BY DAVIT) OVER.
InierestiQg and Important Disclosures'
OLl) UR BUCIIAMtIV 4\> HIS *-
IIIXISTHiTIOSi U\JI4SKfcD!
Abstract of the Testimony taken before the
Committee on Public Expenditures [John B.
Hnskin, Chairman,) to investigate Corrup
tions inregnrd to the Disburs merits oj the.
Public Printing Fund.
Forney's Washingtou correspondent, "Occa
sional," furnishes his paper, ,; Tbe Press,'' with
the following, which, owing to the iiuporiaut
character of tho matter, we give in detail. —
Let the People read it, and jiiga ct the cor
ruption :>f old Mr. Buchanan's Administration.
If such shameful wa9te of the People s uioney
is winked at and encouraged in the business ot
Public Priuting, what is the state of affairs iu
o'her, more important, departments of the Gov
ernment? This, however, oat) never bo learned
unless we have a change cf Administration, or
through Investigating Committees.
The Way in which the Public Printing is
Farmed Out.
Cornelius Wendell sworn— by the
Chairman:
Question. Were you the printer de f'tclo of
the last Congress? Answer. I was.
Q. Who was elected printer of that House?
A. J. B. SteaJruan.
Q. You are the printer of tho House until
you are supers- ded? A. That is the custom.
I hold over uu*-l another priuter is elected.
Q He was eieeted printer of the Thirty-fifth
Congress? A. Yes, Sir.
Q. Did he ever perform the duties of that
office? A. No, sir.
Q. When did you commenco performing 'he
duties of printer to the House* A. immediate
ly ou his electioo.
Q Will you be kind enough to state, ,n s
coucise a manner as jiossible, the terms upon
which you became the printer de. 'facta, as be
tween you and Mr. Stead man, the priuter elect
of the Thirty-fifth Congress? A. I stipulated
with biui to do tho work for nixiy four ccuts in
the dollar.
Q. Sixty four cents on tbedollar 7 A. Yes,
sir.
Q. That is, where you received one dollar for j
certain printing, you got sixty-four cents out of :
it fot doing the work? A. Yes, sir.
Q. by Mr. Fouke. He g>t thirty-six cents
out of the dollar and you the balance 7 A. Yes,
sir. Afterwards that arraignment was set aside
and i gave him a stipulated sum and took tho
chances. He was very anxious for money and
1 bought him out entirely.
Q, by the Chairman. Your first agreement
with him wh-* to do the work for sixty-four cents
on the dollar paid him by tho lloust? A. Yes,
sir.
Q. And subsequently, be kind enough to state
about what time, you bought him out entirely
for a stipulated sum. A. lie was elected in De
cember, and in May following, I think, 1 gave
bim a stipulated sum.
Q. How much was that? A. Thirty-four
thousand dollars.
Q That was the whole bonus you paid bim
for selling out to you tho tight of Printer to
the House? A. No, sir; subsequently to that
about a year, raloet thai, have a row in the
ii -use about the matter, I p-n-i him §l,B'-0. —
It was a black-mtii operation with him; he
threatened to resign, and make a tous gene
rally.
Q. Were any other parties interested with
him in the profits of the printing on his elec
tion. A. Yes, sir; Mr. A. D. Brnks, 31 r.
Washington .McLean, Judge Walker, and some
two or three others, who Leld minor interests.
The Profits of ih<> Public Printing, and who
G- ta T/um.
Q. Were you the printer of the 34 h Con
gress? A. I was elected priater of the 34th
Congress.
Q. Can you state from recollection the amount
of money paid during the 34th Congress for
the printing done for the House of Represen
tatives? A. I think it was about §230,000:
1 am not positive; it was some considerable sum
over two hundred thousand dollars.
Q. Can you state from recollection the profit?
A. Well, i could no*, come very near it from
the fact 1 was doing the Senate at-d txecufive
work, binding and ail together, and kept uo
distinct account of the profit. I should imagine
the profit ran near forty-five cents.
