Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-12-26

nresent' And there was my kind friend and
hliy, thisnoble youth from Brooklyn, who had
Hidden MI the way utter me on horseback, with
only sos 1T the Start, and 1879 cents in MS
pocket when hereached me. t.y
Il appears that after Mr.. Anderson'e escape,
| his captors adopted che theory that he nad
smoked bis hyoscianus to such an extent tnaI
lit had made him insane, and that he haa COM
lmihed suicide, and his remains were diligently
leearched for In streams and by places there
abouts 'D' ..,.i. .a..lg .,.5..
| ARMY ySwindIinR-The Congregational
| w ~ 's, ~. Committee's Report.
laollg Ggib L.ag q hr- "A AZ
The Cincinnati Times is doing the country
some good by publishing the report Of the
Congressional Committee on the infamous
Iplandering that has been committed BY the pets
of Cabinet officers at Washington. We doubt
lif ever, in the history of any government, has
such astounding swindling been committed, 1t
Is unree sonabe to suppose, that all this rascal
ity could be carried on without the knOwledge or
cognizanee Of those having this immense patron
age ~ bestog' $50 s.,p ~. d 1854 l.p sW 4
| g,ThA Committee thus speaks of the trsnsac-
tfonaoF Mr. Morgan, a brother.in law of the
lsecfetary of.tbe Navy, and arelative Of Gov.
Morgan Of New York; .lbls4 oea,sa 4
CONDUCT Or aEcRETARY OF NAVY IEDErENsiBLE
'''o'oi ava AND RRPREHEHsIBLE,
Butdi ia to the arrangements between the
Secretary of,the Navy and Mr.. Morgon, under
(which the compensation of this agent for the
lseryices thus rendered, the committee desire
Eespecially to call attention in this connection,
[asoEa character, whether it tbe in the stipulated
amount received or ia the mode OF payment,
alike iDdelensisle and reprehensible. That ar
rangement is system OF commissions, usually
aTo and a half per cent OF the purchase money
Maid for each vessel, and.one under which Mr..
| Morgan received, as compensation, during the
period of segen,weeks previous to the 9Th day of
lSeptenber, when this testimony was taken, the
enormous sum Of $54,5s4, as admitted himself
Ibefnre the committee. ...
When this testimony was taken, information
Iof It's extraordinary character and import was
lIcommunicated to the department, IN the hope
| that an abuse go glaring, when pointed out
Imiebt be corrected. Yet, Notwithstanding the
ldepsrtment became thus possessed Of the infor-
nation that its own agent was, by this system
4 of commissions aniassing private fortune, the
ICommitte have been surprised to learn, from a
recent Communication from the Navy Depart
ment, furnishing them with the number and
prices of vessels purchased BY Mr.. Morgan for
| tbe Government since said 9th day of Septem-
ber, thu. the cost of those thus purchased by
him amounts, IN the aggregate, to tho sum
81, ,T36, ,992.. 'ot - s'-.a'" ''4 3''
p. p, o. ''1.yA ''RIG THING" FOR MORGAN
| Ii he has received the same rate of compen-
sation since as before that date, there must be
/ added to the sum of S5l,5S4 paid him before
that date, the further compensation OF $43, ,424
| for services rendered since, making in all the
sum of S95, ,008, paid to single individual for
his services as agent Of the Government since
the 18th Gay of July, a period of over four
and oue-half months. :a.lIsr s...s
l. Mr.. Morgan insisted in bis testimony, and
seemed to believe that this large compensation
was received by him, not from the Government,
but from these who sold their ships to the Gov.
lenment, and vas therefore justifable. But the
ICommit.ee can admit neither the premises Of Mr.
| MORGAN, nor the conclusion he draws from them.
! Ia point of fact this large compensation was
paid, in the end, out of the Treasury OF the
| United States; but il II had been paid by those
who dealt with the Government, it would have
been equally indefensible. No department of
this, Government has the right to place its
| lagents in o position, ,or clothe them with the
vices rendered the Government itself, to take
lfrom the pockets of patriotic citzens coming
| forward with their means to the supDortof the
Government in the day of its trial, such sum
/ of money as Is here found to have been di-
| verted into The pocket Of Mr.. Morgan. No cit
Iizen can Justify any such attempt to convert the
| puhlic necessities into an occasion for making
fortunes. II itbe true that this agent Of the
Government ia paid By these who deal with 1t,
the Committee are at loss to understand upon
what principle prevailing in business or morals
the agent OF one party is thus pnt in the pay Of
1.-The other party. 1t Is worse than an absurdity;
| IT is directly demorllizing and injurious to the
public service.
The Chicago Times, speaking Of this matter,
Wellsays: d. tss sllia4g b
We do not Gee how the President can retain
Secretary yWelles, of the Navy Department, in
office, unless the latter can, and ehall, wholly
explain away certain trarsactions brought to
| light BY the Congressional Investigating Com
Lmfttee, whose report has jdst been pu5lished.-
One of these transactions was with the brother
in-law Of the Secretary, named George d. Nor
gan, of New York, for the purchase of vessels
for the Government. Morgan was wholesale le
grocer; never had eny experience in dealing in
shps, and was appointed over the head OF Com
Navy Yard. Morgan was SO inexperienced that
three naval officers were appointed to go with
him to correct his blunders, and was allowed
TO charge two and halt per cent. on pur |
chases, BY which he realized over $95, 5,OOO.-l
The commissions were paid BY the sellers Of
vessels, but 1t appears the sums all came out Of
the public treasury, as sellers added the amount
OF commissions to the price OF vessels The
testimony shows that the best talent and expe-
rience for buying vessels could have been OBJ !,
tsined for $4,000 per annum.
Can anything be conceived more shameful
and diegraeaful than this? Such transaction
in ordinary times would be in the last degree
Infamous; in these times of general calamity,
when the cost Of the war is Heriously affecting
every pocket in the land, and when every cid-
zen is preparing to omake severer sacri6ces still
on the altar OF patriotism, it is, il that be pos
sble, something more than Infamous.
The country will not permit it to pass into
forgetfulness, Mr.. Welles must clear his skirts
of guilt-r2nd how can he7-or the President
musl clear him out of the Cabinet. II purity
be mot in the Cabinet, we may not look for it in
subordinate officers in any department Of the
Government. The Investigating Committee
have discovered fraud and corruption In low /
places as well as high; but what mockery to
punish small criminals aud excuse great ones
What mockeFy to hold the petty Quartermaster
to accountability, and not visit disgrace upon
the offending Cabinet Minister
FNE
General Sherman. issued an order at Port
Royal, recently, suppressing newspaper report
H. nan,nlafuad hat xxi. n,,hl;<. ttnna