The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-05-14
WASHIN GT0N:
SATURDAY MORNING, MAY Ia, 1853

The Government Contracts on tho Pacific.
We take the following paragraph from the
Baltimore Sun Of yesterday, contained in the
letter of its Washington correspondent "lon. J"
ga commission is about to be sent by the Score.
tary of the Treasury to California, withaorders to
investigate certain questions relative to all the
contracts entered into by the late administration in
relation to the purchase of More Island for naval
depot, the custom house, and houses for bonded
goc de-, the mint, Sc. The two contracts first men
toned are suspended, or rather annulled; and
learn that, for several reasons, the mint contract
lately entered into will share the same fate. The
mint contract is in palpable violation of existing
law, and it will be annulled by Congress, if not by
the Executive" 0n1 9d9 ~ b.st - ti
The correspondent of the Sun has made a
strange tumble in the above, and has evidently
been incorrectly informed on the subject
The purchase of Mare Island (not .More)
was made by the Navy Department, and ex-
clusively for naval purposes, and the Treasury
had and has nothing to do with it, or any right
to interfere in the matter. a tHa ~
The custom-house and marine hospital are
neither of them located on the island, but the
former in the city of San Francisco, and the
latter on Rincon's Point, about one mile out
side the city; nor did the Treasury purchase
any ground for either, as both sites are on Gov
eminent reserves belonging to the United
States: nor has the Secretary annulled the
contracts, but has merely suspended the acork
on the custom house, in consequence of learn
ing that the State Of California puts up claim
to the site as being waterloo, and it is under
stood the Department contemplates changing
the location of the building rather than to in
cur any risk from an adverse claim TO the site.
Nothing had been done on the present location
except preparations for the foundations.
The late Secretary, Mr.. CoKw1N, made no
contract for the mint. The prop osals invited
by public advertisementfor this building, as well
as for various new custom-ho houses in different
sections of the country, were received by Mr..
CoRwIN some weeks before he went out of
office; but he declined acting upon them, and
left them all to his successors a course which
probably would not have been followed, had it
been Democratic administration going out of
power, who would no doubt have preferred
giving out such valuable contracts to their
own friends, and not have bequeathed them
to Wing successors. The contract for the
mint was therefore made by Mr.. GUrH.
RTE, and it is not likely that he intends
to annul his own act, or send an agent to
investigate it, nor is it true that he has
made this contract in "palpable violation
of existing law;" but, on the contrary, it
has been made in strict accordance with law,
and on terms not only advantageous to the
Government, but will also no doubt prove,
to the satisfaction of the community at San
Francisco, in consequence of the early period
provided in the contract for its completion,
which is matter of high importance to all the
citizens of California. So far from Congress
interfering in this affair, the probability is that
the contract will be completed, and the mint
in full operation, by the time Congress meets.