The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1856-09-25

We lind III the n,hinTtOn tniOn tic
first insalmcnt Of the report on Frcm"nt's
financial operations in California, which WAS
called for by the Senate. Tie Republican
press might well vince in advance at these
astounding developments. We have hot
space to-day for any comment, and we give
Il general outline of the facts stated, SO far
us we have received them. We eprcmise hy
saying that the documents show that the
Board Of Claims only allowed $4,000 Of
the claims set up hy Fremont, or onc-scv-
enth Of the whole amount, leaving some
SSO0,0OO still unpaid, and which will never
be paid, until Fremont is elected President
Look ut some Of the items:
The first item is II claim for :2I $50, for
cattle said to lave been taken from one
Vallejo for the Use of the United States.
Fremont ccrtiiies on honor that the claim
is correct. 1t appears from the items of
the bill that government wis asked 10 pay
for cattle to an extent which would furnish
each man in Frrmnni's detachment will,
an OF each day! and Fremont ccrtifics con
his honor" that the hill WIS correct one,
and the supplies were uscd 10y his men .
Tie Board Of Claims showed what they
thought OF it by striking off $4,000 from
the Till hy TN unanimous vote.
Next we have bill for $50 ,G25 for this
same NaIlcjo-horscs at 500, saddles at
$50, spurs at So, and so OH. 10 this. Ere
mont also ccrtilies upon honor" BY an
600 from this bill.
Next VIC have bill! from Vallejo for
S53, 90, for horses at $3.50 each, saddles
at 500 each, one rifle at 5000, pistols 1T
500 each, and other charges in the same
proportion. All these bills are formally.
made out us supplies furnished to Fremont
and Fremont ccrtifics on his honor that the
bills are correct and the goods charged at
fair prices. The Loarl again by an unani-
nous vote struck of 81 900 from this
biIl
We have then another hill from Vallejo
for $500, for mules, cows. dc. The
Board struck OF :0,975 from this.
This Vallejo seems to have b"cn pretty
big operator in government supplies, and
somebody must have expected to have made
u large haul out of l'mclc Sam. AS Ere
mont did everything in his power to push
the bills through, going to the length of
certifying them "upon his honor" some
pretty ugly infcrences are irresistible.
But perhaps the most extraordinary Of
all is the next claim. VIM. u. Phelps
brings in n hill of ten thousand dollars for
ferrying Fremont and detachment of men
across the bay! Fremont cerlilies that the
bill is correct. Major Gillespie of the
Marine Corps, tcs,iies that the ferriages
was only seven miles, that no risk was run,
that the only object in crossing was to
spike some guns in dismantcd fort, which
was entirely unoccnpied at the time. BY
unanimous vote the Board declared that
fifty dollars was an ample remuneration !!
and SO allowed. And yet there is added
to the claim the deliberate certificate of
Col. Fremont that the bill for $4,000 was
night. and just
The documents following these are Sub.
stantia'ly the same we have before given
as TO money borrowed by Fremont, the
claim for which was allowed to the parties,
as the money was undoubtedly had Of them,
but the Board recommended that the same
be charged to Fremont himself!
The documents from whicl, we obtain
these facts are official transcripts from the
records Of the Department, and are fur
nishcd by the Auditor of the Treasury. 1t
is impossible to lie them down. With a
man at the head Of the government who
feeds his men at the rate Of an OK per day,
pays one hundred dollars apiece for saddles,
TWO hundred for rifles, and ten thousand
dollars for seven miles ferriage, Uncle Sam
would not be long bothered with surplus
in his treasury. No wonder Webb and
Bennett shrek for freedom" with such fat
pickings in prospect.