Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1854-03-28

There wsss ,psshsP,, no sthe, msa IN
Warrington who could have been col
appropriately 'sppoia,eJ TO that sltua.
.iou Of thas pssiieulss sims.s Heatonceyi
sndIlslmosi inIuiiiys'y. assiseA ;.at y jattf
estimate OF the whole frauds Uponsthisi
he addtesssd ailettss, ststingi
tho fact. to Mr.. Crittenden, then Aitor.
ney Gene fsl Z but finding that his com.
was, unnoticed, be published
ed siettsryih ths Nstiooak lnlelligeusI
Ger, boldly spowing his ds,sctian Of The
franti, over his own nslnc. This was on
the. 18th Of Msy. 1s6l.e 91syE 2.;i NJ o9|
This letter engosed the attentica Of
Prssidcnt Fillmore and st % Cabinst
Council. either called los.hc purpose or
otherwise immedistcly occnrrine,i tho
snbject discussed; and Dr. Davis
summoned TO- sppeat.g He swss 'ssksd
what jnicrnas.ion'h he had 10 Justify the |
publication in question, = when q he ex.s
plained the natifs Of his duties his &c.
qusintance with The subject, end i,is
consiction thai the Gardinci chin was
aiboid and daring fraud. q MI zFillmore
reproved. him for his hssty publication
OF the fact, ard ssked why he hsd not
commune aied4wish the proper iofice's
Of the Government prior TO such a pro.
-ceeding. He answered that he had done
so-that he hsd fully informed the At.
torney General offihe fact. MI Crit.
tendcn had received such a'let,er, but
supposing, on glancins ut il, ii was tie
usual complaint against frauds, and rs
thefe was no appeal laidit aside. ei
x about the last Of June, 1851, Mr.. Ed,
ward Curtis, whom we named as former
counsel, for Gardiner, notified Presiden,
Fillmore Of his suspicions about the
validity Of The claim, and Informed the
President that Q certain J. A. Porte, o.
Frenchman, Who had resided ia Mexico,
end an intimate friend Of Gardiner, had
stated to Wm. S. Parrolt ond his broth.
er John Parrot, who had also been
claimants Tor indemnify for tobacco, be.
loro The Board, that Gardiner, had told
him Porte, on the eve ofhis dep,
for England, that he had managed 10 i'm.
pose on the Government, fraudulent
claims, and that member ofthe Mexi.
ca n legation IN Washington had assist.
cd him, ( Gnrdincr,) by procuring from
Mexico the stamped paper that was ne.
cessary for the Iorgefies. Porte was
brought by process before the Grand
Jury, when he denied, positively, ,ha,
he had ever made any suth statements,
and declared that he knew nothing a.
bout the fraudulent charscterof Gardi.
ner's claim. Other Witnesses however,
were found in Washington, who were
sufficiently informed upon other matters
relating to the fraud, upon whose ,esti.
mony The Indictment was founded, upon
| which Gardiner was convicted on Fri.
day lost. ,,.,l - - 5,, s.s,t - -
The development Of the fraud nov
commenced. ..s7
alr. Geo. Sloculn was at this ,ims 10
Mexico. He was prevailed on by Gov
Leleher to DO to San Luis Pc osi, and
there make d local inquir, upon the sub
iect. He examined the archives, acquir
Led all possible information 10 subslanii
ate The fraud, He brought wilnesse.
from Mexico, upon whose testimony lh'
I second Indictment FOR forgery was (oune
Il, may be remembered with what per
tinacity all these proceedings We're as
sailed BY Gardiner ana his advisers, anf
I the position they sill occupied was sucl
as to render doubtful the result OF an,
! prosecution under the existing circum
stances. Al this timeathe Mexc an com
4 mission was determined upon by The 60
vernment, President Fillmore declarin,
4 his purpose TO expend every dollar il
4 the Treasury that he could constitution
ally ycommand, TO bring the matter 10 /,
] fair and thorough judicial investigation
4 !! Mr.. Crittender, IS Attorney General
being applied to, furnished an opinion
oh.the construction Of law which jus,i
{ fed the special commission. Acommit
tee Of Congress authorized it, afla at tn
d instance Of the committee, Henry May
| ESQ.,, now member Of Congress IEon
J Baltimore. wos named, al the head O
\ the commission, having already bee,
!. called into the case by iPrcsiden. Fill
more. Mr.'May objectedto the appoint
.iiment, but accented ii at the urgent 80
) licitaI6n Of Mr. Fillmore. Z The othe
t|,membsrs. of,he commission were Capt
j WmaW. Hunter of the Navy, ares.Iut
. and perseyerins mani; James R. Par,
/ ridge, Esq, of The Baltimore bar; Abne
; Doubleday, of the U. s. Array, an sffici
J, ent member of'tbe commission; and Nj
Buckingham Smith., aformsriy Secratsr
Il Of Lcgsiion'ih Mexico. 2fes qr't,s.-g +
n > In this matter the deterniaa ation an
i persevara nee Of Piesidsn, Fillmore wer
I. most eifactually seconded by the castg
8 and zealiof Mh Conrad, Secretary I
'sEWss, who antisipated the wants, ant
: fconsultcsb the kishes ofthe commission
: IN every respect. n tsk.;; 4! ~
n N The commission proceeded 10 Msxic
I. twisted San Luis Po.osi. explored vth
u who he Of the vicinity In which the min
8 LOT Gardiner wss said 70 be locate.l; The
!. examined records, mlninG.,itIss, psssonl
slplasss; and tused all possible ,diligenc
q ID. discoverths,sacste,l silver 'mins. bu
D pfinraiu. Thsy succsedsd Ia disccvei
!. ling ths Msxicah acc omrlics ofsldSsl
u and 0ssdinsr, and while there obtaine
d fths cossssf0 0udenes, whtchs itaiasiiee
I'd S3s.. ~: