Newspaper Page Text
Volume l.
THE
TJ PS 0 ]\ T PILOT.
,g PPBUSHED EVERY SATURDAY MOBNIXO.
Editor and Proprietor.
tames it . noon.
Publisher.
Subscription.
. _ - - g*2 00
Tn advanre. for 1 > ear > ‘ r.a
Ifpav’iuenthe de avetl C moi.tlis, - -
If delayed Until flip e‘M tli-’ year - - *
Rates of Advertising.
Advertisements will be closed at the rate of one j
sar %r squtaro of ten line* or Jess, a.M i:M cents lor
•’ *!
contracts madhvifh Merchants and others !
wi p U u "‘ ! ’
“SnTaees and Deaths inserted b ee, when accompa
■ ~y a responsible name. Obituaries of over 10
S charged as Advertise,,,cuts.
commend the following Rates of Advertising by
mitract to busino* s men generally. We have placed
m j ’ the lowest tigures, and they will in no instance
be departed from: ■
PV CONTRACT. j_# nmcj 0 inos. | 0 n,os‘ j 1 year.
; 6 00 *8 DO 1 fiO 00 ! sl2 00
7£S-,oa,wlv 700 10 00 12 00 Id 00
Chu:H it “ill, ‘ 800 12 00 UOO 18 <*>
WiSS?: 10 00 15 00 20 00 25 00
('Sanded .quarterly” 12 00 18 00 21 00 28 00
Changed at will, ( 15 00 20 00 25 00 30 00
TIIRFE SQUARES.
Without chango, 15 00 20 00 2-> 00 30 Os)
iiuarterlv : 18 00 22 00 20(H) 3100
ciungei at will, * 20 00 20 00 32 00 40 00
hufcouw, „
Without change, 25 00 SO 0 0 -10 00 oO 00
flian"i‘4quarterly 28 00 32 oo 4-. O 0 0
Changed at wii!, 35 00 -15 ,j 050 00 60 00
O.VC COLCSt.V, I .
Without change, j 00 00 70 ,y) 80 oq I*>o 00
Changed quarterly i 05 00 75 ~3 00 00 110 00
Changed at will, J 70 00 85 pp I'4> j©o 125 (X)
PROFESSIONAL < AMATOS.
WM. G. HORSLEY,
A ll orn e v at aw ,
TIIOMASTON, GA.
NTTILL practice in Upson, Talbot, Taylor, Crawford, i
it Monroe, Pike and Meriwether Counties.
April 7. 1850—ly.
THOMAS BEALL,
ATTO R NK V A r P LA W,
THOMASTON, GA.
fc43-ly
P. W. ALEXANDER,
ATTORNEY AT LAAV,
THOMASTON, GA.
no?2s—ly
E. Wa*be!T. C. T. Goon ,2. I
WARREN & GOODE,
ATTORNEYS AT LAW,
PERRY, HOUSTON CO., GA.
Dovlß—tf
A. C. MOORE,
DE NTIST,
TIIOM ASTON, GA. ‘
OFFICE at my House (the ‘r.te residence of Mrs. j
lih k-0 where i am prepared to ..'trend to all class- !
es of Dental Operations. My work is myllelereuce.
novlSs—tf |
G. A. MILLER,
ATTORNEY AT LAW,
THOMASTON. GA.
n 1
BUSINESS CAHP B .
GEORGE W. DAVIS,
TS in receipt of a beautiful Stock of Spring and Sum !
. mer Goods, compri.-i'i j every at tide u uaby kept in
the up country. Call a: 1 see him at his old stand. j
Thomaston, April 7, In:, 1 ,).
nAXiLvi
OPPOSITE THE LANIER HOUSE,
macox, gf.okgta
K . F. OESSF,
, ~ (Late of the F! >vi H u p.')
• )6clC - ! f IT.
W. A. SNELL,
caler in pure Drugs and Medicines,
K iiIOMASiON, GA.,
’ l 'T anl! '’ on i' r >iid and for sale a large Stock
Meli c\ C U '’ - e 'hc'mes. Chemicals and Patent
lrt of Dr. Ayer's Cnerry l*ec-
Balsam of w> 1 oi 1C :u "’ Sarsaparilla. Wistar’s
Liniuiout. Deny Da- .
