The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1863-02-20

and could not help sympathizing with
Mexico.
The Terrible Frauds Upon the
GOVernment--ReasOns, for Car.
rying on the Wharf.-The Sv;nd.
Ter at Work.
From the Philadelphia Enquirer, 18th inst. ]
Astounding Exposure Of Public Plumber.
If it is any longer possible for the
people of this country to be shocked by
the disclosure of frauds upon the Gov
ernment, they will be utterly astounded
by the report Of Committee of the U.
nted States Senate, published in the
Inquirer this morning. 1t was our pur.
pose to brand and Stigmatize these fright.
full robberies of the public moneys in
such terms as they deserve, but we con.
fess that our vocabulary is insufficient to
do justice to the subject. They are lit
orally so monstrous that terms in com.
mon use fail to give any idea Of their
enormous turpitude. They must be read
by each man for himself. If the record
does not make his blood tingle, and
cause words of bitter execration to leap
instinctively to his lips, then he is not Of
"penetrable stuff" That such disclo.
sures have been permitted to pass by
heretofore without arousing an effectual
public indignation, can only be account.
ed for by the fact that the swift current
Of stirring events, set in motion by the
rebellion, sweeps away the recollection
ofcrimeS which. in ordinary times, would
shock society to its center.
The report referred to is that Of Sem
ator Grimes, of Iowa, upon the subject
of ships and steamers chartered to trans
port troops and supplies. In the very
outset of it the reader will fud an ac-
count of the charter Of thirteen barges
and steamers at Baltimore, that will
serve as an illustration of the whole. In
that transaction it appears that these
thirteen vessels cost their owners-mid-
die men, as usual-$65,283, and that
they were chartered to the Government
at the rate of $345, 655 per annum-an
annual profit Of three hundred and
t.Uenty;Jfve per cent. Among hese was
a rotten old hulk called the Patapsco,
which was purchased by one Of these
middle.men for 81 200, and then hired
to the Government for $S5 per day, and
the barge Delaware, which cost 81, 500,
hired for $40 day. The running er
penSes Of this latter vessel were about
six or seven dollars day, and all the
rest were the profits Of the culprits, who.
ever they are. These vessels were hired
by man named Hall, who had a mo.
nopoly Of the business, under the direc.
ton of Colonel BEL ger, Assistant Quar-.
termaster General, and John Tucker,
Assistant Secretary of War. When it
is borne in mind that tlUo hundred and
seuenty four vessels were chartered by
this man Hall, some idea may be gained
Of the fearful amonnt Of which the Gov
ernment has been pundered by his ope
rations.
] The modus operandi was this: Hall
as we have said. was middle. man,
and through the action Of Mr.. Tucker
and Colonel Belger, had a monopoly o.
the business Of chartering vessels at Bal
timore. Nobody who had even coal
boat to hire could get access to the Gov
ernment officers except through him.-
He was the agent Of the United States
selected the vessels, and fixed their pri
ces. At the same time he was the agen
Of those who owned the vessels, some o
them being his own, and others haVin;
been bought up by his creatures i
every case he charged commission
ranging from FIVE to twelve per cent
on the gross earnings Of every vesse
, chartered. Of course the higher tn
, rate the more this careful agent Of tn
! Government was ennbled TO pocket. =
Thus. in the case of the steamer Ceci
chartered of Captain Rice, although tn
/ vessel was offered at fifty dollars da.
. Hall had hired her at seventy i've do
, lars, and before the bargain was consuu
mated raised the price, to the astonisI
, ment Of the Captain, to eighty dollaj
:. per day. This scandalous feature 81
pears in every transaction. An agent
! the Government raising the rates on h
= own principal to ruinous prices, that
y might get higher commissions. He
:. again we must remind the reader thi
u this man Hall, who was the con6denti
: agent Of Colonel Belger and Mr.. Tue
er, chartered t,Uo hundred and seuent
!, four vessels.
q Baltimore, however, had not q N
o nopoly of this "El Dorado" to the fo
Q tunate owners Of steamers, barges al
% tugs, and the lucky ones who acted
0 agents for the Government. The Coz
r mittee extended their Investigations
i the Delaware, and on our river tn
= found the same system Of plunder n
vaiing to the same fearful extent. L
il our readers look and be amazed at 4
q prices that were paid ont Of their poe
"a cts for some Of the worn out old hull
!. formerly so familiar to their eyes. HI