VOLUME .18. NEW SERIES. THE BEDFORD GAZETTE 18 PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY MORNING BY BY B. F. MEYERS, At the following terms, to wit i $1.50 per annum, CASH, in advance. $2.00 " " if paid within the year. $2.00 " " if notpaid within the year. tgrSo subscription taken tor less than six months. paper discontinued until all arrearages are paid ,unless at the option of the publisher, it has been decided by the United States Courts that the stoppage of a newspaper without the payment ol arrearages, is prima facie evidence ot traud and is a criminal offence. rpc"The courts have decided that persons are ac countable for the subscription price of newspa pers, if they take them from thepostolhce, wheth er 'hey subscribifor them, or not. ©rig tn a 1 JjJutirri. HAPPINESS BY. DR. C. N. HICKOK. I've found the gern, (1 joyous cried, As earthly happiness I tried.) See! here alone •Tis found ! But, ere a voice replied, 'Twas gone. 1 sought it still; —In Fashion's maze, The phantom chas'd with eager gaze, Where'*' t led. I grasp'd it; but, its treach'rous blaze Had fled. In Priendship, I the jewel sought, And to her shrine my off'ring brought Of heart sincere. A broken reed; it for me wrought A tear. , On Love's fair bosom then 1 lean'd, And in my slumber, fondly dream'd Of sorrow fled. IVly treasure, when the morning beam'd, Was dead. 1 then in Learning's mystic train Pursued my search, but sought in vain; Her feeble light Served hut to rciulei doubly plain, The night. Unsated still, my spirit burn'd ; To Bacchus' boasted fount 1 turned, To lave it there. But fou..d (with every longing spurn'd) Despair. 1 next, Ambition's path pumieJ; And strove, where Fame's lair len>ple stood, To win the goal; Bnt fili'd with treach'ry, crime and blood, My soul. 1 compass'd Nature, far and hear ; On mountain wild, in desert drear. Mid polar snows, on burning sands, And charming scenes of fairy lands ; Travers'd the trackless ocean o'er, Stood on Italia's classic shore, — On isles, where birds in plumage gay, Sport mid the trees, the livelong day;— In mines of gems, on coral strands;— Where pearls lie hid, in golden sands : Wander'd mid ruin'd piles, and read The records ot the mighty dead : Drank at the well of Science ; knelt At Beauty's shrine ; with Power dwelt: With Reason's torch, on Fancy's wing, Flew to the utmost echoing Of "chiming spheres," ahd raptur'd, heard The music of the seraph world : Sctinn'd the whole realm, eaith, sea and sky ; Div'd to the deepest mystery ; Quaff'd every cup, that wealth could buy, In hope to find Some precious gem, to satisfy The mind. 'Twas all in vain :—Each '.tour that pass'd More darkly lower'd than the last; Ana over all My longings, Disappointment cast Her pall. Oh ! where can peace be found ? 1 cried , For it, I'd give all else beside— Bear shame and loss. 'Tis with (a "still small voice" replied) The cross. Ah I there 1 found it, and though years have flown, And with them, borne earth's hopes, and joys away, it still remains. Friends all are gone, lov'd ones Have pass'd away, and not one heart is left, To beat in unison with mine. Wealth too Has taken wings, and A lone old man, wither'd, and bent, and worn With want and suffering, 1 hapless bear A pauper's late. The proud pass by in scorn, And loathing shun the wayside beggar's rags. The good look on in pity, and bestow Their charity, but little do they know, How bless'd I am i—Ah I little do they dream Whet founts of joy spring up within my heart i They little think, that more than all their wealth Could buy, is mine—l'm richer than they all. My mansion, lies far out ot mortal sight; My treasures, are where thief can never steal, Nor moth corrupt. My joys, this fleeting world Can neither give nor take away. I have No fear ; all, all is safe, within the hands Of HIM, who doth all well. 1 have no care; For ell my care, is sweetly cast, on HIM Who careth for me. 1 hunger not; for when My scanty crust is gone, iny faith looks up, And lam ted with angel's food. And when At night, I lay me down, upon the cold, Damp ground, or, in some broken shed 1 seek For rest, the curtains of His love, are drawn Around me, and my soul is warm, for in My heart is kindled up, e ray of Heaven. And when a few more days have flown, And the last ling'ring sand is gone, HE will be nigh; How blessed then, to lay me down And die. ASTOUNDING