New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-01-06

ions that Mr.. GrinrCu gave me.
O. Mr. Grinnells direction was II UNDERSTAND 'n"'
,crain goods here specified General Order goo "eIo
% I've scnt 10 such places as you sho"i" "'''e
Yes, Sir. lid ,rd,cotoe A
q. To such store or stores as you s"'"
O. Did Won indicate any storcsi A. YSs or sir bnrino
bSn prrio,,si,, arranged nat BiI6y should 40 Lee'S
ofneT R CT%e toTc wIcrc1 A. Tn westst think;
never wac in tho store in Washingon-St -. .oros,
I'm be General Order business. A. SO far as ever knew
O. He had at this timelmade his arrangements with Mr.
o. who negotiated the arrangement with Mr. Bixby
By Senator Bayard-That is under the agreement you
have made here A. Ycs, Sir ,,..
say. Leet stin remained in washingIon A. 1e5, SIR
q. DoyOu recoect when he came 10 new " 11ih G h
change OF Mr. 0yneU made as Collector; possibly
before, am not positive about dates.
o. when did MIR Grnnell go out OF object A. ! can't
give you the date something over year ago; ABOUT
year ago would like TO say here am the poorest per
son the world to remember dates that Is the reason
am particular about keeping my papers 30 oiose "S
O. After you had in pursuance of these directions in
Dictated Mr. BiXby's stores for the reception 81 those
eoYIJ NOT have bGcnmoro than very short times because
he going backward and forward between mere ana
Washington frequently; think most OF the ume ne
made my store his headquarters when he was IN the
city. ,.n
letters when he was in Washington A. Yes SIT. .
q. What time it that he complained to YOU that
sufficient t. defray his portion Of The expenses OF te
mcsSl 4. He continued to complain from the very nS'
@ Did he continue to make these complants' A. He
did up to the time that left the CustOm-house.
Q. 1Eon ;hc result OF the statement is that while YOU
ddmder,taul from Mr. Lect that his receipts from the
general order business we're not equal to the discharge
OF his portion II the expenses of the you never did
understand from him. nor from lhody Csc noT nay
You amy idea now, that Gen. Porter or cen baDcecA
who we're lis partners in the mess, had any interest m
A. qn.crrupunsl-E mphatiealiy no. never th'V e'hcr
Of these two men party to ii.
IEET AND STOCKINGS "PLUMs"
Senator Cass,rlyQ. At the time Of the transactions
i'm 1869 how long lad you known MI Leetf ~ became
acquainted with Mr. Leet during the campaign OF Gen.
Grant in lS;i, CT about that time.
q. How long have you known Mr.. stockingf' A. l
never knew Mr. Stocking until, l think about three
a. When Was thatY A. am not able to state, but you
WA 40, r9iu d. the carriage and hurea papers.
q. You came acquainted with him three months pre-
yijus TO TIE matter of the Carriage Bureau2 A. Yes
come months; am not positive as to the time.
O. We're your relations with Mr. Leet purely personal,
or LC} of business character at any time
\. Personal; had no business interest with him.
@. We're Your personal relations intimate a: Very.
g.. Before tins General Order business A. Yes Sir.
q How long before A. Before tho President was in
auurated lie came TO New-York; had not seen him
ana renewed ms acquaintance ana rom there he made
inquiries as TO tie various puns as they are called
b. GOT hold 81 for making money out Of.
q. Piums in business or in p6tesi a. In business
NrwYork; not that he had any idea Of ever
going into any OthCr business in New-IOrk
q. Was hc then in Washington A. Yes, Sir
Washington? A. think ne entered the army from C1,
cagO; lie was horn in Western Pennsylvania so he told
mo; ne entered the army at Chicago ana subsequently
reached Washington as adjutant on Gen Grants staff
q. think YOU stated that youremtted his share Of tie
General Order business from time to time in your
checksf ~ Yes, portion OF them think portion Of
q Was that while he was in the War Department. A.
Yes Sir.
Q. Do you know what his relations with Porter and
BJDcOCk wcrel 4. Very intimate indeed.
q You have stated his receipts from the General
Order business az the rate of $500 year. and your
impression is that his salary at the War Department
about 5000 more A. About 500; think he told me
u was about SO0 that Is, with all his prcquisitesTa-
tlOus and Communication.
Q. That was 1t The rate of $1,000 yearl A. $1,000
q. Dl this constant complaint of his that $1,000 year
was not sufficient 10 dcfray his share of the bills,
attract your attention a. No. Sir.
O. DO your persOnol relations with him continued A.
They dir up 20 few months ago always have far
am concerned; have seen very little OF him within
the last year; met him some three months ago. and he
asked me to call upon him, but did not CALI his wife,
q YCa state that While Mr. Leet was writing You from
Washington lis letters were most frequently from the
White House! A. Yes, Sir.
e. Down TO what period did that continue. A. SO long
as nc core pOnucd with me-
ORGANIZATION or THE CARRIAGE BUREAU.
by Senator Bayard-Wcrc you acquainted with the
business 0. what you e:m the carriage bureau A. Yes
Sir.
O. Does does not this question Of carriage relate TO
tho crtaso Of goods while they are. in Government
tOdyq A. Yes: entirely.
O. That is what YOU term public caTtasc? A. Yes Sir.
@ viii you he kind enough 70 explain TO the Commit
tee the organization of the bureau3 A. Soon after Mr.
GInnel became Collector of the Port OF NowYOrk there
were great many complaints made to him verbally and
i'm writing, relation of course, various abuses
atng 10 custOms the carriage the particular
frIIcd To-; correspondence commenced between Mr..
10 ;uc carriage question; Mr. Grinnel informed me it
had been brought up by the Secretary fer some reason or
other: after having cOrrespOnded some time upon the
sIj A Gr ne called my attention 10 the fact, and
NV n tie 5;oYernnent and the merchant wouId be-
tnfag cd
parties. anl 10 finally decided by the Secretary and
Rlr Grnuc that tie city should be dstriCed into dis
rcs that carriage shOnld be contracted ont in dis
tcs instead OF by one party as II had been before, III
Tlc Chairuau-This district system has entirely gone
Senator Bayard-I had received impression whether
correctly not cannot that there had been abuses
by which the Government and the public had been plum
OF the abrscs nd, trust their decline and fa we can
whether they continue or not
Mr. Lindsay-My suggestion was TO cut everything
short the district system adopted in reference to
carriage and has been entirely set aside; it has
ncctiUn with the bureaus Of the Customhouse; should
Ike in Justice to myself. to give the history OF
they the have Attempted to s. ier the blame. if
any attached, upon me- anu | am prepared TO
tie Correspondence with tie Secretary regard to the
matter Dir Grnnell called my attention TO me fact
system it then existed and devise some means by
which It could be reformed, whereby the Government
could be protected its rights and the merchant also be
protected his rights; several systems were proposed;
one or two came from Washington from the Treasury
Department; it was finally agreed that, the city
he districted into districts, and the work
gwen ont by contract notice given in the papers
that such to be the case, and application made for
bids; bids in fer the various districts the work
classified; called the rstelass, the other the
sccOndclass the frsass goods were those that went
20 the public for appraiscment; those that
carted the bonded warehouse called secondcass
the bids asked for upon package and cartload TO
public store also upon package and cartoad 10 bonded
WarehOtse-tO say what the price would be.
Senator Bayard-Who. obtained tue general carriage
ccntracti A. There were several contractors; |
give you the names OF them several In different dis
tficts.
O. There were nine OF them, were there not? A. Yes
Sir; man by the name OF - Case. Charles Kayle'