New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-04-29
FORT SMELLING.
Conclusions ofthe Investigating COMMITTED
SCHE. Ill AND MATHER.

the House 10 investigate the late extraordinary sale
of the Fort SEelliDg Reservation. did our hmits
permit It's analysis of the entire transsesea 70
thorough, save that il studiousy retrains IRON
bringing Messrs. Secretary JOHN d. Floyd and
Senator Henry NJ Rice into that bold relief which
their official services AID achievements larry re-
qure. To all other parties to the TRANSACTION.
ample justice is done The collation. OF the Mill
tary evidence, showing that Fort Smelling Is sth
absolutely required as depot for both troops anl
stores is overwhelming. The fact that Gen. Scott
only acquiesces in the sale on the understanding
that the public is to retain the use Of the post 90
lcug as il may be required, while Mr.. Steele. on
the other hand fully sustained By the terms ot
the sae regards the right Of possession still held
BY the Government to cover only the time requisite
for the removal Of the military stores stil remaia-
ing at the Fort, is fOrcibE exhibited. The test'
mouy as TO the value Of the public property so u,
msrily disposed of is reviewed throughout, and tho
fact made papable that the Commissioners might
have sold the Reservation for nearly or quite Half
Million Dollars had they really tried to DO their
best for the Government. The Report concludes
with the following Illuminated dsguerreotype Of
Messrs. Mather ard Schelrs agency in this dart
and crooked business:
AS an excuse for adopting this secret and ex.raor
dpaIy methcd of bringing this rch property to sale.
tie Commissioners aege the danger OF combinations.
To this, satisfactory answer has ady been given.
If, in the Of the sale OF the Fort Dearborn
reservation. ard a., by that example most JUDI
cious the power of accepting rejecting bids had
been retained, the interest II the Government could
net ave been Invested until full price had first been
obtained. Ever at public auction, and without this
guard the testimony shows that successful combina
ton could not have been Osde A combination de-
peuds for its success in uniting all competitors, and
IL excluding competition But the large population
in the vicinity, the general interest to buy the pres
of capitalists seeking investment and the absence
OF residents ro the reservation, which prevented al
popular sympathy with q combination, msde II certain
that go many interests could not be combined, and
that separate from interest, there was no feeling to
give combination strength Indeed, combir alton,
under tie circumstances was impossible, and the hiss
knowledge Of It, as stated by MIR. johnson, was 90
rived from the reports Of the Commissioners Mr..
Mather snd Doctor Graham may be presumed to have
upre sed this subject Mr.. Heiskell as Messrs.
Steele and Rice, by the testimony, certainly did, bat
it WIS privately done, and did not transpre to the
public. The Commissioners by their own statements
seem to have got the notion of combinations, TO some
extent, fom each other. Mr. Heiskel states that
Major Eastman had been there, and knew al about
the combinations. Msjor Eastman says that Mr..
Heskcn was unknown to everybody, and Therefore
that he knew all about them. But thst In point OF
fnct neither of them had any knowledge whatever
that combination had been formed with reference to
the purchase of Fort Smelling is distinctly shown By
their testimony, and Indignantly denied by all in
teligeLt witnesses.
The report of the sale made by the Commissioner
to the Secretary OF War hardly more accurate in
opinion or in fact than the proceedings by which the
sale Was made. 1--WE find the improvements made
"by the Government for military purposes, the Com
mlssioneIs say, almost valueess for any other"
The buildings valuable for any purpose reguir-
"ing large collection of buildings Major hsr-
tin answers. The Commissioners say that the
hill oil and In iluntda fdTnu
diton. Meier Martin answers: "None OF them are
Gin dilapdaed condition. The general condtioa Of
the quarters and barracks at Fort Smelling are as
good MS the average quarters and Darraoks IN tho
United States" the Commissioners say: I'VE
"fbd The improvements the reservation al owned
and in possession of the post suffer Frankin Seee,
esq., Major Marin answers: An TIE improve,
'm.nts ami buildings which on the reserve did
not belong to MIR. Steele. The Commissioners ssy
they find that Mr. Steele has erected warehouse
the reservation. Major Martin answers it Is onestory
frame house about hieen by twenty feet. The Commits
soLers say thst Mr. Steele arranged with DIR. keo-
LIE b Mckenzie for stone hotel OF the value OF
$1,000 ard secured the Government from all claims
Oh account of it and add, 1--WE positive, therefore,
in saving that Mr. Steele ia the only claimant TO the
improvements Major Martin denies this. IL V
also denied BY Doctor Graham in bis testimony, ana
it is there distinctly shown, as wen as by the testl-
mony Of Heiske and Eastman that no such security
was given. In addition to thu, contract between
Steele CT ahsm and hather was entered into first be-
fore the gale the 9Th day Of June, 1917 and again
last contract subsequent TO the sale, the following
clause appears showing that no such arrangement ~
the Com mssioGers reported had been made The
aid Steele alsO further authorized TO arrange Win
"Kenneh Mckenzie for his claim and II he requires
GD acres Of land land in Gaze ls It TO exceed thai
"smOuLl he is to be confined to what is known tho
" Baker clam, and should the SAID Steele deem u ad-
"yisable he is auth orzed, instead Of deciding hun
"te land aforesaid, to pay him fort the renq
"Cf his entire claim sum not exceeding Slo,VW.
The Con nissoners say, we also collected such IN
formation regard to the sales OF other reservations
" time, under the circumstances wOuld ADMIT.
lana found that they seldom brought over u % per
acre when sold at private SALE" II bbeieved that
10 such examination was made, and certainly not with
any such result the only instances known to the Con-
uiitee Of reservations tod at private sale having been
emneHty successful; and nftaDce OF such sale hay
rg occurred at the price quoted. also, upon good
"authOrity," the Commissioner gay, ascertsined
18th at UbinatoLs being formed for tho pur-
pose OF purchasing these lands at the usual Govern
nent nice" The evidence of the Commissioners
Themselves shows cObcusyely that they were utterly
without any knowledge Of nDy sucn conDns.i ;a
I'VE examined Fort Smelling with view to ITS being
RETAINED ss u military depot, the Commissioners
soy. II II the testimony Of all the army officers 81 the
post that Mr.. Heiskel utterly unknown to them.
without which such an examination was impossible.
In this connection Mr. Helkell again made himself
copsDicuous AID, not coLteIt with this report, i'd
Ore SEQ supplemental e,ter to the Secretary Of War;
"1he party 10 whom sold the property, he Gays,
after the closest invest CATION Ind 10 10 rospon-
",ibe IN every respect, and can and will give the
Government any security required. No such IN
yestie alton was had, such security required and
none ,he.ed. Had we sold to any one else he says,
"iusl.ce would REQUIRE that Mr. Steele should receive
"fo n the Government from 81 go 10 $50 600 Tor tho
IMPROVEMENTS which lie owned upon the property,
end which lad been placed there for the accommo-
" cation Of the Government officers. Gen. Jessups
infomstiOn and the disclaimer Of steele thss ne hdd
10 equitable claim the reservation, sufficient
answer. "Tne psriies he says, forming the com
" bination being dsapp sined in their schems WIZ "a