The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-08-14

As already announced, the Special Com
mission at Vienna to investigate the charges
OF Irregularities against Gen. Van Buren,, late
ton, has made a report, synopsis of which
has been prepared for publication. The first
part of the report presents the voluminous
correspondence, pro and con, on this subject,
with whatever testimony could be adduced.
From the correspondence and testimony, the
commission concludes that Gen. Van Buren,
and Gen. Mayer are clearly guilty of corrupt
practices in connection with the granting oil
several liquor saloons and bars to be estab-
hshed in connection with the American de-
par.ment of the exhibition, in consideration
OF which they accepted several sums OF money
and were to have an interest in the proceeds
The consideration these parties were to receive
does not appear TO exceed few thousand
dollars; but the fact that such privileges were
granted, has been established by the testi
mony of parties who received them and the
admission of Gen. Mayer, who says it was
done by the direction of Gen. Van Buren,,
and who excuses himself for his participation
thetein, by the plea that he was only acting
under order of his superior, Gen. Van Buren,.
The latter, however; denies that he partici-
pated in the transaction at all, and if there
was any such selling Of privileges, it was
done by Gen. Mayer without his knowledge
In connection with this question of bars,
the letter of the State Department is quoted
advising Gen. Van Buren, that the establish
IF n ho.o
would be of questionable proprety. In view
of this fact the commissioners, Messrs. Jay
and McElrath conclude the report as follows:
The Special Commission are clear that the
ground thus distinctly taken by the Govern
ment represented the sound Judgment of the
American people. That American drinks,
however desirable as matter of curiosity among
the attractions Of an European Exposition, are
not an institution in which the American PEG
pie take an honest pride, nor one which they
desire to propagate through the agents, and
with the same sanction of the Government.
In view of this fact, and Of the further fact
that these bars have been multiplied by corrupt
practises and to the great scandal of the coun-
try the Special Commission recommend that
the American Commissioner at Vienna be in
structed TO advise the Imperial Manager of the
Exposition chat the authority given for the es-
tablishment of the said bars was given improp-
eriy,and that the American Commission will no
longer sanction. supervise nor be in any man.
mel responsible for the same, nor consent to
their using the national name or the national
cofors.
In the courseof the report other Irreguari-
ties are noticed in contracts, and the COM
miss!oners say that apart from charges of cor
rnption, they find the management generally
of the commission, which Gen. Van Buren,
appears to have left to his surbordinates. to
have been marked by lack of Judgment and
foresight, an absence Of effective system and
order, and a looseness in contracts, in in
structions and in accounts, calculated to in
sure the ruin Of any private business, and
which in great national trust like that en-
trusted to Gen. Van Buren,. was to the last
degree discredtable and intolerable, as indi-
eating indifference or incapacity, or both COM
bined.
The report speaks in high terms of the tenn
porary commissioners under the head of Mr..
Schultz whose timely and skillfll aid rescued
the American department from its demora-
cation and disgrace and the country from the
odum Of the scandal connected with the
corruptions Of Gen. Van, Buren, and associ-
ates.