Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-11-12
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP

WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.
THE GREAT CONTEMPLATED FRAUD on THE
GovERNNESr.-Everys succeeding hour serves
to strengthen our apprehension that the New
York joint stock Pacific Railroad conspiracy
is drawing within its meshes body of spec
ulators, who, for numbers, talents, energy,
! perseverance and influence, are destined to
prove far more formidable to the integrity of
the Government of the United States, than
any similar organization, so far essaying to
! operate on Congress. Strange to tell, too. the
majority of those already known to be con-
cerned in it are men of straw, so far as their
means are concerned-not one in ten being
persons of available means to be used in the
construction Of the work Indeed, it is we'll
understood that their plan is to induce Con-
| gress to furnish the means either in lands or
money to be donated to them on condition
that they build the road nominally for the
Govern ment, but really for themselves or their
assignees The success of the land donation
system, as applied in the case of the railroads
| constructed, or under construction in the
West, will, probably, have the effect Of put
ting them upon this tack; more especially as
it does not require the appropriation of hard
cash from the Treasury. Their aim will.
doubtless be to BRIBE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
| by donations of stock, if the scheme succeeds
To do this, they are buying up, after the same
fashion, persons in nearly every Congressional
district in the United States who may be sup
posed to be able to influence members vote
| They have selected the Texas route as theirs,
in the hope of thus securing the votes of South
ern and Southwestern members whose hos
| tility to the construction of the proposed
| road at the cost Of the Government. they
| believe would be otherwise uncomfortable
They calculate strongly on the weight of
the political consideration involved, on the
particular national legislators To that end,
| journals in the South in their interest. are
already urging the importance to the peculiar
institution of the South, of having the Texas
route selected. Some twenty Senators ard
Representatives have even so early made dem
onstratlons OF hearty cooperation in their
schemes; among them being more or less GEN
tiemen famed here for always favoring huge
speculations on the Treasury of the United
States We trust that the public will keep
their eyes fixed on their movement. closely
scanning the antecedents of these gentlemen,
as they seTerally come more prominently on
the stage as strikers for this grand swindle
All the tactics of the lobby of the New York
Legislature will be put in operation, the wire
workers being, however, ten times more nu-
merous, and having ten times more available
means at command the stake for which they
| play being, at the same time greater than
that gambled for in the New York fraudulent
! canal lettings-S90, 900, 900 rather than So
900, 600. Indeed, the chief operators in this
scheme OF under. are the very same persons
whose names appeared most conspicuous as
participant. in the New York fraud in oues
ton; according to the testimony printed in
the report of the joint legislative committee
who examined into the matter
We repeat, the public should keep their
eyes open, closely scanning the doubling and
twisting of members, lobbymen, spectators,
and newspapers in connection with this pro-
posed New York scheme
ARMY OFFICERS STATIONED UNDER THE NEW
| ARRANGEMENT Of THE MILITARY DIsrRICrs
The following general orders (No. A. have
been issued from the headquarters of the
army, New York. dated November II. 1853
1.-The following named Officers are as
signed to the command of the Departments
organized in General Orders, No g. from the
War Department viz
Bvt MajorGeneral John E. Wool to the
Department of the East Bvt. Major General
David +. Twiggs, to the Department of the
West. Bvt. Brigader- General Persifor F
Smith, to the Department of Texas. Bvt
rigadier-General John Garland to the De-
partment of New Mexico Byt. Brigadier-
General Ethan A. Hitchcock, to the Depart
ment of the Pacific
The latter is, by direction of the President,
placed on duty according to his brevet rank.
Z.-Brevet Major and Assistant Adjutant-
General Francis n. Page, is assigned to duty
AZ the lead Quarters of the Department of the
mesl. lie viii report by letter to General
i~iggs and await his orders in SaintaI,on;s
DreSet Captain and Assistant Adjutant Cen
err eLa' Da',d H. Jones. is assigned to duty AT
1 me I,eaa Quarters Of the Department of the
Iacinc, ana Will report in person without de.
lay. 0D' o'-
3.-Until the arrangements con,sm,,,o,o,
with regard to the Indians of Texas can no
carlied out, the troops at Fort Belknap. de.
Partment of the West will be under the or-
Texas f"' 'A'o''' Vi
For special reasons, the troops at the
fost about to be established on the Rio Grapde
opposite FL Paso, Department of Texas
wili' Tor the present, be under the orders Of
me me commander Of the Department of New
1.-The records of the Eastern and Wastern
DIVISIONS will be transferred to the Head.
quarters OF the Departments of the East AMI
west respectively. Those of the LIST, I'd. 3d
4th q 9th Departments will be sent to the
Teau- quarters OF the Department Of the East