Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-02-10

system Of purchase, have been Oppressed OF as.
Let us examine the oarraetnsss ol his
Statement By one trsasaciion. In the m1nth
Of Nay last, J. Rudolph Sisg and James Q.
Jewett Co; Of NsR York city, were own
ers OF the steamer 4ercsdila. During that
month a man by the name Of Burrill, claim
ing TO be an agent and adviser Of the NaEY
Department, proposed q purchase. JeWett /
Co., 70 prevent The sXtOrti0ns Of govern |
me1t agents on the led day Of June wrote +
letter to tie Secretary Of the Navy, offer |
ing 10 charter or sell that vessel ct q Talua-
tion to be fixed by he Department. A sim |
liar letter was sent By them 70 the President
of the United States. The Secretary return
ed an answer refusing 70 charter oFPurohE5s,
as she was unsuited Tor an armed ship. Bur
rill shortly after appears, saying that be can
sell the rejected steamer; that be bad re-
turned from Washington, and ssked author
ity from them to sell 70 Goyernmsnt, which
was given him on the Sd day of July. On
/ the 3lst Of July, Burrin came again and
! made an Offer from She Secretary Of tue Navy
/ for the rejected steamer, on the condition that
the owners should payS5 900 % hin, besides q
faT brokerage which 200 Burrill said
vas TO be given TO Government officials for
their assistance in selling the vessel. JeWett
3 Co. refused, proelaiming that they would
hrst see their vessel rot ct the wharf and
themselves wanting for bread, before one
penny should 60 to bribe Government on
ciAls requesting Burrill 70 say to thoss who
seat him, if the Government wanted 81, 900,
they would give that sum toward raising
another regiment to Gil the place Of the New
York 69th. Bufrill lelf and after the Lapse
Of e few hours returned, saying be had heard
from Washington, and that be would vita.
draw the condition, and they need only pay
what they saw ft to allow him for his ser
vices. They accepted and on The same day
gave Burrill q bill of sale for the Depart
meni; and ne presented list Of alterations
required in the handwriting Of 8, n. Pook,
the Naval Constructor, and one of the board
to examine vessels. On the 9Th Of ptem-
Der they delivered up the vessel 10 Govern
ment through Burrill. -a
Much to the surprise Of the owners the
Secretary sent requisition 70 pay Burrill
J the 500, 06O for the Aercedita, althOagh the
} names to the bill Of sale were that of Sieg,
owner Of seVen-tenths, and Jewett B Co.
three -tenths. They succeeded in arranging
{ SO that the money should be drawn BY .
, ihird party. Some twenty days siter the
} date Of the requ!sidon, an order was had on
: the sub-Treasury for money. Nj. George
} D. Morgan did nOtsppesr in the negotiation
until after the reQuisition for the money; be
e then came and demanded S2,5 for hiE
|, share, admitting that he did not sell or pur-
3 chase, yet the owners could not get theil
d money until he was paid; and If they would
. consent to pay, be would write to Washing
:, ton and urge the immediate remittance of the
: money. -r -lrlr
e The above facts must have been known L
u the Secretary. They were written to Com
: Hudson Oct. 81, with request that they bC
y filed in the Navy Department, which doubt
}, less was done Since the letter Of the Sec
T retary, the committee have not had time tc
a examine the owners Of the Msrcedita bui
: the foregoing and subsequent facts in con-
It neetion with the purchase are sustained bJ
afidavits of ]. Rudolph Sieg and James Q
y Jewett. They testify that that theo did no
see or know anything Of George D Morgan
% until after the purchase and delivery Of th
e, bill of sale to the Department through Bur.
a rill that on the 18th day of November theJ
a called on Mr.. Morgan demanding rspsymen
e of 50, 500, and he said he had credited it Z
y the Navy Department; that he had only ta
3 ken this sum, 80 the Department might hav'
IS 81 much back in case the Department elee.eS
70 keep the same, on the ground that be IN
Il derstOod the Mercsdita cost only S64 900
yet Mr.. Morgan, when be took the 81, 500
Y gave a receipt for the same Hfor commission
on sale of the Merccdisa . The owners de
E ny that they ever asked $3.50 900 for Ii
re steamer, although NJ Morgan claims in hi
! statement that such amount was dsmande
of him. The Department fixed the value
4 and negotiated through the medium abov
le stated.
n On the lTth Of January, Jewett & OC
T. wrote another letter 10 tie Secretary, i
y which tbey raeite iha 6ant-- - thAi- E~-@s
L v,ls1 1IEuIIsS showing that they have been op
Prsssed or GggrisD d, in which they say:
; 'Do you think it right to sndeasor to carry
q the public after such an osr on our part the de
9 that we sought TO obtain $50 900 more than III
vessels value and, 10 foster this falsehOod O
E. the public, to give an ideS Of your brother il
Is laws fitness for purchasing vessels for the Coz
ernment?,'
e PURcHkER o. Halls CARBTHza
n Another remarkable transaction was Ii
e sale by The Oadnance bereau to Mr.. Eastman
i OF 5000 Halls carbines, an arm which need
ed some alteration to be useful, for So, SO each
q This private sale was made at time whel
the Department was buying arms which
y hsd been condemned, and seat from the Erse
Q nal to Europe. After an expenditure Of iron
& Is cents to 81, 20, they were sold to SimoI
S Stevens for $I2, so; then 10 GensraI Frsnoh
for S22. No wonder our expenses sre So,
: 900, 600 per day Government sells at So. so
: and in a short time buys back at S22. Dr.
Cummings bought zoo Of the same carbinel
D tor sl5. slgi.-1 i'+
: The evidence of Major Hagner shows tina
: Mr.. Stevens was an agent or aid Of Genera
: Fremont This Mr. Stevens denies. How.
3 ever, the relation was one Of warm per
3 sOnal character. he had probably just lef
: him with instructions to purchase His dis
! patch to Fremont was Just such as an ageni
7 would send, or one who had the assurance o.
the necessities Of the West, and that the arml
would be taken. At all events, The bargain
: was an uneonsciOnable one, whereby Stevens
was to make $50, 900 in one day, without in.
/ curing any risk or investing any capital.
DEPARTMENT OF FHE wHsT.
There seems to be no green spot in the Re
public. The gross frauds upon the sea- board.
bv the Potomac, found counterpart on ths
! banks of the Mississippi. The eontaQion
spread and fastened itself upon the depart
, ment Of the West. A beFy Of cormofants
, gathered around Fremont, who Eers feastine
on the blood they were drawing from the na-
tion-mors impFudent In their claims, more
unblushing in their extoFtions 7AsTs as
here, no sales could be made with the Gov
ernment except through The medium Of heart
less contractors. There IS ktTs none put
special favorites could share the public boun-
". Those willing to furnish oheaply and
vel were cast aside, while hardware fra,
Child, Pratt, g. Fox, were allowed 70 furnish
2 = 2