Year: 1862

price; but whsn purchaser snploys broker buy
vessel for him. b for the interest," Of the principal 70
the hsght Of absurdity In such cass for him 70 make


for the interest Of h own ageat 10 Be unAhful - him.
and 70 compensate him most literally for buying ~ the


About the time this inmsase sum was pail 70 Nr.
Morgan for these trinng services, Immediately
public spirited czsns Of New York cf great s1psrience
and nigh reputation, had organised themselves into
Union D.isacs Uommee ana ior days ana weeks u not
plying the wants and necessities Of the with
out having received or asked, your COMMITTEES
services and there be doubt that there and
have been numbers Of patriotic merchants In New York
smnsntly qualified Tor the duty who would have cheer.
any charge whatever


KSGLBH D1usIoNB


But your committee repudiate entirely the idea that
commissions on sales, or purchases disbursements,
constitute . proper mode Of c6mpensating officer or
agent of the government for services The subject Of
FOR ministerial services and the rules and
sidsraiion of Sir William SCOTT Afterwards Lord stowel
Robinson's Admiralty Reports, page 143


The marshal Of his court had presented claim for fees
the value of which he claimed commissions In tho
OF the elaborate opinion delivered by that great
Judge, he following principles were declared


l. All fees of Office have their foundation In some
competent authority assigning fair qsaxwss Wewt for
the particular service or must be supported as claim


Q. percentage charge or commission on value can
not be maintained, either for work and labor, the
ground OF responsibility and nothing can be more clear
than that Of all possible modes Of remuneration per-
centage Is the least coneonan 70 general principles Of
equity.


mercantile profits and official charges" The merchant
charges his commission because he is merchant" &c.


After going to state with characteristic cearness the
very different grounds which commissions and official
fees rest he adds" do therefore, amino, expunge
from the vocabulary Of the court the very term commits
marshal or any officer o this COURT The whole reason
ing OF the Court in this judgment goes with great force
against compensatng official services with commissions,
after the custom Of merchants, in which the committee
entirely concur.


CEssuRE SECRETARY wKIlEs AND Mr.. MORGAN.


It IL said to be necessary not only that justice should
be done but that the public should be satisfied that
done and in this view your committee regret that in the
city Of New York man could not have been found to
transact this business for the Navy Department out OF
the family connection Of the Secretary; for, however
pure honest his purpose may have been in the seec
ton it cannot fail TO give rise to suspicious that other
motives than single purpose to subserve the public in
teress may possibly have Influenced the choice that was
made.


The time, TOO, at which this arrangement was made,
by which such vast and dsproportonate Of the
public money was paid for so nconsdcrabls service,
was peculiarly unfortunate. The country was engaged
in in which its very existence was stake The
nation had been aroused, and was contributing men
and money without stint to defend the national fe vim
dcatc the national honor and restore the rghful
premacy Of the constitution and the laws The energies
and the industry Of the country to be taxed
they had been before and the pressing necessities
of the government had compelled it to resort to new
and untried Of Tho hut Of poverty and
the splendid mansion Of wealth alike called upon to
aid in bearing the burden which rebellion and civil
had thrown upon tho nation. All this borne, and
would have been borne cheerfuy If the taxpayers had
seen or been convinced that their money to be faith
fully and economically applied to the purposes for which
1t was raised but when they immense sums squan
dered personal political favocites for small and in
considerable services confidence in the government is
impaired public credit is parayzed and the very exist
ence Of the nation is imperilled.


The seventy thousand dollars Of the public money
IN the hands Of Mr.. George D. Morgan, in equity and
good conscience belongs to the and not to
him. and should at be restored to the national
and such reasonable compensation for his services
paid to him as justice may require.