The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-01-27
What He Knows and Believes About the Military
Ring-One of Porter's ERRORS of State
ment' Discovered-Mors About the
General Order Business and Cor
ruptions Of the Custom House.
IMPORTANT EVENING SESSION.
Letter from Secretary Boutwell, More Evidence
Relative 10 Bribery.


James Johnson, OF the firm Of Bigelow & Johnson,
testified that on one occasion he had given an In
spector, whose name he did not remember, a gra-
tulty Tor giving him notice where permit could be
sent 10 the best advantage; he thought 1t was only
that merchants should not be very willing
to come before the committee and give evidence on
this point because the inspectors had the power to
give them great deal or embarrassment.
Charles W. Van SOM. Superintendent OF Leet 4
Stockings general order stores, was the next w.t.
ness. He testified :-Have been IN the warehouse
business ten years-all that time in the general
order business; nave been with Bixby & Co. and
Hopkins & Co.
Q. How are Leet & Co.'s accommodations com.
pared with those Of the other firms you have been
wltnP A. They are the best have ever seen-per-
haps the best that couid be had.
Q. How about the charges2 A. They are the same
now as they have always been since the business
went into private hands; have regulated the
charges; we have had some complaints; the rate
for storage varies from one cent to one dollar for
binary cases OF dry goods the rate is fifty cents
LABOR and storage; carriage Is, OF course, added;
goods are delivered by Leet Co. with more
promptitude than have ever seen in other stores;
have known carmen wait an hour and half for
goods.
@. Did your people ever make special arrange
uleuL Will IA. IL DtcWdII q w. uOI w CudTEc UOTc
than 81 IS q packages A. No, sir; we once re-
duced bill from 81 to 81 IS; on that occasion
gave our clerks orders in future to charge them
more than 81 rs, except in extraordinary Cases.
Mr.. Gale who here the other day and testified
that we sometimes charge So SO for the same pack
age that at other times we only charge 81 80 for,
has sometimes come to our store and has used
such offensive and improper language that Colonel
Leet gave orders that he should be put out II he re-
peated such conduct again; his statement is not
true; we cannot discriminate against any one man.
because ordinarily we do not know the name OF the
firm TO whom the package belongs at the Lime Inc
rate Is fixed; A. IL Stewart and few Others brand
their goods; It is possible Ihat clerk should
81 SO, put the error would be rectihed If
attention were called to 1t; remember the case
where $50 was charged for carriage one way and
$53 the other; asked the carman about 1t, and no
said he took the lower rate because he Was dong
nothing that day and did not care to be idle; the
goods were lett outside the store, some OF them,
and special watchman was detained TO watch
them; II they had been taken inside the store me
charge would have been greater; III the case Of Mr.
TnlotsOns wre we reduced the charge IRON fifteen
cents fifteen cents 10 ten cents and tcn cents;
we have no arrangements with inspectors 10 send
goods to our store; don't think Leet Il Co. make
any profit on the carriage; they simply charge what
charges would average two or three month: we
try and SATISFY them generally ba. they go to the
Ssss rs we be eDn our
pillaglng In Leet Co.'S stores; Mr.. Stewart pays
81 20 now lOr WDaJ ne USED lO pay 81 Oh 10 MI.
Meyer; our charges are now less than any have
known, except perhaps Mason Co. and Squire "
Co.; there Is occasionally more difficulty In getting
al goods IN general order store than In q bonded
warehouse; we could not charge unreasonable
charges without the consent Of the Collector oil the
Port.
Mr.. Mudgett, recalled-Know Colonel Leet; the
first knowledye had OF him was at Claremont ar
the hotel II was lew DAYS alter mad ne CONVEX,
did not know Mr.. Lindsay; remember letter from
Mr.. Boutwell, about the restoration OF the general
r.lnro In Rrun pn1l al nrnr slaf
was a few days before l met Colonel Leet Leet
said that he expected to have the contract for
would PROBABLY get 1t II ne made a cheaper offer
than any one else, and that the secretary oil the
Treasury was disposed TO manage things IN his own
raj Oruer monopoly; Colonel Leet replied-'l nave
man that can put his hand on Mr.. Boutwe!l's
shouder;' Mr.. J. II. Young, was stated, mad SAID
that General Grant told nim that had charged that
$35, 900 had been sent to General Porter; asked
said that ne President had said SO; have to say
that never knew Of such an affair, and that lie
statement Is false that made the charge or that
apOloglZed to General Porter; General Jonn COch-
rane was present at the time l mad an interview
with Porter; Cochrane came to NE on sunday
was interested in custom House jobs; Porter
asked me II l had said 1t, and | had
l explained that did not pretend to know 1t OF my
own personal knowledge, but added that be-
lieved he was SO interested; he replied that neither
he nor Leet nor Babcock bad any interest in the
general order business; he said also he did not
know Mr.. Lindsay; General Hlllyer told me the other
place Porter had declined to make Hiiiyers Office
his headquarters, because he had already taken up
his headquarters at his friends Mr. Lindsay stores
Colonel Leet at CaremOnt also told me that he had
no interest In the general order business although
knew he was getting money from Bixby; Mr.. ID: ID.
both were present at tlme-tOld me That Porter,
Leet and Lindsay were Interested In THIS busi-
talk among Custom House people that Porter was
Mr. II. NJ Williams, deputy Collector at
tend to give exactly what he said; believe he said
that Mr.. Grlnne felt compelled to give this busI
ness 60 Porer and Leet; ! should not believe Gen.
In the general order business the time
OF my conversation with HIM; his denial OF any
with Lindsay was an untru;n.
q. Were you appointed Assistant Appraiser A,
Yes STR; and when / heard thai General Palmer had
been removed because had been appointed, 1
wrote to Secretary Boutwell, denying that had ever
been an enemy OF the President; l thought at that
time tnat General Grant was not interested In the
dOings OF q set or adventures VINO came IN here
and disgraced tine administration by selling j0bs
have been forced to that opinion since, because ne
had q conversation with Legrand Is. Cannon
about these matters, but never told him That
be oG sea
my Office and went out with General Palmer.
u Because you would not serve under the present
A. Because have not much re-
Q. You served under Johnson-had you much re.
spect for him A. Yes, but | held office under the
Collector.
Q. And you 40 not respec. Gen. Grant, A. There
are men for whom have higher admiration.
O. Did you ever hear OF an interview between Mr.
Grinnell and General Porter7 A. was Informed oy
Mr. Mason that General Porter was coming on here
thought 1t dsgraceful to the administration that
bhese adventurers should come on here and get
Inese Jobs General Porter did come on and heard
ne forced Mr.. Grlnnel TO give the general order bust
ness to Leet.
The witness was then examined at tedious length
Dy senator Howe In regard to the Carriage Bureau,
" hch ne Claimed TO have been established for the
benefit OF an adventnrer (Mr. St0cking) connected
With the White House--a military ring Mr..
Lindsay, according to Mr.: MudRett got II up, but
ne dit not think he did so 'f0r the public good"
A. r. Miller, wareh0useman doing business IN
Washngton street, testified as TO the general
,narges Tor storage, DC. HIS evidence was Oh tne
zane character that OF the score OF other VIII.
1esses on these points who are adverse 10 the
general order monopoly OF Leet Co. he tnousns
me present rates charged by the iatter urn alto
yether too high. -
The Committee then adjourned until nalf-past
even O'Clock.
Evening Session.