New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-06-09
''or Of saco la,S' As the Ocv.pusi' might s.isct To-
for. oppos.ts Fort schuyler.

3
$4,000. wissu.as, tbs then cceapsa. asa owns
the tls bsiog vested in his wife. BY hc- .rus.ee
NJ. Van Blar kessteysI was ANXIOUS TO eel ~ tas
UI;:sd >tS,es bat his price being ooosdegpd sxosb.
tsst BY Geo. Tct;en 81 the Sec,e'ry OF Va, m.s-
r,ss "a. ben Unlisted snd were progressing b,
have az scl paced by tie Legislature Of the xss,
of New-loik, FOR the condemnation OF the property
snd lie apr,sisemsn. By sjuiy
While Msjor Bs nsrd was actively engaged IN pro-
cUirg tie pas age Of this act, or the I'D OF April,
1857 written piopcssl or offer 10 Sol the property
was prepared AID approved by PrcspS NJ WetnHs.
and thea ss nea by Mr.. George irving the iaamsss
trend Of Prosper 81. WetmoIe, IN which George "
rirg oilers fer ssle he neck Of lsod known -
"wI,eits ior wiikIssD Neck situ,ted on the vest
" Sde Of Lltls Neck Bay sud directly oPposite Fst
tuher IN Wertchester Couuty, a. the cenfasnce
"oi The Est River ard Long Islsrd sound The
offer urtAeg states: " 4. Neck contains sxclussvs
e 20 acres belonging TO Ms. Day shout l3) sotss
CT lsnj. II will be sold lexclcsivs Of Mr. Days
" anil for the sum Of sO00oo, payable as follows
Sll5,tO or the 6rst day of JGly, 1857 tae bsascs
" G So GOO msy remain on mortgsge fer I've ycsss.
u eesiroi 1sis ctfer "a TO remain biodicg On
"George Irving until the lith OF April 1851. Tao
title y aGisputabe, std no person has power 10 ell
80 but George I,irg."
On tie morriDg Of the 4th April, 1857, IS appears
by tleir hand sIiIr in tae bOoks at Willard Hctsi
PrIsrer ~ Wetmore aud John G. Mather arrived IN
Wsshirgten, ard stopped at wls<os Hotel
The utcersiened has reason to believe that thss
Ter, slated by George Irving Was conveyed 20 the
Secretary Of War by John &. Msther. wso was -
intimate TEL With the Secretary. The undsrsigosA
ssn has reason TO believe that Mr.. Matker remaiae4
n Washington until the 18th April. 1857 which dap
letter was prepared and signed, bearing thst dsss.
by the Secretary Of War appoictiog Mr.. Augustus
Sctei Commissioner TO ascertain and report the
lslue If this property TO the War Departnsnt tSc
Mr.. Secretary Floyds testimony
la tie opinion OF the undersgned this letter OF the
Secretary Il Wsr conveyed by Mr. Msther 20 Mr..
Augustus Scbtn in Nsw.Yoik, IS IL appears that IN
the cay the letter bears date MIR Mstber paid htS
" In ha xuallt h
that tie Committee do not see any good reason whY
Mr. A. Schell should nave been selected 80 Coums-
sioner Inasmuch as the Hon. Heman }. Reo6eij.
gentleman of acknowedfe ed integrity ard ability, who
tas occupied number Of dsti guishtd positioss N
NewloIk, then Collector Of the Port Of Nes-
York. The selection Ct Mr. Sche therefore, a. Con
missioner could rot have been made becsuse he held
an CioiA posli:on under the Government. for he DID
rot enter upC his dutieo Collector until the let
july 1851 but his appointment must have been based
upon other AID personal reasons.
ON the day following the arrival OF Mr.. Msthsr sst
this letter IN York, on the 18th Of April, MIR,
Prosper NJ. WbrMoRs who had been in WsshioS-
ton with Msther, as the ardersigned believe, u jon
business connected with this transacton did, IN DOM.
pany with George Iryf z, proceed 70 the residence a
Mr. 'wissmsn, the then owner and ocoupsnt OF Wd-
xmas 70 Mt end pay him 81, COO, which hs hal boz
rowea from Richard Schell fer the purpose. lie took
a receipt from Wssman for this money and made 81
agreement with him to this effect that upon sne
ment Of 50 co., in addition the 2Sth Of April fol-
lowing Re (Wissmspl would convey the property
brtfy therein described without giving the screslte
Irvirg who was to pay sl3O,OOO for It, sSS. OW Of
wbicn was to remain GU me tgage Tor hye years, 81
aeyen per cent interest off desiied and the bssncs
to be paid on or before the 10th day OF july oliowus
This receipt and agreement were both signed ~
Frederick Wissman and net by bis vile and trustee,
but they were witnessed by Proper NJ. Wetmore who
perm, ses the whole transaction and whose industry
and activity in tho matter is s.Ikingly exhibited o.
