VOLl'iW K 51. NV" SEKliis. ■THE BEDFQRD GAZETTE HkißMilll-D EVER? FRIDAY MORNING BY ■ SIY 12. l\ lollowina TermJ, To wit: .50 p'-'r annum, CASA, in advance. $2.00 " " if pud within tlie year. n it n,tp;ud within the year. [£7*Xo subscription taken tor less than six months. ( Cs="No paper discontinued until all arrearages are paid,unless at the option of the publisher, it has heen decided by the United States Courts that the stoppaeeof a newspaper without the payment oI arrearages, is prima facie. evidence ol Iratid and is a criminal offence. E7"'l'iie covrts have decided that persons are ac countable ii.f the subscription price of newspa pers, ii t iej take them from the post office, wheth er rhey subscribe for them, or not. Original oct rn . HAPPINESS r,Y. DR. e. N. mcic jk. I've found tne gern, (1 joyous cried, As earthly happiness 1 tried.) See! here alone 'Tfs found ! But, ere .t voice replied, 'Tvras gone. I sought it still; —ln Fashion's maze, I be phantom chas'd with tpger gaze, Where'ei it led. 1 grasp'd it; but, its treac'u'ious Had fled. ,oTiGw.d thsf i rapariila \vtß( ■|L 1 the ' itself is justly (1 Yirons with i cat!J this cor supply such a from the i yt And c (hi k\ has virtu-si i n n „ ryruocfihe -My treasure, when the rnornii ><& b Was dead. *>• I then in Learning's mystic trail " I'ursued my search, but sought if., h Her feeble light Served but to render doubly plain, The night. M 1 Un.sated still, my spint burn'd; To Bacchus' boasted fount I turned, To lave it there. Rut iou..d (with every ionguir Despair. T 1 Arr.Lition's path pursued; ' ' \L 1 1 eompass'd Nature, tar and near; lp| Mi polar snow>, on burning sar. ls, W Ai d charm.r.g scenes of fairy lands I Travers'd the tr ckle-s ocean o'er, jL' n ITa ,a's clasMc^hoi^pg^.-^. 1 ' r,;lr - f ' s of gems, oil coral strands • Wanderd mi J ;u in'd r, 1, ■. r .. . i he iccords ol the n :h'v dead • Ji;a " k the well of SsVl-'ce; knelt At Beauty's shrine • u-ii> o With "y' Z v .. Tv '' : K *Rr>o t echoing spheres," ntid raptur'd, h-arl I lie tr'usic of ibe seraph world: V* Cii D ll (J [TGR* V I Tt* : n AA .T L . , ' **i ii, <?aitn, sea aj,<i gj Div-d to the deepest mystery ; Quaff ".I every cup, that wealth could buy- In hope to find N>rn ; precious gem, to satisfy The mind. 1 ->as ail in vam : —Each hour tnat pass'd narkly lower'd than tbo last; t And over ail • My longings, Disappointment cast °h where can peace be found I ciiedflß For it, I'd g.ve all else beside— Bear s.„ur>e and loss. ' jjß 1 '"'rVe'^r* 1 '" SlßrnaU Voice " fplied^H Ah t*-re 1 io\ • if ; and though years h..vlVaW Ar.d wish their?, borne earth's hopes, and joypFwa s,iii reuai. -■. friends all are gone, lov'd ones lijve pass away, and not one heart is left, io brat in uiiiooo with rr.uie. Wealth too UAC;. wings. u;.;I du.>'.;D<utjs and now The good look On" the W " y, " de ■ !'f "! * cu *. § 1 r charity i , " ty ' afi d bej° ar 4 r -s. i'U rnv herrt , C°Tl" ' kl m °" """ 'l tii, V, ' ■ " "'i""- 1 '" 1 tu. ,h„ ,11. My mansion, lies far out ol tr. mal Sl „ hf . My treasures, are where thief c,, tiever °J ah Nor moth corrupt. M y joys, |L fleetl ¥orllJ an ne"het give nor lake away j have No fear ; all, a„ is saie, 'A& "J. . Of I ' lM} w ho doth all well. l LL 8 m y ere, is sweetly cast, on Hoi J o caretti ioi me. 1 hunger not; for wb<| - . scanty crnst is gone, my faith looks up, I tbansel ' #food - And wheJ ]' '' c " ' 1 ld > roe down, upon the coid, a amp ground, or, in some broken shed I seil or rest, the curtains of His love, are draw 1 Around me, and my soul is -a arm) fo| i y Leart ,s "P. a ray of Heaven. I And whe„ a few more days have fl oW p 1 j Ahd he last Hiring sand is g oae| HK will be nigh; How blessed then, to lay nw dpwn And die. : ASTOUNDING fiiSCLOSUKES!! ! i E2ow ihe Ziciuifolacan§ Ilei'onii. THE WAY GOVERNMENT IS PLI IN HERED !! Report of Congressional Investigating Com mittee. WASHINGTON, Dec. 17.—Vin Wyck's Select Committee to inquire into Government Con tracts, made a leport to the House o! Represen tatives to-day of their progress. It was pre sented by Mr. Washburne of Illinois. ihe labors of ihe Committee are far from beinj closed. A large number of transactions at Washington and elsewhere seem to 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- j ts!s. THE STEAMER CATA LINE CASE. j Among the first subjects investigated was the i charter ot the steamn Cataline. She was char- < tered by Col. D. D. Tompkins, Assistant Quar ter Master-General ot New York, under an or- j J'yvny G-t). Wool. j j Tile contract wtth the Government is no*, re- ' c markable lor disinterestedness in promoting the i y Naliooai welfare; yet the Government wiiicer-j ainly be satisfied with ordinary fairness and 1 n integrity in contracts made on its behall, even i a 1 a willingness to seize upon the public mis- I fortunes for personal aggrandizement is manliest i in tlie transactions. \Vhile the Republic has a | right to expect it, it cannot compel the unsel- ! , lisli devotion ol the citizens. , The provision that th— Government shall pay j .' 