WLOSIIBES!! Iflotv the Republicans Reform. THE WAY GOVERNMENT IS PLUN DERED !! Report of Congressional Investigating Com mittee. WASHINGTON, DT:c. 17. —Van Wyck's Select Committee to inquire into Government Con tracts, made a report to the House o! Represen tatives to-day of their progress. It was pre sented by Mr. Washburne of Illinois. The labors ot the Committee are far from being closed. A large number of transactions at Washington and elsewhere seem 'o deserve their attention, and with the approbation of the House, the Committee proposes to vigorously prosecute their investigation, so long as it may appear they are demanded by the public inter ests. THE STEAMER CATALINE CASE. Among the fin/, subjects investigated was the charter ot the steamei Cataline. She was char tered by Col. I). D. Twmpkins, Assistant Quar ter Master-General ol New York, under an or der from Gen. Wool. The contiact with '.he Government is not re markable for disinterestedness in promoting the National welfare; yet the Government will cer tainly be satisfied with ordinary fairness and integrity in contracts made on its behalf, even it a willingness to seize upon the public mis fortunes for personal aggrandizement is manifest in the transactions. While the Republic has a right to'expect it, it cannot compel the unsel fish devotion ol the citizens. The provision that th Government shall pay $20,000 lor a vessel just purchased for $14,000, in the event ot her loss, by a peril not covered by the insurance, is totally indefensible. But the main provision ol the contract, while un- is h-ss to be condemned. The Government was to pay $ 10,000 per month lor the vessel, and that, too, for a period of not less than three months. Col. Tompkins seems to have paid no attention to the time for which the vessel was chartered. The order of Gen. Wool is silent on the subject. The presence ol Capt. Comstock at the lime the proposition was drawn up wouid justify the inference that Hie time, which was a very material feature in the contract, was adjusted between himself and DeVelin and Freeman, the other pai ties then present. The Committee especially call attention to the arrangement between the Secretary of the Navy and Mr. Morgan, for purchasing vessels for the Government, saying that it is of suc'.i a character,whether it be in the stipulated amount received, or in the mode of payment, alike in* delensible and reprehensible. That arrangement is a system ot commission, usually 2i per cent, ol the purchase money paid lor eacti vessel, and one under which Morgan received as compensation during the period ot seven weeks previous to the 6th day ol Septem ber (when this testimony was taken) the enor mous sum of $51,584 —as admitted by himself before llie committee. II he baa received the same rate of compensation since as beiore that date, (here must be added to this sum paid him beiore that dale, the further commission of $43,- 424, lor services rendered since, making, in nil, the nuni of $95,000 paid to n single individual for hits itrvices us agent of the Government nince the 15/A of July—a period of f. ur uud a half months. THE PURCHASE OF ARMS. The Committee next devoted themselves to the subject of the purchase of arms. The ex traordinary demand fot them, resulting from the conspiracy to oveilhrow the Union, has result ed in extraordinary expenditures, and, exciting the cupidity of laige numbers of persons both in Europe and America, has opened up a sys tem ol unprecedented speculation. The Gov ernment hu3 been the vfttim of more than one conspiracy, and remarkable combinations have been formed to rob the Treasury. The prof s from the sale of arms to the Go vernment have been enormous, and realized 100, in many instances, by our own citizens, through a system of brokerage as unprincipled and dis honest, and as uulriendly to the success and welfare of the nation as the plnttings of actual treason. The system adopted at an early moment for the purchase ot arms naturally encouraged this result. The Government and the seveial States, entering the market in active and direct com petition, stimulated, it is true, to'some slight ex lent, and but temporarily, the importation and manufacture of arms, but scarcely compensated for a general profligacy in the expenditure ol the public treasure and the corruption of the public morals. Since the adjournment