Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1859-06-04
! :5'NO..,@..,39.

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might not be more than one or two bidders.
They still further find evidence of this in the
reasonable price at which the contracts were
actually and finally taken, it being proved
that the average rate is lower than similar
contracts had previously been made, and as
low as any one could have furnished the tim
Der, and realized reasonable profit for his
labor. Your committee are of opinion that
the timber contracted for in this case was a
kind proper to be kept for the repair and
construction of small vessels, and they are
not prepared to say it could have been pur-
chased materially lower under any circum-
stances. (See the testimony of Samuel B.
Grlce, Lenthall, and Bigler) And if the pol
icy OF keeping your yards supplied with suit
able timber is to continue, your committee
cannot see that the transaction is in any way
dlsadvantageous one to the Government !;
certainly it is not in contravention of law.
Before concluding their report on this
branch of their inquiry, your committee deem
it proper to notice contract between Mr.
George Pitt, as proved by Pitt himself, and
W. Z. y. Swift, in regard to obtaining con-
tracts with the Government 1t appears,
that in 1854 Pitt and Swift entered into a
written contract, by which the former under
took to use his influence with the officers of
the Government, with several of whom, in
high positions, he was supposed to be ON
terms of intimacy, both personally and polt-
ically, to procure live-oak contracts for the
latter, and for which the latter was to pay
him ten per cent. upon the amount of all live
oak contracts he obtained from the Govern
ment. Pitt alleges that he has performed
his part of the agreement, having taken pains
to introduce Swift to various officers of the
Government, and to recommend him as man
of honor and probity. He introduced him to
Mr.. Buchanan and Mr.. Toucey, and recon-
mended him in terms of high commenoation,
informing the latter that he had contributed
very literally towards the election of 1856,
&c. Swift had, after 1854, and prior to the
contract of September, 1853, obtained some
,iiye-oak- contracts from the Government; and
after obtaining the aforementioned one, wrote
to Pitt, repudiating his contract with him,
never having paid him anything under it
Shortly after receiving this letter, and between
the 10Th of October and 18th of November,
1858, Pitt for the first time mentioned the
contract between himself and Swift to the
President, and showed him the written agree.
ment, and asked his advice about it. Pitt
says:
'The President very properly told me
that it was no affair of his it was an agree
ment made long before he came into power,
and if my attorney thought could recover in
a court of justice, ought to do so. He al
so said he had, of course, no advice to give,
and said might do as l pleased about it."
This, 1t must be remembered, was subSe-
quent to Swift'S last contract for timber
IL
condemn such contracts in too strong terms,
'as against public policy and most demoraliz-
..fng in their tendency. They are not only a
Did, but offer of premium, indirectly, to say
the least for corruption. They are a temp
tation to the parties to the practice of decep-
ton and lfalsehood. They are nothing less
than making merchandise of the social rela-
tons and personal confidence which may very
properly exist between those occupying high
official stations and the private citizen, and,
If tolerated, must result in making the Gov
ernt4lst the daily victim of duplicity and
trasi1 1pr in placing an impossible barrier to
all s. ii intercourse between high officials
and the mere citizen, which would be contra
iry to the genius of our Government.
- However much your committee may con-
.-aemn such improper contracts, they feel cal
led. upon to say they do not perceive any
ground to attach blame in this instance, eith-
er to the President or Secretary. 1t does not
appear that the Secretary was ever inform
ed of its existence, and of course never coun-
tenanced or knowingly encouraged. 1t does
not appear that the President was ever
Uniformed of it until period between October
Is and November Is last, and then summar-
lily disposed of it by saying L" he had no ad
vice to give )" "that it was no affair of his"
Here his connection with the subject began
and ended ; and herelyour committee dismiss
it.
Here it is proved, that the purchase was
made by Swift when the public service did
not require it, and that the advertisement by
whichit was pretended to invite competitors
was studiously framed to prevent it, and so
as to render compliance with the terms of it
by any other person than Swift impossible.
And it is apparent that the object was to
indemnify and reward an Old Line Wing,
who was made Democrat, Mr.. Pitt says,
by him, by process not stated, bnt easily
understood from the contract between them,
who was introduced by hmto Mr. Buchanan,
was willing to pay $4,000 to elect him,
and did actually pay $4,000 QUITO his own
pocket, to carry the election in Pennsylva-
mia. There is no room for evil about the
facts of this transaction. Mr.. Bocock says,
indeed, that "however much the committee
would condemn any personal favoritism to
the public detriment, they are gratifed to
perceive that the Secretary seems never to
have lost sight of the public interest" But
this language, which has no other justification
than that the Secretary did not pay Swift one
dollar and thirty cents per foot for timber,
when there were other bids unexpectedly put
in, offering to furnish it at one dollar and
twelve and a half cents, sounds like satire
even in the month of friend, in view of the
facts disclosed by the testimony, and embodi-
ed in the report copied above The import
ance of the case is not in magnitude of the
amount involved, although that is large, but
in showing the detailsof the system by which
lavish appropriations subvert popular govern
ment, and verify Mr.. Jeferson's maxim,
that we must choose between economy and
liberty.
Whittlings.
A rare kind of tea is hOnesty.
10 parties about to build we would suggest
| that the best plan, in all respects, is the cash
! plan.
The Insurance Secretary undertakes
mournful joke by saying that he has Md ont
| large number of nOlicies erD;rin0 about this