The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-05-16

Davis then the Senate will be able to elect Stephens
Wood or Toucey Vice President, either of whom
would administer the government to the satisfac-
tion OF the seceders. The address to the seceders
has been sent privately to the friends of the parties
with whom it originated. 1t will not be published
entlre. The facts in regard to it, however, have
already found their way into the Herald. | under
stana that Senator Clay, who signed it, has created
considerable commotion on the part of the friends
OF TINS ultra movement. Another cause of disuuie-
tude is the refusal of the Texas delegates who Sc
ceded to return to Baltimore. Others have taken
similar stand, and it is more than probable that
the Richmond Convention will yet make a nomina-
ton. There is but one ray of hope for the Demo-
cratic pariy-but one chance of presenting single
candidate to the country-and that is to throw
overheard both the Baltimore and Richmond Con-
Ventions which are to meet in June, and to call a
new Convention at any time between July and
September.
From, the " J. Evening Post of Monday
The DEFALCATION IN THE NEW YORK
POST-OFFlCE-A HUNDRED AND FIFTY
THOUSAND DOLLARS GONE.
The rumor from Washington. respecting the
heavy defacations in the New York City Post
oihce on which we comment in our First Edition.
has been found to be substantially correct. An
investigation ordered by the Department, and con-
Quoted by the special agent of the General Post
Offce, thus far exhibits deficiency of over one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars on the part of
Isaac V. Fowler, the Postmaster of this city The
crpnality consists in his failing to deposit the
collected for the government. There is evidence
that there is now due in such deposits the amount
above stated. 1t NAV be found as the investiga-
ton proceeds, that the deficit amounts to a much
arger sum- The law applicable to this case, and
which describes the felony is contained in the Uni
ted States statutes at large tx, p. 63, can act
to provide for the collection safe keeping, transfer
and disbursement of the public revenue" which
states that il any "of those connected with the
Post Office Department, shall convert to his own
use, in any way whatever, or shall use by way OF
investment in any kind of property or merchandise,
or shall loan, with without interest or shall de-
post in any bank, or shall exchange fof other
funds, except as allowed by this act, any portion
OF the public moneys intrusted to him for safe
Keeping, disbursement, transfer or for anv other
purpose, every such act shall be deemed and
| adJgdged to be an embezzlement of much of the
sad moneys as shall be thus taken, converted in
| vested, used, loaned, deposited or exchanged
which is hereby declared to be a felony; and anv
failure to paw over or to produce the public moneys
lntrusted to such person, shall be held and taken
10 be prtmd fdcle evidence of such EN-
| bezzement." 1t will be understood by
| the above extract that MIR. Fowler
| has placed himself in a fatal position
and one from which he will not be able to extrcatt
| himself with honor. His bondsmen G. A. Como
| yer, and George Law, are bound in the sum of sew
| entf-hve thousand dollars, which will not cover
| one-half the embeZzement There were rumors
short time since that there was deficiency in a
| quarters report of Mr.. Fowler, but they were i'm
|
thousand dollars claimed in the Sub-Treasury-
The cashiers department, from which advances
nave always been made TO the Postmaster, now
holds lull and satisfactory vouchers for all sums
pald to him, so that whatever criminaty attaches
must be placed to the account of Mr. Fowler alone
lie had the absolute right to withdraw funds by
giving his receipts for the various amounts Mr..
Fowler, 1t will be recollected, was appointed by
Franklin Pierce. and was continued in Office under
the present Administration. lie has, therefore
been IN his present position years. The in
vestlgatlon Is still going forward, and Mr. Fowler
IS at MS hotel awaiting the result The Post-otIice
mas been placed in the bands of other agents of the
government. AS these frauds are not a sudden
thing, but have been going for a long time the
question arises as to how they could have occurred
without the knowledge or implication of the au-
thorities at Washington
The Post, in an editorial comment, says:
The numerous friends of Mr. Fowler will be pain
ed to hear of this disgrace; for he is man of many
generous and popular qualities who has won his
way into the kind regards of those with whom he
had occasion to do business. But these very quail
ties unhtted him for the discharge of the response
Bile duties with which he was entrusted He was
regularly preyed upon, we understand, by the
schemlng politicians by whom he allowed himself
to be surrounded and in his weakness Welded to
their solicitations. In this way he became hope
lessly embarrassed and compelled to resort to
the official drawer to make good his imprudent
| loans and advances.