Alcoho? n„ ,e w' 1 , JLibe ts’ Cholic Mixture, :
Coach r 1 l ‘° •’ ’ ra “ l Spirits of Turpentine,
BaTßratk ? aa v aniish ’ Also, Dye'Stutfs tine Cog-
Whiskev OIH p 1 iear Apple Grandv. line Bourbon
*&£%** *•* Wi., Fine Ciffars
these boho ’u (1 he ver y *e4 quality. Besides
Pai u . T- s . , !l!e a ‘d fancy at tides for the Toilet, |
kept in a V ** a; " 1 iu fcct every thing usually
Caila 1 a ' ” Dru - Btoi- e .
Harwell k ih* at ‘dind formerly occupied by
Hardeman & griffin,
STAPTTPTST^ D, '* f ' r K S IN
dry goods and groceries
1 In very Description
e? tier of Cherry and Third Strccis,
iir £r ~ macon, ga.
if ca d the attention of the Planters of Up
lierjjjCT aiK * adjoining counties to the above Card, be-
Os. ‘ e can make it u* their interest to deal with
November 10,1858. nov2s—tf.
Av ebb h otjse,
THOMASTON, GA.
1 respectfully informs the public that
his 1 Co “Hdeted extensive improvements to
to r*eeiv ‘ ar^e residence in Thomaston, and ]>roposes
transit e an(i accommodate permanent boarders and
public e, l ravellers - lie solicits the patronage of ibe
UtisfiV 1 ? w ‘b endeavor to make all comfortable and
lo w - :l , atw jU give bim a call on moderate terms,and
a - the tirue and markets will atlord.
h 19. 195# JOHN S. WEBB.
BUSIN KS 8 OAK t)S.
SYDENHAM ACRE. JNO. F. IVERSON
ACEE &. IVERSON,
DRIJCOISTS A\!) C 11 EHISTS,
SIGN OF GOLDEN EAGLE,
COLUMBUS, G EORGIA .
DEALERS in Foreign and Domestic Drugs, Medi
cines. Chemicals. Acids, Fine Soaps, Fine Hair and
I l'< th Ec u lies, Perfumery, Tiusses and Shoulder
Braces, Surgical and Dental instruments, j ure Wines
and L uors for Medicinal'purposes, Medicine Chests,
Glass, Paints, O.ls, Varnishes. Dye Studs, Fancy and
Toilet Articles, Fine Tobacco anil Havana Segars, &c..
&c. jatiij—tf.
TROUT HOXJSeI
- ATLANTA, GEORGIA,
By Mrs. J. I>. BOYD.
j tily 2
wEmFcosTslolK! governed!
“Why are Ihe peojße so patient ? Why
slumbers the ot the Dernac*ra
cy ?” — 11. A. Pri/or , editor of the States.
READ AND CIRCULATE ’
PUBLISHED liY ORDER OF THE VIRGINIA
STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE.
Well may the Democratic press cry out,
“ Why are the people so patient” when from
u thc by-ways and hiyli-ways of the Gov
ernment the rottenness of corruption sends
forth, an insufferable stench, ?”
Nearly every department of the Govern
ment seems to be in the hands of plunder
ers find speculators ; nor is it a matter of
surprise when we find officials, from the ‘
President down, unulled in this, warfare!
upon the Treasury of the United States. |
Here and there we meet with a Democrat
ic paper that has the manliness to denounce ;
the corruotion find extravagance of the
i o
fed era 1 authorities. Tiie and i sclost i re.s brought
to light by the recent Com
mittees exhibit the American Government,
under the present Democratic Adminis
tration, as the most wasteful, ox'ravagant
and corrupt now in existence. Never has
there been so shameless a prostitution of
official power as is exhibited in the distri
bution of patronage and the uses of power
by the Administration of James Buchan
an. No honest man, who loves a pure
and honest administration of the Govern
ment, can read <Lk V.aa-gLi|msenf a without :
a shudder ; and well may every patriot ex- \
claim, li Why are the people so pedant
In proof of what is here charged, the
leadt r is requeste l to contrast the ]>rofes
-ions of Mr. Buchanan, before his election,
with the acts and results of his Adminis
tration. The annexed extract from a let
ter, written by him, shows the character
of the former, while the statements and
citations that follow will give an idea of j
the latter \
‘‘Wheatland, Feb. 23, 1852.
