The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-01-28
Boutwell,, Richardson, Dent and
BabcOck Have a Finger
in the Pie.
An Investigation That Will Make
the eur Fly"

that company obtained the exclusive right to
take fur.seals in the recently acquired Terri
tory Of Alaska.
The manner in which the fraud was con-
summated HIS been known to US for some
time, and steps had been taken to have full
investigation of the matter had on motion of
one of the Conservative members of the House
from Louisiana. BY the congressional record
of the 18th inst, however, we see that Mr..
Wood, Of New York, by unanimous consent,
submitted the following resolution, which was
read, considered and agreed to:
Resolued, That the Committee on Ways and
Means be requested to examine into and
to report whether the lease from the Uni
Company Of the right to take fur-seals in
Alaska, signed and executed by William A.
Richardson. acting Secretary of the Treasury,
in behalf of the United States, and John F.
Miller in behalf of said company, was made
and executed in pursuance OF law, and
whether said lease was made to the best adj
vantage Of the United States according to the
offers of other bidders; and also whether the
interests of the Unitel States were properly
protected by the stipulations OF said lease;
and whether the Alaska Commercial Company
and with the provisions, requirements and
limitations OF the act of Congress, approved
July /, 1870; with power to send for persons
and papers, administer oaths, and to report at
any time
The taking of fur-seals in Alaska Is an i'm
ms nsely profitable business, aud shortly after
the purchase Of the Territory from Russia,
bill was passed through Congress by the ex-
penditure of a vast sum of money, nearly
100000, authorizing the Secretary OF the
Treasury to sell to the highest and best bidder
the exclusive privilege of taking fur-seals in
the Territory, for the term of twenty years.
The manner in which the bids were opened
and the award made, is very truthfully and
graphically described by Gen. o. O. Howard,
in letter written by him to the Secretary of
War, under date of June 80, 1875, when he
was on an official tour of inspection in Alaska
Territory. The following is
GEN. HowARDs STORY,
which we may state can be corroborated
in every particular by unimpeachable wit
nesses:
TIE Secretary then proceeded to open the
DDS, OF WHO tu6r0 were lOuTtoou.
The lowest bid was that of the Alaska Com
mercial Commercial Company, amounting to
S65, 600 rental year, and the highest bid
that of Louis Goldstone, for combination OF
various San Francisco firms, amounting to a
yearly rental of S227, 500.
The principal parties in the combination of
firms for whom Goldstone had made the bids
we're the firm of Taylor & Bendel, one of the
most respectable and prominent houses OF
San Francisco. that had been engaged in the
Alaska trade from its opening, and having the
additional advantage over the Alaska Com
mercial Company OF prior occupation. The
inquiries Immediately instituted by the gov
eminent in Washington, through the agency
of Custom-House Collector Phelps, OF San
Francisco, as to their standing aud response
bility, were of q character in every way salts
factory.
Notwithstanding this and the great discrep-
ancy in the oids the Alaska Commercial
Company entered various protests, which
were referred by Mr. Boutwell, to the Attorney
Gener Il, then Mr.. A +. Akerman, who heard
arguments on both sides, and under date of
July 80 decided in favor of Goldstone and as
sociates.
After the delivery of Mr.. Akerman's opinion
it was everywhere taken for granted the lease
would be awarded to Goldstone. Nobody
had any doubt of it. All obstacles had been
removed, and all protests done away with.
On July 80 MIR. Goldstone consequently
called at the Treasury office for the lease, but
to his utter establishment and CONSERVATION
he was informed that the lease had been
awarded to the Alaska Commercial Company
on the terms of his own (Goldstone's) bid.
The communication was made by Acting
Secretary William A. Richardson, whose face
in giving the information was crimsoned with
shame. Mr.. Boutwell, had secretly left for
Massachusetts.
Thus it came to pass that the scheme sue
ceeded; that slavery and bondage, for the
adjustment of which a few years before the
best blood in America had been sacrificed,
was here restored aud was openly sanctioned
by Congress; that free and liberal America
had oprnly granted a monopoly OF trade and
was placed on footing with the most des-
potic OF the powers OF Europe, Russia, and
ID It Christian communities, together with the
two islands, were leased to the Alaska Com
mercial Company tor twenty years. Alas
Alaska was then, indeed an appropriate term.
ACCUSED OF BRIBERY.
If the prize that the Alaska Commercial
Company had thus gained was enormous, 1t
Can be imagined that a emendous sum had
to be sacrificed to satisfy the political cor
morants, and the press in those days made
the most sweeping charges against members
OF Congress and members of the Administra-
ton, and there was an ugly rumor that the
brother-in-law of the President, Mr.. Dent, lad
been made partner to the concern at the
eleventh hour.
Here are charges serious enough to warrant
criminal proceedings against every public
officer implicated and an investigation will
prove that the President himself used his in
duence in favor of the company that was per-
mitted to defraud the Treasury of the United
States.
THE BID OF GoLDsToNE
was so largely in excess of that made by
the successful company, was made by such
responsible parties, that upon the very