The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1860-09-29

A. think | expended in contributions,
printing. and IN dire's and suadry way, Of
some 1877 900 Or 3S. COO.
Q. After MIR. Buchanan was elected, was
he not familiar with the enormous cxpcnd-
ture that you had incurred in securing his
election
A. He knew that had been very active
and mad expended considerable money
O. Did he not know the amount
A. | do not remember whether the amount
was ever mentioned betw cen US; | could not
say
Q. Do you think he duly appreciated your
services in expanding that amount of money
Well sir, never thought he did.
Q. Did he not latterly rather fall off as re.
CARDS his friendly feelings towards you?
A. have thought for some eighteen months
that he did
O. Was his influence not used in your favor
to keep the government patronage in your
hands, so as to reimburse you for this large
amount Of money that You had expended!
A. At first it was coming to me and it con.
tinued on until December after his iuaug-
nraion, when n portion Of it was taken
from me.
q BY whose sct?
A. BY the Presidents.
Q That was taken from you, to divide
with other friends of his
A. Yes sir"
1t is scarcely necessary to add, that Mr..
Wendell was Public Printer. His accounts
with the Government for that work, ran up
as high as 1929 900 during one year, and his
net profits to 100000 or more for n single
twelve months. Other Federal officials of the
Pierce administration were pressed into the
service; and per cent was levied upon their
| salaries to raise additional funds to carry for.
| ward the canvass while still others were
actively engaged on committees and as mis-
sionarcs among the people, some of them at
the instance and through the direct interme-
diation of Mr.. Buchanan himself. to the neg
lect Of their duties and the public business -
These facts arc sufficiently shown by the fol-
lowing testimony of Isaac West, than Inspec-
tor in the Custom House at Philadelphia. -
We give the questions propounded to Mr..
West and his answers:
How long did you remain in office there /?
A. About five years.
Q. Were you there at the time of the cleo
ton o: 1856 when MIR. Buchanan was elected I?
A. Yes sir.
Q. What do you know about money being
raised off the employees Of the Custom House
on that occasion!
A. There was certain tax levied upon the
persons connected with the Custom House.
y. What amount on each person
A. A certain percentage. On n person
receiving $l095 year, l think the tax for
the Presidential election was from $50 to $33
| Q. Do you mean the Presidential election
alone, or for both Presidential aud Congress-
io1al elections
| A. mean the Presidential election alone
| Z. What about other elections?
| A. The amount was not so great for the
State elections.
| Q. How much was that?
A. do rot recullcct. 1t strikes me tina. t
was from S5 to 81, something like that.
q. The two then would amount to in the
ncighborhood of$40 I?
A. Yes sir, in that neighborhood.
q. Upon what salarled officers was that
A. Those Of 81 100. or rather ST ,OG5 a
year.
Q. Were the others assessed in proportion
to their salaries?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. To whom was the money paid?
A. 1t was generally deposited. That pcr-
ton which | collected in my department,
gave to the deputy collector. Mr.. Harbcson
| believe he was the treasurer, so far as the
Custom House was concerned and he paid i:
over to the Executive Committee, believe.
| @. a political Committee
A. Y.s, sir
z. Did all the employees pay
A. | never knew one to refuse.
q. What was the inprtssion-that it was
obligatory upon them TO pay?
a. That seemed to be the impression
they all felt it their duty to pay that more
promptly than some of their debts that wa,
the impression, but do not know abou,
whether they would have been removed il
they had not paid but it was considered
obligatory believe.
z Do you know Of any person receiving
pay during the Presidential contest who did
not render services in the Custom House
A. That is q pretty nice qucs' ion to answer
There were parties absent during that can
vass for some months but | could not or
my oath, say whether they received thcil
salaries or not; they were absent somt
months.
Q. Who were those absent canvassing dur
ing that election
A. Mr.. Gideon G. Wescott was in tn,
State Central Committee room for som,
months from four to six months, probabl,
more or less
z. Name all that you recollcct
A. Mr.. Whitaker was one forget hi
first name John Shell and Daniel FRY
think there were others; believe those ar,
all can think Of now.
:, y. Can you state how long they were away
A. could not; some more, and some less
some were on duty occasionally: Mr.. West
colt was absent nearly oil the time; thu
others were on duty occasionally; perhaps
the office half the time.
Z, Did you not see letter nuthorizin!
Mr.. Wes,cott 10 be sent, or IN some way ref
ring to that matter!
A. Mr.. Westcott read me letter from Mr.
Buchanan, according to my recollection, say
: ing that he had obtained leave of absence 70
him for certain time, from the Secretary O
the Treasury.
Q. When was that?
A. In 1856.
In addition to the above. it is shown b,
the testimony before that Committee tina
large numbers of forged ard fraudulent natur
. alizaton papers were sent out in Penrsylva
/ mia to be illegally used in the election il
favor of Mr.. Buchanan. William Harms ties
tilted that he had one hundred and fift,
, lrish,ncn at work en- the Union Canal a
, Reading, and that he received upwards O