Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1862-05-03

WASHINGTON, April %, 1862.
Mr.. Stevens said in order to censure ex-
Secretary Cameron, it was necessary to i'm
peach the characters of two of his agents
Governor Morgan and Alexander Cummings
Contrary to what the Government had
charged, Alexander Cummings had not a
dollar in his hands. They accuse him of
retaining one hundred and forty thousand
dollars in his possession when it was express
y stated by him, in his note that the amount
was in the hands of Messrs. Dix. Blatchford
Opdyke, where it was originally placed by
the Secretary of the Treasury. The report
as to Mr.. Cummings was founded on an
assumed mistake of the printers; which Mr..
Stevens said, was founded on a falsehood.-
This was fraudulent misrepresentation num-
Der one.
Fraudulent mistake number two is the
case of Sacchi, of New York. The Commit
tee find that such man had made large
contracts for horses, but he failed to appear,
and they go on to censure it as fraudulent
transaction made under Gen. Fremont, and
state that the newspapers say that this
Sacchi is on Fremont's staff; but all this
| turns out not to be true, and that Sacchi or
the staff never knew anything about horse
contract.
Mr.. Washburne QlD, asked Mr.. Stevens
where he got this information.
Mr.. Stevens said from the affidavit of the
! real horse contractor.
Mr.. Washburnc said he knew nothing
about the case.
Mr.. Stevens supposed not That was like
good many things in the report. The
Committee ought to have known all about
such matters before visiting them with Their
\ ,,f L.
complained. Case No. 8 is the contract OF
one Simon Stevens, for carbines. The gen
| tleman from Massachusetts, not knowing O
higher motive, informed the House on thi,
account the Special Committee had encount
cred the opposition of the Committee or
Ways and Means; but he would inform the
gentleman that Simon Stevens was nc
relative of his, although their names wer,
similar. He was constituent, and bore a.
high character as any man in this House
He had never heard Simon Stevens attacked
before the gentleman from Massachusett.
made his speech.
The Committee infer and insinuate thai
this was purchase made by Gen Fremont
through Stevens, when they have direct
evidence to the contrary. This was not tn,
way in which mems character should b,
destroyed by Committees of this House.
The Committee complain that they ar,
charged with lying. He had proved tina
report to he false and fraudulent. He nov
proposed to call living witness. He rea,
the letter of Gen. Fremont to the Committc,
on the Conduct of the War, stating tha
many things in the report Of the Specia
Committee were false.
| Mr.. Dawes said that Fremont never Offered
any testimony before the Committee on tin
Conduct Of the War in support of his state
ment.
Mr.. Julian Ond) said Fremont had Offered
a list of names by which he proposed t,
prove the statement.
Mr.. Washburnc CID said the Committee
on contracts did not refuse to receive testi
mony, or attempt to suppress any testimon,
and any such assertions were false. Ill
wanted to know how Frcmont's testimon,
got out.
Mr.. Gooch (Mass.) said he supposed tina
Gen. Fremont had kept copy of it.
Mr.. Washburne wanted to know if tina
was the way the Committe did business
Mr.. Colfax wanted to know how an alb
sract of the proceedings of the Committee ol
Contracts against Fremont went all over tn
country.
Mr.. Washburne denied that any such ali
stract went from the Committee
Mr.. Stevens said it was probably "a mis-
take of the printer" The gentleman iron
Massachusetts, had criticized his conduct i
regard to General Cameron He, with som
of his colleagues, had protested against tn
appointment of Cameron, though the protes
was not of much avail. Afterwards, Cam
eron took different course from what the
expected, and, among other things, wrot
the remarkable words to Gen. Sherman =
You will assure all persons held to invol
untary labor who may be received in tn
service of the Government, that they will
under no circumstances, be again reduced t
their former condition, unless they choose t
return" And all will remember how hi
report was emasculated then. He (Ml
Stevens) felt proud of the man he ha,
formerly opposed, and declared he woul
support him. Mr.. Cameron had cut hi
acquaintance, which was then renewed, an,
ne had determined to support him as long q
he supported his country.
When he concluded, the House adjourned