The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-03-27

IL is also charged that s~o ladies have 3
been employed by this oSRcs a ccpyisu
who are secessionists. The only evidence
submitted to sustain this charge is the fses
that their husbands has 90 gone % the south.
and that one os the ladies vent there to sse b
her husband, with the intention Of return.
ing. but has not done They we're ap-
pointed without reference TO their political q
opinions or sympathies. snd simply from
their destitute sad necessitous situation No
act Of disloy atty on the part Of either at
them has ever been brought to my notice |;
nor do I believe they were ever guilty OF
any act prejudicisl TO the government. is11
Some other things have come up in she
course Of this Investigation to which de-
sire briefly to refer. Has s.
ID. A. Weeks. of Troy. New York, pre-.
pared an article for the report Of 1890. OF
some sixty pages. 1t was merely clippings
and selections from agricultural papers,
magazines, &c. Ii is said TO have been pre-
pared at the request of 4. q. Clemson, .
former superintendent of agriculturc. ii
In Mr.. Well>'s letter accompanying the
manuscript and clippings he says, under
date of November 23, 1860: ~ H
Il am not altogether sure you ~ili be
satisfied with il /; il not. you must feel your.
self perfectly free to put IL aside. There is
more of it. too. than l think ycu could have
anticipated, and, II accepted. you need not
consider yourself bound BY the terms of the
compensation proposed. but you sesd
me schafersr you may think proper" ~
The article published in the report
Of 1860. This report was prepared and in
the hands of the printer long before l came
into office. had no more to do with !, than
had either of the members Of the commit
tee In a letter dated the 3Oth September.
1861, addressed to the superintendent Of
the agricultural department Of the Patent
Office. Mr.. Wells says:
1.-The compensatioa agreed upon was e5
per printed page" and again " my vouch--
ers for the transaction are the Official letters
Of the bureau" &c. aEI0
In reply to this Mr.. Newton said. (see
letter book. page Ii9:)
IL will say that upon the return of the
Commissioner Of Patents from Indiana, l
will submit your letter to him. and report at
once his decision in the case" Signed Isaac
Newton.
On the 18th of October, 1861. Mr.. New
ton ordered the payment of $500 to Mr..
Wells for the article referred to. with out con
sslting me. aud without my knoWledge.-
When learned that the payment had been
made sent for Mr.. Newton. and Inquired
why he had paid 50 unjust bill. He as
sured me that he had done il in accordance
with posifi1e agreement between Mr..
Clemson and Mr.. Wells. Immediately in
Iqui,ed into the matter, BY consulting the let
! ter book. and then took the notes from which
l now make this statement. For this. and
several other acts Of the kind. instructed
the disbursing clerk not to pay any further
bills on the certificate Of Mr.. Newton. $50
An attempt has also been made by the
prosecutor in this case 70 bring csnsuve up.
Ian, hx,1-a Z AA~xl
my official frank. Hundreds Of thousands
OF packages OF seeds had to be franked,
thousands OF volumes of reports had to bear
the name of the Commissioner Of Patents.
or that Of the chief clerk and the daily
correspondence of the office, ~ we'll as thst
OF the agricultural division. had to be franked
to insure free transmission through the mail.
| found it utterly impossible, even with the
assistance of the chief clerk. to write all the
franks that were necessary. More impor-
tant duties demanded my time. and to facil
: itate the business OF the Office authorized
my son to prepare franks by writing my
name. He did it SO long as It Was necessa-
ry--the public were the more promptly ac-
commodated, and no wrong was done 10 the
government.
1t is due to myself to say that when
I came into ofice DR.. K Locke was super
intendent Of the agricultural division. and
duriog tbs time he remained he faithfully
aud honestly administered its affairs. He
made all contracts for stationery. employed
workmcn. and certified to the disbursing
clerk all bills due from the Office. Mr..
Newton took his place. and for time was
charged with the same responsibilities that
DR.. Locke had had.
Much has been said about the amount of
stationery used in the agricultural division
ttn e .Aa-
charge. An attempt has been made 10 com
pare il with the amount used since. 1t
should be remembered that the large pur.
chase of seeds made by Mr.. Clemson did
not arrive until late 10 the season. sud we're
put up during the summer OF 1861. This
was entirely in addition to the regular pur-
chase of 1861. think speak within the
verge Of truth in saying that there was doub.
le the amount of seed put mp during the
time the division wss under my charge than
has ever been put up in the same length Of
time. This fact could have been establish
ed had the former superintcudent of the seed
room been placed upon tie stand as wit
. ness. 1t should also be remembered that
during that time at least 80. 600 volumes of
reports wers put up. which required that
number of sheets of heavy, thick, -ssd ex-
pensive paper. But very small number
have been put up BY the present depart
ment. Mr. David Brown assures me that
every order for paper. twine. &c.. made for
the use of the seed room, was seesived. aud
faithfully used for Legitimate purposss.rsF
This investigation has brought to my
knowledge the TACT that my letter. dated the
2sth Of January. 1862. 10 reply ~ . ssso-
lotion of the House. was not vhAk il should
have been-a correct statement of the ,oon-
dision Of the agricultural fund The stste-
ment is one which was farnished 70 me from
the agricultural divisios. where, q shs time,
I had no doubt il eoald b eosrosaly given;
bat nov find was mistaken. TIE books
of that division certsinly oseAt 70 BE- cspa-