of the Extra Session of Congress, the War Department is understood to have authorized the several States, and to have recognized the right in the Generals com manding the several divisions in the army, to purchase arms, to be paid lor by the General Government, creating an unwise and ruinous competition against itself, without increasing the number of arms in the market. Major Morgan, an ordinance officer, who was engaged in the purchase and inspection of arms, testified as follows • "The agents of Fremont, of the Governors of States, of Cities, of Union Defence Commit tees, of Colonels of Regiments, and of Generals of our Army, are all here in New York. I may be in treaty for arms, and the first thing I, hear, the arms are sold to some agent. Some of the men who hold the arms, I sometimes think, are disposed not to have a bona fide sale. They like to keep the arms in the market, in order to advance the price. I think they have been gam bling in arms just as they do in stocks, etc." The Committee remark that the numerous ca- Freedom of Thought and Opinion. BEDFORD, PA., FRIDAY MORNING, JANUARY 10, 1862. ses which have come under thjrir observation, the price paid for arms was inexcusably exoibi tant. In some instances the arms were worth less, in others exorbitance in price was cou pled with other evidence of a purpose to de fraud the Government. The abuses in the purchase of Austrian and other fire-arms are noticed in the testimony ap pended. OFFICIAL FRAUD. The Committee call attention to a case of the olficial prostration of official position to the base purpose ot illegal gains, as set forth in the evi dence of Samuel A. Hopkins ; and in this con nection the Committee say that a man by the name of Wood, enjoying the confidence of the President, was appointed Commissioner of Pub lic Buildiatgs, a place not only requiring great business capacity, but unflinching integrity; and that Wood, from his own declarations, made himself an instrument for plundering the Gov ernment. The Committee, in discharge of their a representation of the facts to the Executive, but before any action was taken, the Government was relieved from the presence of an unworthy olficial by his resignation. THE FORTIFICATIONS AT ST. LOtJIS. i The Committee next approach the subject of the fortifications at St. Louis. The circumstan ces surrounriing this work being of the most ex traordinary character, and muiked by extrava gance, recklessness, insubordination, and fraud, they express the hope that some means may be found to make the parlies to the atrocious con tract disgorge the sum out of which the Gov ernment has been defrauded, and that the la borers who have done the work on the faith of the Government, will not longer he delayed in receiving their just dues. THE PURCHASE OF HORSES Ajfb MULES. The Committee found that the most astound ing and unblushing frauds had been perpetrated in the purchase of horses and mules, and mat ters were so arranged that it was impossible for the original owners to sell either horses or inules directly to Government, hut all such sales were made by certain middle-men and go-btweeus, who, it appears, alone could get any horses or mules taken by the Quartermaster's Department. ARMY SUPPLIES. The act of Congress on the subject ot adver tising for supplies lor the various departments of the Government was designed to correct a great public evil—a system ot corrupt favorit ism in Government contracts. To prevent the provisions of the act ftom operating prejudicial ly to the Government in cases of unforeseen emergency, the terms of Ilia act are not ol uni versal application; and the itctrpFrau, permu ting contiacls to be made without advertising for proposals in cases where "immediate delive ry," ha 9 left the eniorcement of the law to the option of the public officer on whose integrity the law is, in tlie main, dependent for its effi ciency. If he would act corruptly, he will, under the exception, fail 10 invite competition. Hut the exceptioh was necessary ; and, at the beginning of tiie present national difficulties, the purchase of supplies at once, to meet the wants of an army suddenly brought into the field, was unavoidable. No sagaciius foresight could, in the ordinary course of events, have guarded against it; and in judging the acts of public office/?, in connection with the questions of