American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-07-28
AMERICAN TELEGRAPH
[Communicated.l
WTho Gardiner Fraud.n

I Ihc Uurulhor rTauu."
Under the above title, the RepuJlic of Saturday
morning has long editorial article, intended
to defend Messrs. Webster and Corwin, of the
cabinet, having been engaged as counsel in some
OF the claims which were allowed by the late
Board of Commissioners, and receiving i'm
mense counselfees for their influence. make
the following extract from the Republics de-
| fence: M sr, ai auselsouJCiaig3 g. s8 sgtit4
i 6a" Yet that no imputation might attach to the
Iabuse Of, his official influence as a member Of
1.-the Cabinet, Mr.. Corwin seems, when he left
the Senate, to have released all future or con-
/ tingent interest in the claim referred to. Ac-
cording to the Union, his interest was taken at
valuation. He went into the Cabinet, then,
with no interest, direct or contingent, in the
| adjudication Of the claim. We, therefore, re-
peat that the claim was not pending before the
Senate whilst Mr. Corwin was member; nor
did he have any interest in the claim whilst he
was a member of the Cabinet" #
Mr.. Webster did not relinquish his interest in
| the great claim he was employed, as counsel, to
get allowed He stood up to the work sstiff,"
held on to his interest and received his reward.
But ho~ did MIR. Corwin relinquish has interest
in the Gardiner claim? Was the relinquishment
bona fde or sham transaction? Did he sell
out, Internationally, to George Law, ESQ.,, be-
fore he entered the Cabinet No; he agreed
| to take for his interest whatever competent and
impartial referees, such as John Young and
James s. Thayer, esqrs., Of New York, should,
IN Tie course Of time and progress Of evsnts, decide
that he ought to receive from the steanl-mail
| millionaire who had agreed to purchase, be-
| cause he wanted to have it in his power to place
| Thomas Corwin at the head Of the Treasury
| Department. Now, if Mr.. Corwin had made
| clean sale of his interest in the Gardiner claim
| before he became Secretary of the Treasury, and
was as free from it, in purse and in mind, as
| he would have been if he had never had an in
terest in said claim, how came the referees to
wait for months before they decided what Mr..
Corwin's interest was worth
The Board of Commissioners, as it appears,
decided, as early as the 18th of March, 1850,
| to allow Gardeners claim, but deferred to la
ter period the fixing of the amount which
should be awarded to him. Four months after
this, Mr.. Corwin took his seat in the Cabinet.
The final award to Gardiner, of $428, $50, was
made among the earliest Of the list of awards
/ think, before the going out of the year 1850,
| and before the referees had made UP their minds
| as to the porth of Mr.. Corwin's interest.
Now, was it not well enough understood be-
| tween the parties, that Mr.. Corwin was not to
know what he was to receive for his interest in
the Gardiner claim until the Board should fix
| the amount to be awarded on said claim? Did
he know what he was to receive before the ref
erees had ascertained the amount of the award
If he did not, why was he not just as much
interested and anxious, in his position as Secre-
tary of the Treasury, as he would or could
have been, if he had made no agreement to sell
out to George Law, ESQ.,? Was he, by such
sale, entirely divested Of all interest in the
matter? When the award was made, its amount
was speedily known. i ask if, on the day the
award was made Mr. Robert Corwin and DR..
Gardiner were not in the lower room occupied
by the Board and extremely solcitous to get
the messenger, who had the award in his hand,
to show it to them? | ask if they were not
both very urgent in their remonstrances to the
Secretary of the Board against the publication
Of that particular award at the time it was
made, and after they had ascertained it's amountl
| | ask if high words were not used-frst to the
messenger, because he would not assume the
authority to let Mr.. Robert Corwin and DIR.
| Gardiner see the award; and next, to the Secre-
tary, for the stand he took in favor of publish
| ing the award at once? ask If Mr.. Commits
| sioner Smith was not appealed TO in the matter
by Messrs. Robert Corwin and DR.. Gardiner ;
and if, finally, the Secretary was not overrued,
and the publication of the award officially post
poned, to suit the wishes of Mr.. Robert Corwin
and DR.. Gardiner
have heard that these things were done If
they were not, the Secretary 70 the late Board,
who is now the editor Of the Richmond Wing,
and not at all uninclined to defend the action Of
the late Commissioners can answer.
If Mr.. Robert Corwin and DR.. Gardiner were
thus anxious to keep the Gardiner award from
being made public at the time the commission
ers had decided what its amount should be, the
question arises as to the quo amino Of their
| anxiety. Why did they want the thing to be
kept in the dark, after they themselves had
| learned the amount Of the award They had
their motive and their objects, most unquestion-
ably. | shall let the public judge what they
| were .... ..s ....
| In this connexion, may it not be legitimately
asked schdt part of DR.. Corwin's interest in the
Mexican claims did he agree to sell to the mil
lionaire Ia good Democrat, by-the-by) who was
anxious to have Thomas Corwin Mt the head of
the Treasury Department? Did he sell ont
only his counsel-fee interest in the Gardiner and
NIears' claims, or did he bargain to sell his en-
lire interest in all the Mexican claims?
| If he got fifteen per centum on the Gardiner
claim and shared equally with Robert Corwin
fifteen per centum on the Mears' claim, the
amount of his counsel fees in the two claims
would be just about what his chosen champions
and defenders, in the North american, the
Courier and Enquirer, and the 7ribane, say the
steam-mail millionaire paid him for his interest,
agreeable to the judgment Of referees.
But it now appears that Dr. Corwin and
Robert Corwin purchased quarter of the Gar
diner claim, with an advance Of some $27, 900,
less or more, which they obtained as loan on
whom was assigned the said quarter Of the
claim as collateral security" for the amount
obtained of him.
If this be 50, the public ought to know it,
and whether, if so, Mr.. Corwin's half Of the
purchase was included in the interest which he