The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1859-03-05
Demecrasic corrup.rea Al she Pah.

lie EfanlinE.
The following is the report Of the commit
tee Of investigation into the transactions OF
Mr.. Seaman, overseer OF the government
printing
Geo. Taylor, from the special committee
appointed TO inv estigate the accounts OF the
Superintendent Of Public Printing made
report. hey say that the books are negll-
gently anu loosely kept, and it is impossible
to arrive Mt any definite knowledge OF the
business done in the office. The accounts,
ia some instances, appear balanced when
such is not the case, and considerable sums
have been collected on the same under the
direction of the present Superintendent.
The certificates issued for engraving and
ithographing do not agree with the accounts
kept by the parties who did the work. They
exhibited their books, and swore they had
been paid for all the work done. The books
showed the amounts received by them, yet it
appears that certificates were issued to sew
eral parties for greater amounts than APP
pears on their books. In one case the diff
ference ia sic, 900; in another $6, 0OO-the
difference being against the government
The paper accounts do not agree several
hundred reams are unacc0unted for. The
committee say, in fact, there appears to have
been a singular fatality about the books and
accounts connected with these matters, few
of them could be explained, and none entire
y satisfactory.
They unanimously report that the facts
show concluslvely that there existed COM
binaton for the compelling of all contract
ors to pay their way for contracts; that this
was the general belief among contractors,
and the payment for contracts either In the
way of a loan, commission or per centage
was general. The contractors found it ne
cessary to employ certain agents at Wash
ington to attend to the business and pay
them largely before they got work. As a
general thing they say that they did not
know that Seaman was interested in the mat
ter, but it was certain that they could get no
work until after they employed particular
parties.
r,The contractors were all led or forced TO
employ the same agents, although they had
no previous acquaintance with them. The
paper contractors employed public printer
| to act rs their agent, for which they paid
about 81 per centum. The printer paid a
clerk to q little work a yearly salary of one
thousand dollars, while the printer received
for doing nothing from $4,000 to $4,000
per annum.
Engrnvers and photographers found it to
their interest to employ the public printer to
act as their agent and look after their inter.
ests, and received the money to be paid.
The committee report that they traced be.
tween S35 900 and $40 900 into his hands
and some $4,000 to others, and about $50,
900 direct to Seaman, most OF which las
sum was given by way of bonus, and is still
remaining unpaid. A small portion was pait
by contractors direct as per centage. Thu
committee found two or three agreements t
pay money direct for contracts two in IA
vor of Seaman, one in favor OF the printer
bat found one, including the largest sum, b.
reason Of the refusal of one OF the pape
contractors. In second case the none,
was paid, not to the printer, but TO otho
parties not known to the witness.
As to the third contract for copper centum
on account of lithograrhing, the committe
could not ascertain whether it was paid 0
not. The combination referred to existe
for all contracts going through Mr.. Seaman
Office.
The committee say tho testimony in tn
| case forces them to the conclusion that som
, intimate and confidential relation existed be
tween Seaman and the principal actors in
, volved, and that they we're not ignorant Q
the action and interest Of each othsr.
From the kActs found the committee fet
] constrained to submit the following resolu
: tons to the House:
. Resolved, That A. G.. Seaman, late S,
/, perntendent Of Public Printing, has bee
n guilty Of improper and illegal practices
8 the discharge of his official duty, in Violate
0 Of the provisions of the act approved on u
IT Goth day Of August, 1852, creating the Off,
IS of Superintendent and defining the duti'
/ thereof.
!, Resolved, That the testimony in this CO
n be certified to by the Clerk of the House
1T Representatives and sent to the District
torney for the District of Columbia.
B. TERRIBLE ACCIDENT AT FoRr DoDoE.-V
A. learn from the Fort Dodge Sentinel Of {
Ut 10Th, that on Friday, the 18th, three m
is were buried alive in well which was bel
10 dug on the Court House grounds in tn
y place. Their names were Joseph Grandidit
is Andrew Wheean and John NJ. Nolan. tn
= were al from Fairfield, in this State. I
K, first two were engaged in digging the vi
IN when the earth caved in upon them, and I
OF last went down to their assistance. The X
4, lowing are the circumstances
d. About nine o'clock yesterday 4. NJ, I
t. workmen engaged on the Court House We
a. startled by the cry Of help, from we'll tt
s. was being sunk near by, on the Court Hot
d. grounds. On proceeding to the spot it "
an found that the earth had caved in with gu
nd force as to crush the carbing, and had b,
IL led two men beneath.
The first man that reached the spot wa
i'll silver haired man (stone cutlery named 10
IS Mortimer Nolan, who Immediately descen
ed the windiass rope to render all assistaI
he that might be in his power. He was shor
I'D followed by Mr.. I'll. Uramer. with like int