The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-09-23
Loeofoce Corruption

T8e Greensburg (Pa.) IntelAgeiloeT devetes a
page to an extraordinary exposure of corruption
not to say swindling, on the part of the Locoloco
officers connected with the canal management in
| Pennsylvania II has reference more particularly
| to the Freeport aqucduct which was consumed on
the night Of May 25 lS4S, and rebuilt between that
time and the lst July following. The manner IN
which the expenditure was conducted excited sus-
picion, and led TO inquiry by committee OF the
House of Representatives, who examined witnesses
under oath. Their evidence is analysed by j. +.
McCulloch, Democratic member oil the House o!
Representatives in lS49-'50, and now Supervisor
of the western division of the Pennsylvania canal;
and his statement forms the exposure to which we
| refer.
| 1t seems that S3,63s 90 was drawn from the pub
lie treasury of the State in connexion with the
struction of the aqueduct, upon the receipts OF
men who swear that they never received it. 'These
we're not men," Mr. McCulloch says. clicked of
the canal. bat men Of charactcr standing as high
in the rank ofsociety any other set Of men in the
Commonwealth. About one third of the men EN-
ployed at the work appeared before the Commits
| sioner Had been able to procure the testimony
OF the balance, have not doubt but that could
have piled up $4,000 more in the same way"
This plumber was obtained by means Of false re-
| turns made to the Auditor General.
Other large sums derived from the sale OF
the surplus material remaining after the aqueduct
was finished and of which account was rem
dered to the Auditor General. There was nothing
upon the record to chow to whom or for what the
surplus had been sold. One witness before the
committee deposed that ''there was timber enough
left to build three more aqueducts." Another
witness expressed an opinion that one hundred
thousand feet of lumber remained after the COM
pletion Of the aqueduct, Of which fifty thousand
feet remained in RATS without being disturbed.
One lot, left on Hare's leland, was bought by Cen
Clover, collector at Pittsburg, for $24O, although
an old lumberman estimated it at ten thousand
feet linea, which, at eight cents per foot, would be
worth $500. Mr.. McCulloch goes to remark
"The balance of the timber was given in charge
to John A. Steele and John V. Criswell, TO run it
and to return the proceeds TO Mr.. Power. They
took 1t 10 Cincinnati and sold il to Bailey, Lang
statf & Co. Mr.. Malone, one OF the firm, appeared
before the commissioner and testified that they had
bought of Steele and Criswell in lS4S, 80 $50 cubic
feet of timber. at six cents per foot, amounting TO
S5,752 49, also the cables upon the RATS at II 10,
and that they gave $500 in hand and notes for the
balance, to be paid afterwards Now il WAS known
that this timber had been sold but there nothing
in relation to it to be found among the accounts
Of Mr.. Power, settled by the auditor general.
After the investigation bad been commenced,
General Clover appeared before the committee and
amounting to S2,7+4 TO- leaving a balance of
5000 99 unaccounted for. to which, if we add the
$500 paid by Clover makes S 1872 90 Criswell
appeared before the committee; seemed to know
nothing definitely about il; said that Steele and
himself ran it to Cincinnati; sold it to Bailey,
LangstaH s. Co, at six cents per foot; got $500 in
cash-gave two notes TO Cover-balance went TO
pay expenses. Three thousand two hundred and
thirty two dollars and ninety nine cents TO run
So $50 feet of Climber 500 miles It did not cost
$500"
Again: There were many tons of old iron, which
purchased by General Glover, public officer,
from MIR. Power, another public officer, at one cent
per pound, being ene-third of the price demanded
from other parties. General Clover afterwards
sold this iron TO Messrs. Graf and Lindsay, at two
and half cents per pound; 80 that supposing ff-
teen disposed of in this way, the general
would clear by this single transaction $500. He
pocketed more, however, as in his testimony be-
fore the commissioners he admits that he had from
seventeen to twenty five tons. "The amount this
iron sold for" MIR. McCulloch AYERS, 'did
pass to the credit of the State until after the in
vestigation; neither there any thing in relation
to it in the account of Mr.. Alex. Power"
We leave the facts tell their own tale, only re-
marking that the revelation reaches us from
source which cannot he suspected Of political an
tipathy, and that it forms very significant addi-
ton to the long chapter of Democratic misdeeds.