Gentlemen : ° On what issue,
then, can we go before the country and
confidently calculate upon the support ot
the American people at the approaching
Presidential election ? I answer unhesi
tatingly that we must fall back, as you
suggest, upon* 0 * ° * a rigid economy
in i üblic expenditures.
These expenditures have now reached
the < normous sum of fifty millions of j
dollars jar annum and, unless arrested in
their advance by the strong arm ot ihe De
mocracy of the country, may, in the course
of a few years, REACH ONE HUNDRED MIL
LIONS. The appropriation ot money to
ac -om] lish great national objects sanction
ed bv the Constitution, ought to he on a
scale commensurate with our power and
resources as a nation ; but its expendi
tures ought to be conducted under the
guidance ol enlightened economy and strict j
responsibility. lam convinced that our j
expenses ouyht to he considerably rednetd
below the present standard , not only with
out detriment, hut with positive advan
tage both to the government and the peo-
I>U. ... ... ... ...
JAMES BUCHANAN.”
Mr. Buchanan Iris lived to be President,
and has lived to fulfill his own prophecy.
That the people may set* with what rap
id strides the expenditures have approxi
mated the enormous sum of one hundred
millions per annum under his administra
tion, we append the amounts tor the
years of the two [(receding terms, and the
first two of his:
18.32 —Fillmore, 836.552,080 85
1856 —Pierce, 60,172.4 1 37
1857 —Buchanan, 64.778,828 64
1858 —Buchanan, 83,856,727 00
Thus it will be seen that “the strong
| arm of Democracy, ” relied on by Mr. Buc
hanan to stay government extravagance,
has fostered and nurtured the wildest and
; most reckless profligacy, and shielded cor
ruption in its rankest forms. Well may
the Washington States, in its issue ot the
! 7th of March 1850, exclaim : “Wiiy are
THE PEOPLE SO PATIENT —WHY SLUMBER
tiif. indignation of the Democracy !
The Public Printing, the Public Budd
ings, the Naval Contracts, the Post Office
Department, and, in fact, every branch of
j the Government, that could he made to
| yield a farthing, haft been seized upon by
a horde of plunderers, under the tolera-
‘THE UNION OF THE STATES: -DISTINCT, LIKE THE BILLOWS; ONE, LIKE THE SEA.”
THOMASTON, GEORGIA, SATURDAY MORNING, JULY 30, 1859.
’ tion, if not with the connivancy of the
ifxeeutive ; and in proof of this assertion,
we give the language of several prominent
Democrats. In a speech in the House of
Representatives, near the close of the last
j session, lion. A. 11. Stephens, of Georgia,
said :
“When he first entered Congress in ’43,
1 lie expenses of the Government were only
830,000,000 ]>er annum. Thecoun rv had
! gone through the expensive Mexican war,
with sixty-three thousand soldiers in the
I field, vC’i h thirly-thre. millions, and now,
in time of jieace, tlie estimates were seven
ty-three millions. Many cxpendjluruk
Were wholly unnecessaiy, and refer in wss
indispensably needed. He believed forty
millions an abundance for the national
expense.”’
lion. Andrew Johnson, Senator from
Tennessee —also good Democratic author
ity—referring to ihe subject, said iu
a recent speech in the Senate :
“It is in the power of Cong'-css to pre
vent these enormous expenditures , and if
we do not interpose, we are responsible fori
them. This Government, sixty-nine years 1
of age, scarcely out of its swaddlingclothes
is making more corrupt uses of money in |
proportion to the amount collected irom j
the people, as 1 honestly believe, than any
other government now on the habitable
globe.”
Gen. Shields, one of the Democratic
Senators Irom Minnesota, in the course of
a debate in the Scuttle, also took occasion
. . . 5
I to say :
“I think it is not saying too much to
j declare that this country has gone faster j
and further, in ten years, in extravagance,
lhan most other countries have dune in
| centuries.”
