New-York tribune., 1869-01-04
WASHINGTON.

oaopc,, .ppAIpsSCoTIECTOR OCALLAHAN !
sUsPENDED-SENATOR SHEKhAN e,r,, nnD - |
URE OF OFFICE-REPoRT OF W"
WELLS. ,,crov Tan q 1860
the latter portion of the last session OF Con-
rress Mr.. Ella of the Printing Committee Oh the
House. was charged with the Investigation OF charges
of fraud against the persons holding the contracts lor
supplying the Interior Department with stationery
That investigation, in conjunction with one sih''
made by the Retrenchment Committee, LED 10 tne |
introduction of joint resolution annnllingthe con-
tracts which were held By firm doing business IN
this city. Congress adjourned, however, wlthout |
Yassinp the resolution Afterward, the Commis- |
soner Of Patents made complaint 10 the secretary
of the Interior that the stationery ana
printing of his Bureau were of very inferior |
Ouality. and not what he bargained for lhe Secre"
tary of the Interior ordered Commission TO exam
ine into the complaints, and report TO HIM. lS is !
charged that the stationery contractors managed to
have their friends appointed on the Commission, and
n report sustaining them was of course made. In
stead Of finding any abuse in the quality of the sup
plies that were furnished they asserted that the con-
tractors ought to he paid for 100000 sheets of bond
paper, for which they never had contract and
which the Acting Commissioner of Patents at that
time never ordered. These contractors furnished
800 900 sheets last May eight cents the
Committee Printing ascertained could be fur
nlSheG at about one cent ana q ndI shccl Nt INC
rate it is now used this was enough to last dozen
years. 1t would seem thatl man Fitted to examine
patent ought to abuse in TINS if he cond not
find any in their getting pay for $1,000 or 5000 worth
of goods in about one month, where the men who
kept account of all received for more than three
quarters of the time didn't receive $500 worth, and
nobody can find who got the rest. The report
made By the Printing Committee in July last
showed that large sum had been paid for
q, a. Cofn
missioner Of Patents and he set about to see who
had received them. lie found six index books had
been charged at sos apiece, and that six had been
ceived not worth 75 cents apiece He found 46 caveat
books charged at more than $40 apiece, when there
couldn't be ten found in the office, and they not
worth half the price charged. He also discovered
that the Patent Office paying $40 per 1000 for
patent cards. worth about s., and $?2 for card tags
worth about S. and that 10000 had been
paid for of which only 5OOCO could be accounted for
rs having been received. Brown MANILA envelopes.
the Committee found were costing SIS per thousand,
which, with printing added probably cost 81 thOus-
and, and while 10000 were paid for, the Patent
Oice reported only 10000 having been
received. They found also $40 thousand
were paid for patent heads which now costing
but SIS per thousand. There 2S00O charged aud
paid for but not half the number could be accounted
for as used Notwithstanding all these abuses Sec
JStHy DlONliDRS COnlnlSSlOn cltditu llt tOANiatt
of any frauds irregularities and ordered that
they be paid an additional $4,000 for goods never
ordered This amount the Secretary of the Interior
las ordered to be paid.
The House Committee Appropriations had a
protTacted session Saturday. and made consider
able progress with the Naval Appropriation bill The
Committee are satisfied that the estimates of that
Department are larger than there is any necessity
for and accordingly have made reductions in many
4 - tool hat Gan IRAN ftptt
favor keeping MP large sQnadrons at foreign
stations that are uuimp0rtant, and especially
where American interests be protected |
with two three ships well with |
a dozen. The committee have finished only three
Appropriation bills. namely: the Pension. Consular
and Diplomatic and Executive, Legislative. and
Judicial Appropriation bills. The same committee
are charged with investigating the contract with
Wells Fargo a Co. for carrying the overland mail,
and some since addressed letter to Postmaster
General Randall, asking suspension of all pay
ments until they have completed their nNestiga-
tions. On Saturday the committee received letter
from Mr. Randall, stating that the committees |
wishes would be complied with.
The Commissioner OF Indian Affairs, in his report |
estimates the number Of Indians to be provided for
at 3O0OO0. Persons who are familiar with Indian !
matters are Of opinion that there not more than
GOOOO or 10000 in all Several Senators and Repre- |
action Is taken on the Indian Appropriation bill. |
Gen. Butler viii endeavor 10 ascertain the truth Of
the matter The appGEopriaJlQp asked for by the
Commissioner is excessively large, and the impression
is very general that there is AN enormous waste of
money in that quarter and that IL does not all go
into the hands of the Indians.
At the celebration in this city Of the sixth annver-
sary Of the Emancipation Proclamation last night, |
III re was large crowd in attendance. Speeches |
were made by several prominent gentlemen. Gen. |
Howard made very interesting address. in which |
he said that the trials OF the colored people were not
vet over nor the work completed lie said that much
Is yet TO be done. The fTst duty incumbent upon
Congress is TO make the ballot the privilege of
the white alone Freedom, he said, does not eX-
ist in all the States and if il is night 10 eHant the
ballot to coored people in section il is proper
and just that they should enjoy il in every State-in
Maryland and Ohio AS well as in the Southern
States, or the District of Columbia. lie spoke at
some length on the importance of the mental de-
velOpment Of the colOred race aud urged their edu
cation throughout the country. Ex-President
Roberts Of Liberia, also spoke at some length
The Reconstruction Committee have examined a
number of witnesses Georgia affairs since Con
gress adjOurned. Among the witnesses the principal
were Col. Bryant, Chairman of the State Executive
Republican Committee; the Hon A. r. Aclernan.
Republican Elector at Large Henry NJ. Turner, the
colored leader who expelled from the Legislature
and others All declared that in their opinion Congress
must undo the wrong by the Legislature ia expel-
hing the colOred members With that right there
would be a rapid return of peace IN Georgia. The
Rebel Democracy must be made 10 respect the law.
All the witnesses testified to large number of muir