The Herald of yesterday gives the following ad-
ditional particulars:
The next step of the governmental officers after
Mr.. Fowler left the office and in CARRYING out the
orders of the Postmaster General, was to procure
a warrant for the arrest of Mr.. Fowler. The mat.
ter was placed in the hands of ex-Judge Roosevelt
| the newly appointed District Attorney, who issued
warrant for his arrest on Saturday, and placed ii
| in the hands Of Capt. Rynders, the United States
Marshal. The Marshal also received from Wash
| lngton. from James Hillyer, Solicitor of the Uni
tea states Treasury an execution against Mr.
Fowler for the sum of Sl55,5 81, said to be the
| amount OF which he is in default. Immediate
| search was made for Mr.. Fowler which has beer
continued up to the present time, thus far without
success Alter Mr.. Fowler left the post-office he
| proceeded to the New York Hotel, where he has
boarded for the last ten years, and subsequently,
left there and proceeded to the residence of August
Belmont, in Fifth avenue, where he dined and left
| the table at o'clock P. NJ. He afterwards return
ed to his hotel and left there again at two O'Clock
| on Sunday morning, since which time one-not
even his intimate friends-have been able to ascer-
| tain his whereabouts. Various rumors are cur
rent as to the direct agency combination of cir
cumstances that led to this serious breach of high
trust-sOme alleging that it incurred under
the administration of President Pierce from whom
Mr.. Fowler received his appointment in 1858; 9TH
ers state that it was owing to his too great liberal
ly 10 MS political friends, to whom he made
temporary loans of the government money for
the purpose of extricating them from difficulty.
which they failed to repay; others state that he
has resorted at various times to the stock market
and was unfortunate. These, we state are rumors
Another reason assigned is, that owing to the fail
ure OF Congress to provide for the expenses of the
fost-Onlce Department. the pOst-ofliees throughout
the country were for while obliged to paw their
expenses out of their receipts, under the direction
OF the Postmaster and this also afforded n channel
| tor speculation and dishonesty. On the other
| hand, 1t is alleged that Mr.. Fowler had a mania
Tor speculatlng in new patents for sewing ma
chimes, steamboat pr0pellers, car-brakes, &C. and
that since his connection with the New York Post.
Ottlce has owned los han
patents, out of which but turned out a success
ana that the car-brake speculation, which is now
being used with success and whose value il is al
| legged, with the indemniication of his sureties
loiooOo) VIII nearly, If not quite, balance his ac
count with the government. The cashiers de
| partment, under the charge of Mr. Caldwell, from
which advances have always been made to the
Postmaster, holds full and satisfactory vouchers
ior all sums paid to him, that the criminality
and blame alone attach to Mr. Fowler He. bv hi,
prer0gatlVes OF office, had the absolute rioht tr
withdraw funds by giving his receipts for the va
rious amounts As we stated before, Mr.. Fowler
was appointed by Mr.. Pierce, and continued ir
o1hce under the present administration. and bo,
therefore been IN office seven years and upwards
we learn that the latest Investigations show tha
the defalcations amount to the enormous sum Of
one Hundred and secenty,iige thousand dollars Mr.
fowler's security are, as have been stated George
Law and Mr.. Conover, both citizens of New York,
from whom the Government will recover. $75, 900.
1t Is believed in Washington that Fowler has sailed
for Brazil.
The LATE VIOLENT RAIN SToRM.-The violent
rain storm of Friday morning did not it appears,
extend very far east of this section of the country
The Boston papers of Friday complain of a contin-
uance of the protracted drought in the New Eng
land States, and report the woods fire in several
directions. Near bingham, Mass, on Thursday a
fire had xtend, over 900 acres of woodland and
was still raging. In some parts of New Hampshire
they have to drive the cattle many miles for water,
so severe is the drought. We have accounts of
heavy reshets in different sections of Pennsylva
mia. At Harrisburg, the Susquehanua was very
high on Friday and Saturday, but no serious dam
age was done there. After protracted drought,
fine rain set in at Charleston, $. c., Wednesday
night, and continued on Thursday. In many sec
tions of Virginia the crops have been damaged by
heavy rains.
THE HARDEN JURY.-The Belvidere IatelIiqencer
thinks the manner in which the jury upon the
Harden trial performed their final duty is worthy
of all praise. After they had gone into their rooms
a constable was sent for a Bible-a chapter was
then read by the foreman-then all kneeled down
in prayer 1t was thcn agreed that each one should
hand in his verdict, which was DONE and the YER
dlct was unanimous as to the guilt of the prisoner.
Each one rose in his place and gave his reasons on
which be founded his opinions of the prisoner
guilt. Then the jury closed with reading chap
ter, and prayer.