Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-03-07
More Democratic Corraption--In-
vestfgatfon OF the Public Printing
Rich Disclosures.

i uDiiC IrintlHS brings 10 unnt more Deino-
cratic corruptions. There are no majority
and minority reports in this case. The
Chairman ofthe Committee, on whose motion
the investigation was gone into, is Demo-
crat; the majority of the Committee are
| Democrats; and all the Committee concur in
the report which has been made. From that
report which was present. to the House of
Representatives, on the 2sth ult, We shall
make such extracts as will show the character
and extent of the frauds committed.
The Committee confined their examination,
as nearly as possible, to the time the late
| Superintendent, SEAMAN, was in Office, that is,
from December 1853 to December 1857. He
was kept in Office four years!
The Committee say:
It has been found that the books of the late
Superintendent have been kept in a manner so
loose and negligent as to make it almost i'm
possible to ssccrtin. with any proper correct
ness, the condition of the accounts between
his Office and fhp Government. The testimo-
ny of DIR. O Iail shows that il cannot be
ascerttined from those books, within some
hundr Dis Of rcams how much paper was re-
ccived nor how much was delivered to the
public printer, and that neither those ac-
counts nor the account of paper on hand can
he balanced. Large invoices of paper were
received without any inspection aud some
times by an irresponsible party in the EN-
ployment of the Public Printer. A laborer
or Waterman in Mr.. Wend lis office appears
TO haze had to a very great extent the charge
Of the delivery. of the paper to the Public
Printer His memoranda were kept on loose
slips of. paper afterwards sent to the clerk,
whose duty it was to superintend this matter.
From those slips the official receipts were
made up monthly; but as in the case of the
other accounts, the official receipts and the
slips do not a gree. Those slips have been
collected aud pasted into a book for reference
by the present Superintendent. Some paper
described in them is not covered by any |
official receipt.
In the examination Of the accounts for |
Engraving and Lithographing. your com
mittee found that the books of various par |
ties did not correspond with the amounts of |
the certificates issued and charged to them.
In one instance this difference amounted to
$4,000. and, in another, to S6.736,76. Ia
one or two instances the books
of the Engravers and Lithograpbers were
balanced by fictiOus entries; but in those
cases. the amounts OF money, credited as
receive from the Government, did not cor
respond with the certificates charged to the
parties. In fact there appears to have been
u singular fatality about the books and
accounts connected with these matters. Few
of them could be explained and none OF them
were entirely satisfactory.
In the progress of their examination, the
Committee found, that certain engravers and
photographers, whose names they give, recon-
mended, by SEAMAN had been employed in
engraving and lithographing for the Govern
ment, and that all of them had paid COM
missions to agents in some manner connect
ed with their business, and that the payments
of these commissions, as those who paid them
say, had more or less connection with the
contracts for the work. The Committee say:
Your committee find that there was a very
general belief in the trade that it was neces-
sary for them to pay for their contracts in
some way and. that the practice of paying
was as general as the belief Payment was
made in different ways; in some instances, in
he way of loans; in other cases percentage
was paid to agents for attending 20 the receipt
and delivery of the work at Washington, the
necessity for which services existed more in
imagination than in reality, as the plates
we're always sent directly TO the Superinten-
lent and by him were delivered TO the Prn-
err who arranged or collected them with the
heets IL other cases. the percentage was
'aid directly to the Superintendent. The
Ingravers and Lithographers testify. with
ne or two exceptions, that they could afford
o pay the percentage, and that they made
nad.. provisions in their bids for the allowance
Which they were compelled to make to the
gents. This fact is established by com I
arisOn Of the price paid under the late
uperint eudent and Mr.. Bowman. the present
uperintendent. There is nearly fifty per-
ent difference in favor of the present prices.
his is the testimony of Mr. Towers, chief
Jerk in the Office. Mr. Graham testiiies that !
e would have done some of the work at
weuty five per cent or oneJourh of the price I
aid under Mr.. Seaman; and reduction t
early as great as this has actually been
lade in the cost of the work done on the v
oast-Survey Report for 1857. t
Further: t
Your committee find that the various sums ,,
money paid to the agents employed under
ffercnt pretences, were paid under the i'm
ression that their business interests would be :
,nefitcd thereby, and that it was necessary
lat these payments should he made in order .
secure Government contracts. They fur
Ter find from the testimony that engravers
nd photographers, who had previously had =
Ork from the government, did not succeed
getting IL under Mr.. Seanen's superinten-
ency until they employed particular agents. {
he particular agents were afterwards en-
Logged by all the successful houses
One of the most successful houses Saronv, |
ajor * Knapp, was induced 10 make and
ID make, business arrangement with Mr.
lend IL, and they opened a branch of their
CIV York house in this city, in which Mr. o
'endrll was interested. 1t is in evidence r
lat the establishment of this branch made n .
lateral difference in the quantity of work II
iven TO the houses outside of this city, but l.
le parties say il was not successful. and ! r
lrrfore it closed. 1t does not appear =,
lat this branch was closed until the recent y
rye orders were nearly or entirely COM y
eted. f
This Mr.. WENDELL is the proprietor of the o
'ashington Union, the eflicial organ of the a
He is also public printer 81
1t the interest OF the persons elected to do b
e printing of the Congress which has just D
tr .rl ..-. E. n
The Committee proceed:
Your committee further find that contract ="
rs given to parties upon the express condi- u
on that they would pay n per centage on the b
'ntract to the superintendent himself and | a
this particular case. the books Of the firm ! :.
freeing to make the payment. show that the :
oney, amounting to S2.250 900. was paid Il
the superintendent and charged to the ac- d
unit of printing expenses. g
The evidence shows also that there was one
ntraet made for the payment II twenty per =
mt to Mr.. Seaman, bat your committee has
ZEN unable to ascertain whether the amount =
asever actually paid according to the agree
cut. =.
MORE OF MR.. WENDELL
The Committee say: q
In connection with the paper contracts,
'ur COMMITTEES have also ascertained that ID
came necessary for the parties supplying
a (snVarntngnl with naner IN .,,,oic,, -.