American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-08-11
The Gardiner Claim.

----
The Gardiner Claim.
We cannot suffer this Administration to wink
the Gardiner Claim out of sight, and thus leave
it as a legacy to be overhauled by Congress.
If President Fillmore intends to keep away,
with portion of his Cabinet, all the season,
he must deputize such Cabinet ministers as re-
main at their official posts to carry on rigor-
ously the business of finding out all that can
be found out relative to the true character Of the
Gardiner Claim.
We rely much upon Secretary Corwin in this
matter. He is at his post now, and doubtless
knows as much about the Gardiner Claim, and
also the Mears Claim, as anybody else. We
shall expect him, then, as he is an honest and
upright man, and the Secretary of the Treasu-
ry, to make clean breast of it, for the en-
lightenment of the people, who have been made
to believe that they have, in some way, been
swindled out Of more than sac hundred thousand
dollars, by the awards on the Gardiner and
Mears Claims.
DR.. Gardiner is expected to arrive in the
next steamer from Europe. Letters have been
received from him by the Hon. Philip r. Fen
dali, United States District Attorney for this
District, and the Hon. Edward Curtis Of New
York, in which DR.. Gardiner expresses a will
ingness to return to the United States, and at
tend to the matters charged against him, if his
correspondents on this side of the Atlantic deem
it necessary for him to do so. He had, how
ever, only seen what was contained in the New
York Herald Of the 9th Of July, when he wrote,
and his impression then was that the storm
would soon blow over, and there would be no
necessity for his immediate return to the United
States. But the receipt of later intelligence
may have induced him to change his mind and
his steps.
If he returns here, we shall expect that he
and Mr.. Secretary Corwin will come before the
public, under their own proper signatures, and
not by proxy, nor by employed letter-writers,
with q clear plain and unyarnished statement
of all the leading facts in the matter of the
Gardiner Claim, and the Mears Claim, and the
manner in which both of said claims were pros
ecuted to successful award
The public will be glad to know all about the
following points in the matter, to wit:
l. Whether George Law, esq, the Steam
Mail millionaire who purchased Governor Cor
wins interest in the Mexican Claims, gave
100000 the price which the referees, Messrs.
John Young and James s. Thayer, adjudged
said interest to be nominally worth or only
what would be left of that sum, after deduc-
ton Of twenty-one per centum and interest,
say $4,000.
2. II Mr.. Law forked over the 800, 900 in
cash, spho pocketed that part of it which Mr..
Secretary Corwin did not get?
8. Did Mr.. Law purchase all Of Gov. Cor
wins interest in the Mexican claims, as counsel
and owner, or only his interest as counsel?
A. Did Gov. Corwin alone, or with his cou-
sin, purchase one quarter Of the Gardiner
Claim, with money obtained Of Mr.. Corcoran,
the banker, on a loan at six per cent. interest !;
and if so, was all, or any portion of said loan,
advanced to DIR. Gardiner before Gov. Corwin
went into the Treasury Department.
5. AS DR.. Gardiner went to Mexico twice to
complete the vouchers for his claim, and prob
ably received an advance each time to bear his
expenses, was not one of his trips at least made
after Gov Corwin went into the Treasury De-
partment7
6. If Gov. Corwin did not sell out to Mr..
Law his entire interest in the Mexican claims,
as political counsel and as part gunner, by pur-
chase, of the Gardiner Claim then was he not
interested as part owner of the Gardiner Claim,
while he was Secretary of the Treasury?
These points and mysteries we feel sure Mr..
Secretary Corwin win fully and entirely clear
up. 1t is due from him to the public, whose
trusted servant he is. 1t is due from him to
the Wing party, through whose success and
power he has been enabled to reach his present
exalted position.
We trust he win be ready and willing to clear
up everything so far as his own conduct is con-
cerned, and not leave any mystery for Congress
to ferret out and expose, to the injury of the
Wing party, like the ever-tobe-remembered
Galphin swindle.
We trust that, if Dr. Gardiner has deposited
$3.50, 900 in this city, there will be no unwilling
ness, on the part Of any one concerned, to tell
where and with whom said money is deposited :
Until Mr.. Carlos Gardiner needed bail in the
sum Of $4,000, nobody seemed to know tina,
there had been $4,000 deposited to his credit
in this city, by his brother, DR.. Gardiner. i
Court had fixed the bail at three or four times
that amount, there are persons uncharitable
enough, as the case now stands, to believe the
sum required would have been deposited to the
credit of the person needing it. 49
Hence, we say, the mysteries in the whole
matter ought to be, if they can be, forthwith
cleared up. We expect and call upon Mr.. Sec
rotary Corwin to do it. Silence viii not suffice
THE LIGHT INFANTRY EXCURSION will take
place tomorrow. There will be fine cotillon
band, and Mr. Columbus serves up the good
things. aH