New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-02-25
v;zv.yoRK nArfY TRIBUNE, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY s6 1859

ia'feY vac n msss n S~ffies as 70 se't.nt -
p. adelphs bit III p.sfes tat be al bat htps 10
The .x.eation Of hi ur. Hs Sas in toe onnnio1.
business sbd hao - connection vhh IL poIc9sSs u
coal.
Tue coal wss. r,qplrsd st Phlsdsipbis, ard ~s'
there d,hysTs OF s5ipb' ard - TIE GJTeroD'eat.
NetheI Boz <.r ncr SDi ssT the {! al inspector,
weigbsa or 5eiyeIoS sod the woe banasss Wa
tur ec ov Z, 10 T. yer stops q Co. hT Liih tes,hss
'bst be sik 20 Psfs n! ensefs.syS - tns me-
e1cep 10 80 lat tie beet coas could De 0sa aud ie-
pro n cp17 Tser, stone & G. 10 Inspect the Goa.
WI 90 the Gnyefnuent needed coal a rsqmsitinn US
> 81 70 Or H1ht,r, which by bin vas sent ~ lyis7
60ie & Co, shO became 81 "nc- t1e Ylrs4 TOT
nj Il feneIs - tie GoveTEB eat. Tyler Some D.
Co. end DR.. Hunter fIed the prize 81 e - per sHo.
The ;ss'in0I Il many SiLesses est6b'snes OsyJn1
ressoDa TIE doubt tost tbs ket value OF sarn co.
delivered 10 he O0veTo1Ient W0lld nos eHceei
50 % ltr tnD and several reSDs cts5s dsslsTs T0dA
hove isTDisbrd tbe COveTnnSD az tbst OF les pncs
sDd ih,p made profit. Toe purcsE-ss o. cDai thos
msc6 fJf the Government " Yer, s0ae a ID l0r
the t1 mont from the let VI JIiy 1873 = t1e S.st
Dccanbef 1873 vas - tuns Il Z coeC a - 81 per
TIM TIE amount Of er.oluaseIts received by Dr.,
Hu.ser and svided By him ritb Mr.. S1nt1, was, icT
the Fame sx months 4 a. -, or, at tiis rate o.
Sl 81 - per 6Lbum. Ia s1oOn 70 tuls ditect cos,
%, NODE " pprchsse al pied un shed 90 gusTsn 20
sga ~ fraud in The qushty or ano mt Of oo-, "hcn,
yBtn delivered on shlpoOsrd, wac bc- MS pSCsSi "
s1y officer a he G0verpTnen.-, =
Your Committee have furnished 20 tne partles lol-
pc.fed in tbete TRANSACTIONS every oPpo-tuli, 70 e1-
plan them. Al the parties, except the PTesdsnt,
s-er.tr,g Il The Nav. an1 the HOn. j. Classy
Jopss. have been examined. Tne Piesiden, ard the
Secretary have been f0rslsbed eh cOoy CT the tee
tuory nj no. lied that any staemeUts either VI them
dssire to meAe would be heard by toe CC@unJes, Of
thar al WtIesses desired b them would be exam
ned. Tie SecTetsry. N his letter o. tebfo1fy u,
1858 herewith tnbuiteo states tnst the came tysts
t1ted ~ the GOAL agency durDg he sdnils raOD %
bis Ire essU - gisc states that he va mo- aware
untl III rreseut vtstigaOn Of any want OF alien
iisn on TIE part Of the coal agent.
LIVE OAK CONTRACTS.
Live oak timber lie her material for the navy, -
reGUrei by s~ ~ be purehssed by Contract WITH te
Invest bJdef; but, unlike other mateIl4, Is not
kept herd IL large qusnttes BY oealsrs IN nno@r;
Therefore 1t rae been the Uniform Custom Of the SOW
erpu.t 10 allow contractors from to two years %
furbso tie supply needed unless the cies OF the
seTviee dsmaLG on immediate snpply, when the de-
msnd needed may be bought 10 op7n purchase.
When delivered, IL stored away Al the Navy srds
and uied ~ the service demands.
