New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-06-19

y
the Government has, by money, pironags, or other
q improper means sought 10 influence the a,tion Of
" Congyess or any Committees thereof for or against
The passage ofany law ,appertaiaiDg to tue rights Of
kinay. IL was more important 10 the Admnistra-
lion to sntdue the reemen OF Kansas than tho poyg
amiss Of Utah. IL has always been charged that tho
war in Utah gotten up for the purpose Of fastening
Slavery upon Kansas To most minds the letter of the
President 10 Gov. Walker, Of July IL, 1857. will far
nis satisf tory proof Of the allegation "Gen Iar-
"ney has been selected 10 command the expedition To
" Utah. But NUT continue 70 have ham with yrn,
M less, until Won are out Of the woods Karsfz is
" vastly important at the present moment than
Utah.
iron this Administration shall hereafter rtst the
awful responsibility of delaying the remov.l Of the
army from Kansas until tho Winter of 1871, which
The cauee Of the fearful loss andsHerngo casioned
by the inability Of the army to reach salt Lake.
1t should be added in copending this portion OF the
report that Messrs. Hickman and Adrain, members OF
this House. having, upon the floor Of this House,
deliberately asserted that they bad been corruptly
approached by the Administration during the Lecomp-
ton controversy the following action was had IN tho
| Committee:
| Mr.. TRAIN moved that Messrs. Hickman and Adrian
| be summoned before the Committee.
Mr. WIxsLow objected on the ground that the House
had ordered Special Committee, on the motion of Mr.
Hoard, 10 examine the matters win winch those gem
| tlemen had been connected.
Mr. CovoDE said that, il appeared likely that the
examina ion of the persons named would protract the
1
the House, he was willing to let the matter go, and
pursue il no further.
The Committee being equally divided Mr.. Olin be-
ing ABSENT the motion Vt MIR. Train was not agreed to-
1hc Hon. Mr. Montgomery OF Psnnsylvania, mem-
| Der of this House was twice summoned before this
| COMMITTEE and declined 10 appear. Your Committee
did not feel at liberty to ask the House compel his
| Attendance.
| ABUSES At THE PHILADELPHIA CUsToM-HoUsE
AND OTHER PUBLIC OFFICES.
Your Committee under The secon- clause Of the first
resolution, under which they appointed have d.
rected their attention 10 the charges Of corruption ana
napracce in the administration of the officers OF the
| Government at Philadelphia. Their investigation has
| been directed principally 10 two points, VIZ;
| First The improper combinations among the federal
| officers with view to control the sentiments aud
preferences of the people in their primary political
| movements. -.
Second The imp oper and corrupt fthe public
moneys in the employment OF persons IN the public ser
vice. In violation of law and government regulations;
AID the efforts ON the part OF the officers OF tne GOV
erbment TO defeat the statutes of the United States,
enacted for the purpose Of protecting the public
treasury from unjust claims and improvident and un-
necessary pendiiures.
| Inreation TO each of these points your Committee
have been informed OF various instances OF the corruP
tons existing in the management Of the Philadelphia
Custom-House and Navy-Yard Your Committee
have confined their Investigations to iew o. eac eas
of ua5es bat sufficient TO establish the allegation, that,
Oh the part Of certain officers holding high positions
unGer The present Administration, very little regard
has been had either the laws of Congress, to their
| duty public officers.
In relation to the first point, the evidence shows
most reckless disregard by the Collector of the Port Of
Philadelphia, of the rights Of the people OF the State
Of Pennsylvania in the free and unirsmmeed exercise
of their political rights citizens. IL appears from the
evidence that he has abused the powers OF hs Office,
and used the public patronage nndr his c0ntro IN M
iustfable attempts 10 direct and manage political party
organizations which belong exclusively 10 the citizens
of a sovereign State and with which the executive of
fcers OF the FEDERAL Government such, cannot in
teriere without endaDgerng the most sacred rights of
the people and weakening our system of government
by destroying all confidence in and respect for those
who admiDisie the laws. The evidence on this sub
ecf ia found in the testimony of John III. Bryant,
Francis GJee, Samuel b. Gree, Francis Mccormick,
John f. Sehell, Andrew Brumaker, George Downey,
Patrick Iaierty, and John Dunn, the few witnesses
that your Committee have examined in relation thereto.
In relation TO the second point Of inquiry your Com
mttee bave established, by mcontestble evidence,
fragrant disregard and violation of law the part of
Of The officers and employees in the Philadelphia
Cusom-House and Navy Yard, and especially in rela-
ton Joseph Is. Baker the Collector Of the Port of
Philadelphia and his brother George w. Baker,
amounting TO a series Of Ieiones, subiectng the guilty
parties 10 prosecution and punishment in the District
Circuit Court OF the United States Your Committee
would feel disposed to recommend to Congress some
imm date action upon this subect it, in view of the to-
tai disregard thar has been paid by the executive branch
of the Government TO a former recommendation made
i'll the Of Mr. Seaman, former Superintendent Of
Public Printing and OF the completely Of the President
in protecting the parties referred 10 by retaining
them in Office for nearly three months after the matter
bad been brought 10 his notice and the heads Of the
proper departments your Committee could entertain
any well-grounded hope that such recommendation
would be regarded. The subject, however ia one for
the proper consideration OF the Executive and his
prosecuting officers at Philadelphia and if they as
faithful putlc tunctionaries having due regard to
their oatbs Of Office disposed 10 discharge the du
tics imposed upon them by law, they will do il without
being called upon by the Legislative branch OF the Gov
eminent, unbiased by any relationship and uucoD.
trolled by any consideration of party ties
Joseph b. Baker is the Collector of the port Of Phila
delphia appointed by Mr.. Buchanan in 1857 to that
post He 10 have been III the entire confidence
of the President in matters relating - Pennsylvania,
ard the person 10 whom he has ntrusted tie disribu
ton Of much OF the patronage in that State, and
especially the management of the ward politics OF that
city and State. lie also seems to have had consider
able agency III keeping np by contryanccs to procure
| funds out of the public treasury TIE Pennsyira-
| :" man newspaper the Administration organ in
Pennsylvania This paper would appear to have been
principally supported by contributions from the Exeeu-
tive Printing fund George w. Baker, the brother of
the Collector and connection by marriage of the
President was, up TO period of time since The appoint
ment of this Committee, the editor of that paper The
periodical contributions from the Executive Printing
fund, amounting 20 So 900 per annum do not appear
to have been sufficient to afford compensation to the
editor; and the receipts from the to have
| used for that purpose.
The Office of Assistant Cashier and Dsbursing Clerk
| in the Cus,Cm-House was vacated some months pre-
yous the 18th of November 1858 by the promotion
of John Goodyear, the former Assistant Cashier TO
the office OF Cashier, made vacant by the death of
George W. Burr the 18th of November, 1853. The
Collector, by and with the approval Of the Secretary
of the Treasury, appointed hs brother to fill this
vacancy at Il salary of Fl 200 per annum. SO far as
can be aseertaiIed no publicity given to this
appointment. The appOintee never appe .red at his
desk nor discharged any of the duties of his office
and, although the act of Congress of ID Of March,