Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-12-22


sent by express than mail
Washburne's Report ON Government
Contracts The Patriotic, Com
tractors on Indiana--HOw the Money
Goes.
JOHN H. VAJES testified before the committee
on the 18th day of March, 1862, that he was
Quartermaster General of Indiana On the Goth
of April, 1861, Mr.. VAJES was commissioned as
State Quartermaster, position which had been
occupied by General T. a. NORRIS. His testi-
m0ny before the committee occupies some twenty
seven pages. Our limited space will not permit
US to give any more of it than that which relates
to the testimony we have already published.
THE CONTRACT WITH W. s. I.
On the 10th day of August, 1861, Messrs.
ers, of this city, addressed letter to Governor
o. p MORTON-whom Assistant Quartermaster
JAMES A. EKIN testifes as being ga man raised
mp for this particular crisis and that commence
belongs particularly to Governor MoRToN"-
stating that in May last they addressed him
communication asking that he would see that In
diana mechanics had opportunity of making
bid for the contract finally Obtained by w. S. T.
MOR1oS. for making 1900 infantry equipments.
They say in that letter that they had since dis
covered that Assistant Quartermaster B. F. MUIR
PLY and W. S. T. MoRroS, now holding official
position, visited Cincinnati, and contracted with
j. WEArHERBY for 5000 suits of infantry ac
couterments at 81 % per suit, (Mr MURPHY
showing his credentials as being Authorized to act
for the State) Wequote the balance of MOONEY
& Co.'S letter in full:
Mr.. Weatherby has informed us W D T.
Morton deducted from him ~ - cents per set on
delivery of the goods, stating that the State had
deducted in like amount, and also $3.50 add
tionaal; that he SAID. was required to have them
pass inspection. The writer has examined the
warrant book in Auditors office, and finds that
the State paid " s T. Morton 50 % per set
making nearly 5000 more on the job than the
manufacturers receved-all done to the exclu-
sion of home material and labor which is here
(Indianapolis) in abundance. We will duplicate
the same job at two dollars per set, and refer to
S. A. Fletcher, banker, as security.
= 1--WE have lately had connection with Watkins
L Slaughter in filling contract, and from our
experience free to state that you are not fully
advised to the annoyance and Inconvenience
some contractors are subjected, who do not pay
the black mail demanded by some of the subor-
dinates in that department.
Two months ago the Quartermaster General
stated. in published card, that all contracts
would be given publicly We are aware that
large amount of leather work has been given pri-
vately TO Cincinnati houses at a larger price than
the same work can be furnished for at home and
that Quarermaster General Vajen supplies the
parties with money to enable them to do it.. Of
doubted, can procure satisfactory prOof)
1--WE understand that large amounts of leather
work is vet to be gwen ont. We have large
amount Of material. There are hundreds OF idle
men. If the contracts are to be given publicly
we are competitors for contracts, otherwise we
are nOt-have been unable, through the Quar-
termaster General. to get satisfaction, or would
not trouble you with this
Itappears from the foregoing that in May, 1861,
Gov. MoRToS was informed to the difficulty in
procuring contracts from the Quartermaster
Department 10y our home mechanics, and that in
August following he was specifically advised that
W. S. 7. MoRToS had been awarded contract
privately for Infantry aceouterments at So %
set. which he subet to Cincinnati firm at
81 80 a set, who finally consented to a shave, by
MoRToS,O of u per cent. the contract, to get
their pay. 1t is not purpose to impugn the in
tegTity of the "man raised up for the present
crisis" We state the facts only, and the commu-
nifty must draw their own conclusions as to the
ignorance Of the Governor in regard to the trans
actions in the Quartermaster's Department. He
cannot deny that his attention was called to the
matter, and specific charges made by responsible
and respectable business house Of this city The
puffs OF his subalterns cannot outweigh Stubborn
ia t.. Yet the Governor continued Mr. VAJES
in Office for eight months after he was advised
Of his, to say the least, doubtful operations The
following is the testimony of General VAJES in
regard to the MoRroS contract:
A contract for 5000 cartridge boxes was made
with W. s I Morton, of Centerville, early in
the spring (lo6l.) Ii was let upon bids. The
bids were from three four houses in Cincinnati;
there were none from this city. They we're all
written by one man. and signed in the same hand
writing, showing that bids were made by a com
biDatiOn Of houses. Not being satisfied with the
arrangement. and not knowing the price of the
articles, after comforting with Governor Morton
who stated that must have them. sent an
agent to Cincinnati and authorized him to con
tract for 4UOO. / think, near the Government
pattern a. could be obtained and at as low a rate
as they could be purchased. This agent visited
all the different saddlery establishments in Gin
cinnati which could put the job through in time
He returned and stated that 8 % was the lowest
price at which he could contract for the articles.
Mr.. Virgins, of Richmond, OF this State, being
there at the time, offered To take 900 at 50 25
and Mr. W S. 7. Morton, being also there at the
time, proposed 10 take the remainde- ut the same
price and go east, to Newark, N. j., | think
where they we're making those articles, and have
them made there. He took the remainder. and
thereupOn these manufacturers i'm Cincinnati,
hearing that he had the job, and fearing the work
would be taken away from Cincinnati. offered to
do the job for him. They made and de-
livered. Some were found defective and the
1s.,~fr
the contractors at their own expense. The con-
tract with Virgins and Morton amounted to
$4,000
The cartridge boxes and aeeouterments went
into the service. Not that know of, in connec-
ton with the Inspection and acceptance of these
cartridge boxes-either those furnished by Wig
gins or by AOrtOn--was any bonus or commission
paid. either directly or indirectly, TO, or retained
out OF the money, by any person connected
not connected with the Quartermaster's Depart
mant. | was told by some that my clerk in
the krmory did receive hundred dollars for
fling upfthose accouterments, brt ! could not as
ceftain the report mad any foundation They alb
solutey there was no such thing. They say
that Weatherby did bring in a bucket Of lager
beer, or something Of that kind, at night, to the
hands. Governor Morton said az the time he was
sorry bis brother had any contract and that he
wished me- as far as could, to prevent him from
having any more. His reason was, there were
few disappointed politicians who wero trying to
make capital out Of all such things; and he said
that even II il was right for his brother to have
contract, u was not proper that he should have