Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-06-19
Report of the Investigating Commit.

/ Wv AA'eSIiRatiHS C0mMittsa
In the House of Representatives q, 9.
urday, Mr.. Train made report from , a.
Covode committee, signed by Messrs q" e
vode Ohm and Train. 1t sets ont ,r;,
speaking OF the embarrassments which -
tended their labors, and says the Pres;Soa..
saw tit to send in a solemn protest IN ~
way of a proclamation to the world rho, :, ''
whole power Of the executive instead Of ~, ~
ing exercised to forward the inyest;ga,;"aes '
with it's administrative affairs, would ~
exercised to protect those who might cboo -
to disobey the summons of the Speakar ~r
the House, or who having obeyed the snn
mons, might refuse to testify before the COM
littee, who quote precedents to show ,ba.
they have felt at liberty to investigate ~
conduct of the President or any other ,ff,a.
of the government.
In regard to the Lecompton cousti,p,;o.
they say the country will pause viii, as,o"
ishment over the shameless record, ill.,
examine, first the emphatic and indabitali,
pledges of the President, as well before a.
after his election, and the pledges of all h;'
cabinet to the doctrine of leaving the peorla
of Kansas perfectly free to administer tbss
institutions in their own way. Second rho
deliberate violation of these pledges ana
the attempt to convert Kansas into a sI,ya
State by means Of forgeres, fraud and lorco
Third-The removal and attempt to DISGRACE
the sworn agents of the administration who
refuse to violate these pledges Four,h-Tb.
open employment Of money in the PASSAGE
of the Lecompton and English bills throurb
Congress. Fifth-The admission of parties
engaged in the work Of electioneering this
scheme, that they receive enormous sum.
for this purpose, and the proof on which
they were paid by an agent of the admins.
tration. Sixth-The offer to purchase news.
paper editors with extravaganza sums of ma.
ney. Seventh-And even the prescription
of democrats of high standing who would
not support the Lecompton and English
bills. The witnesses on these point, were
Gov. Walker, Messrs. Wendell, Bean and
+. W. Walker, and fortunately for the cau..
of truth, the evidence of these witnesses doe,
not, the committee say, depend upon their
own admission. 1t is proved by the bulk
of the records of the Bank of the Metropolis
which contains the names of those who con-
duct their business there, and by the uncon.
scious contradiction Of the witnesses.
The testimony of Mr. Forney is not to be
overlooked in this connection. While il
shows general willingness on the part Of
the President to subsdize the public press,
it proves also that there was !. strong deter.
mination to buy all who could be bought,
and to crush out the honest men who could
not be brbed or scduccd to an utilization
with the administration in its Lecompton
policy. Mr. Forney was offered the printing
of the postoffice blanks, with at least SsO, 000,
as a condition that he would by an editorial
no longer than a mans hand, disembarress
the administration in its Kansas policy
| The committee refer to the feet that TWEEN
| ty-four members of the House were opposed
to the Kansas policy. This number dwin-
died down to twelve, and enough were found
to carry the bill through the House.
The committee say it had always been sup
posed that the war in Utah was gotten up
for the purpose Of fostering slavery in Kan.
sas, the troops being directed to operations in
| Kansas.
The next point examined, involved the
abuses at the Philadelphia Custom-house and
other public Offices, in regard to which the
committee say that improper combinations
were made among the federal officers with
u view to control the sentiments and pre-
terences of the people in their primary poll
teal movements secondly, improper and cor.
rupt use of the public money in the employ
ment of persons in the public service in VIC
lation of the laws and government regula-
tons, and frauds on the part Of officers Of the
| government to defeat the statutes of the Uni
ted States enacted for the purpose of protect
| ing the public treasury from uni ust claims
| and improyident and Unnecessary expendi-
lures. The witnesses are John ii. Bryant,
Francis and Samuel b. Grice. Francis Ne
Cormick, John F. Schcll, Andrew BIumaker,
John Denney, Patrick LaHerty, John Dunn,
and others The committee say that collec
tor Baker is subjected to the highest censure.
For want of time they were unable to pro,
cure All investigation into the management
of the postoihces.
They examine the subject of the executive
binding saying that Mr.. Pettybone was
wronged in the matter, and that the patronage
was retained in the hands of the Presidents
friend and most efficient operator, Mr. Wen
dell.
The committee say the evidence proves be-
yond doubt that the prices paid for the exc
cutive printing and binding were utterly
dsproportionate 10 the work done. The
committee also alluded to the employment Of
men to carry elections
In view of all the facts and circumstances
attending this investigation, from It's incep-
ton to the present time, they say there
seems marked propriety in closing this re-
port, with quotation from q speech OF Mr..
Buchanan, in condemn alton of corruptlons.
Mr. Train moved that fifty thousand copies
of the report be printed. Referred to the
printing committee.
Mr.. Winslow was privileged 10 make a mi
rority report on Monday morning, not yet
having had time to prepare it, as the testi-
mony was not closed till Thursday.
What may follow
If the attempt is made to force the South
to accept the principles of Mr.. Douglas, from
which they totally dissent, as the creed ofthe
party; if the attempt is made. as threatened
to exclude from the Convention all the dele,
gates who do not support Mr.. Douglas, and
admit those, no matter how chosen, or by
whom commissioned, who have unsurped
the position of delegates in order TO sustain
the pretensions of man, whom they know
to be distasteful to all their people;-if, ina
word, it be attempted to ,torcc the nomina-
+inp of Mr. Dnuplas and tho ndoption oil i