this cay ia the promptness with which he proceeded
With tte agreement from Wissmans residence TO tho
I,u 81 ia in EluehiDQ
LEGGED 6nd from thence to the efce OF the Cerk
Of Queens County Long Island, at Jamaica, whsrs
il was on the same day recorded
All this time the Engineer Bureau, represented by
Gel era Totten and NJ sjor Barnard, were engaged 10
Albany ~ T., in having the act passed for the con-
AmnatiOa Of the properly by Jury and ths act was
pissed on the day, the 81 900 psid and ths
receipt aud agreement was signed by Wis,msn Irv-
ing his oer of the Sd OF April alleged that no only
had authority to sell, when the testimony shows Goa
cusvey that no had no legal agreement at the time.
right to sei transfer tho property To the tovsra
ment any body else, and that he did not become
posse ssed Of such right until the l9th day Of Aprd
aid not then il Wissnans wife and her trustee
had repudiaed the contract. Ten days after the date
Of this oGer, the Secretary Of War ordered oomms-
sion to exsnre into and judge Of its fsrness.
1t will be seen by tho evidence that about the md
die Of March, 1857, when the agent of ths Eogneers
in Chsrge at New-York, Mr.. Van Nostrsnd. was hoa
eslly and fsi hfuly making such Inquiries a. nigh.
brig the Department to knowledge Of the property
opposite Fort Schuyler its value, and by whom It vas
H.
hun the yslue of the Wilkinss Point property aGd
OTHER property in the vicinity telling him At tho
time that he was figuring on behalf OF the Govern
ment, which Intended bnJ ing site for fort sonas-
where there. Netmore replied that property wss
held at very high prices in the neghborhood aud that
very little was for sale.
Your Committee are Of opinion that upon tbls init
nation or statement from Mr.. Van Noetrand, Mr.
Prosper NJ. Wetmore initiated the combination which
was subsequently, successful in obtaining from tho
Government 500 GtJ for the property
Mr.. Wetmore called upon his friend, Richard Scheh,
who Was also the friend Of the Secretary of Wss,
Informed him of tho faettbat the Government intended
mskir the purchase, and negotiated with BIN loan,
Of which he then received 900, to specuats in the
purchase of this property. The sudden change OF the
Secretary Of War IN his course IN hret refusing TO take
this property up to and the let Of April for 100000
and Insistpg on q condemnation, ana thsn seriously
considering the offer Of Irving at $oO and appoint.
ipg commission to ascertain It's fairness, osu 10 %
way be accounted 'OT by the u1dersigned other tbaA
that be had in the mean time, 10 interview vita
Richard Schel on the 9Th Of March, 1851 when that
gentleman was in Washington and saw bin, had this
fer Of Irving and the parties connected With Is
explained TO him.
tpcn tho payment of the 81, 900 by Irving aud
Prosper NJ. Wetmore the 18th u April, 1857, o.
tensiby paid the part Of George Irving, aud the
agreement then made with Wi-smsn the fcuncsslon
Of the plan was laid by combination OF spocs-
ators for the sale Of this property TO the Govern
mtnt for the enormous price Ut $9OO,OoO.
The unc ersgned regrets that the successful efforts
Of IL ESQ SPECTATORS IN great measure 20 cover
I'd the transaction, has prevented sll Of them beag
directly III pioatei IN IT, although the eyidsacs 70
resrly di,ec a. to the particular individuals engaged
IL It.
In compliance with the reques. Of the Secretary OF
War Mr. A. Schell proceeded to make his exsmiaa-
,ions a. TO the ysue 0t tbs property. But even 10
this examination atd its results, his friend Me- Pros
per NJ. Weimcre appears from the evidence b have
been the leading and controlling spirit. He frat wrcss
certificate stating property to be worth per acre
sum which in TIE aggregate would make is value
say 10 scres) SS67, 800, and then induced orr
tioneers by the promise Of fec, to sign it without
first examining the property or ything else.
He then met, 10 company with Mr.. Irving and o.
appointn ebt M A. Schel and Mr.. Isaac V. Fowler,
al Flushing, and with them drove down 10 lrviags
carnage TO Mr.. Wisemsns, TO make an examination