Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1862-02-27


ernment 1t was mere proposition oi
their part. 1t was not accepted, neithe
was the q ovcrnment bound to pay 1t.
The Secretary also ad'is;
Yet | hear from the owners aud sell
ers no complaint that they by the opera
ton of this system OF purchase, hav
been oppressed or og5rlercd.'
APicrURE THAT MUST srAnrLE rHE corS
TRY.
Let MS examine the correctness Of thi'
statement hy one transaction. In iht
month Of MAY last. j. Rudolph Sicg and
James c. Jrwe,t & Co., OF New OK
CITY. were owners of the steamer mere.
6ia. Dining that month, man by the
name of BurriIl. claimed 10 le an agent
and adviser of the Navy Department.
rropo>ed purchase. Jcwctt u Co., to
urevcnt the extortions Of Government
agents, on the 18Th day OF June, wrote a
letter to the Secretary of the Navy, offer.
ing to charter or sell that vessel at IA val.
uation to be fixed by the Department. n
similar letter was sent hy them to the
President Of the United States. The
Secretary returned an answer refusing to
charter or purchase, as she was unsuitcd
for an armed ship.
Buuil shortly after appears, saying
that he can sell the rejected steamer; that
he had returned from Washington, and
asked authority from them to sell to Gov.
ernmcnt. which was given him on the Sd
dav Of Julv. On the 3l,t Of July Bur
ril came alan and made an offer from
the Secretary Of the Navy for the rejected
steamer, on the condition that the owners
should pay e5, 600 TO him, beside a fair
brokerage; which $1,000 Burrill said
was to he given to Government officials
for their assistance in selling this vessel
Jewett d Go. refused, p'oclaimng that
they would first see their vessel rot at tht
wharf, and themselves wanting for brca'
before ole penny should 90 to bribc GOV
ernmcnt officials; requesting Rurrill e
say to those who sent him, if the Gov
ernment wanted $1,000 they would Civ
that sum toward raising another rogi
ment to fiji the place Of tn, New Yorl
Sixty ninth.
Burril left, and after the lapse Of
few hours returned, saying he hal hear
from Washington and that he woul
withdraw the condition, and they nee
only pay what they saw ftto allow hin
for his services. They accepted, and o
the same day gave Burrill bill Of sa
for the Department and he presented
list Of alterations required, in the han,
writing of 5. NJ. Pooli, the Naval Cor
structor, and one of the board to cXaI
inc vessels. On the 9th Of Scptcm b,
they delivered mp the vessel to Govern
ment through Burrill.
Much to the surprise of the owners, I'll
Secretary sent a rcqui,ition to pay Bun
ril the Sl00,0 600 for tho Meyreajo, al
though the names to the bill Of sal
were that Of Sicg, owning sevcn-tcnth'
and Jewelt ~ Co., three tcnths. The
succeeded in arranging it so that IL
money should be drawn 10y thin
party, Some twenty days after Il
date Of the rcqnistion, an order ";
had on the Sub b-TrcaSury for the none
Mr.. George ID. Morgan did n
appear in the negotiation until after Il
requistion for the money he then can
and demanded So 500 for his share, n
mitting that he did not sell or IlrchOs
yet the owners could not got their none
until he was paid and if they wouI
conset to pay, he would write to WasI
ington and urge the immediate rmi
tance Of the money.
The above facts must have been know
TO the Secretary. They were written
Commodore HUDSON, October 3lst, wit
,l.,, L., t1,l IA, tlo N.,.
Department, which doubtless WAS don
Since the letter Of the Secretary, Il
Committee have not had time to cXami
the owners Of the Mcrccdia +; hut {,
foregoing and subsequent facts in GO
necton with the purchase are sustain
by afidavits of j. Rudolph Sicg, n
James G.. Jcwctt. They testify III
they did not see or know anything OF G,
d, Morgan until after the purchase a
delivery of the bill Of sale to the |
partmcnt through Burrill that on
10Th day Of November, they called
Mr.. Morgan, demanding repayment
50 500, and he said he had credited it
tac Navy Department; that he had on
taken this sum so the Department mig
have so much back, in case the DcpH
ment elected to keep the same, on I
ground that he understood the Ncreed
cost only $4,000; yet Mr. Morgo
when hc took the So 500, gave rccc
for the same "for commissions on the sa
Of the Merccaio"
The owners deny that they ever askC
$3.50. O00 for the steamer, although NJ
Morgan claims in his statement that sue
amount was demanded of him Tho d
partment fixed the value, and negotiate
through the medium above stated.
On the 18th Of January, Jcwctt & c,
wrote another letter to the Secretary, i
which they recitc the fact Of their formC
complains. 1howiug that they have bee
oppressed or a5grieyel. in which the
say
do yon think it ight to cndcayor Z
carry to the ubIic, after such an offer o
our part, that we sought to obtain $50
GOO moro than this vessels value, am
TO foster this ialschood on the public,
give an idea Of your brother laws ii
ness to purchase vessel, for the Cover
mcnt"
PURCHASE or HALLS ,hUWNEs.
Another remarkable Transaction "
the sale by The Ordinance Burcau to NJ