New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-03-06
CUsTOM-HOUSE ABUSES.
Continued from Second Page.

in
ds1' Mt Pratt DO you that that was the letter
h,h vou gave Ia testimony in your evidence before
~ PaftersOn's Commiteei A. That Is the letter when
refer TO- and which has been given in evidence here
a. not recolect that he communicated to me the bnsl
ness that he expected to obtains but the S'
on my T as thar he wanted Mr. rinne to assist him
IN tbe warehouse business; knew at that tune very
itIe md the name Of 9ny business conveyed TO my
mind no distinct idea OF the character OF the
thnk ne spoke o warehouse business ne went over 10
,NnFYork several times and returned 70 Washington,
snd think after he came back to Washington ne mane
fhe remark that Mr. GTinnel had promised 10 give MN
an,e assistance IN the warehouse business the I'M
nTon conveyed to my mind at that time was thai ils
NJ CinneIl could his business by sending Gov
eminent stores there or something OF hat KIND fam ,,a
Rct had expressed the intention OF reslgnlng from te
army rs as he could get established in business
then Gen RaWlins, secretary on war Tequeseu and
remain duty at the War Department anu al aG
slassify the permanent hes OF the War
se papers belonging 10 the headquarters OF the army
as he was almost the only one that could PERFORM '
1tv he having been IN charge OF the papers uhE .uo
g. iadeT them he then went this duty in the
Wa icpartmeut and supposed for time at least had
fuSIess IN the Spring. think in FebTu9ry7or March
Re spoke IN 81 resgnng ere $50 LIS he one day
.pSho T. about his resignng, and sara; 49, DOW nov
poe 10 Apply for the labor business al the New YORK
fnst0m house 2" had in conversation endeavored TO
ts.uade him from doing told hun yhat any person
no had been 5G S . inc TO eonSnt ataeks WhcG
"ud he no doubt very unpleasant for him that any
1ro.s like that would last hut short time, probably
~ more than administration, and advised Inn 70
into some private business not connected WIN INC
oV'rlueut az that time, in that conversation, or
,nyersation about that time he mentioned PROPOSE
ON mai had been made 10 him by Mt Don cameron ~
Harrisburg Pennsylvania that has been taxed OF ~
"a proposition 90 make him manager or suIeTlhtenu-
ert OF the IOcBie Iron Works Pennsylvania mention
he sarv he was 10 receive-I think s. aud fine
,nse ard believe some other Inducements ne wanted
know II thought the President would object to ms
kiug any business IN the CustOmhoUsei Thought he
Nla.,h Of ls,ol 4. Yes. sir he asked me II Thought
President would object 10 his going into business IL
.eaFf..f with he ('ETOr ll-lO
~ That thought the President would; tLn,t
ne had eHP cgc, t sSIF0f tSs had 'Of heard
ei, =. tie pr'sileIt on that subject himself; and
- h. Some ycr-atcn with the President think NJ
mai f, ..aou-l j.lI hear j., and cam S'.iie
Rq 2es5c, ~ on ye e ah4 Wc fdS We returned
.bou; the ri OF May and spent day' Po.-,S hi IT,
rssidcit speaking about Custom house matters stated
las dsapprouatiou Of any person t6 ~ |l
sc referring to his conversation VITA Leet told him
,'If, CaI Tecf m conversation with him; that Col
4 was now in Chicago and that perhaps hau better
tei that should write the President suggested
4 Z letter should he written but was proposed that
p d,uJs views on that subject, stating That be might
q n he enaled knowing INC as, 10 tt M IN O % NM
4 Il wrote TIE letter; the original letter which
Let las found ana r. 70 me- WHICH Will 1o~u
E5zc5IIvE MAsslos wAsHSeToS D. c. Maya 1870
sI obt 20 tell YOU VIA, the President returned
hH hel lie rlfsa '1, p h-e le1rd - DUS. az 1 o
yo wO0 APPOINT any one WI" ma been sioana
fsl nd q. VOC be .dI DO who tod mn Of the Offer
& os e " @c or o Ts,sn he Fi newer DO c SaTe
E 10th auc BIN BE feels ias' As have Ai"s " about s1el
G4HerA ..-.-.- -, 80. .,.,.H-,- r,- ,oo,
can Low se Of tie 'on an act '''' ao5s F6s4s go''
r s-He told me could say ;his to You H.P.
