, 1860-05-18

apply 10 the term Of service thus reported
the rules and compensation laid down il
the resolutionsl will now call the atten.
ton Of the members Of this committee who
served upon Il during the S5th Congress tc
The bearing at the last session, when We un
deriook 10 vlndicate the employment Of oil
these men. We were going into that mat
ter folly, and the entire committee, every
man Of them-yourself, Mr. Chairman, and
ell the old members who were here present
win reeollect it-you ell said that you were
entirely satisfied about that; you had no
doubt bot that every one was needed, aud
u vas unnecessary to coRsume time in ar
guing that point; but you desired Us to
procsed to other points wherein there was
doubt and diGieulty. | addnce this, too, as
another evidence that from bis prejudice and
hostility, be was incapable Of understand
ing the resolutions Of the house, and that
be went into an examination, and took ae-
tlon, not only unWarranted BY the resOlu-
tions, bot which, IL il could have been an-
ticipaiod, he would have been excluded
from BY an express PrOVisO in those resolu-
tions
Nov, the territorial executives aud the
proper officers IN the volunteer service, ab-
soluisly certify to the actual aud positive
services Of the volunteers The eommis-
sion, alter foil aud thorough investigation,
give their olicial sanction to the fact that
Ibese men were actually engaged in the
publie service according to the roll which
they transmit; aud submit that il is con
trary to common experience and TO common
sense, that an auditing officer in this gov
ernment should 60 behind sach record, IN
less be has the evidence 10 snstain fraud,
either upon the part Of the commission or
OF the Territorial authorities. Has the
Auditor any evidence Of such fraudi He
does not pretend that be has any evidence
whatever, looking TO anything Of the kind
We therefore protest against any auditor
or any eletk in the departments prescribing
the numbers and the grades Of officers re-
quired in a service, which, for the difficulty
Of management and the extent Of field over
which u operated, has no parallel 10 the
history Of the country. We submit that
this committee eau with safety put more
confidence IN ths decision Of experienced
ucu WIN NANulAuNQ tue Muola hlluk ~ Tue
very seat Of operations, than they eau in
the decisions Of an auditoF, sitting in his
olice IN the treasury building. In these
remarks, ! wish the committee to under
stand / have no disposition TO call IN ques-
ton the purity Of motive, or integrity Of
the Third Auditor. have never called ii
In question; but l deem Il my duty 10 en-
deavor 70 show what firmly believe, that
the resolniious Of the House referred this
matter 70 an authority which vas incapa-
bic Of making the examination; and sub
nit that his own report has proved that he
was incapable Of such an examination. The
examination could ouly be made by dis
patching a commission 70 that country, by
travelling over that country, BY getting full
and thorough evidence, by testing every
case of doubt By sworn testimony; that Z,
BY pursuing the precise course which We
know, from their Official report, the com
mission itself pursued.
Now Il yon will look ni the prices !urn-
ished BY the Auditor himself, Of purchases
and employmenis In the regular service,
you will have other proofs Of the unfairness
Of his awards In carrying ont the resolutions
Of the House. Before entering upon this,
however, let me protest against any infer
ence being drawn as 10 prices current IN
that country. from the purchases made in
the regulaF service. They are no criterion
whatever. The prices current cannot be
ascertained until you know the peculiar cir
eumslances Of each transaction. That is
the largest element efecting the proper
price 10 be paid for labor or for supplies.
The price win be 1ariousiy affected, other
circumstances being the same, according to
the quantities required, according to the
amount in the market, according to the
longer or shorter time IN which the delivery
has 70 be made. An these circumstances
have the greatest inaaence upon prices, aud
all ought TO be known before any person
should presume 70 lay down price current
for any article. Nov, in the regular ser
vice, nearly al their purchases were already
made; nearly ell their employments were
arranged. Their purchases in many things
were ridiealously small, which did not es-
peeially affect the market.
The question Is, IN aseertaining the prices
current, not what the regular service paid,
but what the volunteer service would have
had 10 pay, had it gone into the market
with cash in pocket instead Of scrip in hand.
That IS what has got to be ascertained.
Now if the regular service, 10 addition to
their usual purchases, had been called upon
to make all the purchases made by the vol.
unteers, and 10 make them in the country
where the volunteers made them, and to
have gone into al the additional employ
ments Of the volunteer service, state en-
phatieally, that, with cash in hand, they
would have been compelled to have paid
about the prices paid BY the volunteer SER
vice and that is the only way to get at
ihe prices current. Could the Auditor
do this What did he know about the
circumstances Of each particular case >
Now / will call the attention Of the com
mittee to the fact that a great many of
these purchases were made 10 pursuance Of
written contracts. This was especially the
case on PUGET Sound. There IL the NOR