The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-07-28

law. No; it is all paid out by Government
| agents, under appropriations made by Con
gress. But, then, the rulers of the Democratic
party control both branches of Congress they
control the appointing power; and hence they
make Just such appropriations, and have Just
such agents to make Government contracts,
and to spend and disburse the money, as they
please. And although all the expenditures are
made under the forms Of law, yet the slightest
scrutiny discloses stupendous system of public
plumber.
From lS20to 1910, the average annual eXp pend
lures of the army amounted to $4OOO.O00.
Now, when we are at peace with all the world,
the expenditures exceed $lS,000,000. With
such a disparity in the expenditures, can it be
possible that the money is honestly expended,
that there is no tavoritism in army contracts
no partsans indirectly rewarded for services
rendered, or to be rendered?
In 1859, proposals were sent TO the Treasury
Department to furnish the granite for the ex
tension OF the Treasury building. Edward
Hawks, Of Belfast, Maine, offered To furnish it
for $3OS,3S5. If the contract had been given
to him, as it would have been if there had been
no tavoritism shown, the Government would
have saved, in that one item, from one To two
hundred thousand dollars. 1t WAS given To
MeSsrs. Beals x Dixon, whose bid, on the face
OF 1t, as appears from the 1reasurers report.
was less than HAWKES. it being, as it there
stands, $243j46. Hence, on the face of the,
transaction, the bidders appear to have been
treated fairly, and the public interest appears
to have been secured But, according to the.
specifications in Deals 4 Dixon's bid they ART.
to have ertr.S and additions ON large number
of items.
Now, | have been informed by men who
ought to know, that the drafts upon the Treas
ury, TO pay for these EXTRAS and additions. will
be nearly equal to the bid, as it stands on the
face OF the report. Now, SIR do not know, Of
my own knowledge, how this matter is; but |
! do know that the transaction bears unmistaka-
BILE evidence of design to cheat the Govern
ment for the benefit of somebody. Whether
the stealings are to be shared between the con-
tracing parties, the Government agents, and
MeSSrs. Beals Dixon, for what purpose
they are TO ho applied will probably remain
forever = Government secret. Bill after bill
winch IS adverse to cur true interests, and hos
tile to the spirit Of our free institutions, such AZ
bills Tor the increase of the army aud navy,
bills Ia: the construction OF war steamers bills
Tor the construction and repair Of tortifcatigns,
and the like, are forced through Congress- by
men who are looking for Government contracts.
dependent on their passage. When such bills
are mp, the outside lobby pressure is immense,
which is pretty good evidence that Government
contracts, under our present rulers, are tolera-
bly, profitable.
The Government Expenditures i'll and about
our docAs and navy yards, for the construction
| ~ yards, the repairs of vessels, and the pur-
chase Of fuel and materials for the navy, prior
to ls42, were under the control of Board OF
Commissioners. Now they are under the con
! troll OF the Navy Department. From the or
ganization of our Government in 1889, TO ls42,
! While these expenditures were under the direc-
] tg Of 'ytptY rl,l.,
! hIfg-tbree yeats, was only $7,023,942. Nov,
under the direction Of the Navy Department,
| they amount to nearly that sum IN "A si,iQie
| year. In 1851, they amounted to S5,508,ll9.
| In 1898, they amounted to $6,02S, 949, as ap-
| pears from the records of the two bureaus
through which the expenditures were made
Thus it will be seen that during the fpo years
OF Buchanan's Administration, these expendi-
lures have taken from tho Treasury nearly
double what was taken SUr those purposes from
1889 to 1872. Now, sir, does any man want
anything Isorc than these figures to satisfy him
that .here Is something wrong in this branch
Of the Government service? Do we not see.
as clearly as we see the at noon, In a cloud
less day, that there are now enormous frauds in
Government contracts, or In some other wav
connected with the management of our docks
and navy yards2 But, sir there is other eyi-
dence, besides these figures, tending 70 show
the existence of these trauds-eyidenee given
under oath--cvidence showing that the Presi-
dent, the Secretary of the Navy, and j. CLANCY
Jones, last year "a mela6ef of this House. and
now Minister at tho Court OF Austria have all
~tnAcd at Il not porticipalt,f IN them John
/ So'',h, when questioned about the appoint
nent OF II coal agent tor the navy yards, said.
among other things, "FRaLg, IL ,cds ag1eed
fhdt ~ tire N,.rtIIy ICOHid appoint either or
Mch1, lee SaoUid appoint Dr.. Hnnter Hr. Gel..
n.d M. SD,ih. Tha the arrangement tcdx
! communicated 10 tie Hon. J. Hancy Jones;
| Hnd that tie President also understood that
the emot"meHts Of the office irere 10 be gicen 10
| the THREE On cross-eXamination, the WIT
ness repeated, "Me President kne,o MQf The
THREE Were 10 diride the emoiHB,e,.is of the
office and that tie parties tccre satisfied ruth
| me decision." Sir, comment is unnecessary.
Three men appointed to one oi6ce Three men
to get their fingers into the Treasury ia lieu Of
one. Three political partisans to feed from the
public CRIB, when the services of only one *
wantsd. Shame, shame ou the men who per
nit it When the highest officers of the Gov
ernment shall encourage, sanction, or wink at,
such denominations, IL is about time for the SOW
erciga people tU awake To the dangers of their
eountry, aud rebuke such infamous conduct
Prior to the last session of Congress, appro-
priations had been made, from time to time for
amounting in all to $2,675,O0O. The original
appropriation 10 build the house WAS 500, 900.
which sum was amply sufficient for the pur-
pose; and all that ever would have been asked
for, if there had been no chance for public
plumber, under the cover of Government con.
tracts. Last session, the Senate passed an
appropriation bill, III which was an item of
St1JO, 600, to continue the work Oh this custom
house. The House of Representatives. by "a
pretty decisive vote, struck ont that item
The bill went back to the Seuate, and the
Senate put it in again. The bill being again
returned to the House, the House again struck
ont the obnoxious item. The Senate then
asked for committee of conference and the
House Joined in a committee That commit
tee Changed the item To $3.50, 000 and reported
in favor OF its passage and it did pass both
Branches OF Congress, and was approved by
the President Sir, the pertinacity manifested
IN holding on to that appropriation, and in
forcing it through Congress, excited suspicion
IN my mind that promises of magnificent Gov
eminent contracts had some little connection
with tho efforts made; and, SIR, does not the
iac, that the money is ali gone, and more asked
for, tend to prove that my suspicious were we'll
foundedp
find bill upon my desk, reported by the
Committee of Ways and Means this session,
appropriating $250,000 more for continuing
the work on this same New Orleans custop1
house: which, together with the former appro
priations, amount to $3,l75,OO0, which has
been squandered towards the erection of a SIM
gle custom house. The whole expenditures of
the Government from toe 4th March, 1859. TO
the lst January, l1S2, when the first statement
was made, amounted to only 81, 9l9, 589. In
WI IL.