But Why Was Starbuck Employed, When, As
Appears Over And Over Again In The Report, New York Was Full Of Paid
Government Servants Ready And Fit To Do The Work?
Starbuck was
merely an agent, and who will believe that he was allowed to pocket
the whole difference of 1600l.?
The greater part of the plunder
was, however, in this case refunded.
Then we come to the case of Mr. George D. Morgan, brother-in-law of
Mr. Welles, the Secretary of the Navy. I have spoken of this
gentleman before, and of his singular prosperity. He amassed a
large fortune in five months, as a government agent for the purchase
of vessels, he having been a wholesale grocer by trade. This
gentleman had had no experience whatsoever with reference to ships.
It is shown by the evidence that he had none of the requisite
knowledge, and that there were special servants of the government in
New York at that time, sent there specially for such services as
these, who were in every way trustworthy, and who had the requisite
knowledge. Yet Mr. Morgan was placed in this position by his
brother-in-law, the Secretary of the Navy, and in that capacity made
about 20,000l. in five months, all of which was paid by the
government, as is well shown to have been the fact in the report
before me. One result of such a mode of agency is given; one other
result, I mean, besides the 20,000l. put into the pocket of the
brother of the Secretary of the Navy.
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