The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1858-09-17
Administration Frauds.

While the leaders of the Slave Democ-
racy in this State are raising such dole
full cutlery over the alleged frauds of our
own State officers, consisting, mainly, ac-
cording to their own statements, of the
expenditure of few hundred dollars, in
pursuance of law in every instance, for
their necessary travslin~ expenses, u i
well cLoG-h - remind them, from time to
tue, Of the stupendous frauds committed
bv the officers of the General Government.
VIC noticed, a few days since, the great
fraud perpetratcd in Minnesota with the
sanction of the Secretary of War, by which
the Government was dcfrauded out Of not
less than quarter Of million Of dollars
at one fell swoop. The attempted fraud
Of the same parties under the patronage
of the same corrupt Secretary of War, at
Fort Leavenworth, was also spread before
the reader. We now propose to refresh
his memory with a recapitulation Of the
Wilfsn's Point" swindle, though they
have also been published, but somewhat
earlier, and may, therefore, have been for
gotten.
These facts are, that the government,
dcsirous of purchasing the site for fort
opposite Fort Schuyler, appropriated si10,-
600 for the purpose and to commence the
work, the Site desired being worth not
more than $4,000. 1t was offered 70 the
Government, however, at ono time for
100000, but the Secretary Of War re.
fused to take it, and procured an act of
Congress to take it at an appraisal This
refusal to take the land for $4,000 was
on the first of April, 1857. On the 18th
of the same, The same Secretary Of Var,
Gov Floyd, one of the chivalry of Vir-
ginia, agreed to pay 100000 for IT.
on the certificate of Collector Schell, and
Postmaster Fowler, Of New York The
bargain was made and $4,000 of the
money was at once paid over to Richard
Schell, tie Collectors brother, though the
title had never passed from the original
owners.
When it is remembered that the best
Judges of real estate in New York, such
men as Elk Mayor Miekle. and Anthony
j. Blocker, certified that the land was
worth only S45, 1000, and that it was offer
ed to the Secretary of War for 800, 900
only four weeks before he bought it for
200, 900, our readers will understand what
character to give the transaction. We
consider it gross swindle, perpetrated by
the Secretary for his own benefit and that
of his political friends, by which they
pocketed at least 800, 900, and the Gov
eminent was cheated out of S155,000!
Immediately upon receiving the sll5,-
600, Richard Schell deposited il in his
own name in bank, and on the 18th of
August, 1857, paid $4,000 of it on the
draft of John G. Matthews, leading Lo-
cofoco State Senator of New York city,
topards aiding TO carry out the Fort
Smelling swindlc. Another remarkable
fact is that about the same time Richard
Schell lent Secretary Floyd FIFTY
THOUSAND DOLLARS on his opn
memorandum, pithom interest or security
Whether Mr.. Floyd ever paid back this
money, or whether it was bis share of the
swindle, our readers can Judge as well as
we can. At any rate he got the money
into his possession, and there is no rea-
son to doubt that his consideration for
giving his sanction to the Fort Smelling
fraud was quite as large, and it ought to
have been much larger, for the fraud was
on a much more extensive scale. And
this is the way the expenses of the Gen.
eral Government have been increased by
Buchanans Administration from $780,
100000 10 slo4 900, 900 per anuum -
Der Ar