W. &. n. Swift, 0hsIer, Of Ne#-Bedford, Massa-
cbuteIs had ynOr to ls4i, been contractor for the
sppDly Cf Iveoek ard other timber for the Govern
meIt. in 1894 be entered into written agreement
With George yn t. Of pnlade phs, active aod ln'i'
mate friend Of Pffsdent Buchanan, by which Pitt
agreed TO aid Seiit all he cOuld in obtaining bve-lak
OItYaeis with tie Navy Departments Tor ghlel slt
10 pay 10 Pitt ten per cent on the gross amount
OF the contracts made. The AID contemplated was
tra' Pbtt should place Swift upon foDhar rslatots
with the Departments. He introduced Mr.. Swift 10
Mr.. DObDD DUNG President Pierce 4 Administrations,
and 10 other gentlemen, used oil his influence IN
behalf Of Ssit. Pending the PfesldeLta election OF
1876, Pit iutfCdnc, Swift 10 hr. B1chsnso, and
sOugbt Ia place bin in the very best position be pos
noly cOu1 " 90 che President Pitt at the tine, was
TieasuitT Of the Demo( ratio State Central Committee
OF PeuDfyIvs 10, and as such received fro Swift the
sDm OF $l6,COO, Of which Swift contributed slooOO,
and ccIyed the balance IRON his Immediate ri5n1s,
to be used in the pending election. M B1casnao
informed before tie election, that Mr.. Sslt s8s
al OId-LIIe Wing, who had come over TO his party,
and ticking active part III the election; snd be
bseg Gently informed Of the amount c0DtIbu
by Swift. Pitt iesubes that,
- In Introducing MI es.h told Mr. Togesy that be
should be esd 20 have nm aid 10 any
Tsy mat could snstsly that be my very
ien6, ubo hsd Contributed very h7e.iY 10 Fae me
sIds IL Ma ssehBsers who equally hbsrs o.
eE least and thought such gentlemen 0asasto be patron
Pitt further test fees that be regarded the contract
with SSlt of Apni, 1891, 81 continuing contract,
a. "soPposing that agreemvt was stii IN force on-
Ger The present Ada iD tratiOn ss il the
/" fore er ore, / had taken paiLs 70 maze him &C
qusinted VITA every ouo Of my polaesI friends"
In tie frequent Interviews Oi Pitt with toe Pfesi-
del I sDO Secretary, whenever SsfCs name sac men
bOued, Pitt toob pans 10 recOmu end nun IS very
gOOd fellO9, "suo was very sOITy he should be dis
appointed: he was an1iOds 70 GET some sppOnt-
uens in Massachueets, IN ell OF which he sas dir
" appOiGted, and l felt some sympatby ir bin. /
" frequently spoke of him 10 that way He tes.des
this VI the eXtoDt Of his aid - Swift.
The undtisIgLcd need not dwell upon the cOruptiug
tendencies Of such agreements that between Pliu
Ielai aDd lcrof II Interviews with the highest OIL
Gers OF tie Gov,IDiuent are cold tor money. When
they become the general rae, aud upon discovery arc
passei without VI 5oton repIoOf by the nigh
eet iunCtionaIes, they become Ohc6ses whc1 taOult
be punished by ~ Ialtlee. Bat they stil
dangerous when taey look not merely to political
ufuei CO, bot TO controlling a.d tampering with the
juOcisl Cuiy Of awarding contracts.
Contracts for 1--we oak IN 1851, were awarded to
Swift for eco feet 10 &c delivered at three Of the
Navy Yards. An Quiet .DGing cont act with Mr..
a-ebard Cancelled aud awarded - sift III Now,
1857. The amount of these contracts is s&}29iO.
IIiOr 10 JuIe 1919 Ssi 6Tonk ht some Ol the navy
yards large quar- hes OF live Oak which waA rejected
soae OF IL because the size btOT tbat pre- bed
by TIE cont act and sOle for lls Inferior quality. by
tie Tue Of the oepartn ~ mOot Of the yards tui
Der not Con1I within zoe tract required % be
Removed before thst which hai been 6ceep cd woald
be paid fer This rule 10 have been strictly en-
forced, except TO the t1uber delivered by Ssd g.
Bger, VT Osc cOnneXon vito tbese Transactions " "a
be- shown beTester. The officers on duty at the Navy
Yards, except al Norfolk, woGld have enforced this
ue cut they were required by TN order OF the Secre-
tsTy 10 allow tlie bHber 90 remain IN the yeTis,
WhcGe, in syne Instances became erievOus iCeon.
v,nvnoe. BY the 18TH Of June, 1873 when il became
neCe sary prepare The annual aiyerts, meni, the
uuiber thus accumulated amounted tO-fest. On
tbe-daJ Of Msy, ISIS Swift sent toe department;
statement Of Lhe amount o his timber thsp on hanj.
Before t1e advertisement of Jane, 1853, was is
tue0, sSlt Bglvr, each hal interviews WITH tIe
Secretary Bigler urged the Secretary 10 pure
his timber On open contract. Big!er tesIbes az
fOBoWs:
Amer try contracts ed went to bs s.-rttsry IRE
NAVY SET buy MY timber upcn oPee purchase. lie
sA.S - s'is ' ~. SSys SpaS SPsH P , y "a
- S,, rss n, 80 NSe rtF. Nm ~ 80. - 80. = -
tst he bad TIMER over which be wished y I'll
cbt 1es iueUtet the ster.ty suepose 70 male hi;
lse'f -
Mir. Lerttbl, TIE Chief Of tae Bueau o. Copstruc-
ton, LQUpueo; AID Repairs, tes;hes thst tAe Seors
teIy inquired OF hin the saoItest time Sithin watch
the timber could o. cut and Transported 70 the various