Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-02-19
SPEECH OF
Mr.. Van Wyck Of New York,
" rHE HousE oF REPREsENTArIvEs
The Frauds and syssndies upon the
Governmeuf.
lcosnSrrD FROM rrusnpar.l

IcosnNrED FROM YEsTsRpAF.
PKNNsYLvANIA HORSES.
Kentucky is Eroyefbial for her splendid horses.
Her loyal eitizefss would have been benefited by
sales TO the Government. Who will pretend that
the pusi,c exigeocy required that, wben cavalry
regiments were to be forwarded from the State of
PENNSYLVANIA 10 the land of the dark aud bloody
ground" il was necessary To transport at great
expense the remaining disabled. diseased horses
LETT in the keystone Slater Nv colleague on the
committee MIR Dawes few days since spoke of
the peace offerings 10 Penns wanna politicians.
and referred to the horses OF Colonel Williams
regiment There is vet another Casa contract
not made upon the responsibility of the bureau,
the late Secretary said, but by it, express or
der, and refused to he made until so ordered. |
refer TO the contract TO purchase one thousand
horses to be delivered NJ Huntington, Pennsy'
vania. Such a horse market the world never saw.
The first inspector--an honest maR-Oi the hrst
hundred rejected three in i've. The next day
owners refused To present themselves, and by
some legertemain he was removed and others
substituted: then horses OF all ayes, from TWO To
thirty. of all diseases and defects, secret and
open. were from day To day received. The whole
neis hborhood were in arms The people remon-
strated Lawyers and clergymen were oresentat
the inspection and sought Ia deter the buccaneer-
ing crew by open condemnation: the inspectors
needed not this clam0r, but ordered tile horses to
be ridden upon the crowd, 10 drive them away il
possible. Horses with running sores which were
seen by the inspectors, were branded, and II one
outraged common deceney he would be rejected,
and opportunity sought the same day To pass
ami brand him. Immediately the horses were
subssted by private contract To favores at thirty
nine cents per day, and they sub-let To farmers
from twenty -four To twenty-slx. Over four hun
bred of these horses were sent with Colonel " yn-
Hoops regiment, and the papers at Pittsburg re
port some actually SO worthless they were lett on
the docks. The remaining five hundred were lett
at Huntington Tor the benefit OF thu contractors
In that single transaction over nifty thousand dol
lars were stolen from the Government. Such
fiends in human shape care not for exposure;
ielon's doom through lille should be theirs; and
the labors of your committee will be of little
practical value unless Congress shall by law pun
lsh with severe penalties such enormites.
CONTRACT BROKERAGE.
At one time it would seem there was an inten-
ton to establish huge contract brokerage sys-
TEN. The testimony of Mr. John Smith, of
kngstown. New York powder manufacturer
shows that in the month of May he proposed to
give Mr. Weed per centage for powder con
tract; that he went To the Astor House, met Mr.
Davidson, whom he had never seen before, and
inquired of him Tor Mr. Thurlow Weed. During
the conversation he asked what Mr. Smith want
ed OF MIR. Weed; on being told, he inquired of
Mr.. Smith what he could afford to pay; he re-
piled five per cent; Mr. Smith also says that Mr.
Weed asked him what he could afford TO pay
That afterwards, 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 a letter 10 General
Ripley the head OF the Ordnance Department
10 divide the contracts for powder between the
States manufacturing. Ii is somewhat strange
that the Secretary should appoint Mr. Weed as
his messenger To carSy his wishes to the different
bureaus. Mr.. Smith understood that he 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 0t
powder but they preferred having the authority
directly from the government. He also testifes
that the patriotic Dwyre who figured in the cat
tie contract in May or June, at Washington, told
HIM If he would give him five per cent. he would
sell all the powder he could make, but Latin de
clined Favortes obtained contracts when fire.
quently they have not the pecunary resources to
fulfill them and are not manufacturers of the
articles 10 be delivered. The professional polit.
clan or the retired ex member of Congress, who
has IA large contract which requires much ma
chnery and great mechanical ingenuity. evidently
takes Il as Il speculation: takes II to enrich HIM
self, or to extort from the pockets of honest in
dustry: takes il To sub let To skiliul manufactur-
ers ut reduced prices. The departments which
give contracts to men. knowing that they have not
in and OF themselves the facilities for executing
them, are reprehensible. and deserve severe cen
sure What excuse is there for an honest depart
ment to pension this gang of middlemen? All
the i'll gotten gain found in their pockets is 50
much stolen from the treasury Even in the
Treasury DepsItment-pure and upright | be
lleve the Secretary 10 be-what business man
could Justify, or who. in his own transactions,
would allow that contract of over half "A million
expenditure should be competed for by only two
firms, who could combine and unitel 1t is no
answer to say that the work is done as cheIply as
ever. The spirit OF the law has been violated,
and the millionaire enriched Besides, the pro
ducts OF all departments of labor are che,pened
by the stagnatOn OF business. In this matter Of
the bank note contracts, as in some other, under
hngs control the affair of the department. They
say who shall approach within the charmed circle?
They say whose papers shall be put on file. and
whose shall be gladdened by the eyes ofthe See
retaryy The soldier who, borne down by disease
and overcome with fatigue. Is found sleeping at
his post YOU punish with death. while the miscre
ant who holds his festival ut this carnival blood
rides in his carriage, drinks champagne and dimes
with Cabinet Ministers. you treat with deferen;a
respect Do YOU say Government can not Danish
treason and punish crimei On the 18th dav of
July, 1860. at Occoquan. Virginia, Mr.. Under
wood rtsel "a pole, unlurled the American flag
and Il banner with the names OF Lincoln and
Hamlin. jackson, the slayer OF Ellsworth, with
about forty men, cut it down, tore up the stars
and stripes and carried of the banner Is Il trophy
One OF the ringlehders of that mob i this day in
the employ IL the Government in this city The
laboring men who testify against officials
moved, while the wretch who has peen robbing
tie Government i worthy a better place. l. il
possible that this monstrous system of wrong, ex
tending from the Atlantic TO the Mississippi. from
the Potomac to the Lakes can not be stopped or
even checkel2 II that be So. better disband
armies. ami let the ogarchs OF the South rule
and reign over u.
Mr.. MoRGAN's AGENCY IN PURCHASING vEssEIs
Since tins report has been submitted to the
House, Mr.. George ID. Morgan has prepared an
elaborate paper showing the benefits OF his
agency, and relies upon the tact that in nearly
every instance he paid less price than the OWL
efS asked We can test the strength OF his posi-
ton by the Stars and Stripes. To build her cost
$4,000. by her charter the owners realized
SD ,00O from Government: they then asked s69,
0U0. MIR Morgan paid $50. 000-s5 600 less
than they asked, but $40 900 more than she cost
While With the Potomska and NanSutta the
owners received S53 900, the Government paid
500 900. although Mr. Morgan's papers alege lie
VAS asked So 900 This seems the reverse OF
the proposition The Onward was Offei al TO