New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-06-05

Simeon Draper, who ha. owned the next polns THIS
WY (COyders had this very point in bis hands ioi
sale for months, sud, an extensive dealer 10 reai
estate, knows al abou. it, Anthony j. Bleecker'
who also knows it well, and who knows the value
Of real estate hereabouts as we'll as any man hVing
agrees substantially in this valuation.
,. Tbs property might have been had, since the
incoming Of the present Administration, for 500
OOO. M,jsr Barnard Of the Engineer Corps had
the refusal Of il for some time at that rate aud so
notified Mr.. Secretary Floyd but he did not accept
and the opportunity was lost
g. Hereupon the property was slipped, st least
noninaDy, into the hands Of Mr. George Irving
Long Islander Of very moderate means and aOlli-
ties but who appears to be furnished with brains
by bis cropy ard late neighbor, Mr. Prosper u.
Wetnore. Much of the evidence tends s.ronglyto
show that Mr.. Irving is merely puppet, whereof
the wires are wholly worked by Dir. p N. Wet
more; but Dir. Wetmore's is so positively adverse to
this that We most discard the suppostion.
4. TIE price which Mr.. Irving would seem to
have agreed 10 pay for this property is s13O,OOo
or little moe than twioe its actual value. VI
this, however, very little WAS really paid by
Mr.. Irving, or b. others in bis behalf. Some
$50 900 was advanced by Dir. Richard Scheu
to clear of mortgages on the property no less than
Se5, 900 now remains as q mortgage on the prem
i:es, payable b. the United States to the owners
anterior TO Nr Irving; the balance of the $500
we believe has been received by them. The odd
$40 600 i, clear profit to somebOdy-they say 70
Mr. George Irying-but 10 less than S5l $50 OF 1t,
in addition 10 commission Of s., 900, remains
TO this hour in the hands Of Mr. Richard Scbel who
took the Treasury draft for SIZE. 900 out of the
hands Of Mr.. Irving Immediately on bis receiving
il, repaid his own advances aforesaid, gave Dir.
Irving some $4,000 soon after, and never gave
him even receipt or scrap fpaper till after this
Investigation was ordered, when he sent to Dir.
VIM. C. Wetmore (who passed the title and
operated for the parties at WashingtoD) this six
months autedsted and most astonishing piece of
paper, stipulatir for interest and acknowledg-
ing no value received;
"NEwYoEv, July Is, 1851.
su.7ss IS
Ohe year after date promise to pay to my own order fifty
thousand husdTed and sixty dO1,' and s1veny
FIVE "RlCHAhD oChELL'
Endorsed RICHARD ScHELL.D
mr. VIM c. Wemore figures in this expcss as Mr. lrvings
the transaction he has BEEN the custodian OF
the above remarkable since left Mr. Shells
bands time last Winter he does not to have OBJ
its sucency the only security for what
nearly his clients We bound to that
Mr. does business in his line in busnesss
manner than be 70 have done Mr Irvins's
s. The entire appropriation made by the last
Congress to purchase site for and commence
erecting fort on or near this point was hut
$500 yet this property (Which seems no: to
be sufficiently is bought for $500 900, or nearly
i, coo per acre fer all above high-water mark
The valuation on which the War Department con-
scented to pay this price was made by Messrs.
Augustus Schell (Collector) and Isaac " Fowler
(Postmaster), who rode over TO the spot one hne
day last season on purpofe, being conveyed or con-
yoyed by Messrs. Prosper N. Wetmorc and George
Irving Several houses dealing somewhat IN real
estate were induced to sign certii cate that this
was worth $4,000 per acre, aud were
paid $50 each for that uufatigung labor. Mr.
Blocker was asked to earn $50 by signing it, but
couldn't be persuaded to do SO; Mr.. Draper, who
knew the property most intimately, was not asked;
Mr. Cole who is the heaviest dealer in real estate
on Long Island either was not asked or did not
concur. His estimate of the value Of the property
accords substantially with those of Messrs BleecAer
and Draper.
g. TIE title 10 this property was not passed at
the District Attorneys office in this city. The
papers were cent there TO be passed, but did not
get through, and were taken away and put through
the Attorney. Generals Office at Washington. Mr.
McKeon testifes that in no other instance while he
was District Attorney was title thus passed over
his head Attorney. General Black test fies that be
would not taye passed this title if he had been
aware Of the facts Mr.. r. II. Gie' (snce re.
signed then Assistant to Mr. Black appears to have
done the Job. We believe there is no other case
on recold-certanly, no recent csse-ln which the
Government has purchased property and given
mortgage for part of the purchase money. The
buying of a property for $500 600 where but
$1,000 has been appropriated for the purpose BY
Congress, must belong to class of official opera
tons which are exceedingly rare.
:. Mr. Schell, who appears to have been prin-
cpal actor in this business was at the time cred
itor of Mr.. Floyd, the Secretary Of War, or at
least had discounted considerable amount of his
paper, presented by Mr.. Floyds private confden-
tial agent, Mr.. r. W. Latham. Mr.. Schell roughly
estimates the amount Of such discounts by him of
Floyd's paper at $50, 900. Mr.. Haskin wished to
ascertain whether any Of this paper remains unpaid,
but the rest Of the Committee ruled the question
out.
8. The New-York operators in this financial en-
terprise we're also deeply concerned in the kindred
purchase Of Fort Smelling and it seems also in the
.s'e az smother fort site to tie Government nea