The Hon. M. R. 11. Garnett, of Virgin
ia, in a recent speech, said :
“Can any gentleman pretend that it is
fair, that it is just, that it is legitimate,
that the expenses of this Government, in
time of profound peace, should have daub - ,
led in six years? Look through the list ?
of items, and you will find that the expen
ditures have doubled in almost ( very it mi. i
Is there no place to apply the knife ? The
Committee of Ways and Means tell you
that they e?mo£ control these ex/iena’ ituves. ;
Then, 1 say that the only way to c u n 1
them is ilie swim *vu y Unit von woum Am
tpul any other extravagant person —:har is, :
by stinting them in money.”
And till this undey Democratic nile-r-a
Democratic President, a Democratic Cabi
net, a Democratic Congress, and Demo
cratic officials in all the administrative de
partments. 0, “ Why slumbers the indig
nation of the Democracy—why arc the
people so patient V
From the Washington Slates, of March
7th, edited by Roger A. Pryor, we make,
the following extracts in regard to the pub- |
lie printing :
“The Public Printing Plunderers. — The
Tact, that for the hist live years, the Amer
ican people have been subjected to tin an
nual exaction of nearly a million of dollars,
on account of the public printing, is a cir
cumstance which will not escape comment,
even iu this age of corrupt and extrava
gant expenditure.
“It is a striking instance of the perver
sion of Federal au hority, that in addition
to its many oilier illegitimate occupations,
the central government Inis engaged so
largely in the incompatible business ot a
publishing concern.
“It is a signal attestation of the decay
of otlicial virtue, that tile appropriations
lor this unwarrantable purpose have been j
squandered in bribes and bounties to the
vei v officials who were appointed to pro
tect ihe public interests.
I “It is a deplorable mark of the progres
sive deter.oraii'-n of the poli.ieal morals,
that the exposure of peculation of the most
I atrocious character rarely provokes more,
than a gentle expostulation irom the men
iu authority.
>5 i’,i >.f Hf O v
“With the view of inviting public at
tention to the abuses which abound, in al
most every branch of Federal Administra
tion, we reproduced, a few days ago, the |
report wherein a committee of the House
exhibited the fraudulent practices of the!
Printing Department. It is a document
of the very giavest interest.
“A certain A. G. Seaman was Superin
tendent. ot Public Printing from Decem
ber 1853 to December 1857. During ilm
part of the same period a certain Corneli
us Wendell held the office of Public Prin
ter. A more congenial couple never ex
isted, even in fiction.
“Notwithstanding the cleverness ol these
two consummate rascals,and iheir studious
endeavor to “cover up their tracks, ihe
committee convict them of receiving bribes
and bounties —the former to the amount
of 839.000, and the latter to the amount
of $30,000. Os course these figures do
not represent- the full extent ot Seaman
and Wendell’s operations. In the main,
their practices were such as to elude de
tection ; and whenever they ventm\d into
the light they were carelul to assume an
almost impenetrable disguise. Still, enough
l is ascertained to show tha* - both Seaman
and Wendell have plundered the treasury
upon system, and have incurred exposure
to the penalty of imprisonment in the pen
itentiary.
v ‘ <f c
■
“In the examination of the accounts for
engraving and lithographing, the commit
tee find that the b ioks of various parties
did not correspond with the certificates
issued.
>.- V C‘ V V- O V*
“In one case, ihe difference was equiva
lent to 810,000, and in another to 86*736 76.
O v >.*:* V
“ Bv an .yrrangement with Seaman, Wen
r(!<TT, the Public Printer, was employed as
the special agent for all the paper contrac
tors —lie being the very person who should
complain of an inferior article. In this
way, the editor of the “organ” realized the
snug sum of 812,000.
“The testimony shows that large quan
tities of paper, inferior to the samples by
at least a difference of thirty-three per cent.,
were accepted from favored contractors ;
that thousands of documents were receipted
for as printed and bound that were never
delivered ; that thousands of Voluminous
documents were paid for ns printed which
were not printed ; and that thousands of
the most valuable publications have disap
peared without any account.