500,000 for a vessel just purchased for $14,000, ! in the event of her loss, by a per il not covered i by the insurance, is totally indefensible. Hut ! .the main provision ol the while un- | doubtediy exorbitant, is less to be condemned. I Government was to pay $ 10,000 per month cur the vessel, and that, too, for a period of not > tr.au tnree months. Col. Tompkins sepms to have paid no attention to the time for which • i.ie vessel was chartered. The order of Gen. v\ 00l is silent on the subject. The presence ol; jjLapt. Comstock at the lime tlie proposition was ' £rawn up would justify the inference that the! lime, winch was a very material feature in the 1 Contract, was adjusted between himself and pP,-v*4.,. -n-' n-m, -rtre- MM.. J !In u 1 ' present. TLe Committee especially call attention to \ the arrangement between the Secretary of the j Nav\ and Mr. Morgan, for purchasing vessels or ihe Government, saying that it is of sucli a ! C^Racter, whether it be in the st lJJU fated amount j ec*:i.vd, or in Itie mode of payment, alike in llfensible and reprehensible, xbat arrangement is a system ot commission, per cent, of the purchase nuney paid j or eacti vessel, and one under which Morgan •Ceived as compensation during the period ot en fieeks previous to the Gth day of Septein b-n(when hi- testimony was laken) the enor i supi of •s"> I,sb4 —as admitted by himself LtutflLUie committee. It he has received the /MIII rate ot compensation since as belore that | there m'M te added to this sum paid htm lb re that date the further commission ot $43,- 14A tor servjc-Jrendered since, narking, in all, | 'fa u° r 'tis %ervic-i\s agent of the Government • ofh oj 'o! >j a period of fur and ! /ui' Jh/,,' h <l. TH.: PURCHASE OF ARMS. 1 a " Uee n \' (it * v,)leJ themselves to A/ V' the pu:% aa e of arms. The ex- ; - R demand 1 ]), resulting from the <.oJ :> .'j/lp, oveithroi%; ie Union, lias result- j ' h • -x ordinary exi.-<i|i:tures. and, exci ing riie c ( -iol of large o%bt rs of persons both %ba Ainnica, opened up a sys i . I™ o, "nfedented The Gov a,, erumec hsleen the victi%f m ore than one conspiry,ai:J remarkabli% tn biuations have • been rob tiie Trea%. | j Jhe pitLirorr. the sale to the Go yernmeni. enoimou %B J realized too, fie man) m-aties, by our ownJ,.„ 3 , through n h n !' m °''\ era ze as uopriijpjed and dis y | ... j.' I a .'' j, '^ r 'lriendly to success ar.d treason ° || ,0n aS thS " { actual 1 ine system Lpted at an earl f or the purchase naturaUy erased this es.iit. ihe and tbese f k{ States 1 entering the mWt in active and X t conl .' , petition, stimulate it is true, to som^L u ex . i ; ter.t, and but lemjrai ily, the importi, an j I ; manufacture of an>, but scarcely co:i. ( lor a general probacy in the expencX ot ( the public and the corruptionj j_ ie j public morals. , Since the adjournment of the Extra S.j on i I U1 Congress, the V\tr D. partment is under.on ' i •a have autnorizea the several Stales, auto ' £ have recognized th right iri the Generals cc-i i m.ir.oing the sever! divisions iu the purchase arms, to be paid lor by the ' er,ia,t * n t, creatgg an unwise and ruinoull competition against itself, without increasing '(-number ol armsln the market, j ■> JJor Morgan, arjordinance officer, who was ngag.'c Wj j| le p urc j ase auc j ing p ec tion of arms, testified as tolhws --1 ' nf •,! e a ?ents of ffemont, of the Governors j . , a |' t 'ties, cj| Union Defence Commit- i nf ' ° °' on eis of Regiments, and of Generals ! our Army, are afll here in New York. 1 j i"y. H lrt " a t>' tor arms, and the first thing I j i, lue arms are sold to some agent. Some of i -e men who hold the arms I sometimes think, ' I, e l; 'P- J:>e d not to have a 6oa fide sale. They' 10 l<ee P the arms in the market, in order to i vance the price. I think they have been gam- I 'ing in arms just as they do in slocks, etc." he Committee remarß that tfi# numerous ca- BEDFORD, PA., FRIDAY MORNING, JANUARY 10,1862. ses which have come under their observation, I | ttie price paid for arms was inexcusably exorbi- j I talit. In some instances the arms were worth- I less, and in others exorbitance in price was cou ! pied with other evidence of a purpose to de i fraud the Government. j The abuses in the purchase of Austrian and j other fire-arms are noticed in the testimony ap ! peiided. OFFICIAL FRAUD. The Committee call attention to a case of the official prostration of otticial position to the base purpose of 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 ot Wood, enjoying the confidence of the | President, was appointed Commissioner of Pub lic Buildings, a p!ac.