The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-05-19

the command-ihe Secretary Of War or General Smith
Suppose General Smith had not ordered an expedition TO
Clear lake and Pitt river, would he not have been
PEELED 10 send one after General Wilson's buried baggage
under the imperative order OF the Secretary OF War and
although the principal item OF expense In this expedi
sons effects certainly u was the principal in power for
il emanated from the Secretary OF War himself The
point at issue is not the amount OF money expended
whether i was hundred or hundred thousand dol.
larsbut IL was the abuse OF power in ordering such an
expedition at all. Now, what the facts OF the
The quaftermasier Major Allen is ordered 10 1T out an
expedition TO send for General Wilson's baggage, buried
in the mountains. four 1--WE hundred miles from the
depot he complains and says the expedition will cost
twenty times as much The property is worth, but he is
bound TO obey. To save the expense OF sending out
new expedition he has Captain Lyons, then at Lawson
rancho, on his return from Clear lake and PHI rver. or
dered back some two hundred miles for Wilson's plumber
The officers and soldiers, worn by the hard service
they had passed through forced to turn upon their
tracks and perform this unpleasant duty They found at
one OF the places where the goods had been buried the
boxes opened and the goods destroyed Al the other far
n the mounians-in fact over the main branch OF the
law books and articles Of s value were saved '
Now, sir. having cleared OF the rubbish the senator
has thrown in the way, lei us look al the the
facts present it. Gen. Wilson was appointed an Indian
agent Salt Lake. and fitted out at an expense OF up
wards OF $4,000 in the Quartermasters department
alone without including the cost in other departments.
(salary OF an Indian agent only 81 800 Year,
companed by an escort OF the United States army whose
pay and subsistence another large item OF expense TO
the government. goes 10 Salt lake, stays there long
enough recruit and his way with the escort
to California, or what other purpose this escort
sent 10 California quarels with the commander OF the
escort, or has Misunderstanding they separate, taking
different routes TO California General Wilson, still
with an immense train, fitted up at government ex-
pense. loaded with his own property, is oveTtaken
by the winter season in the mountains; has TO aban-
don his train, and bury his property; gets safely
10 San francisco, and resigns his office gets an order
from the Secretary of War TO send detachment OF the
army of the United States to the mountains great
w nd ".
what had he for law books at the Indian agency al
Salt Lake !they highly useful in practising law at
San francisco, is not censuTed for abandoning his
agency TO which he sent at such an enormous ex-
pense the government but actually rewarded by having
another office created Tor him in California II prece
dent Tor this be found in the history OF the gov
ernment should like to produced Certainly the
senator from Maryland has failed 10 do it, although his
main reliance in defending these acts OF the administra
ton IS upon precedens and also 10 satisfy that this
was not fragrant waste OF the public money for the
benefit OF political partisan The senator attempted to
weaken The force OF my argument IN this case which he
acknowledges if stated correctly, gross abuse, by
saying was mistaken in my narration oil the affair
will now leave TO the Senate TO Judge between and,
by exhibiting more facts in support OF those stated by me
before, think have shown 10 the senator's satisfaction
that this was a of gross abuse.
The senator is not at all clear in his statement about
the military escor! that accompanied General Wilson
He quotes from letter of Mr.. Medill, Commissioners Of
Indian Affairs, to General Wilson, in which it is said he
(Wlson) will doubtless avail himself of the military escort
that was to leave st. Louis shortly but The senator does mol
General Wilson Who else accompanied it, For what
other purpose than TO escort General Wilson was Cap
trim Morris sent TO California with small body OF
troops The senator has the run Of the War Depart
ment have not and believe il this escort had been
ordered for any other purpose than for the use OF Gen
eral Wilson, the would have been furnished with
the facts TO prove H. shall continue in this belief and
SO will the country, until the contrary is shown But
why have an escort at all 10 Salt lake Thousands OF
em grants on the route al their expense, and
without danger Why could not General Wilson travel
as they cid
The senator acknowledges Colonel Collier deaulier
but says some OF The seizures made by him were legal
said nothing of those that legal. did not
sure him for doing his duty and in making such sez.
ues he did but his duty and should be neither praised
censured spoke only OF those seizures where he
violated the laws OF the country and involved the govern
ment in an enormous loss. The goods thus seized
were peddled about the country for sale Was there
any law for thus dsposng of seized goods The sena-
tor says there was necessity Tor IT. Why could be not
put them up at auction if the parties wished the goods
sod and deposte the proceeds OF the sale with RESPONSE
bic parties until ascertaned whether the seizures
were legal or mott As apology for Col Collier the sen.
aior says his Instructions by mistake sent 10 Eng
land Bat this is no justification for these illegal seizures
man OF the highest intellectual capacity and CONNER
cia experience should have been appointed 10 this
office, who would have understood the law and execu.
ted II without waiting for instructions. l assert the
fact that when Mr. Collier renominaed IL was
known to the administration that charges OF a most Sc
rous character had been made against him and among
others. that OF ing the public money which, II true
would have subjected him TO a criminal prosecution !;
and that the accusing parties were prepared TO subsian
tale Them. hle IN The possession oil these facts the
President did nominate him for the important office of
collector OF San Francisco, and he was rejected by the
Senate
The senator from Maryland went pretty largely into
a statement OF the reasons why Bencia made de-
pot He read from letters OF General Smith that sub
lect stated that Commodore Jones and General Smith
made il depot for the army and navy on the Pacific
coast The point | made was, why new depot was
made at all, al such expense, wihou, the
previous sanction OF Congress The senator admits that
General Smith acted without instructions. He goes
between Benlcla
CISCO made any in favor OF the dspors
being established or remaining, at San Francisco and
never have intended 10 any for removing il
from tina, place; but simply asserted the Improperly Of
making new depot, at an enormous expense, withoa
consulting Congress, and getting appropriation for that
purpose stated a remarkable fact, that the action OF
Commodore Jones, in making Benicia the naval depot
was not approved by the Secretary OF the Navy, but let
TO the decision OF Congress- while. with The sanction Of
the Secretary OF War; hundred OF thousands OF dollars
were expended IN carrying out the recommendation Of
General Smith. The senator assumes that II was a
test between San Francisco and Benicia TO which
should be the degot That is the senator's own assump-
ton, and not founded on anything said. There were
other important localities in California, and will read
what said by officers OF the army In regard TO some
OF them, having reference TO either San Francisco OF
Bcnicia Major yinton thus speaks OF the Presdioi
" The nearest military post San Francisco 10 the Pee
sdio-so called by the Mexican anthoHies. IL IL situated
the entrances OF the harbor the south Shore and
been erected ia position 20 screen the occupants from the
prevalent westerly winds."
lie goes on TO say
should 10 landed the beach opposite Presldio,
whence by little labor the part garrison