The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1862-02-12
Astounding Frauds in Govern
ment Contracts.
Speech of Mr.. Dawes of Mass.

Iribune's report of the proceedings had in
the House of Representatives in Congress on
Monday. January 13. The disclosures made
as to the almos: boundless corruption and
fraud in Government contracts, and the point
ed and direct manner in which Mr.. Dawes
makes his statements, cannot but arrest the
attention of the reader and will amply repay
an attentive perusal Mr.. Dawes, it will be
seen, is a Republican member of Congress
from Massachusetts,, and member of the
House committee appointed to investigate
Government contracts. His statements are
therefore made upon facts proven before the
committee
Mr.. DAWES, (Rep., Mass.,) from the
committee of Investigation on Govern
ment Contracts, in resuming his re-
marks, commenced on Friday last,
said:
Sir: I have not failed to notice, and
| believe the committee Of which am
member have not failed to notice, in
common with the whole country. that
for some unaccountable reason. the
charges upon the National Treasury,
at this time of war, have been much as
to reach nearly the bottom of the pub
lie chest During this investigation,
Startling facts have come before this
committee, ana to the notice of the
whole country, touching the mode and
manner of the expenditure of the pub
lie money. Some of these items [ pro-
pose to call public attention to, and
then to ask gentlemen the plain ques-
tion, when they propose to meet this
question, if at all, and if so, how, when,
and where? The very first contract
entered into by this Government, after
the troops had left their homes to come
here, in April last, to defend the Capt.
tai, by which they were to be fed, was
contract entered into for cattle. 1t
was not made with man whose busi-
ness it was to supply cattle to the mar
ket; not with a man who knew the price
of beef in the markets of the country,
but was entered into by the Govern
ment here with man we'll known in
this and in the other branch of Con-
gress, for the last ten years, as an old
stipendiary-oue of the class of men
who, in times past, made their money
in such operations as buying the certif-
Gates of members for books at dis
count, and thea charging the full
amount.
This contract was made so that the first
twenty-five hundred head of cattle furnished,
was charged at rate which enabled then
original contractor to sub-let it in twenty
four hours after to man in New York who
did not know the price of beef, so that he put
.,~&@ l. ot., h fc
chair $32 600; and the men who actually
furnished the cattle in question, put into their
pockets $4,000 more; so that the contract
under which these twenty two hundred head
of cattle were furnished to The army, was so
made that the profit of S58.000 was realized
over the fair market price. 1t takes longer
time for thousand head of cattle to reach
this city from the States where they are pur-
chased, than it takes the army to consume
them | ask the House, at this rate, to con
slider how long the most ample provisions Of
6 the Treasury would be able to meet the sim
pie demands for the subsistence of the army
Sir, poorly as the army is shod to-day, mil
lion shoes have been worn out, and million
more are being manufactured, and yet upon
every one of these shoes there has been 9
f waste of seventy five cents. Three quarter:
of a million dollars have already been worn
of dollars upon shoes is now being manufac
tured. In that department of the Governmen
contracts have been so PLENTIFUL that Govern
s meut officials have gone about the streets witt
their pockets filled with them, and of which
they made presents to the clergymen of thei
parishes. and with which were healed old po
litieal sores and cured political feuds.. Ever
the telegraph has announced that high public
functionaries have gracei the love feast:
which were got up to celebrate these politica
a., rrconciliations, thus brought about with thu
haichet of political animosity was buried il
the grave of political confidence, and the ma
tonal credit was crucifed among lnalefactors
We have reported to Us the first fruits o
these contracts. regiment of cavalry late
ly reached Louisville, one thousand strong
!, and the Board of Army officers there appoint
ed for the purpose, have condemned fou
, hundred and eighty five out Of the vne thous
and borses, as utterly worthless. The mai
who examined those horses, declared, upol
: his oath, that there was not one of them wortl
I. twenty dollars. They were blind, spawned
ringboned, afflicted with the heaves, with tn
glanders. and with every disease that horse
flesh is heir to. These four hundred an
eighty-fve horses cost the Gov vernment, befor
S they were mustered into the service, $50, zoe
1; beside more than additional 1000 to tran
4 port them from FennSylvanla 10 LOUISVILLE
where they were condemned and cast off.
Mr.. Mallory (Un. Ky.,) asked what regimen
those horses belonged to, and who furnishe
them?
Mr.. Dawes-They belonged to Col. Williams
regiment of cavalIy, and they were purchase
" in Pennsylvania, from which State they wer
l. forwarded to Louisville, where they were cor
demned. There 50 regiments of cav air
! to day, one thousand strong. 1t takes 1850
u 900 to put one of these regiments on foot b.
10 fore it moves.
d Twenty millions of dollars had thu
ia been expended on these cavalry regiment
3 before they left the encampments whel
t, they were mustered into service, an
hundreds of these horses have been sci
back to Elmyra, and to Annapolis, al
D, to this city. to spend the winter. Ar
se day hundreds of them can be seen arour
,e this city chained to trees, where they we
of left to starVe to death. Gangs of tV
c. huLdred horses. in various places. hal
a. been thus left to die and rot, till the con