The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1860-09-29
1Dolitlfal.

How Mr.. Buchanan was Elected.
The following statements, draw from off.
cial reports to the House of Representatives.
will show the manner in which the present
Executive obtained n very large number Of
votes in Pennsylvania which he
would probably have failed to secure his cleo
tion.
In January of last year, the corruptions in
the Federal Adu instra,ion having become
SO manifest, committee was appointed by
tho House Of Representatives in Congress. to
Investigate the abuses In the Navy Depart
fnent. Among mary other things, the
majority Of that committee reported tina: one
W. G. N. Swift had from 1854 been engaged
furnishing lve-oak to the Department
and was aided in the same by a Demo.
cratic partisan named Geo. Pitt, for money
consideration. The report then proceeds -
ssPentling the Presidential election oflS56,
Pitt introduced Swift to Mr.. Buchanan, and
sought to place him in the very best position
he possibly could with the President. Pitt,
at the fitre, was Treasurer of the Democrat c
State Central Committee OF Pennsylvania, and, ,
as such received from Swift the sum of
SIG 900, of which Swift contributed SIC, 900,
and received the balance from his immediate
friends, to be used in the pending clection.--
Mr.. Buchanan was informed before the cleo
tion that Mr.. Swift was an old line Wing who
came over to his party, and was taking an
active part in the election and he was SUISSE
qucnty informed of the amour. contributed
by Swift. Pitt testities that
"s In introducing Mr.. Swift, I told Mr..
Tonccy that he was gentleman whom l
should be very glad to have him aid in any
way he could, lcgitimately, of course that
he was my very warm friend who had con-
frbntcd very largely towards the election of
1856 and that he had a number of old line
Wing friends in Massachusetts, who were
equally liberal of them, at lcast-and
thought that such gentlemen should be
patronized, of coursc!'
Pitt further testified that he regarded the
contract with Swift-April, 1S54-as con-
timing contract, and surprising that agree
ment still in force under the present admins
tration as 1t was under the former one, had
Intended to make him acquainted with every
one of my political triends.''
Swift subsequently got contracts under the
Buchanan Breckenridge, Administration dur
ing the year 1878, to the amount Of $780,
GAO! Mr.. Pitt was then clerk Of the Circuit
Court of the United States in Philadelphia.
He again testified before the Corode COIN.
mittee during the last Congress. to having
expended, as treasurer OF the State Central
Committee, upwards of $4,000 in Pcnnsyl-
vania. to carry the election for Buchanan
OF that amount $l8.50O was raised in the
city Of New York and paid over 10 him ny
Augustus Schc. Mr.. Schell was afterwards
appointed Collector Of Customs at the port
of New York
Cornelius Wendell also testified before the
last named Committee, as fellows:
a Question did you not, for political pur-
poses. within the last three or four years,
use much larger amount Of money than you
used on previous occasions some hundred
thousand dollars?
Answer. Ny impression is, that it was
about one hundred and heavyweight, or one
hundred and thirty thousand dollars.
How much Of that money was used to elect
MIR. Buchanan