Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-02-14

or 10 DC assumed ia iOay ty Tho gorer'fsnt
The report proceeds
To avoid all appearance Of uufarness, your committee
consider Il proper to give Mr. Russes estimate Of the
amount of accepances ssned set forth 10 the follow
ing extract from bis testimony:
Question. State as nearly as you can, OF your own
knowledge and recollection, the smount OF acceptances
Of Gov. Floyd shown by that hisl account to you?
Answer have got but an idea about it, IL was very
large I cannot tell how large believe it exceeds
| s., 900 900.
O. Does 1t not exceed 100000.
A. do not recollect.
| o. Does il not exceed s., 100000?
A. / judge not; il is all impression on my part.
O. Can you state that you have not received his &C
ceptances to an Amount exceeding s6,00O,0o0g
A. / don't think have.
How much less than So 900, 900 can you say was the
amount
A. will not fix the amount. ! know it was very
large. know it was Millions
O. Will you fix any amount short Of SO, 100000 which
you can say covers iig
A. do not think it exceeds s4,OO0,0O0.
q. Can you state to the committee within half mil
lion of dollars the amount of the acceptances Of Gov
| Floyd which you have paid.
A. No, sir, cannot We have certainly paid upwards
of 81 100000 and probably s3,5OooOo, aud cancelled
them retired them.
Q. Does 50, 100000 cover the amount?
A. cannot say positively.
q. Can you name sum which you can be positive
dos the amount?
A. am sure we nave pald SZ,UOU,OUu.
O. Are you you have paid and cancelled $1,000
A. Well, I am pretty confident in my mind that we
| have.
O. Can you state any amount larger than that, which
you confident in your mind was paid and can
ce!led?
A. No, sir.
Q Did you not pay aud cancel Gov. Floyds accept
any amount larger at the outside than sS5OO-
| coo.
A. think 81, 800 600 will cover the sum. very
confident in my mind that it will
Mr. Russell then stated that besides the acceptances
he had used and those still remaining in his possession,
THE latter somewhat less than two millions 10 amount
Gov Floyd gave him others, which he returned unused
to the War Department If evidence should given
these explanations the amount Of acceptances still out
standing is very large Bu Mr. RusselTs statements
81 rambling vague and unsatisfactory, and he shows such
ignorance OF the details of his business and such
incapacity unwilngness to make an exhibit OF his at
fairs that your committee have sdered it much safer
base their conclusions upon the records furnished by
the War Department These arc OF character too Pc
culiar to be pass d without comment.
By reference the testimony of Mr.. irwin clerk in
the War Department, h will be that he kept regis
try OF the accepances loose pisces of paper only
they reported to him from time TO time, and no
other made. He states too that there Was no reg
sLraton of the :795,O0O OF conditional accepances
which fell into Mr. Baleys hands and that Immediately
after the discovery Of the abstraction oil the bonds Gov
VIM to enter order of caucela ion OF those accept
ances which be had upon slip Of paper as he had en-
tered the dates and amounts OF Others that had been s
sued The acceptGnces bng in the hands Of the Hon.
jacob Thompson having been placed there by Mr. Bailey
in lieu OF the distracted bonds by order Of cancea
ton at such time simply order against the gov
Had the acceptances been held by other PER
ties the order would have been equally futie for, if le
gay issued it could not invalidite them.
remarkable feature in this very disreputabe affair
srt ln that Eutra
Floyd and the President also warned with respect to
the Secretarys acceptances time ago. The report
SAYS:
Your committee will leave judgment to be pronounced
by the House and by the country, bat will present.
valuable aid in coming to a correct conclusion brief
abstract of the testimony of Hon j. p. Benjamin. U. s.
Senator from Louisiana:
Mr.. Benjamin, who promptly appeared at the request
Of the committee, and testified with commendable and
courteous fankness that during the first session
of the present Congress- twelve eighteen months
ago. he written TO by the attorney Of Duncan Sherman
Co OF New York, and his opinion requested as to the
legality of accepsnces Issued by Gov Floyd 20 Russell
Majors Waddell 1t ,ntioned in that letter that
these drafts they then called, offered for
negotiation with the assurance that they were issued with
the appreciation Of the President and Attorney General
Mr. Benjamin visited the President and submitted the
enquiry to him The President replied that he knew
nothing about the matter that they had been issued
without any knowledge OF his; that he did know by
Ber lmn) might rely if Gov Floyd had issued them he
had issued them properly ard that be had better apply
TO him Gov Floyd to ascertain by virtue of what law
he was acting
In pursuance OF this suggestion Mr.. Benz amin called
on Gov. Floyd and informed by him that the
had not been submitted 10 tie Attorney General was
stated that the drafts issued in pursuance of long
established custom Of the Office that he not
any law actually authorizing their issue; that he would
inquire into it, that the accepances were issued TO RS
sell Majors Waddel Only after he had sscertained that
the trains for transportation which they had contracted
srnd from S. Louis to tab had actually started on
their way that the payments TO be made under the
in instruments, the trains arrived OF different
points, aud that having received intelligence OF the ac-
ua departure Of the trains he had accepted in advance
of their arrival at the intermediate point having
t.inty that they would arrive.
81 suggested to him." says Mr. Benjamin, 'that l
thought he acting mprudenty, that if auy accident
should happen to these trains by attacks by Indians
any other cause and they should fail to arrive, it would
BE- impossible for him to pay the accepances upon the
intelligence Of that fact and that would give good
for complaints and Investigations which would be ipu.
rous 70 him, and urged him 10 discontinue the prac
tce. Two days afterward received note from him
informing that be Obliged for the frank statement
mad made TO him, and that upon reflection he had de-
tcrnined he woald accept no more"
GOV. FLOYD CONTINUES his OLD HABIT.
IL has been shown that contrary to the assertion Of
Governor Floyd. practice of issuing Gcceptances had
prevailed in the War Department previous to its in
troducton by himself that be issued these acceptAnces
Unfortunately and without reference TO instruments
the arrival departure of trains and without regard TO
Dney which due. 0ne would naturally expect nd
that Governor Floyd, having been admouished by one
whose position and legal learning gave authority TO his ad
vice. having coDfesssd the Illegally Of his proceedings
and expressed determination make further accept;
ance would have proceeded thereafter with great ion
and CT cans oection even il he did entirely dscoE
lis previous policy. Itappear. however that sop
posing the noe Mr. Re janin teloTe referred TO.
have been written year ago. there have been issued by
Governor oyd since that time acCepances TIE amount
Of 81 1853 600, viz: Ia April $4,000; in May $4,000;
June, $S51001; July, 500 600; Augut S235 900; Sep
TENDER, sl45, 600; October s9I000o. To thi, amount
must be added the s795 600 Of unconditional aceepti
of which there is no registry and the grand total is
above stated
The committee off no recommendations in reference
10 q PARTICULAR case hut close as OlIows
As one of the rasut1 of the examination they have
ie thsy submit, Il hill to provide for the certain
aud efecua punishment of crimes such ms those that
have been brought their notice, and also .ndatory
of the second section of the Of gress approved Janu
airy 2ih 1851 entitled IAN act afectuilly to
force the attendance of vitae the summons CT
either House Of Congress- and compel them Disclose
testimony"
They also beg leave sugges. that the fluctuations of
the stock market and The delay and uncertainty in the
collection Of the interest the bonds 10 demand
some further legislation in regard 10 The Indian trust
fund as measure OF obvious justice and humanity to
the Indians
OUR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE.
20 tie Editor Of The Wing
WASHINGTON Feb 10 1861