Q. Forty-five cents on the dollar? A. Yes,
sir.
Q. Can you state the aggregate amount paid
■for the priutiug of tho House during the 35th
CoDgress? A. It was a trifle, over §200,000; I
think about §212.000, if my memory serves me.
I have ail tbese figures to a cent.
Q. Can joa tell wbat was the net profit on
♦he work done for the 35th Congress? A. 1
think it ran in the neighborhood of foriy cent 9;
some of the work is not so heavy as some other,
because it is not the same style. The price de
peuds upon the style. Therefore we may do
one handred thousand dollars worth of a par
ticular kiud of work and make forty cents profit
on the dollar, an-J we may do another kiud aDd
make sixty or sevcuty cents profit on the dollar.
The prices are fixed by law, and the established
scale is varying.
Q. are you doing the printing for the present
House of Representatives? A. Messrs. En
glish & Larootnbo are doing the work at my
office. _
Q. Who is doing the printing for the Senate?
A. Mr. Rives.
Q Who ie the printer of the Senate? A. G.
W. Bowman.
Q. l-i <> y. u kn w the profits r oeived by Mr.
Botroun t:p printing lone f<>r the Scunu ?
Do yon k ?'■* j iofita of tue Senate printer?
A Weekly Paper, Devoted to Literature, Politics, the Arts. Sciences, Agriculture, &c., &c-~Terras: One Dollar and Fifty Cents in Advance.
A. I understand Mr. Hives gives him thirty-three
aud a third per cent.
Q. He gives that amount to Mr. Bowman*—
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Do you know the aggregate cost of the
Senate printing during the 34;h Congress? A.
It was about. § 100,000; I think one hundred
and four or one hundred and five thousaud
dollars; it was a trifle over one hundred thou
s *nd.
Q , by Mr. Somes. I waist to know what the
net profits now are. A. lam informed that Mr.
Hives testified before a committee ot the Senate
that he gave Bowmen thirly-threo and a third
per cent, of tho gross amount, but that he could
not make it, and that his object in doing that
wis to break Wendell down. So I have been
told by the reporter of the Senate committee.
In speaking of profits gentlemen must bear iu
mind that !t ought to be calculated upon the
aggregate amount of work done. For instance,
give me the Semite, House, and executive print
ing sad binding, and, with the faciltiea 1 have
for doing the work, I should say the profits
would range about fifty couts ou the dollar,
ail arouues—le9s interest on investment, per
haps.
Q. Do you recollect the aggregate amount
paid tor printing past office blauks during the
3">th Congress? A. I think it averaged about
$40,000 per year.
Q. D> you kuow the profit on that to the per
son who was paid by. the Government for doing
the work? A. One half, sir.
Q. Do you know what their several interests
were? A. I understood that Mr. liauks inter
est was one half, 31 r. McLean's one-third, and
Judge Walker, 1 think, iuformed uie that he
had a quarter interest.
Q. ilad Mr. Sieaduiau, at the time of Uis
vlcetion, any faciities here in Washington for
doing the work which the-public priuier wouW
be compelled to do? A. None whatever.
Mr. Cloptoo. I weuld like to ask Mr. Wen
dell what per ceut would bo a reasonable profit
on the cost of tire House priutiug. i take it
at, what you hive said about the House printing
is applicable to the Senate priutiug? A. Yes,
sir. Take tho average all through—Senate,
House and executive—and the work costs about
fifty cents on the dollar. As arr evidence of
that, I did the work, I think for two years, tor
fifty cents on the dollar, and made uroeey by it.
I look it, i thick, from the estate of General
Armstrong, died while be was printer.—
That was the House printing alouc. I had fac
iities"then, for I wis d'bug the Senate printing
as manager for Tucker, and took the work from
the Armstrong estate and from Judge Nichol
son, who succeeded Gen. Armstrong.
The President, the Printing Plunder, and his
Organ.