- not otdy requiring great business capacity, but unflinching iniegrity; and that Wood, from his own declarations, made himself an instrument lor plundering the Gov j ernmeut. The Committee, in discharge ol their duty, made a representation of the facts to the I Executive, but before any action was laken, the I Government was relieved from the presence of ; an unworthy otlicial by his resignation. THE FORTIFICATIONS AT ST. LOUIS. ; The Committee next approach the subject ol ; the fortifications at St. Louis. The circumstau ; ces snriounding this work being of the most ex | Inordinary character, and marked by exirava , gance, reckLsatiess, insubordination, and fraud, j '-bey express the hope that some means may be ( found to make the parties to the atrocious con ! tract disgorge the sum out of which the Gov ; eminent has been defrauded, and that the la j borers who have done the work on the faith of the Government, will not longer be delayed in ; ieceiving their just dues. ; THE PURCHASE OF HORSES AND MULEL The Committee found that the most astound . ing and unblushing frauds had been perpetrated ; in the purchase ot horses and mules, and mat j ters were so arranged that it wa3 impossible for ! | the original owners to sell either horses or mules i directly to Government, but all such sales were I made by certain middle-men and go-betweens, I 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 of adver tising for supplies for the various departments iof the Government was designed to correct a 1 great public evil—a system ol .corrupt favont- I ism in Government cootiacls. To prevent the 1 provisions ot the act from operating prejudicial- ! to Ihe Government in casts of unfiw#seen^ i versal application; and the exception, perrait l ting cuntiacts to be made without advertising I ibr proposals incases where " immediate delioe- ' ' ry," has left the enforcement of the law to the j | option of the public odicer on whose integrity the law is, in Ihe inam / dependent for its effi ciency. It he would act corruptly, he will, under the exception, fail to invite competition. But the exceptiuh was ritcessaiy ; and, at the beginning ot tlie present national difficulties, the purchase ol supplies at once, to meet the wants ol an armv suddenly brought into tlie fit Id, was utavoidable. No agau >u foresight could, in the ordmaiy course ol events, have guarded against it ; and in judging the acts of puoiic officers, in connection with the questions cf integrity and economy, the extiaordinary | emergency must be considered. Yet the Com mittee are compelled to slate that, either thro' J corrupt motives, or lor a want ol reasonable ! prudeuce, the act of Congress ha 3 been almost a drad letter, even in that large class ot cases where it might hive been properly applied. Immense supplies, both in tile Navy as well as the Y ar Department, the necessity lor which, I in the ordinal y course of things, was easily lore seen, have Deen purchased privately, uudercon- , tracts expressed or implied, without any compe- I lition being invited. In one important division j of the ar.rn (tne Western) the law has been al rivjs totally disiegarded, and even the safeguard ' ol the responsibility ol public oiliceis has, in many cases, oeen unnecessarily removed by the employment ol irresponsible agents in tlie pur- | ciiase ol iatge quantities of supplies, tven where responsible and expeiicnctd and upright public officers weie in a position to peilorin the requi red duly. A vast amount of supplies have been made on what is called '-a requisition." In the Western Department, especially, ''requisitions" ; have si pplied the place ol contracts, and were j generally in the following form : 3 . HtIAD-qtURTEKS, QIIARTEH MAST Ells' DGT'T, / ST. LOUIS, September 2, ISFIL. J Messrs. LIV.NGSION, BCLL &. Co. will furnish M Quartermasters' Department with—s,ooo pairs' 1 ot cavalry boots, 5,000 suits infantry uniforms, 5,000 canteens, 10,000 infantry hats, 10,000 : ' army shoes, 10,000 army overcoats, 5,00J knap sacks, 10,000 pairs socks, 10,000 undershirts, (army pattern.) All to