Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1861-11-23

Gen. Nremont's Expenditures
The Congressional LGes.isafine Comm5t.
tee-AHeged Abstract Of TEE Rpo'.--
Read and Rttiecti

The Cincinnati EnqutSer publishes the
following, which, il says, is en- abstract Of
she evidence obtained by the Congressional
Investigating Committee, which closed II.
I.abors in St. Louis las, week:
Tho first act of fraud Vas the prc3cnte
ton to Mrs. Brigadier General MeXinstry
on :he Goth of September, of complete
set Of silver service Of the Jenny Lind pat
tern, which service cost $4,000 ard up,
ward, and being the Guest eyes made in
she Vast, cok the premium at tie State
Agricultural Fair held ia II. Louis. This
service was presented by parties exclusye-
ly interested in Government couaracts,
among whom were Major Selovoy, Laoni.
aas Haskell, j ohn NJ. C.nm. L l.. Bead,
OF California, and otlors.~-ue ene.al Nc.
hinrtiy was !uartermastoc genera.
ofthe Western Department by appoint
ment Of Mnjor General j. 9. Fremont,
and as such quartermaster general, con
irolled the horse and mule contracts bull
ding OF barracks, and all supplies and
purchases appertaining to that department.,
The committee in their report say, " The
frauds in contracts in tie quartermaster's
department are numerous, and have been
clearly proven, and extend through all
branches Of his control and supervision"
In relation to the purchase Of horses.--
ihe second act Of Eapd--the testimony il
extensive as to tho various species Of impo.
sition practioed, the "old English jockey
tricks" as they are called, .3eing ia this
case of the lesser magnitude, 4 party
contracts to furnish / 600 head Of horses,
at Sll9.5O per head, TO GEe Government,
though the quartermaster The contract,
or's agent, who is approved by the quar-.
tormaster, has charge Of The field where
the contractors horses are 10 be passed
upon. A countryman, having horses to
sell to the Government, pays $40 entrance
fee to the field where lis horses are exam
ined, aud upon the pay Of another fee of
SO, they are recommended to the cons
tractor, who purchases the same at the .
very lowest figure, which, throughout the
entire evidence, never exceeded S95 and .
800 per head. The contractor takes his
purchases to the inspector, who is also re.
imbursed by fee, which amount i. com,
puted according to the quality Of the an,
imal The contractor, on obtaining a Ger.
tifcate from the inspector, demands the
money of the quartermaster, who pays the
same when the bonus for said payment il
guaranteed. The evidence disclcses sever
al such schemes, and many other ways in
which horses and mules are obtained
The testimony also shows that the horses,
in a majority Of instances, are of the most
inferior kind, and have broken down or
fell dead on the road. Around The depots
where horses were kept, thus purchased,
numerous dead oarcasses have been found
Omnibus and stage horsea have been trot
ted out, "full Of bran and pcppered," by
contractors, who receive Sli5sl9O for
each horse they furnished One of the
recent reports of Boards of Survey will
suffice in the character of horses Govorn
ment furnished to regiments upon the req
uisition of their commanding officer. 9th
er similar reports the committee have Oh
fle:
CAMP SULLIVAN, WARsAw,i
October 2l, 1861.
TO Col. IPslliane Bisaop;
The undersigned having been summon.
eu, as board Of survey, to examine and
insnnck khn nan nA:I;nr, cIi L - = |