The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-05
Majority Report Of the Senate In
vestigating Committee.
Twenty-Five Hundred Pages Of Conflicting Evil
dence-The General Order Business-Lsst and
Stocking Acquitted Moieties and Conn
promises Pay-The Custom
House in Polities-Recon-
mendatons for Reform.

and other BubjectS
In New York and Washington
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY WITNESSES
were examined. The testimony, oral and docu-
mentary, comprises more than twenty-five hundred
pages OF print. The sources OF information are ex-
hausted. The testimony is conflicting. 1t could
hardly have been expected to be otherwise as COM
paratively few witnesses were examined who did
not appear more or less in the character Of part1
sans The committee submit, first, that no mon
strous abuse has been discovered In connection
with
THE GENERAL ORDER" BUSINESS.
unless 1t be the Misrepresentation, not to say the
mendacity, which has been piled upon 1t. The COM
mittee say that Mr.. Murphy was appointed by Presi
dent Grant, whose appointments have been habitu-
ally somewhat dstasteful to the democratic party.
Mr.. Murphy's own appointment proved distasteful
to portion OF the republican party, and 80 1t hap
pened, perhaps not very logically, but not very I'M
naturally, that Messrs Leet and Stocking fell heirs
to all the malice which the cupdity, the wealth or
the influence Of two great trading companies could
engender, as well as that the enemies of Thomas
Murphy, the President and tho republican party
could inspire A storm Of obloquy and reproach
burst upon their head In September, 1870,
hEssRs. LEFT AND STOCKING
were quite unknown to fame In twenty months
they acquired q notorety never by the greatest
genius and only rarely by the greatest heroes or
greatest criminals achieved in so brief period.
Twenty months ago 1T is probable that these young
men had but seldom seen either OF their own names
in the newspapers There are now probably but
few names more widely known to the readers OF
American newspapers than those OF Leet and
Stocking There ; IL not In the testimony or out
Leet was indebted to any kind OF favoritism,
political or personal, for his employment on the
star OF General Grant, The President, In his letter
to Grinnell, merely attested the fitness of Colonel
Leet for business. He did not ask any appointment
general order bus business The fact Of preferment IN
the case Of Leet upon the ground OF personal merit
Is too well attesed to be denied, even though that
theory should be exploded by 1t. Rumor perhaps
IL should be said scandal has pointed to General
Horace Porter and to General Babcock as the par
ties likely to be Interested with Leet and by whom
he was
UPHELD IN THE FAVOR OF MR. GRINNELL.
The testimony wholly fails to disclose any founda-
ton for such suspicion; the contrary 1t proves
az c0nclusivciy AZ human testimony can prove any
thing that neither Porter nor Dabcock had any in
accept the avowed belief OF Mr.. Greeley and Mr.
Mudgett against the testimony OF Porter, Babcock
Stocking and GrinnelL 1t seems altogether more
rational to conclude that Mr.. Greeley or even Mr.
Mudgett was mistaken In an opinion borrowed only
from the
SCANDAL OF GREAT BRAwLNG CITY
than that Leet, Stocking, Porter, Dabcock, Murphy
and Grlnneu have committed wflful perjury. Gen.
quilted OF all participation in the profits Of sharing
In unclaimed goods. Colonel Leet and Mr.. Stocking
trust as wen as for accepting it when assigned to
them. 1t Is evident merchandise has been very
secure in the store OF Leet and stocking Heavy
losses have at tines occurred to goods In other
buildings, but the evidence does not war
rant the conclusion that Of all the millions
In value which have passed through the stores OF
Leet Il Stocking not q dollar has been lost from
them. In the Judgment OF the committee, for the
permit
THE STEAMSHIP COMPANIES TO HAVE CONTROL
Of the general order stores under the present ware
should have double security for the payment OF its
duties FIRST the possession Of the goods, to be re-
sorted to II not lost or destroyed; and second, q
bond OF the Importer to be resorted to II the goods
are lost or destroyed.
There is no evidence OF presents having been ten
dered to or accepted by officers OF the Custom
House from their subordinates, and no evidence of
the Others In the discharge OF steamships. A good
deal OF testimony was submitted on
to cers Or VIE the Sp
timony only made clear one fact that there was
no necessity nor any apology for ever making such
tnat the present Secretary Of the treasury reasury;
an agent to New York to investigate the practice,
and he issued circular prohibiting all such pay
ments but In spite Of the known wishes OF the
Secretary and OF his known commands the practice
evidently has continued. The testimony shows
pretty clearly the practice would not be condemned
Dy good morals u it were not condemned by law;
NOT TO SECURE VIOLATION or LAW,
compensation SERVICES rendered
dition to the services required by law. The usage
is not OF recent date, but has come down from q
former generation. with reference to connlvance
on the part OF the officers OF the Custom House at
frauds or irregular practices in passing the baggage
Of traders, the testimony left but little TO
doubt that the officers formerly In the service OF
the Custom House had permitted baggage to pass
without the payment Of duty and had received
consideration for doing 50: The testimony gives
OFFICERS STILL IN THE CUSTOM HOUSE
service are guilty OF IRREGULAR practices in passing
to ind in the testimony too much assurance that
articles OF merchandise are occasionally distracted
while under control OF officers OF the customs
There Is no evidence that any such distracted
goods are ever returned, is there any evidence
that there has been any failure to dismiss officers
when detected In such practice. Such distractions
are not SO heavy as to be very damaging but are so
frequent as to be very annoying. They are the
more scandalOus because they Indicate
sHIFTLEssNEss MORE THAN GUILT.
Men seem to be betrayed into such distractions
not 80 much by sense OF cupidity as by sense OF
goods should be received at the pier by the general
order man ana sy him cartsd to the warehouse
delivered to the contractor.
COMPROMISES.
The committee say 1t would seem the revenues
must have pronted rather than have lost, by COM
promises. 1t does not appear the officers Of the
Customs derived any pecuniary benefit from these
the faw awards to them. It IS not denied, but ad
mitted, that officers OF the CUSTOMS many Of Them
attend political conventions, and that they have al
that the employees are drafted into that service on
the contrary, Mr.. Cornell, Mr.. Murphy, Mr.. Lann
and Mr.. O'Beirne stated that In 1871 EFFORTS were
made to discourage the attendance OF officers at the
Convention. IL Is very positively denied that the
attendance OF customs officers upon conventions OF
late years is greater than It formerly The com.
mittee feel compelled to reject Mr. Greeley's view Of
TIE INFLUENCE OF THE CUSTOM HOUSE
over the politics Of New York. II that view does
not distort the character OF the Custom House
oficials 1t must dishonor the people OF New York.
1t does not seem at all probable that the people
OF New York are made OF that clay which few
weighers from the Custom House can fashion into
sncn vessels as they please the committee SAP
cal parties as In that OF religious denominations,
money Is sometimes needed. There can be no doubt
that the members OF the party, as well az men,
bers OF the Church, are often asked to contribute
to such needs. The committee see no reason why
those who draw salaries may not as properly
BIZ INVITED TO CONTRIBUTE
a. those who do not. They have no serious appre-
henson that either the members Of the republican
party or the members OF any Christian Church will
often contribute beyond their ability or beyond the
requirements OF the public good; and when 1t shall
appear that deserving of1cer shall be dismissed