Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-12-23
THE CONFIsCATED COTTON.
Information Coming that will
StartIa Somebody.
An Inquiry INTO the Operations of ti'e
Cotton Bureau-The Sudden wealth.
Acquired by w. Il. Chandler ana his

An Inquiry intq the Operations OF tne
Cotton Bureau-Thc sudden wealth
ACQUIRED by w. e. Chandler and his
Associates.
From the New York Sun.
WASHINGTON, Dec. Is. =. Senator
Gordon, of Georgia, offered a. resolu
tion on the 10th inst: requesting the
Secretary of the Treasury to furnish in
formation in regard to the amount of
cotton seized in the South after the
close Of the war, the names of the Off
GERS making the seizures and the name
of the parties owning the cotton, by
what agents the cotton was sold and
the amount realized, and the DISPOSE
ton made of the proceeds before they
were covered into the Treasury. This
resolution was laid over at the request
of Senator Boutwell,. To-day Senator
Gordon again called it up and asked
that it might be considered. Mr. Bout
well put in an objection that the infor-
nation had already beenfurnished; bat
when asked if he was certain replied
evasively. The resolution at the sug-
gestion of Senator Sumner was modi-
| fed so as not to include information
hitherto reported, and was then passed
on the joint request of Senators Howe
and Gordon.
There are some curious things con-
nected with this cotton business which
at no distant day will be fully explain
ed. William E. Chandler, now the lob
by attorney of Jay Cooke & Co. and of
the Washington Ring, was Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury at the time
the cotton was seized. He had obtain
ed exact information In regard to all
the cotton in the South, and deliberate
| ly planned its seizure. He had charge
Of all the details of this business, and
organized what is known as the Cotton
Bureau in the Treasury Department.
This bureau he filed with his creatures,
and some of them remain there to this
day. Twenty millions of dollars realiz-
ed from the sale of this cotton was,
through the influence of Chandler and
Jay Cooke, deposited in the banking
house of the Cookies In this city and al
lowed to remain there until March 80,
| 1868, when it was covered into the
Treasury by a joint resolution of Con-
gross.
After Mr.. Chandler left the Treasury
Department he was still retained by
Secretary McCulloch as the real head
of the Cotton Bureau, on the plea that
he alone understood all its details. At
the same time he opened law Office
here and became the attorney of claim
ants who had cotton claims to prose
cute against the Government. He is
now virtually master of the situation,
and no claimant has ever yet been able
to obtain payment for cotton seized
who did not directly or Indirectly see
Mr.. Chandler. / know of no positive
corruption in any case, but one thing
is patent to everybody about Washing
ton: from Mr.. Chandler down there is
not man who was connected with the
cotton business in the Treasury Depart
ment who has not suddenly acquired
great wealth. Mr.. Chandler himself
came here poor man and now he l:
popularity reported to be worth hun
dreds of thousands Of dollars.
When the Secretary of the Treasur!
furnishes the information called for b!
Senator Gordon, it will probably as
tonish some virtuous people.