The Placer herald., 1862-03-08
From the Mountain Democrat
The Congressional Inquiry into Govern
ment Contracts

rascalty Ol gentlemen prominently connected
with the public service, the corrupt system of
brokerage by which the treasury has been plum
dercd, and the prostitution of public confidence
to purposes of individual aggrandzement, are
graphically depicted in the report of the Com
mittee. Frauds, astounding and stupendous un-
paralleled in extent and audacity, have been com
mitted by agents of the Government, and conniv-
ed at if not shared in by members of the Cabinet.
The Investi eating Committee is composed of
prominent Republican members Of Congress. anx-
lous to conceal not eXaggcrate the corruption and
frauds of their party friends. The Philadel pha
inquirer (Republican organ) says. 'it is not an
untounded estimate to regard half of all the
money paid from the treasury on account of war
and navy contracts as extravaganza, waste and
plumber, and in this way the people have been
already srindied 10 the eatent Of a huidred mil
lion d0llors." The Navy Department employed
an agent to purchase vessels a business which
he knew nothing about which he transacted at a
fearful cost to the Government, and which could
have been much better done by officers Of the
Navy. This agent was Mr.. George d. Morgan,
the brother and business partner Of the Governor
of the State of New York. and the brother-in-law
of the Secretary OF the Navy He received two
and a half per cent upon all the purchases he
made for the Government from the Government.
and according to the sworn statement OF Mr..
Bushnell. President Of the New Haven Propeller
Company. from whom he purchased a vessel call
ed the stars and Stripes. he received two and
a half per cent commission from the President of
the Company upon the purchase. He was acting
at one and the same time as the agent OF the Gov
ernment and the agent of the Propeller Com
| pany. and receiving commissions from both! The
mere he paid for u vessel the larger his c0mmls
sion in both ways
The committee say: The compensation paid
to Mr.. Morgan for the purchase of single vessel.
a negotiation of u few hours or days at most,
sometimes amounted to fire thousand dollars !.
The Secretary Of the Navy. his brother law.
| / Il II. Am, fnrh hie
| services as agent OF the Government lor perlou
of four and one-haf months
| We quote again from the report OF the Com
mittec. and want our readers to rccollect 1T is
all Republican evidences:
No department Of this Government has the
right to place its agents in position. or clothc
them with the power. under pretence of cOmpen-
sation for services rendered the Government itself.
to take from the pockets Of the patriotic citizens
coming forward with their means to the support
Of the Government in the day of IFS trial, such
a sum Of money rs is here found to have been
diverted into the pockets of Mr. Morgan No
citizen can Justify any such attempt to convert
the public necessities into m occasion for making
fortunes. The Committee are at loss TO under
stand upon what principle prevailing III business
or morals the agent OF one party Is put IN the
pay Of the other party.
| Mr.. Morgan had no responsibility for the dis
bursemcnts of Il single dollar ON account Of these
compensation for no unusual responsibility or lia.
bility. The Morgan family made Il big thing
out of th" Navy Department!
Here is another specimen of the manner in
which another honest aud faithful and patriotic
agent Of the Government. ramcd Comstock. Il
prominent Republican, performed his duty. Gen.
Wool ordered Gel TompkinS, Assistant Quarter
master General. to charter two l9ht-'ir nght
steamers TO ply hctwccn liavrc de Grace and
Annapolis. Col Tompkins. relying as he states
| in his evidence. the assurance OF Captain
| Comsock Government Agent. "tIr,t all was
right chartered the steamer Cata(iae Pr"vi-
Gus to chartcrng her. the Report OF the Commit
| tee states
Captain Comstock. in company with Samuel
W. Morton. visited the Catal,ne. then owned by
Margaret Corlis, and lying at Brooklyn, New
York. Morton made conditional contract for
her purchase and on the next day informed John
Il. Devclin, lawyer of New York City. and one
of the proprctors of the Astor House HOTEL
that he thought there was pretty good chance
Of furnishing boat to the Governments ana
that something could be made with good manage
ment; and on the 24th Of April. John b. Devlln
purchased the vessel for eighteen Thousand dol-
iarS.'
Comsock. Dcvelin and Morton are leading Re-
publcans They purchased the Ca. aline for
eighteen thousand dollars and Immediately after
Comstock advised Col Tompkns to charter her
at the rate of ten Thousand d0Iiars month TOR
three months, which he did, having confidence in
Comstock's honesty. In addition she was not
covered by insurance. and in the event OF her loss
it was provided that Government should pay
.ffy thousand doIldrs for her-liity thousand
dollars for vessel which had just been purchased
for eighteen thousand. Benz. +. WOolsey, an eX-
perienced ship-chandlcr, testified before the Com
mittee that the Catalne was not worth more
than twelve thousand dollars at the most. There
was plenty of evidence before the Committee to
prove that plenty of vessels, equally as good as
| ho baan ol,o rtn rod for hal
the money. We quote from the Report:
"Oucstion. From the goth to the 5th of April
last were there a sufficient number of uncmploy-
ed vessels about the city of New York. SO that
Government could have engaged vessels on rcas-
enable terms?
"Answer. There were plenty of them, and they
could have been chartered in the city OF New
York to do the work the Catdline did, for SlZo
to $50 day and there would have been no
difficulty in engaging such vessels"
Rut enough of the Cataline swindlc. Another
follows Immediately after, which is thus reported
by the Committee:
GAS early as the middle of May, the Govern
ment being in want of two or three sailing SHIPS
for coaling purposes, and thinking that whaling
vessels then out of employment and lying Idle at
the wharves in New Bedford, could be advantage
ously purchased for that purpose Commodore
Brecse. upon the advice and recommendation OF
a HIGHLY patriotic citizen of New York. Mr.. VIM.
B. Aspinwall sent New York broker, w. ii.
Starbuck, to New Bedford to purchase for the
Government two whale ships for the purpose IN
J;ootnd He was furnished with funds by Mr..
Asninwall to the amount of 900, and instruct
ed not to exceed that sum in the price OF both
ships"
Starbuck had an eye to business and specuh'-
tion. A friend of the Government had supplled
: him with funds for the use of the Government
and he determined to convert them 10 his W own
Of tb,i Government,
cjeverlv he did it is thus related by the Com
mittee:
..He proceeded to New Bedford and purchased
of Mr. Geo +. Barker the ship Roman for S4.ooo.