New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-02-02


ward and testify TO thier wrongs.
MERCHANTS MTLMiDATED.
Senator Bayard-Have you found, fact. that the
merchants of this city suffer such an amount OF intua
ton that although they are willing TO have the iacs
brought before the Committee, they do not desire 10 po
O. Have you any reason believe that exist TO any
sittings the Committee it entirely so but les
are taking copraEG ana If you SIT hs,S 1T0
| Q. You were in tho Appraisers Department UNIV
g. Why were you removedi A. was not @ crave
was egslaed of office took notice OF VIZ rass
immortality in the Office. which was thc nt.o Which they
ing Of 10 boxes and bales ana bnndIcS Ell Inclined
wanted me TO pass without examination m" ci"cb
TO do il because was contrary 10 ldm me and said
right about it but was les,anteu ou' Va
| didn't pay any further attention 70 IT.
| CoRRUrT APPRAISERS OFFICERS.
| n Go on Mr. UonpcrY A. Here is a case OF damaged
| coods-spotted lawns--which wish to show the Com
mttee TO show the high character OF some OF our MGR
chants the Great Western Insurance Company allowed
on them from 25 TO % per cent; subordnates from the
Appraiser office around there TO fix the rates for
them tney asked them. "what is your ratef' they
did MT say but said they would come in again. and the
next day they came hut Rii they Wouu nc ~ aEaIn,
until finally apparent to the merchants what they
wanted they did not Offer them ANYTHING ana thc result
they went away, ana me average hIVWe1 u tne MP
prasers Office found to be g per cent WINE the aV
erage allowed them by the Great Western was 2Gl per
cent thcy placed some of the att per cent where
the Great Western placed them at 10 per cent; he hrin
Il,
@ How could this loss have been avoidcd9 A. BY
simply yielding TO what was improper. and giving these
them discharged ut my suCgestion this was done
under Mr. Palmer and contend thaany chief Appraiser
that viii allow merchants to be swinded that way Is
incompetent for his position.
O. What was the name of the frmi A. VIM. Latimor
Co.; he went down to SEQ Gen Palmer, aud could get
no satisfaction.
Senator Bucldnchom-Can you suggest some r,medyi
A. Yes Sir, TO Go that Certain dress goods Tor
instance pay so much according az they are over Or
undor certain specified standard; now when they
under or over as he peascs and tho duty must conse
Quenty he higher o. lower he may say, "nOw, here's
make the duty light and here's another firm lat,l don't
care anything about, will make them pay larsciy;"
smpfed in that respect it would remove all these
defects Also three persons should he appointed 10 assess
damaged goods Of them to be an outside merchant;
wish TO ray that II regard 10 Terng my experience
in the Appraisers Department has showed me that
I've nailed they let them CO. attempt
TO throw il all on the carman, and can readily ere
the department; always stood by the cases myself
until they were nailed.
TESTIMONY OF FRANCIS NJ. BIXEY.
Francis NJ Dxby of No. sol Fthavc. testified that he
merchant engaged in the warehouse business since
1856 when he entered the General order business
Senator BayaTd-Aftcr &C what Lecame OF the busi-
ncssl A. 1t was transferred to Myers smith had
small portion Of the General Order business again under
Mr. smybe's administration. until he went ont Of Office
MYERS Smith held the business az tho time M Grin
nell came in it shortly alt,rward taken from them
and Civen 10 CharlC SqrIrrS, and think came into
possession Cf tho stores in July, 1862 under Mr. GInnc
Q. How many General order warehouse were there
North River and one or two on The East River.
EIXBY AND LEET.
O. How did you become interested and with whom IN
the General Order business under Mr. Grnncu! 4. l
made an arrangement with George X Lcct.
Q. Where did you first make his.acqutiutaacel A. He
called az my house with Gen. Ivcr the first time
O. Had you previously known either of thcnl A. 7
had known Gen. HillFcr, no. Lcct
Q. When thIsl A. should think some time III
q. Wha. was ead uron the snhic,,s Of The General
sauon; it generally in regard TO IN" General order
business nothing said about making any arrange
Q. Did Mr.. Lect, at that time. inform you that he
could control the General Order business n Mr. Leet
@ Were Mr. Lect or Gen. Hllycr interested in that
business thenl a. supposed they coult control 1t
next saw Col. Lee; at the store OF MI Lindsay, IN
John-s,.; had rot previously met Mr. Lindsay the
General order business vas the POINT d3cHIfcd; iii
my self were present. had heard MI Leet could CON
see if could not get th5 business fine MEMORANDUM Of
the agreement was here shown to the TneSs t4 was
assonted to this agreement which was the last ana ony
o. Who was the party who Is mentioned here con.
trolling the General order buslncsai A. Col Lect.
9. The receipts for storage are limited to storage
@. The three elements carriage, storage. and labor
each compose the General Order huincs5 a. Yes. Sir
O. Is there not profit upon the c2rtage storage. and
| abort A. Yes Sir; the storage Is the chief profit.
O. Then in this the agrecnent of 5G45 year was
based upon the storage alone A. Yes, Sir; the prnci
| pal profit is upon the storage. .,
O. Was this agreement put in execution between You
A. Yes Sir aud took the stores Nos &C and So Green
wich-st, ana Nos. 407, 100 and al Greenwich-st
| O. What other stores were ueslglateuI "A Mr.SqurcS
| had one believe.
Let made the agreement for 5000 there was con
siderable delay N getting ne General QrdGI-l thns
that should date the agreement back aud pay at The
rate of 5000 year for the back tmc would not do it
| O. How long after that did you continue 10 pay this
TO Col. Leeti A. Until the agreement expired July,
@. Then after the year expired what happencd9 A.
lost it; Col Leet wanted more and would not pay it.
o. Had YOU complaints from Col Lcet that nc had not
anted more of the General order business only had
a portion o; il; | cannot state, but understood that
Col Lcet trying TO get more OF the General Order
col. LEFT AS A WARRIOR"
O. What was Col Let's occupation then in Washing
TOM A. He was a warrior, believe. Amusemcnt
O. Who else beside Hllyer. Lindsay, and Leet had
conversations with you in regard to your agreement
| with Iect2 A. No one.
O. How were your remittances made to Leetl A. If
he was here paid him here, and If he at the War
| Department sent nm checks. . , . ,
think did at first.
@ DO You know how Mr.. LeGt obtained the control Of
@. DO you know what influence gave him control A..
| No Sir not of my own knowledge; | thought knew
what were the Influences supposed at that time that
No. t"ae relative Of Cen Grant or his wife derived
that from a rumOr that existed here understand he
was not related to him in any way.
O. How is the General Order business regulated A.
can tell you how IT should be regulated Tie Chamber
Commerce, in 1867, established rates Of storage winch
would govern IN matters Of this character and those arc
The rates which should be charged in General Order
| stores They arc not very generally adhered to.
| O. What l. there in General Order business which
should make the charges higher than the bonded
house chargcsl A. There is good reason why they
! should be higher except thai they can do II.
O. Could an abuse in the cXorbtan sJstem Of charges
exist without act sanction OF the COcctOri A. The
ONLY remedy ho could apply would be 10 stop sending
| goods there.
O. How the present rates Of General order charges
compare with those oi former daysi a. when com
menced business 165G we charged FOR ar age storage,
/ On md ihn lie Of