Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1862-08-02
To the Public.

Ed. STANDARD: The HcyuM Of the l7th
inst. has twocolumn editorial under the
caption OF, Have we Swindlcr among us e.
After making several explicit charges OF NOR
al dishonesty, and referring for proof of their
truthfuness to the records ct my office as
made by my predecessor. James Ii!ton, he
closes with the following bold and confident
assertion: ave started out with the question,
Have we Swindler among u.s.? We think
we have candidly answered the question.
Such is the man disgracing the position Of
Surveyor General of this Territory"
The specific character of the charges, and
the sembiaacc of truth and candor with which
they are msde, renders it necessary that l
should notice and disprovc the accusations.
Ipropose, therefore, to show in as brief manner
as possible, by reference to the record evil
lcncc on file in this Office, ard other proof,
that every charge affecting my moral honesty
and Il faithful discharge of my official duties,
Is MillcIousLY AND UNANIMOUSLY FALSE.
The first charge in order, is, that swim
t!led the Government out OF $3.50 in 1850.
and the following extract of letter written
by Samuel II. 1hurston to the Oregon Spec
tator, in January, 1851, is referred to as proof
of the charge: "Doctor Henry Of Illinois,
was appointed Indian Agent, held on TO it
awhile, drew $3.50 under pretcncc of going TO
Oregon, and then resigned, leaving the Gov
cr,lmcnt minus that sum-"
I he facts regarding my appointment Of In
dian Agent for Oregon in 1850 are these /:
Early in the summer | received notice from
Washington that | was appointed Indian
Agent for Oregon. and that bin was then
before Congress to raise the salary from ST.
800 to $4,000 (thc amount allowed the AGENTS
in California; and that there was 10 doubt it
would pass Accordingly ! gave bond and
qualified the Office, an dcommcaced settling
up my business. l went to Washington in
September, waited the adjournment of Con-
grcss, and found the law raising the salary
had failed in consequence, us it was s,id. of
not being reached in the regular orders.
then tried to induce the Commissioner to per-
nit me to wait until spring and come over
land. This was declined, and | was required
to come out by water in the winter, or early
in the following spring. This agreed to DO
myself, leaving my family to follow me the
following summer overland, provided my trav-
cling expenses We're paid. The Commission
or said he had no power to allow my expenses,
but would refer the matter to the President,
and see what could be done for me, admitting
that ! could not be expected to go out for the
nominal salary of Sl.50O year, urging in
the meantime that Congress would raise the
salary to $4,000 the next session. After II
delay of several weeks, was told by the Sec
rotary OF the Interior that he could find no
law authorizing the Department to pay my
expenses out to my post of duty; and with
his assent and approval, | resigned. The
Commissioner inlor,ncd me subsequently that
was entitled by law to two quarters salary,
Instances are on record where, as high as
eighteen or twenty thousand We're subsequent
~ advanced to Government officers by Dem
ocratic Administrations. before they reached
their post Of duty on the Pacific coast Why
have not these paraGons Of honesty charged
these gentlemen with swndling the Govern
mcnt!
I am mex, charged as follows:
1.-The Doctor. during the time between the
years 1886 and 1860, obtaincda contract I'M
der Gen'l Triton, his predecessor, as Surveyor
General. TO survey tract of country in the re-
gion of Gray'a liarbor. The work was i'm
properly performed, and the Doctor rndcav-
orcd to bride The examiner, a sworn officer, to
report it correctly done. The examiner, MI
Murphy, of Oregon, an honest and competent
man, and of moral stamina far above the Doc
tors standard declined to CRAFTY him him in
lis request and exhibited the Doctors written
proposition TO Gcnl Tilton."
The following report of MIR. Murphy, which
I (,,1 ~ IA Il.
ter falsity of the charge, which submit with.
out comment:
OysTERvILLE, Shoalwater Bay, |
june 9th, 1859.
Dear Sir: At the request of deputies A.
g. Henry and A. G. Smith, who desire to
make some returns of surveys, would re-
specially report that in pursuance of my ap-
pontmrnt as examiner Of surveys, l started
from Olympia Immediately upon receipt ofmy
instructions, and using all possible speed,
reached the field Of operations of Messrs.
Smith and Henry on the Let of May. Ihave
been constantly engaged from that to the
present date, with an interval of eighteen
days spent with deputy Gill,) either with
those deputies while prosecuting the surveys,
or in examining the lines run and corners es-
tablished during the interval Of my absence.
I have divided my time equally between dep
uties Smith and Henry. l have Witnessed
their manner Of executing the surveys of the
coast meridian, the 9Th standard parallel, and
other lines, exterior and snbdivisional; have
examined indiscriminate portions Of their
work, such rs the manner Of blazing lines and
locating corners, and have also made enquiry
Of the the settlers and others in regard to each
of the denutY's nroceedinns in the fiell