The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-03-30

tractors al profit OF SIS and these
os were accepted by the Secretary in place Of tho orig nal
ouu'o anu her names aud security such substituted
iot mo original contract, which cancelled.
ON ihat the sum OF $4,000, the price of this con
ua was paid 70 the original contractor by an order ON the
United states treasury, drawn by the subcontractors as
pano ho szoooo which was TO be the advance their
contract to which Its entitled them the original con-
tractor (who had been clerk receiving ~, mira rein.
SoVooi ana tue remaining wo-hrds being Sls 600 were
received oy The person whom Secretary had
o no partnership by whom the the sale
oil the contract had been conducted and who wa, to nav
over 10 Robert c. Corwin his dstribu,ive share hain
$4,000, oil this price Of the contract
oh ihat this clerk. 10 whom his private contract Tor
the construction OF lighthouses the Pacific coast was
given, was we'll informed and experienced In the opera
tons OF the Treasury Department having been many years
In ohce--at one time filling that OF chief clerk from which
he was transferred 81 reduced salary, the desk,
quasi bureau, In special charge OF these lighthouses and
has from his Official position having advantages and ia
cites oil Information, the basis OF such contract,
especially when made privately, which unatanab Bile
by any other person
9Th That after the APPROXIMATIONS had purchased this
contract oil the original contractor, by paying him SIS 600
for the privilege OF taking his place in it, they Obtained
through me agency OF the friend OF the Secretary,
whom he had Introduced into the pane rship with the
clerk and by whom the purchase had been negotiated
modification OF the contract in their favor the OF
" 500, and for this agency they paid fee of $500
sh That although tho Secretary Of the Treasury, In
his annual report Congress, dated December g. 1851
that the erection Of these lighthouses had
contracted for, and probably could be; yet this contract
the subject OF this report had, in lis TERMS been agreed
upon days before-say December 10Th ls'h-snd
actually signed two days afterwards, December 2sth
"9h. And although the Secretary, in the report
says that the insufficient appropriation had delayed
would probably prevent any contract for the work YET
this contract, which MADE for $l36 900
for of the lighthouses be erected
ing excess of appropriation over that OF $22 lao. aPpca
BILE to the other Two-he whole amount of the subsisting
appropriation being Sl58,l40
10th That although the Secretary, in his comm unica
ton the Senate dated April "a, 1852, in a res
ouon Of The 9th Of that month"; that the original
for the lighthouses had been cancelled and lha
new one had been made, and probably could no, be
without ADDITIONAL appropriations which, the
OF $3.50 00O he asked OF Congress at that time no had
agreed that the subconactor should lake the place The
original contractor in the of December % on
y SIX DAYS AFTERwARDs-that Is, April 30aclually
summated the with them He thus had
ed for eight OF the light houses for Sl38 O00 which left
balance before shown of $22 lao of the subssng
preparation applicable to the other two or this
however, he made no communication TO Congress thus
keeping up his recommendation for the additional
Sl59 0OO which, together with the balance Of $22 l40
hand made Sl72 40 for the structures then
raced for being $4,000 for those than for the
others which had been actually contracted for His
estimate may be perfectly correct and owing the dis
from supplies and peculiar difficulties larger sum
might be required for the remaining than for the ohe
yetit does most extraordinary to speak mild
y of it, that when the Senate had asked for INFORMATION
the Secretary, 10 communicate II, should
only have withheld the that CONTRACT
for out OF the of these houses
but should sought besides make the i'm preston
on Congress delay had resulted from insufficient APP
propriaons and that the additional asked for
indispensable enable him TO have any portion OF the
work contracted for or performed.
"There several other though minor, points in hi.
case which deserving OF notice but they deemed
by the committee be forth with sufficient prominence
nd Gle NV 81
especially by the testimony in detail in the Appendix
without further comment"