“These arc astounding developments ;
but they are of a piece with the prevalent
rraetiees of the federal capital. FROM
THE BY-WAYS AND HIGHWAYS
OF THE GOVERNMENT, THE ROT
TENNESS OF CORRUPTION SENDS
FO RTII A N IN SUFFER AB L E
STENCH. Why are the people so pa
tient ? Why slumbers the indignation of
the Democracy ? See they nothing dis
cie litable in the fact that the “organ” of
the Administration is under the ostensible
control of a detected swindler ? lUve they
no word of surprise which they discover
that the President retains Cornelius We Ti
ff 11 as his confidential ‘organ ,’ after the
nublie and official exposure of Cornelius
Wendell’s c irrupt practices as a fmetion
ary of government ? Cornelius Wendell
is still Public Printer, not in name, but in
fact. Is there no popular protest, against
‘.lu mm Ivan ee of Congress in liis employ
ment since the (jiscovery of his frauds and
peculations? Olliers may be indifferent
lo s;ieh ignominy ; but, for ourselves, we
intend to lash the malefactor till the party
is purged of 1 1 is infectious presence, and
fl\p treasury is protected*against hia pirat
ical operations.”
A few days before the adjournment of
Congress, the following debate took place
in the Senate, which we copy from the pro
ceedings of Congress :
“ Mr. Wilson amended by cutting down
most of the miscellaneous items, as adver
tising, mail bags, wrapping paper and post
office blanks, making a total saving of over
880.000. In reference to t lie blanks, he
said he knew a case where Mr. Rice, editor
of the Pennsylvanian, had a contract for
printing blanks for $40,000, which cost
him just 85,000, the profit being di
vide!. fifty per edit, to the Washing
ton Union, live per cent, to Mr. Appleton,
Secretary of State, and three per cent, to a
paper published in the interest of a mem
ber of Congress.
“Mr. Mason said, if the facts were so, it
is due to the Senate and to the country for
the Senator to lay his information before
them.
“Mr. Wilson reiterated the statement,
and said that Mr. Rice himself had saidso,
an 1, moreover, that the arrangement teas
with the cognizance cf the President of the
United States.
“ Mr. C-microtl said the niattcr was so
notorious that everybody, except perhaps
the Senator from Virginia, must know all
about it. Mr. Rice was, until vecen ly, a
creature of the President, but they had a
quarrel, and he went about blabbing all
about it.
“ 31 r. Mason—Did Mr. Rice tell the Sen
ator so ?
“ Mr. Cameron—The way to get his in
formation is to appoint a committee of in
vestigation, or sue me for slander, and that
will bring the evidence. lam responsible
for all 1 say here, or elsewhere. Just bring
here Billy Rice and the President. They
know all about it, and I think my colleague
knows something about it, too.”
The sum and substance of this charge is,
that a contract was made with Mr. Rice,
of the “Pennsylvanian,” for the Printing
of IV t Office blanks, ostensibly for $40,-
000, which really would not cost but $5 jOO,
and with the distinct understanding be
tween the contracting parties and the Pres
ident, that $35,000 of the money was to
he distributed among the friends of the
President, including the assistant Secreta
ry of State, and that thjs was done with
the ktio.vledge and by ihe consent of the i
President himself. We are happy to know
that before the Senate finally adjourned, :
Mr. Cameron moved the appointment of a
committee of investigation, which was car
ried. Thi- charge is made by two Senators, 1
and ono of them vouched, for the facts on
his individual and Senatorial responsibility,
find invited a suit for slander if it was
denied.
With such facts before us it may well
j be asked : “Why slumbers the indignation
of the Democracy !” “Why are the peo
ple so patient ?”
The Capitol and the Committee Dooms.