Q., by the chairman. Was there any con
dition affixed to your doing the work of the 85th
Congress, by which you were to own aud con
duct the Government organ, The Constitution ?
A. No, sir.
Q. That wis a voluntary enterprise? A. Yes,
sir. The editor of the organ is generally sup
posed to command the patronage of the Presi
dent. There is a good deal of this work at the
disposal of the President —say an aggregate of
one hundred thousand dollars per year, more or
less.
Q. At the disposal of the President ? A.
Yes, sir. That patronage the organ has com
manded for years, it being impossible to keep
a paper up here without Government support.
Q. Is this one hundred thousand dollars worth
of patronage you speak of at the disposal of
the President personally ? A. The law provi
des that it shall be under the coutrol of the
heads of the departments ; but if the President
signifies to his Cabinet that he would be pleased
to see A, B, or C get it, as a matter of cour>e
they will obey his wishes. It has been a mat
ter of custom for the President to dispose of it.
Mr. Buchanan has done it and his predecessor,
Mr. Pierce, did it. I never had any inter
course with the Cabinet in the matter ; my in
tercourse Las beeu direct with Mr. Buchanan,
and was so with Mr. Pierce.
Q. You say the aggregate amount paid for
the executive printing per year is $100,000?
A. from $85,000 to 110,000. i think it will
average sioo,ooo.
Q. Do tbe profits on that printing average
fifty cents on the dollar? A. A portion of it
averages much more ; but the average on tbe
whole of it is about sixty five cents on the dol
lar.
Q. Was there ever any understanding with
you while you had that printing that a portion
of the profits should be ÜBsd towards sustain
ing tbe organ ? A. Yes, sir ;It was given for
the purpose of sustaining tbe organ.
Q. Was there ever any understanding be
tween you and the president as to what portiou
of the profits should go towards sustaining the
Government organ ? A. No, sir; 1 cannot say
there was a direct understanding 1 understood
it, and 1 suppose he did.
Q. There was no distinct sum fixed upon out
of the profits? A. No, sir. The understand
ing was that the papier should go on.
Q. And that that patronage should support
it ? A. Yes, sir. 1 never had anythiug to
say about editing it.
The President Changes His Editors Often.
(J. Who was your editor? A. Mr. Apple
ton, Mr. Win. A. Harris, Mr. Simeon Johnson,
aud Mr. R. W. Hughes. They wero changed
ofteu.
Judge Black and Assistant Secretary off State,
Appleton; write for the "Organ."
Q. 1 ask whether you can state, from your
owu kuowle-ige, that any of the heads of tho
executive departments wrco editorials that
wne published in the Urnon t
A. My impression is, 1 may say, Judge
Blck wrote for it. I thiuk he wrote several
artolss, but 1 do not know positively that any
BEDFORD. PA., FRIDAY. APRIL 20, 1800.
other member of the Cabinet did. That's my
impression. I could not swear positively, nev
er having taken mnnuseript from them. Mr.
Appleton contributed as editor after he went
into the State Department.
Q. Were bis articles on general politics?—
A. Ou general politics.
General George Washington Bowman on the
Stand—He draws a fine distinction between
a Sub-Contractor and a Foreman.
George W. Bowmiu, sworu. Examined by
the Chairman. •
11. Where do you ro.-ide, and what is your
occupation? A. I reside in this city, on II
street, between Tenth and Eleventh. lam ed
itor and proprietor of the Conotitutiou, and
printer to tho Senate.
Q. How long have you been printer fo the
Senate? A. Since the 17th o? January. I
think that was the day on which I was elected.
The 17th of Jauuaryof the present year.
Q. How long have you been the editor and
proprietor of the "Constitution 1" A. Since
the 11th of April last.
Q. Do you perform the public'printing your
self, or have you contracted it out. A. 1 per
form the public printing just in the way a man
would who was a printer, and undertook to
discharge or oversee everything pettiining to
the public printing. 1 employ Mr. Hives to
execute the work for uic, for which I pay hiur
at the rato of (>G§ cents on the dollar of all
printing that shall be executed and passed by
tue Superintendent of Public Printing.