Hff A. Il Is signed by myself Saturday, the in OF
Nay, Gen Hnyer came into my room and said that Col
Is-pt aul "A
into partnership and obtain lne lapor eushtS IN NeW
Where he could communicate.
BY the Charmau-Q. Let me askyou whether that was
with the store.
A. Yes then told Gen. Hllyer that II would not
ee sdy lsaoe ioE Col Lest 70 90 VA, u al e hue
I'D expressed disapprobauon that had written
which nave inst read: cen Huyer said he would
then speak 10 President the subject and he had
conversation with the President, which dd not near
Col Ieet returned 10 Washington sometime after this
renewed TIE subject; said That ne ga not want le
president 10 show any iavoIs, but that lie Thought
rather strange that the fact that lac had served fth
fully upon Cen Grants stan during the war should now
preye MIN from obtaining which any citizen
bad right apply for; think nc mad sOue cohNeisa-
Ion with the President which he expressed these
views 10 the President but that Is merely heaIsdy, a.
fid not hear the conversation 80,
back from Ccagoi A. DO no recollect; he came back
IRON Chicago to Washnrtoh cannot rtcSsc' nov
think alter; probably this letter bronght nm
back u WasLl-t9n tD-,e - - ~ ~ ~, % -
wa informed that would be solicited for this bust
4 20
Let ma, r-irud put In bid but be not the low
st bidder ana the contracts; some time after
General 1iSe order business ron Mr. GInncL
O. When was this A. In the Spring ~ 1910.
Nv Nj Pratj-Q DID he obtain that General Order Hrsl
res IN tho spring or summer OF 1901 A DO NJ rccO-
lecf the month the spring Summer Of 1910 in
thaiLug that business he solicited no assistance vhat-
ever from from the President, 20 the best OF my
knowledge and did not receive any; my impression ls
That he had charge Of that business for several
week. mOre before We heard o. IL al tAe LAecuNe
Bytge C,arrnan-o Did YOU know whether he had been
engage General Order business OF mad any inter-
Tie hrst knowledge he had any connection with the
business at al previous 70 TINS tlIs wa On reaihg te
connected with that report
q Uutil that tine you had no knowledge OF his beng
connected with Mr.. BlXbyl 4. ] had 10 knowledge
whatever OF MS having had any connection OF business
II the Ncw-YOrk CustOm-bOuse.
q When you ascertaiued that did you understand that
tOL Leet was still in the employ o. the Government 1t
The War Department. A. When be obtained this Gene
raj order business in the Spring Summer Of 1870, do
q When he was in corr ',tion with Bixbyi a. He
until the next February or March when lie rendered
& resignation TO take effect the next August OF sep
LETS "MEss"
q Dd YOU and Gen BabcOck and Col Leet during
any " that time, together III this ctyi a. Yes
Cir; and with the permission OF the Committee, viii
lske Up subject OF that famous mess Gen BabcocK
and leased house iu washin gtOn for three years
purchased furniture furnished the house aud organized
what il known in the army a
a This was Ia OCTOBER 1867 lived 10 this way
sheers generally do for the purpose OF economy We
tOuld i've comfortably on the same means; when
Col Leet lad determined 20 resign from the army IN
Sh i'es ne sem M iSmiy away And took t1eIn west
stopped al a hOtel invited him 20 % house
guest thinking he would be there but temporarily,
he about " resign; he remained sometime
gaest wac there OF and finding that Gen. hawlns
wanted him 10 20 on duty 10 the war Department in
arranging the records 70 which referred. and that he
mgh be there for some time, ne insisted then upon
Iesng hs share OF the mess bils, and did so Tor several
hhodthE has testified to that this