New-York tribune., 1872-01-23

GETTING AT THE BOTTOM OF THINGS.
If the disgraceful General Order business at
this port is not doomed to be swept out of
existence, then there is no virtue in invest-
cations. The proceedings before tho Senate
Committee on Custom house Abuses, yesterday,
will convince every candid man that shameful,
outrageous, and scandalous imposition has
been practiced upon the business community
ever since Col LeeDS company have had the
General Order business. The redoubtable
Ieet, on the witness-stand, yesterday, was
compelled to make clean breast of the whole
transaction. 1t does not vary materially from
the account heretofore given by THE TRIBUNE.
but as coming from the lips of the operator
himself, it has positive interest. His evi-
dence shows that he had made up his
mind that no ought to havo some
of tho "plumS" which he had heard
were TO be picked up in this city; he
shrcwdly guessed that Mr. Moses H. Grinnell
was to be Collector, and, though he chad no
political influence" he went to the President
and procured strong letter to Mr.
Grinnell That document. which is
printed in the testimony, is general
recommendation of Col. Leets business
qualifications. addressed by the President to
the man whom he was about to mako Col
lect0r Of this port. The President tacitly con
fessed to Leet, when he gave him this letter.
that Mr.. Grinncll was the coming Collector !;
he gave the recommendation fOr no other rca-
son than that. We know all the rest OF the
story ; and Col. Leet has shown how he thus
secured his "plum," which was handled by
Bixby g. Co.. while he stood in the background,
doing absolutely nothing but drawing his
handsome share of the profits of the business.
II this was not being paid for "pOlitical iniiu-
ence," we would like to know what it was.
There are other points in this remarkable
testimony which will need elucdation here
after, but the main facts are too scandalous
for light comment. The most valuable per-
oiiste in the gift of the Government is given
to a friend OF tho President; he makes
handsome annual income by procuring it;
remonsrances OF importers, protests
of the Collector, and tho dissatis-
faction of the Secretary of the Treasury,
arc all unavaling to break up this monopoly
and take away this plum" Leet holds on to
il in spite of all efforts to dispOssess him OF
it, Need any more bo said' The case is
clearly made out, and the vail Is
Withdrawn from one of the most shame
less pieces of official extortiOn. mis-
and plundcr ever set up in
community. The TRIBUNE's as
seyerations have been 80 far OvertOpped by
the actual revelations, that, looking back upon
them now, they seem modest and dim III COM
parsOn.
And, "a if to cliDch still moro strongly the
argument and the statements heretofore made,
we have letter from ex-lnspectOr Sheehan,
exposing most effectuaIly the utter foolshness
of Surveyor Cornclls assertion that the famous
ordcrOf Collector Murphy levying tax of twoper
cent on the salaries of employees was forgery.
1t is absurd to suppose that q forged order of
this import, bearing the name of the Collector,
could be posted in a conspicuous place III
the Custom house and its true character
not be forthwith detected and exposed.
But nobody believes in tho thin
defense of Mr.. Murphy by Mr.
Cornell, and the letter of Mr.. Sheehan but
adds to the popular convictions of its worth
lessness. The Committee have not yet got at
the bottom of things. But it has made prog
ress enough to show that the rottonness of
tho Customhouse system is very deep.