The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1862-01-10


his control and took 40 oath OF Office. His
relations to the Secretary of War are thus sta
ted
7 Q. by Mr.. Holman.) You are personally
Iaccqualnted with the Secretary of War!
A. Yes, sir.
O.. How long have you been acquainted
with him, personally, and what ase your re-
lalions polticalyz
A. have been acquainted with hlm Tor
many years, and my personal relations are very
intimate, and we have been politically acting
together tor many years.
CUMMINGS FORGOT a SMALL ITEM or
$4,000.
| Alter Mr. Cummings bad concluded his teS-
timony aud taken the same for revision, he ad-
ded the following note:
! 81 have retained, under the authority OF the
Secretary Of the Treasury, by Msssrs. DIX.
Blat& &prd and OPedyle, $4,000, besides
/ wbatI&age stated Ia my testimony, which is
! accounted for by the vouchers"
| Mr.. CUMMINGS expressly stated that he had
drawn out Of the hands Of Aessrs. Dix. OPDYKE
and BLArCnFoRD S250,O00 Of the $4,000, ,00O
placed 10 their hands, and had paid TO them
$50, 900 10 cover the supplies they had Pur-
chased, and had expended himself 100000,
aud that the residue. 81 100000, by order ol
the Secretary q The Treasury, was re-dePoshed
with Mr.. Cisco, the sub treasurer. Still, we
are informed By this note that hlr. CUnMIgGs
has retained S 40, 900 of the money, over aud
above thar stated in his les imony, $3.50, ,000,) |
(which is accounted Tor by the vouchers" Thus |
item seems 10 have been overlooked by him in |
his testimony. One hundred and forty thous- |
aad dollars ia his hands, over and above the |
$IG0 300 for which he has filed vouchers in |
the War Department, and over and above the /
$4,000 toT which the vouchers are retained |
by Mr.. BLATCRroRD; aad he deems it sufficient |
to state ~ general terms that it is accounted for
by the vouchers" What vouchers:s. and who !
has got theml~ Can the Secretary Of War pre-
tend tsat the national peril and the necessity 7
Tor immediate action justified these iFreponsI-
bic expenditures Of the public money, with no
settlement for four months afterwards, even il
there had been no responsible and experienced
public officers il New York 10 perform the du-
tes2
Among the army supplies purchased by Mr..
CUMM!NGs, are the loilowing:-
$50 doz. PTS ale 6. porter, $751;. 5525 90
80 quintals cod, 800 boxes herring, III 81
200 boxes cheese, 26.PacGages butter, and
caFI5ge.. e...........,.... I,9Fl,tS
barrels OF tongues. ............l2I 90
1870, doz. straw hats. ,l56 6S
1860 pairs OF linen pants. .......l7,2 ,220 90
90 barrels Of pickles. .........
% casks OF Scotch ale, Price:not
stated. '............'. Il
10 casks OF London porter, price not
stated. 80. .......,...
700 Halls car5iHes (rej'd arml, 9l5
each; 80 cases, S31. ......ll, $50 co
Il is not necessary to sav that these are not
understood TO be "arRy Suppj,es," as the term (
is used except ahe 100 HALLS caTbiaes, which $
IS the sau,a arm said hs, -tha Ma DePartF.aenl
in the following June Tor 50 30 eaCh-(See
page }
Some of the above articles were shipped by
The CatallHe, which was probably loaded on
private account, ard not beng able to obtain
a clearance, the cargo was in some way, thrO'
Mr. CUMMINGS, transferred over 10 the Govern
ment, Scotch ale, London porter, selected Ter
ring, and aIl--(See page for the cargo Of the
CataIine, Il
The Committee call attention 10 the accounts
furnished them by Mr. CUMMINGS. He says in
his testimony tpage 597) that Messrs. Dix,
OPpYEG and BLATCHFoRE purchased supplies,
and chartered vessels, &c, to the amount OIL
800 900, for which he drew IN their favor on
the funds deposited 10 their hands; yet in fur
nishiGg the account Tor their expenditures he
makes it SIGA.97I SO and sweils his own &C
count 10 a sum largely exceeding the amount
mentioned in his evidence. 1t would seem i'm
possible that !hase accounts should ever be in-
settled, t;om the miscellaneous man
mel in which The business has been conducted
Mr.. CUMMINGS had no general acquaintance
with business in New York. He had been
newspa per editor ia Penusy lvania for twelve
years, and had been in New York as the pub
Usher of another paper for eighteen months
He was the intimate personal and political
friend of the Secretary Of War, a2d ''acquain-
ted with the internal arrangements and conneX-
lens Of the railroads of Pennsy leania" over
winch supplies are 10 be shipped, and he is in
vested with the control Of $4,000 to purchase
equipments for our army and the charter OF
vessels for Transporting troops aud supplies. He
takes no oath and gives no bond. Without
any occasion for calling in question the person
al integrity of.M1. CUMMINGS, his want OF ft-
ness for the position, from want of experience,
isVcry manifest, and yet a that very time
there are in the same city Of New York gentle
men Of the highest character whose quahfca
tions, integrity aud patriotism have never been
Questioned, 50 far as this Committee are inform
ed, filing the public Of offices through which
have always been performed the very duties
assigned to MIR. CUMMINGS. Their great eX
Perisnce in their respective departments, as
commIssafv and quarternas'er, was at that
moment OF peculiar Impotence TO the Gov
eminent; yet they are virtually superseded,
The Committee has been unable 10 precelve any
possible reason Tor this.
In The judgement ofthe Committee, the en-
ployment Of MIR. CUMuINGs by the Secretary Of
War to purchase army supplies, charter YES
sells, SC, to the exclusion ofthe competent Of
= IL l. ,r,f Mn N,rI-