Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1862-02-11
ola DICK on the Cormorauts.

Old Dick on the Cormorants.
During the debate on the bill in the
House of Representatives, on she 30th ult.,
authorising the Secretary of the Treasury
TO settle claims and accounts and advances
made and liabilities incurred in equippiDg
troops, Hon. VIM. A. Richardson, Of the
Quincy district, paid the following merrited
compliment to our Republican State Off
GERS as well as to those Of Ohio. New York
and Connecticut
The correct doctrine upon this subject
is, that the War Department alone shall
liz the price for each and every article
furnished 6y the State for the use of tire
troops, SC that exact Justice may be meted
out 20 oil. Ii, in any State, too much has
been paid for any article, either through
negligence or fraud, then the burden sho'd
fall not upon the country at large, but upol
the people who have entrusted their mat
ters to reckless or corrupt agents. fear
that in the State OflIlinJls the entire tribe
Of State officials have engaged in plunder>
ing the treasury.
The constitutional convention now in
session at Springfield, in that State, have
revealed the fact that the Slate officers
there have expended 81 100000 more in
equippiug the troops than the Legislature
OF the State appropriated or authorized to
be expended for that purpose.
The committee to investigate government
contracts have made no comment upon the
fact that John Woods, the QnartermaSter
General of Illinois, is himself the contractor
for furnishing hay and beef to the United
States, amounting in the aggregate to
hundreds Of thousands Of d, lars. They
dilate at length upon the comparatively
petty theft Of five or six hundred dollars
in some cases but this one seems to have
appalled, investigation by its magnitude
While, in the city of St. Louis, Quarter
master McKinstry could have purchased
hay at twelve dollars per tnn, or perhaps
less, be buys it Of John Woods, Quarter
master Of Illinois, in almost fabulous quan,
Titles. and pays for it eighteen dollars pei
=. ton. And this is called, in these days
honesty.
Now, Mr.. Speaker, | read the act passed
at tie last session OF Congress. God knows
that it is broad encugh-that it cover,
~ all the thieves on the earth to lundel
this government. did net help to do il
Al hut presume l did my part of the
wrong. Gu the 18th Of July We passed
this act:
That the Secretary of the Treasury be
and he is hereby directed out Of any money
ia ihe treasury not otherwise appropriated
q pay 10 the Governor of any State, or tC
1tIr anaptu ba ooStS
charges, and expenses properly incurred
by such State for enrolling, su5ssting
clothing, supplying, aiming, equipping
paying and transporting its troops employ.
ed in aiding to suppress the present insur-
rection against the United States, TO be
settled upon proper vouchers, to be filed
and passed upon by the proper accounting
officers of the treasury
Is not that broad enough, Mr. Speaker
Do yon want to bold out any more induce.
ments to plumber the treasury than you
have already held out? Why, sir, they can
plumber the treasury at every point in it
and they are Iluudering it tn day.
Now, sir, seventeen cents a day is
enough to support man in the field in oul
part Of the country; while the Governor
of Ohio, or some ether officer in that State
probably am mistaken IN saying the
Governor-has paid sixty cents day fol
the subsistence Of troops. 10 New Yurt
aud Connecticut, | understand they pa
thirty cents day, In the Mexican wal
twenty two cents day was the cost en-
tire for ration per man; and that is tb
highest price that was ever paid in on
whole history What monstrous fraud
have been perpetrated upon this govern
mens! Here was sixty cents per ratior
paid in enc State, and thirty cents in an
other. II you let il out at private contract
fourteen cents day is all that it costs you
to support your men in Illinois; an,
seventeen cents Is enough anywhere OF
this continent.
Sir, | would bring all these men to pull
lie trial. have expressed heretofore, an,
express now. the opinion that we are il
more danger from these thieves than w
are from the rebels. They are pluuderin,
the treasury at every point."