Q. tlow much uiouey Lave you invested as
Senate printer to execute the work required of
you ? A. what money havo I invested ? I
have Mr. Rives; as I stated iu the beginning,
employed to execute the work for me mechan
ically.
Q. Have you invested aDy money ? Docs
he not do all the work. Has he not all the
materials? A. Yes sir; he does the whole
work.
(j. He owns the presses, materials, and
everything with which the work is done? A.
Yes, sir.
Q. Have you made any investment for the
purchase of presses? A. No, sir.
Q., by Mr. Hindmao. The presses are your
investment for tho preeenf, being in your em
ploy ? A. \ T es, sir; aud I have the control of
the office just as much as if it belonged to uie,
for the execution of the work 1 have to do.
Q , by Mr. ijomea, Mr. Rives is a sub-oon
tracior under you? A. No, sir ; he is siißpty
employed as a foreman by uie.
Q. 1 understand you to say that he did the
work for you for sixty.six aud two third cents
on toe dollar? A. He is employed by me as
my foreman, just as 1 employ a foreman in the
Constitution office, to superintend the compo
sition, read the proofs, make up the forms and
a'tend to the busiuos of the office. I give it
all the personal attention required.
Q., by the Chairman. Where is this public
priming done, which you were elected to do ?
A. In Mr, Rives, office, the Globe office, on
Pennsylvania A venue.
Q. Who owns the building in which it is
done ? A. 1 presume Mr. Rives does, 1 Lave
never inquired.
Q. Who owns the type used id ibe compo
sition, and the presses ? A. Mr. llives.
(J. Who purchases the paper] A. The Gov
ernment, the printer has nothing whatever to
do with the purchase of the paper.
(j. WfTo employs the hands who set the type
and work the presses ? A. Mr. Rives, as uiy
foreman, simply as uiy foreman.
Q. Have you invested a dollar in this con
cern of Mr. llives, where the printing is doue,
which you were elected by the Senate to do ?
A. I have employed Mr. ltives as my foreman,
aud he furnished the office and the material.
General Bowman Dodges.
Q. are the profits of the Senate printing, or
any part of tho*e profits, appropriated toward
sustaining the newspaper kuown as The Consti
tution, or any other newspaper ?
Mr. HiDdmar;, 1 object—
The witness interiupting. By my election
as Seuate printer, there was no appropriation
made in any way to the support of any news
paper out of the profits thereof.
Ilisiorg of the Post Office Blank Printing.
Q. You have said that you priuted the post
office blanks tor a number of years ? A. Yes,
sir ; for about fiftceu years.
Q. Did you derive your contract from the
public printer ? A. No sir ; for eight yeara I
wis a contractor with the Department.
Q. You say that you were for eight years a
contractor with the Post Office Department f
A. Yes, sir , as the lowest bidder un ler the
contraot system.
Q. When did those eight years expire ? A.
i think in 135:1 or 1853.
Q. Ftom that time did you do the work as a
sub-contractor ? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Under whom ? A. I executed the work
for the publio printer under a sob-contract.
Q. For for the public printer ? A. Yes sir;
and also as a aub-oontractor under Mr. Wen
dell.
Q. You did the work under Mr. WeudelJ?
A. Yes, sir; 1 was sub-contractor under Mr.
Wendell.
Q. at what rates ? A. My first acquaintance
was at the rate of fifty-five cents and executed
the work for forty-five oents on the dollar,
paid by tho Government.
Q. Do you remember what is the aggregate
annual cost to the Government for the printing
of the post office blanks ? A. From SIO,OOO
to $45,000.
Q. A year ? A. Yes, sir.
The President and the Printing Plunder.
Cornelius Wendail recalled:
Q. Has the President been in the habit of
dispensing tbis Post Office printing? A. It
was done by contract until 1856. I tbink
then the contraot expired, and it reverted to
tbo printer of Congress. Judge Nicholson
was then printer aud editor of the organ, and
it rcvtmd to him.
