktchie
Mr.. Wentworth and Mr.. Richie have had crow
10 pick for some time Faith Rltchie undertook
10 read Wentworth out of church, on the Harbor
Veto of Col Polk and now Mr.. wentworth hanls
up Father Rtchie on the following suspicious. The
printing Of tbs Congress Is done by contract The
Contractors are young printers, who do the work at
very losing prices, and they get on slowly. An I'M
mense mass OF printing has accumulated on their
hands. They do the work in Father Rltchie S office
The suspicion Is, that Father Richie is in the plot
that il il made up thing 20 let the work accumu ite
ana that resolution Is, meantime, TO be passed
through Congress, 10 allow Tor the work on hand,
the coed CID piices of Gales X Seaton, and Blair
& Knes and the work has been suffered TO accu-
mulate for the purpose OF holding back for these
geod old prices, and that the contract Was mere
sham 10 get the work into the Uat0a Office. Such
ale the suspicious upon which WentwoTths COM
miitte Oi nine are operating.
Now. ltt Us see. The work on hand and uncXe-
cuicd amounts, probably, 10 $50 C00worh of print
ing. moe or less, at the present losing prices upon
which the contractors, ,accOldngto the contrac,mus
lose az least $1,000, peihaP S&OO0O Rather losin
business. bun put on the good old prices for the
work sui 20 be done, and The cost viii be extended
f,m $4,000 10 S30O, coo, aiioIdng cool profit o.
$4,000 kathera hundsome operation.
Now, slr IN any event, does not this public print
ing cali Tor reform IL has been the prime source
of party corruption for the lasl thirty years. The
old printers TO Congress have sometimes spent IN
The dlss ,lions of single winter, in Washington,
venture 10 say, Ia parties, WINE, dinners, and
what not tICm Ten To twenty thousand dollars,
ToCkeung a hundred thousand dollars proht into
the balaGln. These eNiTdNa aganCeS have led 10
an soils OF eouupliUus and eScesses, and II was
natural that, while the public printers were revellng
in the Treasury that the Swariwouts should pocket
then hare Of The spOis.
We other resource than government
printing Cihce-the printers 10 be elected by JOINT
resoluuon, for a tenn Of years, The wofkinen 10 be
appointed under egulaiions by law, so as to secure
competent hands-the supplies 10 be furnished by
contract, with committee The work to be super
Nlsed by O. Commlce, an annual report OF the hands
employed, The materials used, and the work exc
cuted, and the money expended, TO be made TO
Congress. We see no other plan OF safety than
this. Tie contract ~ stem Is a humbug. Ii is
cheating game all round. Congress Is cheated,
the contractors are cheated, the printers are
cheated, and the public are cheated. The whole
thing is cheat.
We expect some good results from Wentworth's
beard OF Bquisitors upon Father Richie. I'VE con-
sider II about the most useful committee that's out,
II they do their duty.
Ia the Senate next. we have a text,
In the examination spent on
The quarrel. aud the pistol scene,
And the row with Poote and Bsston.
This committee, with AIr. Pearce as Chairman,
have a real heTculean task on hand. Amy quantity
OF wimC Csses have been examined.
In point Of fact, the examination is Of a serious
character, and upon grave presumption. We
understand that Col Benton, before the committee,
is eBdeavoring 20 prove u.on fooe a deliberate de-
sign of assassination and that the witnesses have
been eXsmined, or cross-eXamined by him. upon
this presumption, and for proof 10 support IL. Mean
time, We have no night 90 presume anything-we
shOuld ositaiDly never presume. anything quite so
criminal as Premeditaitd ASSASSINATION on the
part Of Foote
We are possessed Of some important facts in this
business. AT the right time We shall publfh them
Your correspondent, IA point Of fact, is mixed up in
the matter The original proyocition to this affair,
grew out of an article published in the Netc York
Her0d IA 1873, and furnished by the writer ofths let
ter The first result, was the rupture between Mes.
srs Butler and Benton, and the present difficulty
between Messrs. Benton and Foote, is hut an incl
dental cons quence, growing out of that affair
W uudt Tsiand that Col. Benton has ntimated
that himself and Judge Butler were arrested at the
instance of the friends of the latter. We believe
the same thing has been charged upon the other
slde-We know there was such suspicion at the
time. Now, the Truth il, your correspondent
caused them To be arrested, without a word with
any TREND Of either party on the subject, and with
out any advice. or consultation. or understanding
OF any sort with anybody, but solely with desire
10 Stop two old men from trip 10 Badensburg; and
tins desire was the stronger, because Of nciden
tal responsibility ia the matter. We did not wish
the blood of these old men 10 disturb our dreams
we did not wish the death Of either to lay upon our
conscience, and we esteemed each Of them too
highly to consent, under any circumstances, to any
such Transaction.
We understand the Benton and Foole investiga-
ton goes back TO this affair of Butler and Benton,
and we do not intend to submit To the accusation Of
having been the tool OF either party, in shung OFT
the responsibility OF an insult.
Upon the whole, We are disposed 10 consider
this Committee Of investigation sort Of farce,
and that II is likely TO end in nothing, except a
heavy bill OF printing The printing! Of all the
reports Of these several committees, will probably
not tall short Of one half the clear profits OIL the
GalPhin claim.
Our Philadelphia Correspondence.
puftADFtrttfA Mty 10 $50