Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1862-02-15


laws fitness to purchase vessels for the
government
PURCHASE OF HALLS cARB1NEs.
Another remarkable transact on was
the sale by the Ordnance Bureau, to Mr..
Estman, Of five thousa nd Halls carbines,
an arm which needed some alteration to be
useful, for $3.50 each. This private salo
was made at time when the Department
was buying arms which had been con.
demned, and sent from the arscnals Of
Europe. After an expenditure of from rs
cents to Sl.25, they were sold to Simon
Stevens for $3.50; then to Gen. Fremont
for S22. No wonder our expenses arc
$4,000, 600 per day-Govor nmena sells At
$3.50, and il . short time buys back at
S22. DR.. Cummings bought seven hum
dred of the same carbines for SD The
evidence Of Major Hagner shows that MIR.
Stevens was an agent or aid of General
Fremont. Thi' Mr.. Stevens DENIES
However, the relation was one of a warm
personal character, He had probably
Just left him with instructions to purchase.
His dispatch to Fremont was Just such as
an agent would send, or one who had the
assurance of the necessities of the West,
and that the arms would be taken. At
all events, the bargain was an unconsion-
able one, whereby Stevens was to snaks
about $50 GEO in enc day, without incur
ring any risk or investing any capital.
DEPARTMENT OF THE WEST.
There seemed to be no green spot in the
republic The gross frauds upon the sea-
board, by the Potomac, found coun-
terpart on the banks of the Mississippi
The contagion spread and fastened itself
upon the Department of the West. A
bevy of cormo Grants gathered around Free
mont, who were feasting upon the blood
they were drawing from the naticn--more
iEpuSent in their claims more unblushins
in their extortions. There, as here, 10
sales could be made with the government
except through the medium Of heartcss
contractors. There, as here, none but
special fayorilcs could share Of public
bounty. Those willing to furnish cbeaply
and well were cat aside, while a hard.
ware firm - Child, Pratt, & Fox--wcrc 81
lowed to furnish nearly s. i,OO0,00 with.
cr. the formaity OF fixing the price in I'D.
"
who offered to supply the government aud
at the offered prices, while they charged
an advance of twenty-five to fifty per ccnt
Men il league with Quartcrmaster Nc
Kinstry and his inspectors would frss ex.
tort from the honest iaTmcr and then un-
blushngly rob from the treasury. In
building the forts at St Louis more than
Sl00, 600 was squandered upon prohgato,
unplincipled favoritcs. These plunderers,
some imported from California, aud some
for long while in the employ and receiy.
ing food aud raiment from the govern
ment, gathered around the PRISON Of Ere
mont, aad suffered none TO approach him
; too nearly. Qaartcrmaster McNinstry
was the highest priest at this festival OF
robbery and crime man who had for many years be-"
in the regular service ii the United states mnu fur
nished by the administration to the department Of the
] Wtst which was supposed To- BE- guaranty for he
mont watched him not closely: 90 not pretend that
Srnont shared the eroF YIN Chi a. r,"i, 4 foi - nM "t
a Secretary Welles shared III. profits of 1t.
brothrrinlsw. It's no e1nnsc to say that the magn
tldc Of this rebellion huge in proportion IN. impehd
Ing dangs casting dark haduWs over national path
way and lhrca,eningthu nations life wac W. hh;at3n
for allowing lhc cNrrri.p o. Iulicrns cupdity. With
doubt generals and cabinet mniFt'rs have bowed
down beneath the weigh"f incrra,i responsible ity
but this reckless horde were undermining the ygry
ground on which they tIod.
ARMY TR ,NSrORTATION
Another item Of reckless expenditure the order
of the War Department lowing two centsa inle fur
the ransportaon 1t is remarkable that the late sec
, retary VINO WAS himself by tong expert nee and oh
servation, NIh she management uf rail
roads who rjoiced in tfe con6dence nf friend "ha
intimate with railroad connections, especially ia
Pennsylvania, should have allowed raroa Is companies
such large amonts that they Conid lavish thousands
the transportation of Il Jingle regiment Trains not
running swiftly ami sometimes with no b"ttr cars
H. not know that each passenger was emitted 10 eighty
pounds Of baggage lut tn extra chaEgt was allowed
for all transported with the tronpa Thus thousands
have been taken from The treasury, not only hy the
of t1e experiment but by its express sanction AM
order.
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