Q That was iu 1856 ? A. I think it was
in 1556.
Q. From 1850 who exercised the control
over the giving out of the Post Office blank
printing? A. The President aud Postmaster
General. In December succeeding Mr. Bu
chanan'* coming into power, he gave it to Mr.
Rico for a time.
Q. Did jrou sub-contract it for Mr. Rice?—
A. Yes, est-; that was the understanding that
1 should continue to do the work as hereto
fore, aofrffave the control of it, Rice receiv
ing. 1 thin]:, forty-three cents in the dollar.
Q. \\ is there any understanding when this
work w*i| given to llice that any newspaper
was to htf supported out of it? A. It was un
derstood *bat it was for the support of the
Per<nsylvar-.ia.n; such was the understanding.
Q. Tbs understanding between whom? A.
The understanding between the President and
the Postui>ter Qeoerai.
Q., by Mr. llindman. flow did you know
thai? A. From conversation I held with
them. I insisted upon having more of the
profits of the printing to support Th Union,
as it was one of those rather unprofitable pe
cuniary organs, and Mr. Rice WJS very clam
orous to fcawe a share for the Pennsylvunian,
and we finally settled on forty three cents on
the dollar. I theu made a coutract with Mr.
Crowell, wijo did the work for me for forty
five or fifty cents on tho dollar. He did it a
portion of the time for forty fivo cents, and a
portion of the time for fifty oents. i had also
the executt ve binding, which ltice thought
ougb* to satrsfy me, but the profits on that
were not so great, and the expenses of "The
Union" being very large, I iuereted that I
should bach all the profits of the post office
blank printing. 1 eould not keep it, how
ever. "W
Q. by the Chairman. You stated that §2O,
000 Were to be allowed out of the profits of
the executive printing towards supporting the
organ under General Bowman? A. When I
parted with it in March last 1 found that, pay
tog Rice and Severn*, I could not su.-taiu
"The Uu? from the profits ol the executive
work, and i thercfote proposed to give it to
uuy party that might be designated by the
President.
Q Who-Md you make this proposition to?—
A. To the president; and to pay §ko.ooo per
afcmtm:- 'pwyoaitiow. " Peouin that
proposition Mr. Baker, the collector of Phila
delphia, came down to procure sid for the
"Penosylvanian," and anally I b.ul to acceed
to giving §20,000 per annum. §IO,OOO per
annum of which Mr. Baker obtained for the
"Pennsylvania!!." 1 have beet) informed that
§IO,OOO of the §50,000 was for the '-Penn
sjlvanian," but my obligation is with Mr.
Bowman fur §20,000. That obligation exist
ed, and still exists, and there has been DO ac
tion had iu relation to it, owing to Mr. Bow
man's refusal to carry out his part of the en
gagement, which was that 1 was to do the Sen
ate printiug iu case he wis eleoted printer to
the Senate. 1 paid Mr. Bowman §5,000 in
advance when he took "The Union," and the
balauce 1 secured to biin by giving him orders
on tlic po*t office work, which he couid not
draw, having no orders on it.
Q. You paid him §5,000 when he took the
paper? A. when he took "The Union," I gave
him that amount as a capital to start with.
Q. Did you pay him any more on account of
the §20,000? A 1 gave him orders ou the
Post Uifice Department m pursuance of an uc
ccund he reudi red me of what was due him,
which orders I subsequently countermanded,
on account of bis not carrying out his engage
ment.
Q. What did those orders amount to? A.
If my memory serves me, I gave him orders to
the amount ot SB,OOO or SIO,OOO.
Q. lias he not received payuieDt at the Post
Office Department of those orders? A. I be
tievo not, yet I do uot know.
Q. Ws it understood when you transferred
"The Union" to Mr. Bowman that $20,000
should he diverted out of the proceeds oi the
post offioe printing by you to iis support? A.