integrity and economy, ttie extraordinary emergency must be considered. Yet ttie Com mittee are compelled to slate that, either thro' corrupt motives, or for a want ol reasonable prudence, the act of Congress has been almost a (l<-ad letter, even in that large class of cases where it might have been properly applied. Immense supplies, both in the Navy as well us the VVar Department, the necessity for which, in the ordinary courseof ihuigs, was easily fore seen, have been purchased privately, under con tracts expressed or implied, without any compe tition being invited. In one important division of the army (the Western) the law has been al mos' totally disregarded, and even the safeguard of the responsibility ol public otiiceis has, in many cases, been unnecessarily removed by the employment ol Tresponsibie agents in the pur chase ut laige quantities ol supplies, tven where responsible and experienced and upright publir officers were in a position to peilonn the requi red duly. A vast amount of supplies have been \ made on whit is called "a requisition." in the Western D-qiartment, especially, ''requisitions" have si pplitd the place of contracts, and were generally in the following form : HEAD-QUARTERS, QUARTERMASTERS' DEI>'T, ) ST. LOUIS, September 2, 1861. J Messrs. LIV.NOSION, BUM. & Co. will furnish Quartermasters' Department with— s,ooo pairs of cavalry hoots, 5,000 suits infantry uniforms, 5,000 canteens, 10,000 infantry hits, 10,000 army shoes, 10,000 army overt-oafs, 5,093 Knap sacks, 10,000 pairs socks, 10,000 undershirts, (army pattern.) All to be made of the best material, and conform to army regulations and requirements; the cost of manufactuie, mate rial and transportation to be furnished to this department, upon which the quartermaster will allow a fair mercantile profit to the contractors, Messrs. L. B. fit Co. J. MCKINSTRY, Major and Quartermaster. A true copy: H. W. G. CLEMENTS, Chief Clerk. On such requisil ions a single firm in St. Lou is—the firm ot Child, Piatt & Fox—furnished , from time to lime, ordinary army supplies to i the value of over §BOO,OOO, apparently with- j out the price of a single article being previous- j ly delermined. What is meant in these "re quisitions" as "n fair mercantile profit" may be judged of by the testimony of tYlr. James P. Goghan, the book-keeper of Hie firm of Child, Pratt and Fox, who testified as follows : "Question. What would be the per cent.of| profit on that sale of blankets? Answer. About forty cents. Question. Would the profits of the remain der ot the goods sold by Child, Pratt & Fox to the Government he about the same as the profits ' on the goods mentioned in your testimony of yesterday and this morning? Answer. I should think so. While the investigations of the committee have impressed them wi'h the conviction that, with a few exceptions, the Quartermasters and Commissaries in the regular employment at the Government as members of the old regular army are gentlemen ol ample and equal ca pacity and fidelity, and iD the midst of our mis fortunes have been ever jealous for the public welfare, the occasional and irresponsible agents employed by the departments to purchase sup plies have, either through want ol experience or of integrity sacrificed the public interests. It is proper to remark that in lurnishing supplies in the Western Department the com manding General was peculiarly unfortunate in the character of the men by whom he was surrounded. The system of public plunder which pervaded the Department was inaugura ted at the very begining, and followed up with untiring zeal; the public welfare as entirely overlooked and as effectually ignored as if the war was gotten up to enable a mammoth'scheme af speculation , at the expense of the people, to be carried out. To illustrate The importance of system in the purchase ol these supplies, a well as the pru dence of only employing the reasonable agents 'il'Governmenl in the execution of public trusts, instead ol irresponsible temporary agents, thro' whom a system of favoritism could be consum mated, the Committee call the especial atten tion of the House to the purchase of supplies hr Alexander Cummingi, in the city of New York, under the direction of (he Secretary of ot War. The purchase of these supplies, with out advertising for competition, was clearly jus tifiable. But the failure lo employ in this lifisinesa an experienced public officer, furnish eiajusl ground ol public complaint, These purchases were made on the spur of a pressing necessity, commencing about the 21st o! April; but at that time there were in the cfty of New York, at the head ol Quartermas ter and Commissary Department--, gentlemen familiar with every want of tile army, familiar with the New York marketi, and possessing every other a J vantage which years of exper ience could confer. Major Eaton, the Assis t sat Commissary-General of New York, and Col. Tompkins, the Assistant Quartermaster General, at the same city, were fully entitled tc the confidence of the Government on the at >re of capacity, experience, integrity and The legitimate duties of each of gent I -men have, to some extent, been performed by persons entirely irresponsible to the Govemmnt, and of, at least, limited ex perience, and, so far as the committee is inlorm ed, without any public necessity, for the heads ot those departments at New York have been fully nble lo meet any emergency. On the2lst ol April, Alexander Cummings, who for t-velve years was the editor ot the Eve ning Bulletin in Pennsylvania, and for the past eighteen months the publisher of a newspaper called The World, in New York city, received two lette-s from the Hon. Simm Cameron, Sec retary of War; the one apparently a private letter, the other more official, afier stating that the War Department needed an intellgent, ex pecienced and enetgetic man lo nssist in push ing forward troops and supplies, and calling his attention to the fact of his knowledge of the railroads in Pennsylvania, says:—"with this view; I will thank you, in consultation with the officers of the army and the navy, to assist in getting vessels, -or arranging with the rail road companies frr the aceommodaiion ol the troops as fast a? they are ready to march lo their destination, and also to assist them in making purchases or other arrangements, and to com municate ul the earliest moment any information of service to lhi Department." . No person but the Secretary of War, seems to have been aware o( Mr. Cumming's peculiar fitness lor so important a duly as the purchase of supplies, when great business expeiience and familiarity with the New York maiket, and arm/ supplies in ueneral, were indispensable, but on the 23d of April, two days after Cum mings was instructed lo co-operate with the officers of the government, the Secretary of War issued the following order:— DEPARTMENT OF WAR, April 23, 1861. In consideration ol the extraordinary emer gencies which demand immediate and decisive measures for the preservation of the national capital, and the defence of the National eminent, f hereby authorize Edwin D. Morgan, Governor of the State of New York, and Al exander Cummings now in the city of New York, to make all necessary arrangements for the transportation of troops and munitions of war in aid and assistance of the officers of the army of theUniled States, until communication by mails and telegraph is completely re-estab lished between the cities of Washington and New York. Either ol them, in case of inability to consult with the other, may exercise the au thority hereby given. SIMON CAMERON, Secretary of War." And on the 4th of May, Gov. Morgan issued the following order:— "ALBANY, May 4th, 1861. Duties at the capital preventing a personal ex ercise of the powers within conferred upon me, I delegate my portion thereof to George D. Morgan, on April 26, 1861, being then, first by telegraph, apprised of this appointment. E. D. MORGAN. George Morgan was relative and business part ner of Governor Morgan, residing in New York city. Governor Morgan seerris to have regar ded this extraordinary appointment a3 a fran chise, subject to he transferred at pleasure. In connection with ths appointment of Mor gan and Gumming.? to make these purchases, the Secretaries of War and of the Treasury, as is sated by Mr. Cummings in his testimony placed in the hands of General Dix, Mr.Op dyke and Mr. Blatchford, of N. York, $2,000,- 000. This large sum of money was subject to the orders of Messrs. Morgan and Cummings or either of them. (See page 391.) Messrs. Dix, Opdyke and Blatchford were distinguished citizens of New York, and prominent mem bers of the Union Defence Committee.