Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-03-01

nance heports, winch Mr. RlYeS finally sup
piled at s2i set, and a portion of the Diplo-
matte Correspondence that he could not pro-
cure; that the books were delivered in one Of
the committee rooms at the Capitol, received
by Mr.. Baiiy, Mr.. Emerich. and others, and
every set that was brought in was examined
" Ut course we did not examine every volume
thoroughly to see whether 1t was imperfect or
not because We could not do that If there
was any imPerfection found, We stood ready to
make It right, as We do in all other cases.
Mr.. Bailey, who has been connected with the
clerk office some eight years, testifes that he
had charge of the book business after the lst
OF April, 1851; that in the absence of the clerk
and under instructions from him to have every
thing right in the matter, and to see that the
books should be in good condition, he gave his
personal attention TO receiving the books fur
nished for the Libraries, aided by Mr.. Emerich:
that he attended to having the books packed
and boxed up, and sent to the libraries; that he
neither received nor sent away any books that
he knew were not in good order. Mr. Robert
n. Elliot testiies that from the 10Th of October
to the eth Of December last, at the instance and
In the employ of, John G. Riyes. he visited
twenty-five public libraries in the States of In-
diana, Ohio, New York. New Hampshire. Mas
sachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Maryland to
look for the Congressional Globe and Appendix
the Finance Reports, and the Diplomatic Cor
respondencc; that he found of the first work in
each library he visited from thirty-seven to
seTenty-six volumes some of them much worn
and sOiled by dampness, and in some cases the
labels off; the Diplomatic Correspondence was
in many instances found wanting but no charge
had been made for il, As be ascertains; no COM
plaint was made in regard to the Finance Re-
ports. A portion of these libraries were supplied
by the present clerk. Some complaints have
been made that in some cases there were dupli-
cate volumes Of the Congressional Globe and APP
pendix, and in others volume wanting This is
very satisfactorily explained by Mr. Bailey a.
resulting from the mistake of the binder, not
cHccting the contents of thework 1t appears
that the clerk very carly authorized Mr.. Hugh
Tyler to purchase the books required for the
members of the last House. Besides the twen-
ty-four sets of books already referred to, and
commented upon it appears that on the 29th Of
March, 1882 he purchased from Mcssrs Gales
d Seaton, of this city, ninety sets of Annals
OF Congress, Register of Debates, and Senate
Land Laws, at the publishers price of S32, ,S5O
that during the negotiation. a. Mr. Seaton
says, " the clerk placed me in the hands of an
agent who, he said, would arrange with me for
the number of copies which would be wanted
He declined giving the order himself and said
he would send man to me and would give an
order to him for such number of copies as he
should specify or agree to take. l received
the order from Mr.. Cullom directly The
agent informed me that he would obtain the
order from the clerk, or would secure the order
to issue from the clerk. Gen. CuIIom had pre-
vioqsly stated that he would give an order for
such number of the books as Tyler should stip-
ulate for US to Nrnish.'' This agent. Tyler.
exacted from them their check on the banking
house of Suter Lea Co. for seven thousand
dollars: which was hOnored, and tho money re-
eeived by Tyler.
In communication addressed to the Secre-
tary OF the Treasury by the clerk, July %,
1891, and verified by his affidavit, he aludes
to charge that had been made against him at
the Treasury Department, growing out of this
transaction, in the following terms:
- As to the allegation that Gales d Seatop
had paid MIR. Tyler a sum OF money on any &C
count, | know nothing. gave Messrs GALES
4 SeatOn the order for the books myself uncOI :
ditionslly; and my requistiOn for the amount
OF their reeeiptod bill was before the Comptrol-
Ter of the Treasury, when L went to Tennessee.
and was passed and paid. a. | understood, to
Gales and Seaton in my absence What they
did with the money know not Certain it is
have not received cent of IT nor have [
learned from Mr.. Tyler that be has If such
be the fact, l aver that have no knowledge
Of it
MIR. Tylers testimony fully sustsins this sol
emn averment of the clerk. He says that Mr.
Cullon did not in any way, directly or indi-
rectly, receive any part or portion Of any profit
or percentage growing out of the book contract
with him; nor was any agreed to be paid
Ii Is proper 10 add that this transaction OF
Tyler with Messrs. Gales Seaton appears to
be the only one performed by Tyler while act
ing under the authority of Mr.. Cullom
1t furthermore appears, that Mr.. John Tret-
ler, book binder Of this city. had q contract
with the late clerk to bind the reserved docu-
ments OF the last Congress, amounting to sew
enty-fye or eighty thousand dollars that he
applied in person to the clerk, and presented
the recommendations Of some Of the best citi.
zens of W ashington; that he wanted the work
and, as be says, suppOsng that Mr.. Tyler had
influence with the clerk, he subsequently, went
to Mr.. Tyler and offered to give him twenty
five per cent. on the contract if he would secure
1t for him; that Mr. Tyler accepted his offer
and that he paid him something over twelve
thousand dollars
Without going at large into the testimony
your committee will simply say that it doe,
not appear either that the clerk participated
in this money, or knew Of the arrangement be.
tween Messrs. Tretler and Tyler. or even that
the latter In any way intervened for the BRO
curement OF the contract 1t is shown by Mr.
Tretler, that, at the instance and by the direc.
tion Of Tyler, he avoided the clerk, who in
VAN made repeated efforts to see him and il
furthermore appears that, when an intimation
was given to the clerk of the reason why Tret.
ler kept away, he went to his establishment
and not finding him there, left q message for
him with his son, who superintended his busi.
ness, denouncing the suspected agreement if
any such existed.
At the close Of the second session of the last
Congress, five of the employees in the clerk $
office requested leave of absence during the re-
cess, all, with one exception, to engage in the
pending Presidential canvass.
The clerk granted the leave, but informed
them that during the time they would be alb
sent, they should be considered out of Office
assigning for this course the twofold reason that
he wanted to bestow portion of his official
patronage upOn others of his friends, and that
he deemed it Incompatible with the duties of
salaried officers Of the Government to engage
in the strife Of political canvass.
Objection was made by some of them to being
displaced, and it was proposed by them that
their names should be continued upon the pay
roll, as being in Office that on their return they
should receipt the payroll and endorse the
checks for their pay TO the clerk, or under his
directions, To this arrangement the clerks as,
sented SO
The absentees appear all to have understood
that substitutes were to be employed and their
pay was to 90 to the compensation Of such sub
sltutes. No substitutes, however, were en-
plnvaH In facf I'll RI ~