The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-06-10
THE wILLRrr's PorHr CASE.

Tho upoers,gped, one oR the members OF the spoota
eses.e toe circumstance connected sn ne sale ana
purchase by government Of certain pot parcel Of
land On Long Island IL the STATE Of New York oommouy
Known a. wiIkins Point bepg uuab to agree Nth
other member Of the committee, resoscsfay asks
10 prt his views the House From testim
nessss, the following facts we're elois1 Is appsars
that for more than thirty years past tho necessity
Of erecting another tort In the vicinuy Fort
scbuy ler, the opposite side OF Long Issad Sound,
hss been Of consideration with the govern meo
and general opinion has been directed 70 wlss Neck
land to the investigator OF the sale and puronsse Of
which tho Of POUR tse has ooeu drectedl
the Dost available point for this purpoee. roSards
tee coee OF tho third session OF the Last Congress- the
sum Of $3.50 was appropriated for the purchase OF
location for such fort, without specifically naming any
vicinity relative msrs OF which nad been uoder oou
alteration. After careful examination OF these sevors
poinA, and mature elaboration ss 70 shsr respective
merits there could DO NO question - 70 the superiority,
Ia ALI respects OF Wnkps Point Tor the pur pose iateaded
ihA property appears, was In tho possession or one
~Asrsn, who knowing that the governWoot had eye
lor oruncatson purposes am being assured by
scts within his knowodSe that
it gas the most suitable location in the neigh oorhood
naturally placed upon higher value than perhaps its
intrinsic merits wonlo eSsie Il tor any purpose
But this matter Of doubt with the usders yned
no. for > moment DO called In overwhelmingly
shows that property tu this viciniy u, In
some rstaDcss hed muuh higher Of value than
pad for Wnkina, Point there liable owl
dence IN opposition N ts tending TO provo that 10 any
could property al the Kind 1t ali suxbe for
such parpee, be oosAiasd IN he neishOorhood n
II further appears from correspondence produced 10
evidence that after the appropriation of $50 900 was
made WseDAo the then owner or the property, offered
to dispose OF 70 the government Tor 81 900 sore
aetna! and accurate survey beng made snd In a1di
70 receive $i6 00c or his improvements THIS state
mept u made BY j. G. Raroard, Brevet AJor Easiaesrs
IN communication TO Goa. J. g. Totem, bearing date
March "a 1857.
frlm the oral testimony Of Mr. w'sman before the
Committee also appears that about week tso days
alrr toe OF ths o mating the appropriation for
the purchase Mr. Van Nosrsnd, behalf OF Maj,r Bar
pNd, callod the saia Wssmsn to inquire his price,
ana that Tssmsn offered 70 ee tae land for 81 900 par
acre. or 10 tale sesoo for the whoe inc udios his i'm
ptovewe6ts Van Nostrand requested Wissmsn 70 give
hm written memorandum to the effect that be 40 AID
tsso ssoo0c0 for the whole This propo'ioD w'ssmsn
would make his report to The oareAu IN
Washington. and requested weeks time Ia
rider TO obtain an answer, 10 this wissman agreed
10 The tautiDe, one George Irvsbg who lives but
short distance Wssmsn, navcg heard OF the sppro
p,aton, sppied 70 Wssmau 70 ascertain the value he
put upon bs spd and eventusly made him Al offer OF
$3.50 900 for he land the To this offer
WesmAn replied
had contract with Mr. Van Nos, and, who $50
msss bis ,epo 20 and sse though should
s &
sell 70 him for thai price bu.thst thought out Of polite
Al the expiration Of week ten ays-the time spe
CITED during which Wssmsn expected 70 from Major
BarnHrdK appeas that be Van Nostrsnd. and tnst
from Wash ngton and that the dd not want
the land; but that If they should toey would taks II
between wIssm.o and the sovsrumsn, sermu led aud
the former having given Irving written engagement to
sell the property To him In case the government
Old not want IT,, negotiatocs between them were
forthwith set on foot. some written agreement was
then entered into; but after two or three
in order to make Of binding force the sum Of va:
paid BY Irving TO Wissman Thus appears that from
four 70 five weeks nterveped between the passage or the
A. n
this purchase appears that SO 600 were 10 be paid In
May S3t 600 10 july and that mortgage Of SIS 900
&c remain upon The property: The cash conditions we're
In confirmation OF wissmsns Testimony to the eec. ths.
