The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-03-02
The Indian Investigation.

From the Philadelphia Ledger.
It will DO remembered that William
Welsh, Of this city, made an extended
tour in the Sioux Indian country, last
November and December, on Govern
ment business, and that upon his return
he reported TO the Secretary Of the Int
rior what came to his knowledge, O
abuses and frauds in purchases and con
tracts for the Indians. This part OF hi
report may be briefly summed up TO Thu
effect, that the Commissioner Of Indian
affairs, in disregard Of law and without
necessity, had made extensive priUGte con
tracts for beef and other provisions at e.
0r6itGnt prices, both for the goods and the
ireights, with favored contractors, wher
sufficient contracts and other means were
in existence for furnishing the Indians
with the same provisions at prices fal
Hover both for the goods and the ireightS
and that In addition 10 all this there were
gross abuses and frauds in short weights
and short amounts In the delivery Of these
goods, which the Commissioner Of Indian
Affairs when notified Of, but paid no at
tention TO. To this the Commissioner re-
piled to the effect that said contracts were
made under the pressure Of erigeney tC
provide for the support OF the Indians In
the absence Of any appropriation o.
money; that the contractors required
higher prices 10 cover the risk, when nc
appropriation 70 pay them had yet been
made; and subsequently he made a gen.
eral denial Of all the charges. The sub
jeCt having been taken up by Congress,
the Committee on Appropriations OF the
House was charged with The duty Of in
vesligating and reporting on the subject
That Committee made It's report on Sat
urday last, and Is brleay-very briefly
referred to in the proceedings Of Congress
rs published.
As the subject Is ono Of great conse,
quence, involving the expenditures Of many
millions Of the public moneys, and the nd.
ministratiOn or maladmlnistration Of one
Of the most importantO Of our Government
offices, VIC propose 10 give brief sketch
Of what was brought out In tho cridence
laid before the committee, 80 that the pub
lie will have some materials for forming q
Judgment In tho matter, AZ .........--
In the month Of June, 1870, tho Com.
missioner Of Indian Affairs became per.
suaded 10 purchase beef, flour, bacon, and
other provisions for the support Of the
Sioux Indians, on and near the MISSOURI
river, TO be supplied after thefirst Of July,
there being an alleged oxigency to buy
them, but no appropriation to pay fol
them. On tho 18th Of June he made a
prfrdte contract for large numbers Of beei
cattle, ut six and one-half cents per pound,
gross weight, flour, and other provisions
at proportionate prices. These cattle
were to be- received, and were received,
by the agencies in tue. Indian country, I'M
E6edidtely on their arrival Nere, and not as
they might be actually required by the
agencies, which arfange cement was equal 10
from one TO two cents per pound, add.
tional, in tdpOr Of the contractor, as 1t re-
lieyel him from the expense Of the keep
Of the cattle, and risk or loss by death,
"stampeding," So, and turned all
this expense and risk over to the
Government. At that, very time the
Commissary Bureau Of the War Depart,
ment were receiving the same quality q
beet cattle in the same neighborhOod
under contract for less than y cents a
pound, the contractors taking all the ex-
pense Of keep and risk Of loss, and deliv-
ering them as they were actually required
for consumption. From these cattle at
this far lower price the Indians toere then
being fed, and the Commissary Depart.
ment had a large excess Of said cattle at
It's command, and any additional quantity
that might be required, from which the
Indians could have been continued TO be
fed after July LIST, 1870, and the Commits
sioner Of Indian Affairs was duly notified
Of the one fact, and could have easily in.
formed himself Of the other. This eVi.
dence disposes Of the "exigency, . which
Is the only defence Of this priSlte contract
for cattle in disregard Of law, and at the
same time shows that exhorbitant prices
were paid, and to what censurablc extent
the private contractor was favored. And
at the very time when this contract was
being privately negotiated, there was a
written offer on fle IN the Indian Office,
by a responsible cattle dealer, to furnish
the same quality Of cattle, at times and
and in quantities desired, ut # cents a
pound, which offer was refused by the
Commissioner on the express grounds
that he could make no purchase because
there was no appropriation. ,.I..
This private contract was privately re-
newed at those exorbitant prices on the
10th OF August following with the same
contractor, al this time in double disre-
gard Of law and duty, for at this time
there scaS an appropriation a month old,
and therefore no pretenco Of extra risk To
Justify exorbltant prices, and no pretenCe
Of "exigencY' to excuse disregard Of the
law, as there was an abundance Of cattle
then forthcoming, Under these contracts
for eattleIthe Government paid at least
two hundred and fifty thousand dollars
Ouer and ADORE what should have been
paid, if the business had been transacted
openly, regularly and according to law.
In addition to the exorbitant prices paid,
the evidence shows that there were large
losses by means Of short treight. Whole
herds Of these cattle were paid for, as the
evidence shows, without even being
weighed, their weight on one occasion Of
least being estimated by q man "who rode
through the herd" -Four hundred
and fifty cattle were thus lump.
ed at l 600 pounds each, and were so raid
for, although Captain George N. Randall
an army officer, notified the Commission,
er Of Indian Affairs that said cattle aver.
aged, when actually Ipeghed, but 93A
pounds each, and that there was conse,
quently an overcharge of 10000 pounds
mare beef than was actually received In
this one transaction. The Commissioner
Of Indian Affairs paid no attention TO this
warning, and the bin was paid, -r
The evidence Is full OF similar subjects
for comment, but we have not space to
go through them. Flour, bacon, heights
everything under these private contracts
was, according to the evidence, excessive.
ly Overcharged, In both prices and guam,
titles, the gross loss to the Government
. H,an d. Till. - \