The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-08-26

Pennsvlvauia cii1ue had also its candidates
on the groumi The Secretary gave orders
TO them all to supply so many mules-the
number Ippf down in the order being in pro-
portion to the Congressional influence ex-
erted in behalf of tie recipient. No price
was fixed, but the Secretary sent sutograph
letters to the Quarter-MaStera Fort Leaven-
worth, telling him Indirectly to allow a large
per centage ON the outlay of the contractors.
In fact, authority was given under-hand, TO
the Quarter-Naster, To give any price he
chose and il was because nc did not avail
himself of this authority To the mmost ex-
tent. that he is arraisRed before the court.
lie evidently misunderstood the spirit of his
Instructions. or he refused to lend himself to
the robbing of the Secretary.
These facts are uuleniable. The rule
adopted made the-coutractOrs indifferent to
the prime cost Of the mules, because their
profits were to be in proportion TO the out
lay of capital. in fact the dearer they
bought the more they made and if they
paid higher prices than they might have
paid in the first instance, who can blame
them ? .s.e .,-.'..
> The conduct of Van yliet may have saw
ed something to the Government but it
would be an egregious mistake to suppose
that his purchases were not costly. The
average price of the mules which were pur-
chased for the expedition this summer was
not less than Que Hundred and seventy dol
liars. ltis within our knowledge that Col.
Crossman, ID. q. rt,.. several months ago,
when stationed in this city, received pro-
posal from Messrs. Caldwell 4 Geary, of In
dianola, Texas, to supply the Government
with all the nudes they required, and de-
liver them at Fort Leavenworth, at prices
varying from eighty-ivc TO one hundred
dollars a head. Their letter to that effect
was forwarded 40 Washington, and is now
ON file in the-War Department. Caldwell
* Geary are well known TO several officers
'of the army. and to the Qnarter-Master
General, and other gentlemen high in office.
Ii was they who furnished Captain Pope
with his animals when he went out on his
expedition for boring ArteSian wells. They
are wealthy responsible men, to whom the
business of furnishing mules in large num-
berS, is a comparatively easy matter, from
the number of these animals which are
found in Texas aud Mexico. If their offer
was accepted, the jobbing of the Secretary
of War and the Lecompton fund would he
curtailcd. This could not I've endured by
that dignitary, or his political friends, so he
preferred Instead OF giving seventy-five dol
lars a head fbrmuleS,to give hundred aRd
sixty-five, or more than twice the sum-
We have been informed that Senator Davis,
of Mississippi, has been put in possession of
these facts, and also one or two members of
the other branch of Congress. We are in
clined to think that they constitute good
ground for demanding another committee of
investigation, on the conduct of Secretary,
Floyd. Kindred facts will doubtless be de-
veloped by the INVESTIGATION which is about
To take place at Fort Leavenworth, and we
submit the whsle matter should be yentilat-
cd at the next sessioupf Congress. 1t is
true officers who could throw most light on
the subject have been put out OF the way
-eyicd To- Ut,h-.hut sufficient testimony
will I've available to Illustrate another chap
ter in the black book of corruption and
pronigate expenditure which this Admins
tration opened with the country when it
came into Office, and which shows even now
Il bankrupt treasury on one page, and few
and but few, fraudulent election successes
on the other.