—The Clerk of the House of Representa
tives by resolution was directed to make a
report of the expenditures on the House of
Representatives. This the Clerk did, in a
| letter of 212 pages closely printed ; but so
i great was the profligacy and extravagance
jof the disclosures, that at thU time not a
, single copy can be found in the City ot
’ Washington ; but, fortunately, enough hits
: been gathered from the report to open the
eyes of the people. For fittings up Os one
wing of the Capitol, the enormous sum ot
$460,000 was expended, or distributed
among the plunderers. We append a list
of articles bought for the Speaker’s Room
of the House of Representatives :
Large French Plate Mirror $1,350 00
Large Pier Table 275 00
Two Bronze Statuettes 60 00
Mantel Mirror 215 00
Fine \\ riting Table 95 00
Two Lounges, French Mochette 180 00
Six Large Antique Chairs, at $95 570 00
I Six Large Arm Chairs, at S4B 288 00
| Desk Chair 48 00
’ Book Case and Secretary 668 00
1 Three suits Curtains 900 00
1 80 yards Carpet’, at- $4 25 340 00
j Washstand * 85 00
Marble Clock 145 00
French China Chamber Set 38 00
French China Chamber Set 28 00
Silver Plated Ice Pitcher 18 00
Hair Brush 2 50
2 Combs 2 50
Clothes Brush 1 62
Nail Brush 1 25
Slop Tub 3 00
Cut Picture Frame 6 00
For. Other Purposes.
Expended tor Furnishing First Session
ot 35ih Congress exclusive of that
for the new li.ill $70,551 56
230 llair Brushes \ ‘ j}l4 75
232 Combs j
i FremAi P ate Mirrors with Marble Tops 3(30 00
1 French Plate Minors with marble tops 380 00
2 French lhate Mirrors with marble tops 240 GO
For Retiring Doom.
: Large Mirror $425 00
12 Arm Chairs, at $46 552 00
; 4 Lounges, at $95 560 00
Another Mirror 560 00
A room twenty-seven feet square, at a
cost of live thousand dollars to the people
—and ODe-fourth of that sum for a looking
glass—lor the use of a Democratic Spea
ker ! !
When before was such an exhibition of
profligate extravagance and useless waste j
of the public money laid open to the pub
lic view ? Where were our vigilant and
sleepless watch-dogs of the Treasury ?
Where was “ Honest John,” from whom
we have heard neither bark, nor grow], nor ,
whine, to give warning of the robbers and |
plunderers that were surrounding the cap
itol, and infesting every department of the !
Government ? Where he was then, lie is j
to be found now, defending the Adminis- !
Ration, and the democracy, who have the
entire control of the Government, against
all charges of extravagance and waste ! In j
all sincerity and honesty, we ask, can the j
honest masses of Democracy in Virginia be
willfully blind to the faults and vices of)
their own leading men ; or are they indif
ferent to an honest, virtuous, well conduc- j
ted administration of public affairs !
Five hundred and fourteen dollars for :
hair brushes and combs, for the use. of a
set of gentlemen who had already appro- ,
priated to themselves six thousand dollars
for nine months of their time, out of every
two years, and who had then left Wash
ington, with the table groaning under the
weight of unfinished business, both public
and private. It is to be presumed, as the
items are uot to he found in the above cat
alogue, that the honorable gentlemen were
content to supply their own tooth-picks!
and cologne, without further drain on the j
pockets of tlie people. Thirteen hundred
and Huy dollars lor a looking glass in which ,
a Democratic {Speaker could survey his per- i
son ! Two hundred and fifteen dollars
more for mental glasses that he might have
a front and hack view at the same time !
Eighty yards of carpeting, at four dollars
and twenty five cents a yard, on which a
Democratic Speaker might strut his hour
of brief authority on the stage ! One thou
sand and eighty-six dollars for lounges, arid
chairs at uinety-eight dollars apiece, on
which to rest his wearied limbs ! Nine
hundred dollars for curtains to shut out
the light from his Democratic eyes—and
yet tc have the daring audacity to come
before an injured people and insult them
with the cry of economy, retrenchment and
reform ! ! !
May we not ask, again, “ Why are the
people so patient ? Why slum levs the in
dignation of the Democracy But, we
are far from the end of this catalogue of
corruption and crime.
Executive Extravagance and Incompe
tency. — Again, the Washington States,
(Democratic authority) says *
“The people were induced to anticipate
a return to the simplicity and purity of
earlier days ;-*~never did corruplioh exhib
it such rank luxuriance of growth in every
department of the public service. They
were promised reform—they have an ag
gravation of abuse. They expected re
trenchment—they are insulted by propo
sals for the most absurd and mischievous
appropriations. Millions have been ex
pended for the suppression of Mormonism,
and the abomination flourislies with undi
minished vigor and a more audacious am
bition.”