—But singular, enough, while these $2,000,000 are apparently placed under the safeguard of these well-known citizens of Neiv York, it was in ef fect placed at the entire disposal of Messers. Morgan and Cummings or of either of them, by the Secretory of War. Within a few days after Cummings was in vested with this authority, he drew from the Committee, through the Sub-Tieasurer, Mr. Cisco, at New York, $250,000, $90,000 of which, as Mr. Cummings insists, were applied to pay for the purchases made by the Commit tee itself, or by Mr. Blatchford, a member of it, and the residue, $160,000, he placed to his own credit in the Park Bank m New York city, and he states, in his evidence, that he made purchases for the Government to the amount of $160,000. Mr. C'ummiugs employed a clerk, Mr. James Humphery, and exhibited in that, as in most other transactions, a confiding disposition hard ly consistent with a thorough business man en gagoj in public duty. Mr. Curaniings appears to have known noth ing whatever about this Humphery, except that Thurlow Weed said he was "reliable." This clerk was authorized to make pur chases. -Mr. Cummings acteri in this extraordinary character for about fifteen days. The $90,- 000 was paid to Mr. Blatchford, or to the com mittee with which he was acting, by Mr. Cumming-, without any examining into the character of the expenditures, either by him selt or anybody else. THE WAY CUMMINGS BUYS CLOTHING. Mr. Cummings seems to have expended the $160,000 placed to his own credit in the Paik Bank according to his own fancy. He says he expended about $25,000 in clothing, and on that fioiot-says: Q. Of whom did you purchase clothing? A. I connot recall the names now. They were nearly all strangers to me. I will pro duce the vouchers. Q. Did you purchase the clothing in the matkei? A. Yes,sir. f called to my assistance a clerk, through whom I purchased what I could. Q. What were the cloths, 'full suits? A. No, sir. There were two items which covered the largest part ot the purchase—pant aloon's and hats. Q. On what requisition did you purchase bale and pantaloons l A. No requisition. Q. How came you lo purchase hats and pantaloons rather than anything else? A. Because I thought I hey would be need ed. as hot weather was coming on. I had seen the soldiers pass through here with warm won ter clothing, which I believed they could no endure wheil warm weather should come on. Q. Then you were guided by our own in formation and judgment as lo what would be needed at Washington? A. Yes,sir. Q. Had you any other guide? A. No, sir. Q. Had you any limits imposed upon your aciions except such as were imposed by your own discretion? A. No, sir. Q. You purchased such kind, quality, and amount, as was dictated by your own judg ment solely? A. Yes, sir. The clothing was linen pantaloons and stmw hats to the amount of over $24,000. Again, on this subject, Mr. Cummings says: Q. Did you consult with any authority as to (he propriety of introducing linen pantaloons into the army? A. Not until alter it was done. Alter it was done I talked with Major Sibley, and he said that it was not in accordance with the army regulation; but thee I had ceased to pur chase. • THE WAY CUMMINGS BUYB PROVISIONS AND GRO CERIES OR ALBANY HARDWARE MERCHANTS. Mr. Cummings purchased provisions and groceries. On this subject he pays: Q. Can you give me the name of any firm <f whom you purchased any of those groceries or provisions? A. "I think some supplies were purchased of Corning & Co., Albiny. Q. Do you know what they were? A. I think Ihey were p-ovisions. Q. Did you go to Albany lo see the firm? *A. No, sir. A. With whom did you do the busines? A. With Mr. Davidson, a the firm. . Q. Where did you see him? A. At the Astor House. Q. What was the nature of the supplies you purchased ol that firm? A. They were provisions. Q. Did you ascertain from him beforehand as to his familiarity with that of busi ness? A. I supposed he knew all about it. Q. The provisions were of the kind in which he dealt? A. I supposed so. Q. Did you seek him out? A. I met him at thu Astor House. Q, Did you seek him out for this purpose? A. No, sir; he came lo me. Q. Then Davidson came to you and propo sed to sell you something which you now think was some kind of provisions. A. Yes, sir. Q. What was the amount of the bill? A. Ido not remember. The vouchers will show. Q. Was it large or small? A. It amounted to several Ihousand