Yes, sir; that was the understanding.
Q. Between whom* A. The paper was
drawn up by Judge Black. It waa between
Mr. Bowman and myself, wo being put for
ward as the active men.
Q. Was the President consulted in relation
to it at any time? A. 1 first addressed a note
to the President—to Judge Nicholson who
was uiy friend io the case, for the President,
and he took it up to him. Jn that note 1
stated that it was rather onerous to me to be
obliged to support "The Uuion," and what I
desired to do. 1 suggested that Mr. Macdcu
ald, formerly a member of Congress from
Maine, should take the paper and become its
editor. He was a oompeteufc man, I supposed;
but in the course of two or three weeks Bow
man's name was mentioned, and 1 assented to
it. Wo met at the Attorney General's office,
and Judge Black drew up the papers between
us, which ooosisted in my conveying "The
Union" to him. ,
Q. To Mr. Bowman? A. Yes, sir, to Bow
man: with a stipulation to pay the money al
so. There was a letter addressed in the du
plicate to Judge Black and Judge Nicholson,
selecting them a (he umpires in case any dit
ficultj should arise between us. iiie difficul
ty baring arisen, I bare tried to have it set
tled by the umpires, but Bowman tuvariably
declines. lie found be could make a better
thing cf it, 1 suppoae, by engaging Mr. Hives;
and wleo he was fleeted Seuate printer be re
pudiated all our agreements, for which I have
commenced a lawsuit, it hemg, as 1 am advised
by my counsel, the only remedy 1 have in the
preuiies.
Q.ilow much of a losing concern is this
Government organ per annum, in your judg
meut? A. If my memory servos me, it cost
me, when it was under my management, $19,-
000 over and above i-ts receipts.
Q., by Mr. Paluier. Did it cost you that
amount per aouum? A. Yes, sir; I thiuk it
cost uie about that last year. Bowman told
toe that he thought it would cost him shout
$1*2,000 with his management. He neing a
close manager, cut uowu where I was disposed
to be liberal. I paid pretty well for the ser
vices of those employed about the paper. I
did not quarrel with the editors about the
•mount they should receive, but paid thorn a
liberal salary. The editors were generally
designated by the President.
Q. The editors of "The Union" were desig
nated by the Presidcut whilst you had the
management of the paper? A. Yes, sir; whilst
1 was the owuer of it.
Q. Were any oNtbose editors in the employ
of the Government? A. Not when they were
appointed editors; Mr. Appletoo was after
wards appointed Assistant Secretary of" State,
and Mr. Harris elected State primer.
Q. You have spoken of your liberality; be
kind enough to state whether, out of the prof
its of the public pnutiug, you contributed, iu
185S, certain sums to secure tbe election of
members of Congress in different districts in
Pennsylvania. If so, in what district el A.
I -.(.ent a good deal of money in politics, but
with ail deference to too committee, 1 must
decline to answer iu what districts.
Jehu Glancy Jonis gets a share of the Plun
der.
Q. Did you make any contriouiions towards
the election to Congress of J. Glancy Jones
iu 1858* A. A similar question was pro
pounded to me by the Senate Committee, which
I respectfully begged leave to decline n-,wer
ing. I auswered that 1 bad for years coutiib
uted to the sustenance of tbe party; that I
bad always been au enthusiastic party utan,
aud still was, and that probably 1 snould con
tribute more iu the coming campaign if I had
it. 1 stated that i had expended money in
Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Ohio,
and divers other States, ana 1 had given to
disiricts represented at that time on the floor
by personal and political friends. I now state
that 1 did contribute iu eight or ten districts,
1 cannot call to mind tbe exact number, in
Peousylvania, duriug the last campaign, in
sums varying from $250 to $2,500 in tbe dif
ferent districts which it was supposed a little
w'terial aid would carry for us. I did, among
contribute to the Berks deunty dis
trict, represented then by the Hon. J. Glanoy
Jones, and to divers aud sundry others. 1
thiuk iu uiy other testimony 1 mentioned the
names of tt.e gentlemen who represented those
districts then, but who, unfortunately, da not
represent tbem now.
