The New York herald., 1862-07-30
Government Contracts.
Lsrrxz FROM cAPrAIs RUSSELL sruRGES.
10 Tux EDn0R or THE HERALD.

NEW YORK, July 20, 1862
IN your paper OF Sunday last editorial article
titled "rhe remarkable Patriotism OF Government Con
tractors" you say"Prominent among these is Mr. Rus
sell sturgis OF this cty-a patriot who managed to
ceivs commissions both from thu government and the
men whose ships be purchased for the government"
The charges embodied in this sentence utterly fass
never received commission tho government and
never purchased a vessel for the government. The
Second, Supplementary Report of the nves
tisatIng COMMITTEES OF the House Of Representative"
referred 10 on the source from which tho above
slsnder is drawn, contains nothing 10 justify
it. II docs contain a false statement 70 tho e.
feet TINT received commissions in rhartsrng vessels
70 the agents u ths governments without the knowledge
of those agents MY action in the regular course of my
business as commission merchant in oharerng vessels
to the government was with the full knowledge OF the
government agents; and any charge OF Improperly,
wrong doing or conceament my part, whether made
absolutely false
Having thus called your attention to the facts ask
tat you peosh Vans statement aad rotrac The charges
made BY you rs fully ana explicitly they made
Respectfully, r. STuRGlS.
TIE OTHER SIDE.
In order that there may further misunderstood
ing on this point. what the Committee OF Con-
gress say in their report
QIlartermaster, Brigsdier General Saxton having
been sent 10 New York " purchase and charter vessels
found the advice Of solne personally acquainted with
ths quality, cspacy and worth OF the vessels he
about to engage for tho necessary pro-
per discharge of his duty and accordingly engaged upon
the recommendation OF Colonel Tompkns Of New York
for that service Mr.. Russell Snrgis OF that city former
~ one OF the pilot commissioners Mr. Sturgs undertook
To advise aud aid him III the selection OF for the
government aud immediately, without the knowledge
ayton lot his services ass 20 these having vessels sell
or charter to aid them in inducing Saxton to purchase
hire their vessels. In this double capacity OF agent for
the government in buying and for the owner in selling,
Mr. Sturgis met with difficulty in finding the vessels
whose quality, capacity and price such
his advice to tho quartelmaser TO take them, and he
to be considered by the remarkably
successful in securing quick sales desirable charters
and by the qiartermaster equally successful in finding
such vessels AS he could recommend TO the government.
Ir surgis rolled tor compensation entirely uron
mission upoo sales aud charters varying from two and
halt TO five per cent depending in upon the
cess with which bis Efforts attended in bringing
tho notice the qartermastcr the good qualities the
vessel IL need not be added that such relationship
wholly Incompatible with fidelity, and could not
prove otherwise than deleterious to the public service
Charters wefe enormous and the character and capacity
OF the vessels ~ many instances iuferor Tie price
usually obtaie iol cha ters OF vessels under these Cir
cnnsances was such, general rule would pay for
the vessel ITSELF IN seventy days. and he who failed to get
charter as advantageous as this was thought to have
made poor Of the facilities which the COVE Dment it.
self had Afforded HIM. 1t is due General ton 10
state that the ac that S,urgs acted III the interest of
The slipowners at The same time that inc acting
his confidential adviser kept entirely from his
knowledge