Van NoeI had nfor mod bim that the aid
nct want this property, Mr.. Irving says
The day went Mr. wissman he told thst Major
n ss s' BE-
70 ursdsr Point , s.y and had given out that
Irving having become the owner Of the property
be wrote 70 the Secretary OF War, making an offer Of
sale, and fixing tho price at $500 900 Hhosrto up
leave negotiations purchases Of this nature II charge
Of the Engineer bureau, "subjcct" Gcocral rottsn
sw M;o Su. for rcss fSs- which were no aouS;
satisfactory TO the Secretary, seems that In this
s me oS ~: Of
Engineer department, and took charge OF himself ~
The besd Of the War Department Secretary Floyd, in
his examination before the committee, says
charge and he sssiseer In chief aoos pro
peoo Th no. n. % sas ana ss.
could not ink Of enternG into rAnsscslen Of The sort
S' o ts and iisS he .sos Ding fully
vas ,ss os,oas n he soals. q
day.. ,s., maedi..ey .fs, .he for u, pur
e s had s:ss
so q he proSsy But a event. had passed into
me hand. q ara gsr,: and s question Ys..sns, 2 y
Again. the Secretary Of war speaking Of the transscen
says
carried "a b. ne Easassr department. xi:Aog, any
be coosalsd about IL
fhe Secretary further says-
The rst Incident In 6e ansactoa which my sps
pro be Tn.sS sss! ss' s
specific terma-
On die other hand General lotion says before The com
mitiee:-
kept ths sccrssary Of War informed IRON Of
The susject By Communicating 70 him The letters OF MAJOR
And further General Totem states that The Secretary
Of War coenizAn Of tho fact th Major Barnard sup
posed The property could be obtained for 100000 In
deed General rottep In hs testimony 70 convey
the idea throughout thss the Secretary OF War
was fully oouversant with all the facts and ctr
Sss,so,Ds wSs.h.p there = or NO. ascr.ps"cy b.
the statements Of the Secretary Of War and those o
Gen. Totem may be matter Of grave cousderaion but
worthy Of remark here that copy OF letter written
by Gen Totem Major BARNARD dated Engineer Depart
nent, Warrington MARCH 10. 1887, contains The follow
ing very remarkable manage
have idea Secretary OF War viii authorize
offer 70 Wssman the mention for his proper
" pnns Point and herefore have not submitted your
proposition 70 HIM
NOT for the undersigned 70 sisempt 70 reconcile this
avowa made BY Gen Totten the 2eh OF March, 1851
with his statements made before The commitsce; but u
certainly goes strongly 70 oorroeoraie the assertion Of the
Secretary Of War that he knew nothing Of these usnsac
tons until found necessary that he should be
suited This letter Gen. Totten's dated the 26th Of
March and u represented that the sale made by
wissman Irving the folio wing day 90 that must
be obvious the Secretary not only had kno ~edge Of
the price Il which the purchase could chen have been
made but that he consequently could not mako Tor
want Of knowledge and ought not therefore, 70 BE-
ned responsible the delsqueuciee Of hm subordnass
mus far the state OF the case be very PLAIN
and entirely dveusd Of any thing Ike intricscy Here IL
piece OF properly which, II the time the appropriation
made and for some three weeks aterw
could have been purchased for $4,000, but vas not
then purchased Other parties, knowing the require
ments Of The and the peculiar adaptation OF
this above all osbers step between the negotiating
parties and, In sequence OF the delay In composing