Q. DM you contribute io Landy's district"?
A. 1 contributed iu bis district ainoug others.
The specific ground upon which 1 refused to
answer this questiou before was, that I pro
tested against an inquiry into what I had dono
with funds of uiy own, and with tq>tcified
places, i hare no objection to say that I con
tributed more or less in the different districts,
as my check book shows, in sums varying from 1
$250 to $2,250. I know there was one dis
trict very hard to carry, but we did save it.
Q whose district was that? A. We saved
the Fiorenoe district from the wreck. I beg
the committee will excuse nu from going into
details. Ttns mouey was contributed for
strictly party purposes.
Q. by Mr. iiinduian. Did you use any
money to aid iD securing the election of any
member of Coogress in any Southern State?—
A. Never. 1 beiieve you do not indulge in
the expensive luxury. I have offered to do it,
but my offers have been indignantly refused.
Q. by the chairman. If yuu had not been
in the receipt of the proceeds of the public
printing, would you have contributed money
as you say you have doue iu the various Cou
gressioDal districts? A. I would not have
been able to contribute so orach. It was the
profit I made out of the public printing tbut
enabled me to contribute these amounts of
monev. The fact th u I was in a public posi
tion £oown to be remunerative, induced fre
quent calls upon me, to which I responded.
Q. by Mr. Somes. I wish to know whether
or not there was an implied or expressed un
derstanding between you and auy executve of
ficer of the Government that you should make
these contributions out of the proceeds of the
prioting for political purpose? A. No, sir;
none, except as to the contributions I made
towards the support of certain newspapers
which the President saw fit to assign to me to
support.
Q., by the chairman. Did any of these Con
gressional candidates make demands upon you?
A. Not demands; they made humble requests.
Q. Did J. Glancy Jones request you to as
sist towards his election? A. Well, yes, sir
In the course of a conversation he asked uie to
ooutribute something to it, and I remember
telling him there was no necessity of spending
money in his distriot, as it was safe anyhow.—
We found, however, that it was rather unsafe
when the votes came to.
Examined by Mr. Hindman:
Q. Was there, or was there uot, propounded
to you bef'orß the Senate investigating com
mittee, inquiring into this subject, a question
of this purport : "Whether the President of
the United States and yourself had any cor.
respondeuce in regard to the use of uiouey in
the electious in any State .**' aud if so, what
was your response upon the subject? A. There
was a question of that kiud.
Q. State what your ouswer was. A. The
answer I intended to convey was this, that
pending the Congressional election of 1858,
1 suggested to him the suspension of the pay
ment of this mouthly stipend to the Peniisylva
nian aud Jlrgus, ami tho appropriation of that
money to party purposes, to bo used in differ-
VOL. 33, NO. 16.
era localities. 1 was my own suggestion to
him that, iu my judgement, the money was
uselessly expended in keeping up effete papers,
and that it eould be to better advantage
iu getting out voters, circulating documents,
&o. I told biui that I thought it would be
better tor the party to apply it in that way,and
that 1 would take the responsibility of doing
it. 1 assumed the responsibility and did it,
Ire not dissenting from that course ; but there
was HO specific direction from the President to
me to do it. It is justice to him to state that
be bad authorized the payment of certain mon
eys, at certain rates per antrum, out of the
profits of the printing, to the Pennsylvania
aud to the Argus, and that when this election
occurred, 1, acting upon the belief I have al
ready stated took the responsibility of making
this suggestion and carrying it cut. So that
the sin or blame of stopping what I always
deemed an unjust tax upon rne, as the meobauio
performing the work, and of directiug ttre
mouey to other purposes, if it was a sin, rests
upon mc alone.
Q, by the chairman. Dii the President
agree to your suggestion? A. He did not dissent
from it.
