Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-02-18
From the Cor. If the N. Y. Cour. 4 Enquirer
AFFAIRS SIN WASHINGTON.
WAsHrNGToS, Feb.

has been printed. 1t is admitted to be par
tial and imperfect, but such as it is, it pre-
sents very striking view of Indian wars in
their financial department. The Oregon
claims amount to S4,449 ,943 those of
Washington Territory 81 ,4sl AS total
S5,926, 424 The war continued from about
the beginning of January, 1855. until Octo-
be-, 1856.
I he highest number of men in the service
of o. egon Territory at any one time was
ls45. and the average expense or churge for
ench d, VS. service was Sll 81 per man.
some IN, n were paid in three or four capaci.
ties. as Oh icers or privates, as mechanics and
teamsters., and even as physicians. One pri
vate is repoy ted to have due him $500 fol
personal sarpi &C, and the Commissioners al
low 60 O39 4 title steamboats, were hreC
at from 5000 y, $4,000 per day. Horse
were shod for SIG each. Laborers were hircc
at 81 per day. ard e. erks at S 10 per day
Forage for horse oT 'uic is charged Tor a
50 per day. Horses ee. = bought Tor S3oo
but many of them are cha. Sea Tor at Sioo
and even as high as $3.50. But when these
chargers come to be sold they pring the mos 81
moderate prices, as ~ for $50. or, or Soo,o'
each. The general price is about Nv Mules
were obtained for 5000, $3.50, and S4oo pei
head. Oxen at about the same price p. yoke
The average price for Horses and Mui es Is
about $3.50, and for Oxen about $500 per
yoke. The price of hay varies from 500 tc
$50 per ton. Oats sometimes rise to ISL
per bushel, and Wheat to 81. Peas were
procured at 80 cents per pound. The pastur-
age of animals cost sometimes one dollar and
sometimes three dollars per day.
Blacksmiths charge Sl2 per day. but the
Commissioners remorselessly cut them down
t. sc. The laborers and transfers who
themselves drawing four, six, or eight dol
lars per day, managed to exc out a scanty
subsistence by hiring to the government
Horses, Mules, and Oxen at 81, 90 per day,
half the pay of u member Of Congress at
that time. Some Of these valuable animals
thus brought their proprietors in the toer-
able income of 81 600 year each.
The houses purchased or built for SO ,Ol6
were sold for $685.. Riding bought
at $40 each sold 70, $3.50; wagons boug ht
for $500 each sold for s33. Remarkable
cases are given-though the whole account
is one of the most remarkable of the causes
cciebres, on record-of the difference between
cash prices and scrip prices. that is between
the prices at which things could be and were
bought for with money or with the Terrific
rial war scrip
Quarter Master Peters bought oats by the
pound, a process which brought them up to
81 per bushel which the Commissioners
cruelty cut down to SO, go per bushel. 1t is
obvious that no Territory could live in such
prices. Mr.. P. bought wheat at 81 dollars
per bushel, and the commissioners allowed
$3.50. Hay also he purchased by the pound,
agregating $50 to 5000 per ton cut down,
this dry grass, by the scythe of the Commits
sioners, to Sl20 Mr.. Peters sold about
900 of this seven dollar wheat for about
65 cents per bushel Riding saddles he sold
from 80 cents to 500. One of Mr. Peters
transactions gives evidence of a rapid advance
towards the artificial wants of polished So
ciety, without regard to expense He bought
$50 sheets drawing paperat $3.50. He sold
- sheets for S rs, so that the IS sheets
that were consumed in public service, cost
S43S,75, or nearly sc per sheet the station
Peters deserves credit, however, for crediting
the sheets not used to the Federal Treasury.
Had these sheets being missing it might have
thrown q wet blanket over this whole &C.
count.
Two scows purchased for 5000 sold for
500.
Perhaps it is not at all remarkable that
James Tllton, Surveyor-General eff Washing
ton, at salary of IS 900 year, i. reported
for pay as Adjutant-General of the Terrific
rial forces at over 81 600 that MAJ or Rains,
L. 5. A., is reported for pay at 1871 per
day as Brigadier- General, in addition to his
pay an officer of the Army that Chief
Justice E. Lander, under a federal salary of
$4,000, is set down for liberal per diem as
aid to the Governor nor, finally that this
system of double salaries, running through
the field and staff and the rank and file,
summed up as due to the one Washington
Regiment $l67 ,457.
Ex istis brickibus disco totum domum.
The whole fabric of Democratic caucuses
has come down with a crash, and the frag-
ments are the sport ofthe winds. The struc-
turc was began improperly. 1t is said that
the Egyptian pyrmids were commenced at
the apex and built downwards towards the
foundations. So with the tariff caucuses.
The Senate began them, which had no con-
Germ with the subject, and adopted most pro-
tentous resolutions as a guide to the House.
The free traders of the latter body, with equal
zeal and valor, took up the work prescribed
to them by their superiors. On Saturday
night the last meeting of the conspirators
was held, A tremendous report was heard
but it hurt nobody; in fact it was highly
beneficial, for it caused the dispersion of the
in a most comical tragedy. The last caucus
consisted of John Cochrane, three or four
Northern henchmen, Senator Hunter and his
distractions, and forty or fifty Southern
Democrats. OF these Democrats, Georgia
and South Carolina furnished the chief, and
there might have been nothing in the conci-
dence, but it was the fact that they were the
same persons who week ago signalized
themselves by zeal for reopening the Slave
Trade. They proposed two things-the post
ponement, by on-payment, of Mr.. Cobb's
floating debt for two years and retrenchment
to the amount of Sll ,000,0 600 year by sup
pressing dezen or two Of the most impor-
tant branches of the public service.
These propositions were not acted upon.
Mr.. Groesbeck, of Ohio, representing the
President, proposed to adjourn sine noote,
which proposition prevailed mstanter. So
ended the last scheme of Democratic fnan-
cierng. What next ? Probably very heavy
appropriations and very corrupt jobs