Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-02-12

hn nio nhmoS with DIS private account, In one |
OF the city banks. Stranger still, four months
aiter his agency had ceased, he leaves no vouch.
ers with the War Department. The War Do.
partmsnt, In Its generous confidence. seeks no |
settlement nor inspection Of vouchers
The mania for stealing seems to have run
throuKh all the relations Of Government. Even
10 the matter OF the purchase OF two sailing !
vessels, two men Of New York, to the crime Of
larceny added the sin of perjury, that they
might rob from the treasury $4,000. In the
case OF the Stars aud Stripes, the President ofl
the New Haven Propeller Company, after ia.
king from the Government $4,000 more than
she oosl, took OF that amount nearly $4,000 to
line his own pockets, and In excuse 10 bis com.
pany pretended that he had to bribe an ex mem
Der OF Congress to gain an audience TO the head
OF the bureau; and from that insinuation en-
honorable, bigh-toned ex member of Congress,
in Connecticut, had been subjected to calumny.
That President, before the committee, testified
that after taking $l9,OO0 in profits from his
country, he was so anxious to serve her 10 this
the hour of her extremity, that be appropriated
nearly 80 900 of his colleagues money to his
lprivate use, 30 he could devise some machine TO
take all the Southern cities, and no one get
hurt. The Department which has ALLOW ed con-
spiracies after the bidding had been closed, to
defraud the Government of the lowest bid, and
by allowing the guilty to reap the fruits OF their
crime, has itself become pGTticeps cTfninis -
Who pretends any public exigenoy for giving
out by private contract, without bids, over ! =
OUO,0O0 muskets, at fabulous prioe2 Who
pretends public exigency TO make private
contract for rfiDg cannon, to the amount Of
$500, 0,000 -rl 4
| Ny colleague on the committee (Mr. DaWes)
few days since spoke Of the peace offerings Of
IPpnnGvlvania II Eafa IN q
horses of Col. Williams's regiment. There ia
yet another case. A contract, not made upon
the responsibility of the Buresu, as the late
Secretary said, but by his express order, and
refused 10 be made Until 80 ordered | refer TO
the contract to purchase 900 horses, to be de-
livered at Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. Such q
horse market the world never saw. Horses with
running sores, which we're seen by the Inspect
ors, and branded; and IL one outraged common
decency be would be rejected, and an opportuni-
ty sought the same day TO pass and brand him.
Immediately the horses were aubsiated by pri'
vate contract to favortes, at 80 cents per day,
and they sub.let to farmers, from 24to 26 cents.
Over 400 of these horses were seat with Col.
IWynkoop's regiment, and the pspers OF Pitts
lburgh repTt some actually 80 worthless they
were left on the docks. The remaining 500
we're left at Huntingdon for the benefit Of con
tractors. 10 that single transaction over $780,
600 were stolen from the Government.
The testimony of Mr.. John Smith of Kings
ton, n. Y, powder manufacturer, shows that
10 the month Of May he proposed to give Mr..
Weed percentage for powder contract; that
he went to the Aator House, met Me-. Davidson,
whom he had never seen before; inquired Of
him for Mr.. ThurloW Weed, During the con-
versation he ssked what Mr.. Smith wanted of
Mr. Weed; on being told, he inquired of Mr..
Smith what he could afford to pay; he replied
FIVE per cent; Mr.. Smith also says that Mr..
Weed asked him what he could sfford to pay.
That afterward, at Washington, he handed his
propositions for powder to Mr. Weed, who took
them to Mr.. Cameron. The result was that
, Mr.. Weed was authorized to write o letter to
, Gen. Ripley, the head of the Ordnance Depart
ment, to divide the contracts for powder be-
, tween the States manufacturing. IL is some
what strange that the Secretary should appoint
Mr.. Weed as his messenger 10 carry his wishes
|, TO the different bureaus. Mr.. Smith understood
that be was to pay Mr. Weed FIVE per cent
, Mr.. Latin also testified that his powder firm
demurred to paying Mr.. Weed FIVE per cent;
, that Mr.. Weed gave them authority to make
. one thousand barrels Of powder, but they pre-
, ferred having the authority directly from the
, Government. He also teStfes that the patriot,
Dwyer, who figures in the cattle contract in
May or June, at Washington, told him II he
would give five per cent, he would sell all
the powder he could make; but Latin de-
clined.
Even In the Treasury Department-pure and
upright as l believe the Secretary to be-what
business man could justify, or who, in hia own
: transactions, would allow, that contract OF
/ over half million expenditure should be COM
D peted for by only two firms, who could combine
8 and unite1 1t is no answer TO cay that the
work is done as cheaply 40 before; the spirit Of
{ the law has been violated and the millionaire
enriched; besides, the products of all depart
. ments Of labor are cheapened by the stagnatior
, of business. In this matter of the bank.notG
contract, as 10 some others, underliDgs contro
} the affairs Of the department; they say who
. shall approach within the charmed circle, they
J say whose papers shall be put on fle, and whose
s shall be gladdened by the eyes Of the Secre'
= tsry. -
. Mr.. George D. Morgan has prepared an elab
, crate paper, showing the benefits Of hls agency
4 and relies upon the fact that in nearly ever!
instance be paid less price than the owner
!. asked. We can test the strength of his posi-
d tion by the Stars and Stripes. To build her cos
L $50, 900; by her charter the owners realize,
3 SIS, 600 from the Government; they then asket
q $6O, 600. MIR Morgan paid $55 600, $4,000 les
Z than they asked, but $4,000 more than sh
4 cost. While with the Potomska and Wamsut
J. ia the owners realized $53, 900, the Governmen
: paid $50 900, although Mr. Morgan's papers al
!. lege he Was asked $4,000. This seems tn
reverse of the proposition. The Onward wa
! offered to private parties for $26 600; Mr.. Nor
q gan was asked $50, 900, and paid $27 600. Thes
I, are not the only instances, az the committe
i will show by further examination, to whic
). they are invited by the Secretary, and dirscte
y by q resolution of this House, Mr.. Van Wycl
I. proceeded to give many instances of extortio
! in the purchase of vessels, and then refers Il
v the purchase of arms, ..5
srl Another remarkable transaotion was the sal
1t by the Ordnance Bureau, to Mr.. Eastman, 9
e. 900 Halls caThines, ae an arm which needle
10 some alteration to be useful, for SO SO eact
t. This private sale was made At O time when Ii
In Department was buying arms which had bee
le Condemned, and sent from the arsenals Of EI
IL rope. After an expenditure of from Is cents
m 81, 25, they were sold to Simon Stevens for 81
of SO; then to Gen, Fremont for $22. No wond
!" our expenses are $4,000 600 per day-Goverl
nd ment sells at 50 50, and in a short time bu,
ID. back at $92. DR.. Cummings bought 700 Of Il
be came carbines for SIS. The evidence Of Ma
b. HaRner shows that Mr.. Stevens was an agent
or aid Of Gen. Fremont This Mr. Stevens denie
,l However, the relation was one oil warm personI
d. character. He had probably just left him wit
NO instructions to purchase His dispatch to FRI
mont was just such as an agent would send, {
e. one who had the assurance Of the necessities
he the Vest, and that the arms would be taken,
NJ AL events, the bargain was an unconscionab
ng one, whereby Stevens was to make about $50
'or 1000 il, one day, without incurripg any risk
%, investing any capital, Mr.; Van Wyck next +
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