Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-03-02

The evidence shows also that there was one com
,taet made Tor the payment of twenty per cent to
Mt. Seaiiidn but your committee has been unable
o ascertain whether the amount was ever Actually
paid according to the agreement
your committee further find that the paper re-
celved from contractors WAS inferior to the sample
In some cases varying over three cents the pound
ana that little or none of such inferior PAPER was
returned by the superintendent. 1t appears from
tne testimony that very considerable quantities Of
paper. which had at different times been rejected
by the clerk having charge of the paper depart
ment. was afterwards received. In one particular
instance. where large quantity Of paper had ac-
runulated in the hands of the contractor the con-
tractor came to Washington, and succeeded in
getting his paper received. Ii appears that this
was done by an agreement to pay commission
for the receipt of his paper.
Your committee further find that one of these
particular agents for the receipt of paper had be-
come objectionable to one or more of the parties
contracting. and that they refused to continue him
in that business when an arrangement was made
between one of the contractors and Mr. Seaman f
the employment of Mr.. Wendell. who afterwards
became the special agent for all the paper contrac
to do the work for the first year S56) at salary of
81 100, and for the second year ssh at SALARY of
:! 200, while Mr.. Wendell received from the pa
per contractors for his influence without doiuu
any work whatever, three and a half per cent
commission. or about that amount. which for the
two wears specified amounted in the aggregate to
about SI2 wv.
Your committee also find that Mr. Seaman was
in the habit OF borrowing money from the paper
contractors. rs well engravers and lihoyraphers
and that large sums still remain unpaid TO one
firm there appears To be due Si2 PSI 81: and to an
Individual member of that firm nearly So UOU No
security was ever taken for these loans and in most
cases no notes whatever were given: and the bust
ness partner OF the firm loaning this large amount
stated to your committee that they had made no
demand for the money did not expect To receive
il. and would not have made the loan had il not
been for the official position Mr. Seaman occupied
In other cases. notes were given or discounted by
Mr. Seaman which were afterwards taken I'M i'm
part or whole by Mr. Seaman.
Your committee have found. in connection with
the paper contracts that Mr.. Seaman made Il COLI
tract with one party for 81 900 per wear upon the
payment of which sum 10 Mr.. Seaman that party
was to have contract for all the paper he could
supply. In the following December the contract
Tor the io-pOund paper was awarded to that party:
but tire agreement to pay the S7.TN per wear was
not carried out by reason of the refusal of the Sc
nior partner interested in furnishing the paper
hnay to execute it; and no further contracts were
awarded to that manufactorv. n
Your committee are unanimously of the opin-
ion. from the evidence. that combination existed
for the purpose OF compelling the paper contrac-
tors. and the photographers and en- ravers to pay
in some way. either in the character of loans or
commissions or directly in money for the con-
tracts awarded to them.
The testimony in the case forces your committee
To the CONCLUSION that some intimate and confIden-
tial relations did exist between Mr. Seaman and
the parties involved and that they Were not iunO-
rant of the action and interest OF each other IL il
directly In testimony that OF the paDer con-
tractors told Mr.. Seaman that he could no longer
employ party. who had up To that time acted as
an agent for tue receip of the paper and. further
II appeared that the Superintendent then directed
4 gentleman. who spoke tn him in behalf IF nj.
brother, to send him tO Mr. Wendell To talk about
the matter. The gentlcmanS brother wcs soon
afterwards employed by Mr.. Wendell tu do tin,
work of all agent at - 500 per anmum This per
son did the work, received the paper and saw that
il was regularly delivered To the Superintendent
or his clerk For these services Mr.. Wendell paid
10 MIR n,lan
the agent in fact. for which he received large per
centagcs. This testimony betrays the important
fact that the employment of agent for this duty
was matter OF arrangement between the con-
tractor and the Superintendent, and that the agent
thus employed did not perform the little work
to be done. but. with the knowledge and consent
Of the contractor and of the Superintendent lc
employed another person at Il small compensation
to do IT,
Independent Of any criminal intent. this con-
duct and the relations thus established We're I'M
dOubtedIy wrong. Mr.. Seaman the officer of
the government whose duty il was 10 INSPECT and
II necessary to reject the paper furnished. while
Mr. Wendell was the public printer who used
the paper, who knew the quality Of the article and
WAS tl,e only person likely tn com plain Of its quail
ity. The Superintendent was large and CON
slant borrower from the contractors. and thus far
ios' his independence while tue public printer
became the hired agent Of the contractors and was
positively Interested in the receipt of their paper
no matter how indifferent it's quality
Your committee find that Mr. Seaman received
tractors, examined during the nvtsti gatiun, in the
way of loans chiefly, but a portion in money
direct about the gross sum of Sin.OcO.
our committee hud. as heretofore stated that
Mr.. Wendell received from the paper contractors
about Sl2.GO The evidence shows that he also
received from engravcrS and photographers during
Mr. Seaman's SUPPLEMENTARY. about S27.WO-
making the gross paid him as far a. asc,r-
tanned about sS:}g tan
In addition To these SUMS there are two pay
mcntS unexplained, the sun OF = 1891 81. the one
MI tiUsf .t-.,N I'll.
was paid 10 some or ARRANGED i'm some way
and the sum Of - POI. which was deducted from
the accounts Of Rice. Kendall < Co. Il, Mir Me
gargee.
'fhe following resolutions Were subnitted with
the report:
RsSo,rsJ, That A. q. Seaman late Superinten-
dent Of Public Printing. has been guilty of iul-
proper and Illegal practices in the discharge OF his
ohcldl duty. and in violation of the provisions Of
the act approved the 26th day of August Isl.
creating the Office Of Superintendent and defining
the duties thereof
RsSOlred. That the testimony Ia this case lie
certified by the clerk of the House Of Represents
tives and sent to the District Attorney for the Dis
trict of Columbia.
The RAILROADS. CONNECTIONS PROJECr.-It
has been ascertained that an act of Congress is
not necessary to enable the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad to extend their work to any point in
Washington to reach which it may not be ne
cessary to touch public reservation; the orig-
nal act permitting the Company to bring their
work within the limits of the CORPORATION of
Washington having provided that the corpo-
rate authorities may authorize them 1.-THE Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad Company to run any
where in Washington city without another an
plication to Congress to that end, unless it be
proposed to touch n Government reservation
with the railroad. We learn. further. that the
railroad company, on realizing the strenuous
objections of our fellow citizens to the policy
Of permitting them under any circumstances.
to locate their water side depot outside of the
corporate limits of Washington acJuiesce cheer.
fully in the propriety of striking it out of the
bill which Congress will be asked to pass.
which will be simply bill to accord perms-
sion for tunneling the Capitol reservation, that
the railroad may pass under the hill to some
point on the Potomac between Third and Sey-