be made of the best I material, and conform to army regulations and requirements; the cost of manufacttiie, mate- ' - rial and transportation to be furnished to this ' department, upon which the quartermaster will I allow a lair mercantile profit to the cantrar Messrs. L. B. & Co. J. MCKINSTRY, Major and Quartermaster. A true copy: H. W. G. CLEMENTS, Chief Clerk. ; C;i such requisitions a single firm in St. Lou —the firm of Child. Piait &. Fox—furnished ( m time to lime, ordinary army supplies to i tl-value of over SBOO,OOO, apparently wilh i office price of a single article being previous i'y "termmed. What is meant in these "re quisfbris" as 'n fair mercantile profit " mav j T'ffrd of by the testimony of Mr. James P. i Gogh* f the book-keeper of the firm of Child, i Pratt ad Fo X> who testified as follows : j "Q l 'i|ion. What would be the per cent, of ; profit or|hat safe of blankets? Answe, About forty cents. QuestiuL Would the profits of the remain der of 3old by Child, Pratt Sr Fox to thfl Government be about thesaaie as the profits Freedom of Thomfct and Opinion. on the goods mentioned in your testimony of i yesterday and this morning? Answer. I should think so. While the investigations of the committee a.'e impressed them wim the conviction that, ith a tew exceptions, ihe Quartermasters and Commissaries in the regular employment at the C jvprnrnent as members of the old regular my are gentlemen ol ample and equal ca , city and fidelity, and io the midst of our mis rtunes have been ever jealous for the public - el tare, the occasional and irresponsible agents employed by the departments to purchase sup plies have, either through want of experience ir of integrity sacrificed the public interests. It is proper to remark that in furnishing pplies in the Western Department the com inding General was peculiarly unfortunate the character of the men by whom lie was rrounhed. The system of public plunder hieh pervaded the Department was inaugura ' d at tlie very begining, and followed up with untiring zeal; the public welfare as entirely overlooked and as effectually ignored as if the var was gotten up to enable a mammoth'scheme > speculation, at the expense of the people, to ! be carried out. To illustrate the importance of system in the " Ufchase ot these supplies, as well as i mce of only employing the reasonable agents jf Government in the execu'ion of public trusts, instead of irresponsible temporary agents, thro' ' horn a system of favoritism could be consum mated, the Committee call the especial atten tion of the House to the purchase of supplies / Alexander Curnmings, in the city of New York, under the direction of the Secretary of War. The purchase of these supplies, with it advertising for competition, was clearly jus '..fiabie. But the lailure to employ in this business an experienced public officer, furoish .-ajust ground ol public complaint, •These purchases were made on the spur of a I essing necessity, commencing about the 21 st of April; but at thai time th>*re were in the city of Ne'v York, at the head ot Quartermas ttr and Commissary Departments, gentlemen i : miliar with every want cf !he army, familiar j v ith the New York markets, and possessing N 'ery other advantage which years of exper ience could confer. Major Eaton, the Assis t ot Commissary-General of New York, and j Cbl. Tompkms, the Assistant Quartermaster .vneraf, at the same city, were lully entitled tlie confidence of the Government on the re of capacity, experience, integrity and ism. The legitimate duties of each of j tTTese gentlemen nave, io some extent, been" j performed by persons entirely irresponsible to the Government, and of, at least, limited ex perience, and, so far as the committee is inform ed, without any public necessity, for the heads ol those departments at New York have been , fu:!y able to meet any emergency. On the 21st of April, Alexander Curnmings, who for twelve years was the editor of the live ning Bulletin in Pennsylvania, and for the past eighteen month-the publisher of a newspaper called The World, in New York'citv, received t .vo letters from the Hon. Simon Cameron, Sec retary of War; the one apparently a private letter, the other more official, after srating that the War Department needed an intellgent, ex ' petienced and eneigetic man to assist in push ing forward troop? and supplies, and calling his attention to the fact of his knowledge of the railroads in Pennsylvania, says:—"with this view, { will thank you, in consultation with the officerso! the army and the navy, to assist in getting vessels, or arranging with the rail road companies for the accommodaiion ol the troops as fast a- they are ready to march to their destination, and also to assist them in making purchase or other arrangements, and to com municate at the earliest moment any information 1 of service to this Department." No person but the Secretary of War, seems to have been aware ot Mr. Cumming's peculiar fitness for so important a duty as the purchase |of supplies, when great buisiness expeiience and familiai ity with the New York maiket,and army supplies in general, were indispensable, but on tne 23d of April, two days alter Curn mings was instructed to co-operate with the officers of the government, the Secretary of War issued the following order:— DEPARTMENT OF WAR, April 23, 1861. Jn consideration of the extraordinary emer gencies which demand immediate and decisive measures lor the preservation of the national capital, and the defence of the National Gov ernment, f hereby authorize Edwin D. Morgan, Governor of the State of New York, and Al exande- Curnmings now in the city of New York, to make all necessary arrangements for the transportation of troops and munitions of war in aid arid assistance of the officers ot the army of theUniled States, until communication bv mails ami telegraph is completely re-estab lished between the cities of Washington ana New York. Either of them, in case of inability to consult with the other, may exercise the au thority hereby given. SIMON CAMERON, Secretary ol War." And on the 4th of May, Gov. Morgan issued the following order: "ALBANY, May 4th, lob 1 - i 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 seems to have regar ded this extraordinary appointment as a fran chise, subject to be transferred at pleasure. In connection with the appointment of Mor gan and Cummings to wake these purchases, ihe Secretaries of War and of the Treasury, as is sated by Mr. Cummings m his testimony placed in the hands of General Dix, Mr.Op dyke and Mr. Blatchford, of N. York, $2,000,- ' 000. This large sum o! moijey was subject to i the orders of Messrs. Morgan and Curnmings or either of them. (See page 391.) Messrs. Dix, Opdyke and Blatchford were distinguished citizens of ?\ew York, and prominent mem bers of the Union Defence Commit^e. —But singular, enough, while these S2,OJ®OO are apparently placed under the these well-known citizens of New Yorl, it was in ef fect placed at the entire disposal of Messers. Morgan and Curnmings or of either of them, by the Secretary of War. Within a few days after Curnmings was in vested with this authority, he drew from the Commit tee, through the Sub-Tteasurer, Mr. Cisco, at New York, $250,000, $90,000 of which, as Mr. Curnmings 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 in New York city, and he states, in hi? evidence, that he made purchases for the Goveijnrnent to the amount ol $160,000. Mr. Curnmings employed a clerk, Mr. James Humpbery, and exhibited in that, as in most other transactions, a confiding disposition haid ly consistent with a thorough business man en gagod in public duty. Mr. Curnmings appears to have known noth ing whatever about this Humpherv, except that Thurlow Weed said he was "pliable." This clerk was authorized to mAce pur chases. Mr. Curnmings acted in this extraordinary character for about fifteen days. The $90,- (>OO was paid to Mr. Blatchford, or to the com mittee with which he was acting, by Mr. I Curnmings, without any examining into the i character of the expenditures, either by him self or anybody else. THE WAY CUMMINGS BUYS CLOTHING. Mr. jammings seems to have expended the $160,000 placed to his own credit in the Patk ( Bank according to his own fancy. He says he expended about $25,000 in clothing, and on ■ that poiul says: j Q. Of whom did you purchase clothing? A. I conool 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 market? A. Yes,sir. J calied 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 of the purchase—pant- 'it.u -i.alji Q- On what requisition did you purchase hats and pantaloons* A. No requisition. Q. How came you to purchase hats and pantaloons rather than anything else? A. Because I thought they 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 when warm wpather should come on. Q. Then you were guided bv our own in formation and judgment as to 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 actions except such as wete imposed by your own discretion? A. No, sir. Q. You purchased such kind, quality, and amount 5 as was dictated by your own judg ment solely? A. Yes, sir. The clolhtng was linen pantaloons and straw