The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-04-11


and said lie did not know what would cost to get these
contracts at the War Department. Now, sir has there
been any hing In the character conduct OF the Secrc
t.ry Of War which would Justify imputation Of this
sort upon himg Has the gentleman any evidence to
rant 1t Why yes sir he tells that contractor
furnished him the information but when called upon TO
give the Of the contractor, he says that he can
not do IT that might be that the seal OF private con-
fdencc upon that communication when made to him
Mr. Chairman ask him, IN all sincerity and Kindness
if he could not furnish the name why not the seal
vi private confidence upon the communication and why
could it be given, and not the name! Why could the
name not be furnishedf Why the statement made
and the not furnshedy But the report GENES in
and the gentlemans allegations distinctly met Who
il the contractor Who is it that has given cur
rency this libel against the head Of the War Depart
ments The gentleman will recognise the principle of
law that be undertakes to circulate report unfoundcd
In fact against any one, and, when called upon refuses
to uEn e nanae OF responsible Informant, he Is held
in law liable for the libel which he circnlaes. And
think that would be held not only in law but in good
morals I therefore call upon the gentleman, in all
Kindness to let know who this libeer Of the Secre
tay of War is 1t due to his reputation to inform
Mr.. LOVEJOY. If tho gentleman will give me time
to refer to this discussion and set the matter right
should like to do SO soon as get the floor.
Mr.. LETCHER. / want the name it does not take
long to refer to that.
Mr.. LOvEJOY. am responsible for all that stated
here
Mr.. LETCHER. Then, Mr.. Chairman, since this con-
troversy begun, and since these mputations have
been made the Secretary Of War, General Jesup,
whom the gentleman from Illinois has referred to- has
reported to this House. and that report tell the gen.
tlenan very respectfully does not confirm what he says
he is responsible for, else have misunderstood his
speech Now, when these contracts in, what
are they? Has the government been plundcred Has
the Secretary of War had anything to do with these
contracts, individually Has he done anything more
than give them his approval under the law OF Congress
which is laid down to him guide for his course.
Look at the act of $780, and what the duty of the
quartemaster general is and what the duty OF the Sec
retary Of War s under particular circumstances Sec
ton six provides
shall by Secretary
the Treasury Department OF War ofthc Navy
ADEQUATE to lis udmcnt and excepting also contracts for The %
tuce and clothing the contracts in the
department. which be made by the Secretaries of
| those departments"
There is the law appeal to this House. after all that
has been said whether the Secretary Of War does not
stand here by the papers vindicated before the House and
country having conformed his action to this law of the
land When these contracts come here, is there any
evidence furnished by them that the government has
been plnndered that anybody has rewarded him or
the quartermaser, any other person connected with
the War Department for the purpose Of procuring them
SO far of these contracts is concerned find
that the contract would have hnkruped the parties who
made it, The Secretary of War released them from it,
and out his qurtermaster to make the necessary
purchases for the army And sir every who knows
thing about it knows that, at the prices there propo
sed to be paid for this article of beef the contractor could
not hope to make profit, but must have subjected
himself to very great loss. take it that IL s the
with regard to the article of horses fifteen hundred of
which ordered to be purchased by the quartermaste
and delivered at Fort I<Ayenwo{th. These horses must
be Of particular description come up to- the
quired standard and the dealer must the risk of
transportation by steamboat and otherwise till they
delivered 1t the point specified in the contract There
they must be inspected and the dealer the risk Of
the rejection of less Of them and he is only to
be paid $3.50 for those that received.
But the gentleman from Illinois says that this is n
mosous price, and that you bay such horses
|
me say to him that have friend here in the House who
is willing to give to him the benefit of just contract
that the gentleman is willing to take the contract
there will be proposition before this bill will be disposed
of to contract with the gentleman from Illinois, with
any other responsible person. to furnish such horses the
government may want at $l0O per head Now we will
see whether the gentleman from Illinois will come up
| and stand to that contract.
| Mr.. LOVEJOY. / hope you will give me good q
! price as the other contractors 1853.
Mr.. LETCHER Is the gentleman going to back outl
He does not to tell that these horses not
worth $780, and then back when he is offered con-
| tract at that price
Mr.. LOVEJOY. | did not say that would back out
But say that it is fair should get the contract at as
good price as the others. ta
/ Mr.. LElCHER Yes; but you say that rate Ia too
high and you would not wish to cheat tho government?
| Laughter.
Now, let us look at another point in this connexion
Take the other articles embraced in this contract Here
cider vinegar first quality at four and three quarter
cents per gallon Is that pundering contract! Is
fined white sugar at nine and half cents per pound q
pundering contract delivered at ST. Louis So take
it, with the article of sperm candles Mt twenty -four cents
per pound. You and l, sir, know that do not get
them furnished for families at that price, from
own market, in the city of Richmond. And yet this
contract thus mae is said to be unreasonable and
unfair contract and mpuatons cast the Secretary
of War in connexon with it, Let tell the gentleman
from Illinois that, no matter who his informant may be-
in operations of this sort the fang of slander will urtess
break the adamant of the Secretary reputation.
! Well my friend from Ohio Mr.. SHERMAN complained
that did not furnish information to what part of
these appropriations anticipation and what part
deficiency Now, if the gentlemen will take the trouble
to make examination he will find in Miscellaneous
Document No ~ that the whole is there stated. He
will find how much OF it anticipated and how much of
it is fos deficiency If he will 60 further he will find
explanatory remarks He will find something like the
cost of furnishing these supplies to the army estima
| ted In the Quartermaster Generals department.
But sir these gentlemen say that the Secretary of War
wants patronage. If So had he not fine opportunity
to that patronage under this provision OF the law
by going into these contracts and purchasing these sup
plies, that transportation might be carried govern
ment acconti He would have been in the market for
forty thousand He would have been in the market
for the hire of three thousand men, He would have
been in the market for everything necessary cothe and
sustain the troops And submit to this House whether
privilege of this kind would not have been far eff
fcctve and far useful for the purpose of patronage
and for his advancement than by the course which
he saw fit TO adopt And suppose he had done It. Could
he not have done it under the sanction of the law? Would
he not have been authorized do it under this section
/ take it that he would.
But, sir, my colleague Mr. GARNErr in his remarks of
yesterday said that he desired that should for
ward and introduce which should take the