of dol lars. WHOLE NUMBER, 9087. VOL. 5.NG.23L Q. Would it exceed or fall short of SIO,OOOI A. I cannot say. The bill will show lor itself. Q. Did you see the articles? A. No, sir. Q. How were they furnished? A. By him; and put on board of the vessel. Q. What knowledge had you ol the quality ol the articles, furnished? A. I could not have much knowledge ol it. That was out of the question. Q. Did you employ any gentleman to aea fhe articles? A. Only ray clerk, Mr. Hunphreys. Q. Were those articles brought from Alba ny here and shipped? A. I suppose so. Q. Weie they in Albany when you made the purchase? A. 1 suppose so. Q. Had you any absolute knowledge upon that point? A. No, sir. Q. What was Davidson's statement to you in reference to that thing? A. That he was familiar with that kind ol business—that he knew the value oi (he arti cles of which the Government were in need. Q. What business did he say be was familiar with? A. I think the purchasing of supplies and provisions. Q. With what branch af the supplies you were then purchasing did he say he was lamil iar? A. Mainly beef and pork, I think. Q. Did he tell you he was of the firm of E. Corning & Co.? A. I assumed that. Q. Had you knowledge then of the particu lar business in which £. Corning & Co. engaged? A. No, sir; except as dealers in produce. Q. Then you relied entirely on his own statement? A. Yes, sir. Q. And whether the firm was engaged in the produce business you did not know? A. That was my impression. The firm of E. Corning & Co. were a firm, not in the hardware business, in Albany, New York. THIs WAY CUMMINGS BUYS HARD BREAD. Q. What was the next considerable item of your purchase ? A. Hard bread. Q. What amount of that did you putcbase? A. Ido not now remember the precise a monnt. Q. Did you purchase it personally? A. My clerk purchased it. Q. From whom? A. From a house in Boston, I think. Q. Did you have any personal knowledge of that transaction ? A. Fo, sir. . Q. Did you furnish the clerk with the funds, or did you draw in favor of the seller? A. ft was paid lor after it arrived here. Q,. Paid to whom ? A- Directly to the party selling, Itvppose. Q. By you ? . A- By my clerk, / suppose. Q. What was your own personal connec tion with the (ransactioq ? A. Nothing further than that I ordered the purchase to be made and the articles to be ship ped. I was spoken to about the subject first, and it was thought to be wise to make the pur chase. CUMMINGS CHARTERS VESSELS. Mr. Cummings alto charters vessels. He tes tifies, with relerence to the charter of the Coal zacoalcoe: -Q. With whom did you make the contract? A. With Mr. Roberts, the owner. Q. Did you make a personal examination ? A. I had previously been upon her. Q. Did you invoke the aid of anybody else in making this contract with Mr. Roberts? A. I think ~ specially. Q. Did you examine her boilers? A. No sir. Q. Wbst was hor tonnage* A. Ido not know. Q. For how long a time did you charter her? A. lam not sure there was any time speci fied. Q. Before the contract was concluded with him what other inquiries did you make for ships to charter? A. What ships were here and what could be bad was a subject of inquiry at that time, and I heard of a uuinber. Several came to see me about ships. Q. What other ships did you examine? A. I did not examine any ship. I took it for granted that they were what they were rep rese.ntcd to be. Q. State the terms of the charter party? A. I cannot. Q. Cannot you give us the substance of it? A. I cannot. Q. How much did you pay? A. Either SIOOO or $1250 a day. The price was considered very high, but not more than was being paid at the time, and in the pressure we thought it wise to take her. CUMMINGS BUYS SHOES. Mr.Cummtugß interested himself in other' purchases for the Government. Q. Since the termination of your duties un der that commission have you had any other transaction with the Government of any kind? A. Not in the way of contracts. I had one transaction which, perhaps, might come under the scope of your question. When at Washing ton, after that, I heard a great clamor on ac count of the want of shoes.—Among othera, I had heard Gen. McDowell say that there were regiments that could not march on account of of the want of shoes; and I stated tM fcct the Secretary of War. He gave me a letter to
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