hats to the amount of over $24,000. Again, on this subject, Mr. Ccmmings says: Q. Did you consult with any authority as to the propriety of introducing linen pantaloons into the army? A. Not until alter it was done. Alter it tvas doue i talked with Major Sibley, and he said that it was not in accordance with the army regulation; but then I had ceased to pur chase. THE WAY CUMMINGS BUYS PROVISIONS AND GRO CERIES OF ALBANY HARDWARE MERCHANTS. Mr. Curnmings purchased provisions and groceries. On this subject he *3ys: Q. Can you give me the name ol any firm of whom you purchased any of those groceries or provisions? A. I think some supplies were purchased of Corning Si Co., Albany. Q. Do you know what they were? A. I think they were p r ovisions. Q. Did you go to Albany to see the firm? A. No, sir. A. With whom did you do the busines? A. With Mr. Davidson, a member ot the firm. Q. Where did you see him? A. At the Astor House. Q. What was the nature of the supplies you purchased of lhal firm? A. They were provisions. Q. Did you ascertain from him beforehand as io his 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 the Astor House. Q. Did you seek him out for this purpose? A. No, sir; he came to 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 tfcok. lars. WHOIJE AOIBER, 3987. Q. Would it exceed or fall short of $10,000? ! A. I caonot say. The bill will show tor itself. Q.. Did you see the articles? A. No, sir. ,* Q. How wtre they furnished? A. By him; and put on board oi the vessel. ' Q. What knowledge had you ot the quality ol the articles, furnished? A. I could not have much knowledge ot it. That was out of the question. Q. Did you employ any gentleman to see the articles? A. Only my clerk, Mr. Q. Were those articles brought from Alba ny here and shipped? A. 1 suppose so. Q. Were 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. VVhat was Davidson's statement to you in to that thing? A. ThaWW was familiar with that kind of business—that he knew the value of the arti cles of which the Government were in need. Q. What business did he say he was familiar with? A. I think the purchasing of supplies and j provisions. Q. With what branch af the supplies you were then purchasing did he say he was laraii iar? I A. Mainly beef and pork, I think. Q. Did he tell you he was of the firm of E. Corning &, Co.? # A. 1 assumed that^ Q. Had you knowledge then of the particu laivbusiness in which E. Corning & Co. were engaged? A. No, sir; except as dealers ia 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, odktethe hardware business, in Albany, New KvAY CUM MINGS BUYS HARD BREAD. VVhat wa9 the next considerable item of your purchase ? A. Hard bread. Q. What amount of that did you puichase? A. Ido sot stow .-rthe precise a mount. 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 rhe clerk with the funds, or did you draw in favor of the seller * A. It was paid tor after it arrived here. Q. Paid to whom ? A - Directly to the partv sellingf, 1 suppose. Q. By you? ' * A* By my clerk. I suppose. Q. What was your own personal connec tion with the transaction ? A. .Nothing further than that I ordered tho purchase to be made and the articles to be ship ped. I was spoken to about the subjpct first, and it was thought to be wise to make the pur chase. COMMINGS CHARTERS VESSELS. Mr. Cu mmings also charters vessels. He tes tifies, with relerence to the charter of the Coal zacoalcos : Q. With whom did you make the contract? A. With Mr. Robeits, the owner. Q. Did you make a personal examination ? A. I had previously been upon her. Q. Did you invoke the aid of anybodv else in making ttiis contract with Mr. Roberts ? A. I think not, specially. Q. Did you examine her boilers? A. No sir. Q. Whit was her tonnage? A. Ido not know. Q. For how long a time did you charter her? A. lam not sure there was any timespeci- I 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 number. 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 wen what they were rep~ resented 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 !j>12.00 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. CU.MMINGS BUYS SHOES. Mr.Cummmgs interested himaelf in other purchases for the Government. Q. Since the termination of your duties un der that commissiou 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 others, had heard Gen. McDowell say that there wete regiments that coujd not march on account of of the want of shoes; and I stated thus fact to the "Secretary of War. He gare me a letter to VOL. 5. N6.2a
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