Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-09-17
D. To whom did you apply.


A. To all the Secretaries.
70. Wheng
A. After that law passed; after il became
law.
Q. How soon after?
a. suppose some ten days after; cannot
say the exact time; it might have been a week
or ten days; sufficient time for the law to
become printed and known.
@. To whom did You make your spplica-
ton! - =
A. went to Mr. Thompson, to Mr.. Cobb,
to Mr.. Brown. to MIR. Toucey. and to Mr..
Floyd-each of them.' oa-s
Failing to make an impression upon either
of the Secretaries, he called upon the Presi-
Il called the Presidents attention TO :his
law, and told him that this work ought to be
given to practical men. He said that the
cabinet had had this matter under considera-
lion. aud as they bad acted upon 1t he did
not wish TO interfere. told him that, in my
opinion, the cabinet had acted wrong; thai
the law required them to give this work to
practical men. and they had given it to man
who had no practical knowledge of The busi-
siness; / differed from their decision OF the
law, aud asked him if could have the opin-
ion OF the Attorney General npon that law,
a. he was the proper one to give me an opin-
ion. He said / could. 1 asked him how
could get it He said, Address rae CON-
munication in writing giving your views, and
will refer ii to the Attorney General for his
opinion; is that what you wani.' said yes.
sir He said you shall have it, / prepared
letter and addressed it to the President, and
this | did at his own suggestion. -
Question. Did you hand that letter 10 the
| President in person, or did soH send 1t 10
him? eet ssc9s5 rEH
y. I sent it TO him.
Q. Did you see him afterwards in relation
| to it?
y did: after sent it TO The President it
| remained some three weeks before 1 heard
! anything from it. | theu caused a note To be
addressed respectfully to him, requesting
| him TO refer my communication, TO the At
| torney General. 4 few days after that note
| had been sent. called at the Attorney Cen
| erals Office aud Ioafd my original letter TO
the President there; 1 asked the clerk to
show it TO me-. aud he did SO; IL bad this in
| doTsement- on il: Referred to the Attorney
| General but not for his opinion called
| Judge Blacks attention TO tbe Endorsement
| and he sid to ne, this is strange indorse-
mrni: IL means nothing; | cannot give an
| opinions; the President might a. well have
! kept the paper himself; will take the paper
| back to- The President and have that indorse-
menl changed He did so. aud a few weeks
after | called again ai.d saw the paper with
| this second Endorsement. as near as can re-
| member the words:
| AS the cabinet have had this matter under
| consideration. and have acted upon it, de-
cline Interfering This was signed u. b..
| the Presidents own signature, as L vas ill.,
formed" p '- i
| 1.-THE following was be endorsement as tes-
tilted to Afterwards by a clerk in the Attor-
ncy Generals Office: Referred to the At
ney General, though tie President does not
| intend to interfere with the decision Or ac-
ton of the different heads of department in
the selection of boolI-biuder, the law having
| expressly conferred this power upon them j.
BIT The witness continued:
II will say here that called upon the
President after Judge Black informed me of
the first Endorsement. He replied to me:
WHY, have sent your communication to
the Attorney General;' | said, Il am aware of
that Mr.. President but the paper is Endorsed
in such u way that the Attorney General can
not give an opinion Why. how is that 2
said he. 4 told him that it was indorsed:
Referred to the Attorney General. but not
for bis Opinion; says he, Is that SOP Yes,
sir, replied; How do you known Be
cause have seen the paper myself be seem
ed 10 express surprise; then asked him 1t L
could still have the opinion of the Attorney
General; yes he replied, L then said How
shall get il? shall go to Judge Black and
saw as coming from you, that he can give me
his opinion?' He said Yes, tell him l say so:
tell him 10 give you bis opinion in reference
to that law / called upon Judge Black and
informed him of what the President had told
me; he replied. you know. Mr.. Pettibone, |
cannot give you the opinion except the re-
quest is in writing he also said, i will see
the President to day and ask him about it.
and, if he authorizes me to give you an Opin-
ion, will do SO with pleasure l called up
on Judge Black the next day. and he told
me that he had seen the President, and the
President declined interfering; he said that
a. the cabinet had had this matter under con-
sideration and had decided it, he declined in
teriering with it. After Judge Black inform
ed me what he had said, | called upon the
President aud said 10 him: Mr.. President, did
| understand you Alright? You assured me l
should have the opinion OF the Attorney
General upon g Ger tain law; now Judge Black
informs me that you decline allowing him to
give me such an OPINION He says: He in
formed yOn correctly; do decline
Question. Have you had auy further inter
views with the President and cabinet, in re-
latiOn to this matter, than those you have
stated
l.
upon the President several times, and upon
one OCCASION asked hun if be would not speak
to Secretary Thompson. that might have a
portion of the work. He said he would. l
called upon Mr. Thompson some days after
wards, and asked him if the President had
said anything to him about the matter. He
said rs, but he did not request me to give
you any work OF course he did not give
me any. then said to MIR. Thompson, Sup
I IL. hri,, a
dent. would you give me some work to dO?''
He said he would. L then called upon the
President and asked him to give me a line to
Mr.. Thompson, as l was sure he would give
| me some work to do ii would bring line
from him. The President said. Yes, sir. a
line from me would not only give you por-
ton Of the work, but it would give you the
! whole of the work, it I choose to give you
that line. but l do not choose to give it,
That was an end of il. and ! did not trouble
him any more.
Question. Have you, within the last three
years, made bids or proposals to do binding
| for the executive departments; and if so. TO
| which department did you make themg
A. in July, 1857, 1 made u proposition in
writing to the Department of the Interior
proposing to do the binding for that depart
ment at thirty-three per cent. less than they
were then paying fur it. In the month OF
September following / renewed my offer,
thinking, as had not heard from it, that the
department, in the multiplicity of its BUSH
ness, might have overlooked it and made
the further proposition that, if they did not
think proper to aceede to my former proro-
sition. would pay into the treasury, for the
use of the government, the sum OF ten thous-
and dollars, provided they would give me
the contract, at the prices then paid, for
the binding of that one department alone
| ffoof ,sentember. 1857, to the 4ih of March,
OF the contract i would pay that anfLulhr iye
er to the government for the governments
| use. My object was to show to the
Seeretary-to strike him forcibly at once
| that it was matter of some importance, of
some interest to the government. l thought,