Plunderers of the War Department‘s
* The debt, as reported by the Government
agents, and which the War Department
last year recommended to le paid , on ac
count of the Indian disturbances iu Ore
gon, amounted to about six millions of
! dollars while by the report of the Com- 1
mittee on Military Affairs not more than
j about one and a half millions is justly
due! High government officials are di
rectly charged with corrupt connivance
with favorite contractors to filch money
i out of the National Treasury. The bids
; of parties to perform certain work or fur
nish materials are overlooked and unno
ticed, while others, whose bids are higher
| are taken. For instance,"in the supplies
; for the Indian war of Oregon and Wash
ington Territories, tlie Government was
! charged $55 a piece for pistols. $125 for
j muskets, sllo a ton for hay, $5 a bushel
for oa s, etc., etc. And these extravagant
I charges the War Department recommend
; ed to be paid.
What Virginia farmer would refuse .one
dollar per bushel for oats ? And ynt-tbe
Government is willing to pay live dollars
; per bushel to its favorites !
Frauds in the Navy Department. —►
From the minority i\*| ort of the special
j committee on Naval Contracts, ma de by
1 Mr. Sherman in the House, on the 24th
February, 1859, we gather the following
facts :
“Congress, in June last, authorized Sec
retary Tuucey of the Navy to advertise for
proposals for furnishing the machinery of
j the seven new sloops of war, with the
view of obtaining the lowest offers and the
most responsible bidders. From the re
port we are enabled to make up the fol
i lowing table :
Bids Offered.
Novelty Works, 8 98,500
, Novelty Works, 97,(MX)
I Novel tv Works, 98,000
’ Allaire Works, 97,000
Murray A* Hazh hurst, 100,000—.5490,000
Bids Acre pied.
I Woodruff A* Beach, $125,000
Murphy A Cos., 130,000
Merrick & Sons, K-2,000
Boston Loco. Works, 104,000
! Morgan Works, 120,000-581,000
In those live of the seven contracts, there
was a difference of $90,500 between the
rejected offers of well-known establish
ments and those which ftefs accepted;
and, if the other two were awarded after
the same fashion, the entire loss to the
| country $126,700, or over eighteen thous
j and dollars on each vessel! The rejected
bids were from tltb most eminent machine
j works in the Nnion.”
By the foregoing it will be seen that the
Novelty Works of New York, and the
Reading Forge Company—among the
best and most responsible in the gountry*
proposed to execute the work for $98,000
whilst the offer, of Merrick A’ Sons was for
$102,000, and by the terms of the law the
Secretary of the Navy had r.o other alter
native, but to give the contract to thelowv
est responsible bidder, which no doubt
would have been done, but for the follow
ing most remarkable correspondence, which
as a justification or excuse at least, for the
gross misconduct of the Secretary, was laid
before the committee of investigation :
Col. TV. C. Patterson , of Philadelphia, to
the President.
“ Dear Sir :—I venture to slight to.
you t lie importance of awarding toe con
tract for the machinery of the sloop, now
building at the Navy Yard at this time,
and if it can be done without prejudice to
the public service, to Merrick A Sons.—
Theirs is tlie only establishment in the
First District which jjjuiJoys a large num
b r of mechanics ; at this time, 390; when
in full w ak, 450.
“The managing partners (Mr. M., sr.,
being absent, in bad health,) are full of
energy, s raining every nerve to keefc their
force “during this depression. rail, in so far
as I know, the only old Wnigs of any in
filienee in that District who are in favor
of the re-election of Col. F'qfehce.
41 1 know, from former experience, the
value of that influence, afid feel persuaded,
that it is the interest of the Democratic
party to increase it. : '--
“The First District will, I hope, be
ried in any event, hut with the shop at
work, full-handed, two weeks prior to. the
election, the result would, I think* h‘6
placed beyond all doubt. With much re-
S p e ,. t? W. C. Patterson.”
The President. „ .. ,
This Jeittr was sent to the. Secretary of
the Navy by the President, tvith, thi et
hss FOCXfij fI'GE J
Niimbf? t.