New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-03
WASHINGTON.

or MR. HAMILTON OF IENNEssEE
PUBLIC LANDS - 2IOOO,VVO ACRES Ol'NN
A"Ni' WASHINGTON, Tuesday, Feb o 1869
About two weeks ago the House of Representatives
ordered an investigation Of the alleged uauuS III '
stationery contracts Of the Interior DeparIen' Hnu
the Patent Office and the Printing Committee was
charged with the examination, and VIII present 10
port to the House tomorrow They VIII report as
substantially true all the previous staVenon's %
your correspondent in relation to the matter III INC
6rst nlace the Committee charge that the contract
rror 10 The highest bidder instead of the low
ost Bv taking the bid for each article Of stationery
rocrire1 and making general average, the irm OF
Demnsev &, OToole to whom the contract was
ou,ordod were the lowest bidders, but
~ taking the aggregate amountfOr all the stationery
tho furnished they were the highest bidders beng
so4oOO in excess of Blanchard & MOhun, the lowest
bidders on the same scale The Committee explain
,~,,.r that the fraud was committed IN the fur
fishing of articles of stationery not contracted for
i, the regular orders Of the Department and not
specified in the bids. Here is where the contractors
made their money In this respect the greater abuses
were praoticed in the Patent Office over the
penditures Of which Congress has heretofore exer-
cised no control The Committee find that in ono
wears time this Office incurred an expense
for stationery amounting to over $4,000, for
which there was no provision in law. In
the same time, without authority, the same
Office incurred an expense of over $4,000
for printing at extrayagant rates Theaker and
Stout were then in charge Of the Office In these ex-
ira orders they found for instance books worth 50
were charged at SIS. Cash-boOks worth s. were
charged at $2j. Cards worth about s. per 1000 were
charged at SO Printing envelopes worth about
g. Oper 1000 were charged at $20 and some at So
Ruling worth about 81 80 per 1909 sheets was
charged at $50 Printing 100000 blanks worth 81 per
1000 charged at $40 and so The employees Of the
Department seem to have been particcps crimiais in
these transactions, messenger who was caught in
allowing false returns of stationery to be made
dismissed and again, during a months absence of
another receiving clerk, goods said to have been de-
liyered to the Department were charged at 5000
while in fact goods worth only 600 were actually
received. Numerous other similar frauds were prac
liccd, and are given in detail in the report.
Mr. Ely from the House Printing Committee, will
Introduce at the first opportunity bill which will
have the effect Of stopping the enormous frauds in
stationery contracts which have been so common in
the Departments here for the past few years The
bill requires that tho Heads Of all the Departments
and independent Bureaus shall Immediately furnish
the Government Printer with estimates of ali the
articles required during the ensuing year; that he
shall furnish estimates to the Joint Committee
Printing of all the stationery required by Govern
ment for one Iyear; that the Committee shall fix
Standards andunder their direction tho Printer shall
advertise in two newspapers in each Of the cities of
New-York Boston, Philadelphia Baltimore, Wash
lngton and Cincinnati for sealed proposals for fur
uishng the Government with all the paper and other
articles Of stationery required The proposals, when
received to be opened in presence Of the Joint Com
mittee on Printing, and the contracts shall be
awarded by the Committee the lowest bidder
who is actually a manufacturer Of or dealer
In. the articles which he proposes to fur
nish. The GOyoumeEt Printer is required
10 give additional bonds Of $4,000, and
is to receive in addition TO his present salary $1,000
The bill also imposes the necessary restrictions and
safeguards for the proper carrying out Of its pro-
visions and for the protection OF the Government.
In the Senate to-day the credentials Of the Hon.
Matthew Fl. Carpenter Of Wisconsin were received
and placed on file. The Judiciary Committee
were discharged from the further consideration Of
the Female Suffrage petitions which have lately been
committed in such large quantities to their tender
care. The Committee in asking to be discharged
made tie convenient plea that the subject Of the
suffrage is now before the Senate. It's believed that
10 2gc9oson d. III rot mest Y!h tay2I t9 the
Committee. An evening isession Vas hTiered for
Thursday, 10 consider private bills. The Consular
and Diplomatic Appropriation bill was taken up,
but very little progress was made IT,
Tho whole afternoon was spent in debating the
section approprating 1880 10 pay the expenses Of
the mixed commission appointed under the treaty OF
is2 with Great Britain, for the suppression Of the
African slave trade. IL was stated that the Judges
hadneycr performed a single official act and that
the two whose posts Of duty are Cape Town and
Sierra Leone have not been the coast Of Africa
for years but have been in America attending to
their private business if they bad any, and drawing
the comfortable salary Of $500 per annum from the
Government Mr. Patterson intimated that the Judge
st New-York Cthe Hon. Truman SMITH was too aged
and mfrn TO perform any official duties but Garrett
Davis produced rebutting testimony in the infonna-
hOn that Mr.. Smith was recently made the happy
father Of two children at one birth. After great
deal Of discussion. portions Of which including the
passage between Mr.. Sumner and Mr.. Patterson,
were rather warm the section was finally amended
by providing that the Judges shall reside at their
posts and receive pay only for the time spent there
The House accomplished very little TODAY i'm the
way Of business of importance Perba,n,s lin
amending the Pension laws which has given rise IN
so much debate recently, was recommitted. hill
giving permission TO the State Of NewYork TO con-
struct a bridge across the East River. connecting
New-York City and Brooklyn, was passed without
much opposition. Judge Woodward Of Penn
sylyania, who is always full Of legal technical
tiles at first objected TO the bill for the reason that
the Legislature Of New-York did notyfrst ask per
mission Of Congress before determining to build the
bridge. After slight cOaxing he withdrew his qiib-
bic. A message from the President in reference to
the imprisonment Of two American citizens by
British authorities was taken from the Speakers
table, aud after alphabetically able speech from Rich
ellen Robinson, in behalf Of the rights Of American
citizens abroad was referred 10 Gen Banks's Com.