H. You made the statement you nave just
given us to? A. 1 did.
Q. Were your relations with him of a very
intimate character duriug your counectioa kith
the Government organ as its owner? A. Yes,
sir.
11. \V ere you in the habit of seeiog him fre
quently? A. Very frequently.
Q. How frequently? A. Really I cannot
say.
Q How many times a week? A. 1 averaged
two or three times a week—some weeks more,
and some weeks less.
THE DIVISION OF PARTIES.—In 1790. at
the Presidential election between the Democ
racy wh>> supported Thomas and the
Federalists who voted for John Adams, the
latter got every electoral vote in New Eng
land. Agaio, in 1800, at the Presidential
election—the same candidates in the field-
Mr. Adams recoived the unanimous electoral
vote of New England. The whole North vo
ied for Adams on botli occasions, save parts of
Pennsylvania and New lork. The South was
nearly or quite unanimous for Jefferson. •
In 1808 and 1812, when James Madison
was ruuuing for President on the Democratic
ticket, every New England State voted against
him, save Vermont. Ail the Southern Estates
voted for him, save Delaware.
In 1828 all New England went for John
Quirtcy Adams, except one electoral vote in
Maine. Geoeral Andrew Jackson was beaten
in every Eastern State. The South went al
most unanimously for Jackson.
After all the mutilations of politics and of
time, the divisions of party are, geographically,
about a* they were in 1790 and 1800.
THE SPEAKER'S PAGE. —At present the
main stay of Speaker Peuniugton is the young
page who stands upon his right, a youth of fine
appearance and something near eighteen vears
of age. This Page was first appointed lo of
fice by Speaker .Boyd, and bus ever siace con
tinued to discharge the duties of "Page to the
Speaker,' among which is now reckoned the
duty of prompting the Speaker in the discharge
of ni3 official duties. He stands near the Speak*
er, and directs hiin in an uudnr tone how to put
every motion,and how to decide points of order
as they arise. "lu..niueus" is known to ail
the politicians of the country as the uiost re
markable parliamentarian ot his age, living.—
With the constructions of the rules of order
he is perfectly familiar, and every precedent ho
has at his finger's ends.
COST OF TUE CHARLESTON CONVENTION.—
It is proposed to carry porsous from Boston to
the Charleston Convention, by sea, for §IOO
each, for the round trip, including board. If
we take this as the average expense of those
who will go to Charleston OD this occasion, and
estimate the number at ten thousand; which is
much below the estimates of most of our co
temporaries, it will be seen that this gathering
of the unclean Democracy will costs a million
of dollars. It is probable, however, that -he
money will go into more honest and more pru
dent bands, even supposing the; a portiou of
it does come out of the Treasury cf the United
States.
"AND STILL THEV COME." —Nebraska Ter
ritory has elected 40 Republicans to 12 Demo
cratic members of her constitutional convene
tiou. This is the most extraordinary victory
which the Republican party have ever yet
achieved. The Natioual Administration have
always heretofore been able to control tne
politics of the Territories, through the land
offices, but Nebraska is stoutiy iu rebellion.—
She prefers free labor, and loudly protests
against degrading white laborers to the level
of stoves. She asks, and will have, "free
men" for her "free soil."
NOT AFRAIO OF AN "IRREPRESSIBLE UON
! v Lrcx.*'—A friend, who W39 present, informs
us that, at Louisville, Georgia, lust Tuesday,
negroes brought higher prices than ever before
known. Old men brought SI,OOO, young men
and boys $1,500 to $1,600, aud .young women
without children $1,900 to $2,000 and up
i wards— all field hands. The terms were notes
with interest fiorn date—equivalent to oasb.**-
The people in Jefferson, we judge, have eery
little dread of John Browu.— tiugusta CAroitt'
cle.
Tbo "glorious uncertainty of the law" was
hardly ever bettor illustrated than by the t'ar
stang-Shaw case. The first jury gave ber SIOO,
000 damages, and the next jury gives her non< 1