The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-08-13
THE VIENNA SCANDAL.
RepOHt of the Special Commission
10. GnYeBtlgate the. Operations Of
CommIs mIssIoneF Van Buren,.


CommI IssloneH Van Buren,.
WAsH1NoToN, August 1s.4The specIa
commission have sent 10 the Department
Of State full report on the irregularities
chsrged against General Thomas 3, Var
Buren,, and tho replies thereto, togethel
with the correspondence, evidence apC
the report connected herewith. The cor
respondence Is Yoluminous and touchei
upon all the points involved inthe man
Iakement of the American department
tBach rs the reception Of money By F4n
Buren, and Mayer for the privilege OF erect.
ing bars and restaurants, corrupt CONTRACT
Tor roofing the American court, and q
variety Of other matLera which heretofore
have BEEN published. In conclusion, the
SPECIAL commission find that the commits
sion to Vienna has been managed corrupt
Ily and for personal purposes, to the great
detriment Of the American department
liERiolation Of honor, and has exposed US d
national humiliation at Vienna and
throughout the world The evidence
shows no taking Of money by any Of the
members OF the commission, excepting
General Van Buren, and Mr.. Mayer. In
regard to General Van Buren the special
commission do not hesitate to report that
they dissent from his justification ot the
taking OF $500 as q loan from Huzel IN.
der the circumstances shown In the EVIL
dcnce; that they hold unsatisfactory the
explanations given by Van Buren, touch
ing the $1,000 which he received from
Mcssrs. Boehm s. Wiehl; that they find
an utter want Of lrankpess and an inex'
cusable disregard Of all exactness in
the statements which were made by
him to the Secretary Of State in his letters
OF the 18th and 18Th Of March, In regard
TO the number of concessions for bars, and
touching the kilograms from Vienna, re.
porting tho character Of the corruption,
and that .exactness 'ot,rassurance there
given misled the government into the be-
lief that no irregularities had been com.
mitted; demanding an investigation at
New York and thus compelled the trans.
fer OF the inquiry from Vienna, As to
the Justification set up by Mayer, that
all he did in the taking and receiving oi
the money, was done BY him as snbor.
dInate, with the knowledge and approval
of the Chiei Commissioner; and as 10 The
various questions Of VeracitY, raised by
the evidence between General Van Buren,
and General Mayer, touching the alleged
completely OF the former In the proceed
ings OF the latter, and the sharing by Van
Buren, of $4,000, obtained from Boehm Of
the special commission, 10 refrain from
expressing an opinion for the reasons that
they do not deem the discussion on these
points essential 10 Gen. Mayer. Since no
such approval OF the acts nor q portion OF
the money would In their opinion render
the acts proper or constitute q valid de-
fence for their commission they hold
that It was the duty Of the CHIEF OF the
American commission 70 exercise . wise
vigilance In the appointment OF each and
ali ol his assistants, and especially his
first and confidential assistant and 30 ex.
act supervision Of the management oi
tho commission as TO protect It from the
smallest faint or suspicion OF corruption,
and enable It 10 accomplish at Vienna q
reasonable success, and fifty 10 represent
the integrity and honor Of the government
We're the special commission TO admit
the Justice OF Gen. Van Buren's de.
fence for tho acts which he acknowledges
sed were they to pronounce unproVen
every charge made against him by Gen.
Mayer, Of having approved his cxactions
OF money, there would still remain the
charge, the graveSt, save that ol corruption
that could be preferred against the chief
Of commission appointed to represent
in an assemblage ol nations the tndudus'
try, the culture, and fair name OF our re-
public. The charge Of having permitted
through q period Of months, from q want
of clear sighted intelligence and vigilance,
the loose management indicated by the
testimony, marked by the irregularities
which have arrested the success Of the
commission and brought dishonor on the
republic, The special commission, there
fore, without entering at oil upon
the charges Of completely made
against him by Mayer, are compelled to
regard Gen. Van Buren as responsible, ae
chief Of the Commission, for abuses OF
authority committed BY his confidential
assistant, And apart from charges oi
corruption, they find the management
generally Of the Commission, which Gen
Van Buren, appears TO have left to his
subordinates, to have been marked by
lack Of Judgment and foresight and abb
sence OF effective system and order, and
loosenesS In contracts, In instructions and
In accounts, calculated TO insure the ruin
OF any private business, and which In a
great national trust like that entrusted to
Gen, Van Buren,, was to the last degree
discreditable and intolerable, as indicating
an indifference or incapacIty, or both
combined.
The Special Commissioners speak In
terms OF the highest praise Of the new
Commission appointed by the President
with Jackson Schultz as the chief, and say
that the integrity and prudence Of the
present management arc well calculated
10 cause the past Irregularities to be for
gotten; to restore general confidence In
tho American Commission, and to en-
courage the hope that the art and indus.
nv Of Europe may be fairly represented al
our own centennial in 1876. In view Ol
the fact that the bars have been multi
piled by corrupt practices and to the great
scandal Of the country, the special Com
mission recommend that the American
Commissioners ct Vienna be instructed tO
advise the imperial manager OF the Expo
sition that the authority given for the es'
tablishment Of said bars was given lmpro'
perly, and that the American Commts-
sion will no longer sanction, supervise, nor
be 10 any manner responsible for the same
Nor consent TO their using the national
name or national colors. All Of which Is
respectfully submitted.
[Signed JOHN JAY,
THos, W. F. ELRATH.
Vienna, Austria. July 8, 1873.
Papal AllOcution.