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


tee knew nothing Of her cargo and when
DR.. Cummings was asked If he knew any
thing Of her cargo, he said, "Not parti-
cle." He relied entirely upon and trusted
to the clerk, Mr.. Humphreys, appointed
upon the recommendation of Mr.. Weed
1t must be left to surrounding facts to
show who were referred to by Mr.. Stetson
and whether the boat was first loaded for
private speculation and when no clear
ance could be obtained, Mr. Cummings,
through his clerk, purchased the cargo
for government, so that q pass could be
procured. General Wool's hesitanoy in
giving pass to the Cataine probably in
duced a representation to General Scott
that the condition of his (Wools) health
required repose from arduous duties. Mr.
Cummings was certainly remarkable
agent The Secretary wants an energetic
intelligent, and experienced man of course
--one more so than the Union Defence
Committee, or the army officers in New
York; one on whom he can rely yet the
agent apparently takes no interest but to
draw and pay the money. When he was
called on especially to aid in purchases,
he trusts it all to Mr.. Humphreys his clerk
When vessels are to be chartered, he
doesn't deem it worth while to examine
them. He good naturedly says he took it
for granted that what the owners said was
true. He was ee tainly confidence man.
The Secretary says Notwithstanding the
pressure on his private business he is sure
be will aid him. Yet Mr.. G. ropcys this
generous and unbounded confidence by
knowing nothing, absolutel y nothing of the
purchasing of articles or loading of ves-
sells. Two million dollars, by the Secre-
tary Of the Treasury, were placed in the
hands of comm ttee of high toned, hon
orable men, to be paid out on the order or
requisition of Mr. Cummings, without his
producing to them any vouchers. Strange
as it may appear, while this money was
there to respond to his requisition, he
draws Sl60 900, and deposits it in his
name, with his private account, in one of
the city banks. Stranger still, four
months after his agency had ceased he leaves no vouch
ers with the War Department. The War Department,
Mr.. Cummings nor an inspection of his vouchers -
Such the prominent transactions occurring at Z
have offered every thing to his country. This yas the
cloud no larger than mans hand which increased
and spread until the whole sky has been wrapped in
gloom, and men 60 about thu streets wondering where
this thing will end The mania for stealng seems tc
have run through all relations of government Almost
from the general to the drummer boy from those
nearest the throne of power to The merest tide
nearly every man who deals with the government
to feel desire that II would long survive
aud each had cUniinon rghto plunder while it lived
Even in the matter OF the purchase oftwo sailing
sells two men ofNew York to the crime larceny ad.
ded the sin of perjury, that they might rob from the
Treasury Ss0OO In the of the Stars and Stripes
the president Of the New Haven Propeller Company,
after taking from the government $4,000 more than
she cost took of til at amount nearly 81 900 line m
own pockets and in excuse his company pretended
that he had to bribe exmembcr of Congress to gain
audience TO the head Of the bureau and from that
insinuation an honorable, hightoned cxmcmber OF
Congress in Connecticut. had been subjected caum.
ny That resident before the committee, testified that
after taking $4,000 in profits from his country he was
so anxious to strive her in this tho hour of her
ity that he appropriated nearly $4,000 ofhs colleagues
money TO his private use, so he could devise
chine 10 take all the Southern cities and no one get
hurt Colonels entrusted with the power Of raising
regiments Colluding with contractors bartcring away
and dividing conracts for horses aud other supplies
20 enrich personal fayorics purchasing articles and
compelling false invoices to be given While it no
Justification the example has been sci in the very de
partments of government. As general thing but
f-vores gain access there, aud none other obta in
contracts which bear enormous profits, They violate
plain provision of the law requiring bids and pro
posas the false and shallow prctcxt that the public
exgencies require 1T. Should this last long the
Peloponessian war the same excuse would be used
The Department which has allowed conspiracies aftei
the bidding had been closed TO deraud the government
of the lowest bid bv allowing the guilty to ram the
fruits of their crime has itself become Pariceps cria
mis- Who pretends any pubic oxigency for giving oui
by private contract without bids, over one million
muskets at fabulous prices who prctonds public
igency make private for riding cannon tc
the amount Of 5000 0OO'
PENNSYLVANIA HORSES.
Kentucky is proverbial for her splendid
horses. Her loyal citizens would have
been benefited by sales to the government
Who will pretend that the public exigency
required that, when cavalry regiments
were to be forwarded from the stateof Pen.
nsylvania to the land of the clark and
bloody ground it was necessary to trans.
port, at great expense, the remaining dis
abled, diseased horses left in the keystone
state My colleague on the committee
(Mr. Dawes few days since spoke Of
the peace offerings to Pennsylvania politi
clans, and referred to the horses OF Col
onel Williams's regiment. There is yet
another casc-a contract not made upon
the responsibility Of the bureau, as the
late Secretary said, but by its express Or
der. and refused to be made until SO ord
cred. refer to the contract to purchase
ouS luouoduu HOioc w uc uellNeTeu d
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania Such horse
market the world never saw. The frs
iuspector-an honest man---of the frs
hundred rejected three in five. The EEK
day owners refused to present themselves
and by some legeremain he was removed
and others substituted then horses of al
ages, from two to thirty, of all diseases ant
and defects, secret and open, were from
day to day received. The whole neigh
borhood were in arms. The people re
monstrated. Lawyer and clergymen wer,
present at the inspection, and sought t.
deter the buocaneering crew by open con
demnation; the inspectors needed not thi
clamor, but ordered the horses to be rid
den upon the crowd, to prive them ava
if possible Horses with running sores
which were seen by the inspectors, wer
-, branded, and if one outraged common de
cency he would be rejected, and an oppor