The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1862-01-31
THE PUBLIC THIEVES.
;psech Of AIr. Dawes on Corruption In Con-
tracts for the Army.

eat Of Ry Congressional life upoa nveStiga-
ing committees, no one was ever yet raised
ieon my notion. no resolution was ever carried
ip6a ny motion calling for inquiry, no motion
was ever made by me, the result Of which has
been an investigation by this Hjuse, and yet !
have tet that it was proper for me TO speak, IN
order to decline the service that has been I'M
p1sed upon me. Bu,l fell again that it was in
cunbrnt upon me 10 discharge it ftarlessly and
cheplialq, however much modification and dis
com6lure misht come from it,
Sir, ! have not failed to notice, and believe
lhe commlltef of which | am member have
iol tailed. 10 notice, IN common with the whole
c5uaify. that Tor some unaccouniabe reason The
charges upon the national treasury, at this time
o. war. have been such as to reach nearly the
bottom of the public chest. During our lnves-
-igaion startling facts have come before tue no.
tice OF this committee, and to the notice OF tn
whole country, touching the mode aud manner
0i the expenditure oil the public money. Some
Of hssr items propose TO call public attention
to, and then to ask gentlemen the plain qaes-
tion, when they purpose TO meet this question,
if at all, and II SO, how, when and where. The
very rst,contract entered into by this govern
nsn, alter the troops had left their homes to
come hrfe 10 April last, TO defend the Capitol
by which they were Ia BE- fed, was a contract
eulered into Tor cattle. II was not made with
man whose business it was to supply cattle To
the market, not with mao who knew thu price
of beet ia the markets of the country, but was
entered INTO by the government here with
man we'll known in this,aad in the other branch
OF Congress, Tor The last ten years, as an old
ethical stpendafy -one nt the class o! men
who, in lines past, made their money by such
0peraions as buying the certificates oil mem
drfs Tor books al discount and then charging
shp ful amount. This contract was ma ir SO
that me first twenty-five hundred head OF cattle
iugpished was charged at rate winch enabled
heir original contractor 10 sub lei 1t, IN twen-
ty-four hours alter, TO man 10 New York who
did know the price Of beef, 50 that he put into
his pockets, without stirring f!om his chair,
thsty-two thousand dollars, AMI the meE who
actually furnished the cattle in question pat IN
20 their pockets twenty six thousand dollars
more, so that the contract under which these
twen;V-tWc bundled head of cattle were fur
nishei Z, te army was SO made that the profit
of 6ity-tight thousand dollars was realized over
the taif market price. Ii takes longer time
;o enable Thousand head of cattle 10 reach this
city from The States where they are purchased
tnaa il takes ..the army 10 consume them.
ask ihe House, al this rate, to consider how long
the most ample provision OF the Treasury would
oe able to meet the simple demands tor the sub
sisence Of the army. Sir, poorly as the army
IS Shod to-day, million more are bang manu-
Incurred and yet upon every ope Of these shoes
,hrI- has been waste OF seveny-fve cents
Three quarters OF million OF dollars have be-,
already worn out, and another three quarters 0
mil.pn OF dollars upon shoes is now being
manufactured. 10 that department Of the gov
ernmrnt, contracts have been so plenty that
government officials have gone about the streets
with their pockets filled with them, and o
which they made presents 10 the clergymen 0
Their parishes, and with which were healed oil,
political sores and cured political feuds. Ever
he telegraph las announced that high public
in0cllonares have graced the love frasts which
yiSJe got up 10 celebrate these political recon
cihatlvus thus brought about while the halche
q pciiiical animoslty was buried in the grave
q pubiic confidence, and the national credit
1ructties. amongst malefactors. We have re-
a.,4 I'd to is The first fruits OF one o these con
'Fscts. A regiment of cavalry lately reached
louisville, one thousand strong, and the Soar;
of army officers there appointed for the purpos,
haNe condemned Tour Huuureu anu eiSuty
out Of the thousand horses as utterly worthless
The man who examined these horses declared
opon his cath, that there was not one oil then
that was worth twenty dollars. They were
blind, spa lined, rlngboned, afflicted with th'
heaves, WITH the CHAMBERS, aud with every dis
ease that hofse-hes.l isheir to- These four hun
tfe III eighty-fve horses cost The government
,si5rethey were mustered into the Service, fl
Y ht thousand two hundred dollars, beside
n3fo than an additional thousand dollars tt
transport them from Pennsylvania to Louisville
where they Were condemned aud cast of.
elr. MALLORY (Union,) Of KY, asked wha
feg'mep, :hsse horses belonged 10 and who fur
nlshed ttelus .e