Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1859-10-13

having contributed ten Thousand dollars TO-
wards the election Of Mr.. Buchanan--this
was before the Duquesne letter was written
was reimbursed seven times over out Of the
public treasury by the sale of mass Of worth
less timber that was then lying in the navy
yards where good timber was in abundance
as rejected and good for nothing, for which
he received the moderate compensation Of
S17l 200. Yet no swatch dog" in Virginia
has raised his voice to give the people warn
ng of this open. daylight robbery of the pub
lie money.
Coal CoNTRACTs.-Thc coal contracts for
the Navy exhibit the same extravaganza and
recklessness. incompetent agents are appoin-
tel to make purchases, who buy OF political
friends inferior articles at enormous prices,
and heavy. per centage allowed to nominal
agents who had nothing to do with the coll
tracts. In fact, in every constructive depart
ment of tho Navy we find pilIerng to be the
sole aim and object of ts agents. ..
Another haul upon the treasury for the c.
lection of Colonel Florence, is exposed by the
Committee of Investigation.
"PnILADEiFHIAN NAVY YARD--The attention o.
the Committee was directed 10 one lransac ton
at this yard. In August lasl n requisition was
made upon the Naval Constructor for eighty
oakum spinners. There were then employed
ten TO fifteen spinners, who were generally old
salts, disabled for active duty and yet conpe-
| tent TO spin oakum; the work is nothing but
| rubbing ouknm upon the knee. The Naval
Constructor did not deem a great force neces
sary, and refused 10 sign the reguistion. The
Master Calker brought it 10 Captain Carr, the
Commander in the Yard who also refusd 10
sign the requisition. Thereupon Hon. Thomas
B. Florence, u member of this House, came 10
Washington aud asked the Secretary to direct
the eighty oakum spinners to be empoyed-
1t WAS referred to the Bureau of Yards md
Docks. Commodore Smith declined at first,
but he received slip OF paper signed by Mr..
Welsh, the Chief Clerk, on which WIS written
in pencil ms follows: 'The master workmen hay
ing made requisiion for eighty additional
| pickers. you will see that II i. complied with
| This was enclosed in the written application of
| No. Florence. The order was then issued to
the Commander of the Yard, and the 'onkum
spnners' were set to work. Commodore Carr
testifes that when the men came in he went
down and took look at them they were the
lame, the halt and the blind; but they did the
work. made ~ place for them until they WORK.
ed the oakum up They were then discharged
"All the oakum spinning for a wear was
crowded into few weeks" for the purpose
OF cecting Democratic member Of Congress.
Thus, it will be seen that the public money
is again squandcred in opch disregard of law
and justice; contracts distributed to favorltes
and partisans, without respect to tho public
interests; our NGry Yards converted into po-
litcal machles to undermine the purity of t.
lectlcns-socal Intercourse with the President
pade che basis Of pecuniary profit, in total
/ disregard Of law, honor. justice propriety, and
I the sworn duty Of the various departments of
the Government. Can the people amy longer
be surprised at the rapid increase of the pub
lie expenditures, or at the debt created, after
such exhibits as are here made, all of which
are taken from public documents? Or. can
they so far fail in their duty to themselves,
their country and to posterty, as not to APP
ply the only corrcctivein their power, by Wis
iting the transgressinE party with their sig
nal rebuke and condemnation?
THIRTY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR ST.
cRET SERvlcE.-And to complete the list Of
the extravaganza VI this most cxtravagant
Administration and to add the climax to its
unblushns ctfrontery, Mr.. buchanan now
asks to have $50 GOO, 900 placed at his dspo-
sal, to be by him dsbursed secretly, without
check, restraint or responsibility. Is it not
time to pause and consider. Having depleted
the public treasury to its last dime, with ST.
000, 900 short in the Post Office Department
he wishes to grasp the expected incoming rev.
enue. to the exclusion Of the legitimate ex
penditures Of Government, 10 this vast n
mount. Have the acts Of his Administration
in the past been such as to Justify confidence
which has never been given to amy Admins
tration--the wisest and tho best In effect.
he asked to be clothed with powers which
not only have never been exercised but have
never tucn asked for, by any Administration.
Can any honest voter read these expo..-
tons without disgust at tho deprsvity and
dcbasement of the present administration
No former President has ever boon conplic.-
ted with such discredtable proceedings; nor
was the conduct Of high officers Of tho Gov
erument ever before subjected to such an or
deal Orwell founded aistrust and unavoidable
suspicion. Aye, more! Di! any President
ever so degrade his office, to corrupt the pen
pie and squander the public revcnae--to
mako the ballot box machine for recording
his Wishes and the suffragcs of tho people an
empty form? Surely, tho Indignation Of the
Democracy cannot sIumbcr. Why are to
people so PATIENT"