Houston, who had apparently made himself ac- | parties concerned! Hence, while Blake was quainted with the bids which had been put acting under Houston's commission, endeavorin, informed that citizen that he, Houston, had ing to buy out the bids of Prentiss and Butler, not put in a bid, in his own name, but had en-Eaton refused to inform any of the bidders tered several bids in the names of other per- what he intended to do.and it was not until the sons, of which bids he had the control; that the 23d of April that he notified Mr. Prentiss, after individuals referred to having put in a bid at he had ascertained that his bid could not be eight cents, Houston proposed to him to with- bought up, that "since the proposals were subdraw it, and to buy the bids of Wm. Prentiss mitted, and recently circumstances have arisen and D. Butler, Jr., and then join with said which impose the necessity of advertising for Houston and his friend, whom the did not new bids, upon certain ond specified conditions, name; that this friend was concerned with said or else to confide the business to the ComHouston in a contract which might be secured missariat's Department." (See his letter to If the reader will compare his at a much higher rate than the bids of either Prentiss.) the individuals referred to, Prentiss or Butler; letter of the 23d of April, with mine of that, by this arrangement, the said individuals the 19th of March, and also with the conversaand the said Houston might secure an indepen- tions had with him and the President, he will dent fortune; and that, until March 24th,1830, find much to confirm a belief that those conHouston each day successively inquired of him versations and that letter had their effect upon if he had secured the bids of Prentiss and him. This may also appear in Houston's letter Butler. of the 23d of December following, published I will now state that the gentleman who in the Arkansas Advocate, in which he uses alproves the foregoing facts, accordingly sought most the same language as that in my note to Is there any and obtained repeated interviews with me. at Eaton of the 19th of March. which he offered to buy my bid, inquiring how one who can longer doubt that Houston and many thousand dollars I would take for it. I Eaton contemplated a fraud? I now proceed peremptorily refused to come to any terms to give some of the facts which satisfy me with him. WM. PRENTISS. that Lewis was a party to it. to wit: DISTRICT of COLUMBIA } to County of Washington, The clerk, whose statement was published in the Globe says: This day William Prentiss personally ap"Pending the whole of this time, Major peared before me, the subscriber, a justice of Lewis, as Second Auditor, and as in duty the peace for the county, aforesaid, and makes bound, was assiduously occupied in having oath, in due form of law, that of the matters statements made of the different expenditures and things contained in the foregoing state- for Indian rations which had been audited in ment, such as are therein stated as of his own the office over which he presided, the result of knowledge, are true, and such as are therein which was that they exceeded even the offer stated on the information of others, he believes by Governor Houston, though 1 verily believe to be true, and that the copies therein given in the whole and in part, of original papers, are true copies. 1832. the agent who conducte the emigration was zealously and honestly devoted to the interest of the government. He also procured similar Given under my hand this 17th day of April, estimates from the Subsistence Department, of the cost of rations for the United States' D. A. HALL, J. P. troops at the several posts most contiguous to Mr. Prentiss' testimony sheds a flood of light the route the Choctaw emigrants would probaon the transaction, and fully explains the rea-bly pass, which showed a cost something less, I son why Houston put in no bid in his own think, than Mr. Prentiss' bid, and about equal name. It was because, as it appears from Mr. to that of Mr. Blake." P.'s affidavit, he had entered several bids in By a reference to his duties, it will be found the names of other persons, of which bids he that Major Lewis audits and allows the continhad the control," and had a previous under-gent and other disbursements on account of standing with Eaton that, if the bids of Pren-Indian affairs. The statement of his clerk tiss, Butler, and Blake could be disposed of shows that he had examined into the cost of he and his partner, whom he did not name, the ration, as expended by previous agents, and should have the contract at a "much higher that the result was, "they exceeded the offer of rate than the bids of either of the innividuals Governor Houston," which he also tells us was referred to," and "that, by, this arrangement, thirteen cents. The same clerk tells that he the said individual and the said Houston might secure an independent fortune." had also ascertained that the rations for the U. States troops, at the several contiguous posts, was about equal to Blake's bid, which was 8 cents. Who can doubt that Eaton's suggestion to Prentiss, that his bid was too low, that corn and beef would be difficult to obtain, and that The ration for the "it was not the wish of the Department to Indians was-1 pound give the contract at a price that the contrac- and a quarter of fresh or would lose by," proceeded from a desire to beef, or one pound of arive it to Houston at a price which would en- fresh pork, with two able him to make splendid fortunes for all the quarts of salt to every The ration for the United States' troops was-one pound and a quarter of fresh beef, or three quarters of a pound of salt pork, 1 DARING OUTRAGE AND ASSAULT. to the President of the United States. It is The attention of the reader will be arrested now ascertained that he was the individual who by the proceedings in the House of Represen- placed in the hands of Gen. Jackson Mr. Montatives, on Saturday, on the motion to arrest roe's letter to Mr. Calhoun, which was purloinGeneral Houston, for an assault upon the Hon. ed from the owner, and made so important a Mr. Stanbery, a member of that body from part of the correspondence" between the Ohio. The pretext for this outrage was the re- President and Vice President. Although he marks which Mr. Stanbery deemed it proper left Tennessee under circumstances which to make in the House, relative to the contract produced the deepest excitement, took up for furnishing rations to emigrant Indians, con- his residence with the Indians, and adopttemplated by Gen. Houston with Major Eaton. ed their costume aud habits; and although That the reader may know what was said, we the proof that he contemplated a fraud here give his remarks. Mr. S. said: upon the government is conclusive, yet The superintendent of the Cumberland he has continued to enjoy the special counRoad is not the only officer who has been suf- tenance and favor of the Chief Magistrate. fered to continue in office after proofs of his He is still received at the Executive mansion, trangressions had reached the President. Was and treated with the kindness and hospitality the late Secretary of War removed in conse- of an old favorite. It is also said that Houston quence of his attempt, fraudulently, to give to- proceeded directly from the assault to the TheGovernor Houston the contract for Indian ra- atre; that Mr. Barry, the Postmaster General, tions? I derive my knowledge of this transacs met him, and congratulated him on what he tion not from the columns of the Telegraph. had done; that they went to the bar of the The whole affair was known to me at the time Theatre, drank together, and enjoyed the afit took place. The editor of the Telegraph fair with great glee. We have this, as well as gives himself too much credit for defeating this what we have said of Mr. Speight, from sources attempted fraud. I understood that it was in entitled to the highest credit. These stateconsequence of the remonstrances of the dele- ments, taken in connection with what transgate from Arkansas, that the contract was not pired on the floor of the House, are calculated completed. There is one fact, however, for to create a belief that the outrage receives which I am indebted to the Telegraph; and sanction in high places. It is possible, but that is, that the President had full knowledge barely possible, that there may be some misof the business, and that it did not meet with take; if so, the gentlemen we have named, can his disapprobation." explain. Upon reading the report of Mr. Stanbery's The proceeding itself is before the proper speech in the Intelligencer, Mr. Houston ad-tribunal, and we forbear to comment on its dressed him a note, through a member of Con- enormity; but the reader will see in it another gress, from Tennessee, demanding an explana- branch of that system of intimidation of which tion. Mr. Stanbery informed the member it has become our duty so often to speak. The who bore the demand, that he recognised no first action upon the indepeneence of Congress right in Mr. Houston to interrogate him upon was the appointment to office of a much greatthe subject. Houston then threatened that he er number of its members than had ever been would make a personal assault, and according-done by any preceding administration. Next, ly he, accompanied by an attendant, both arm- direct appeals, made to the worst passions of the ed with heavy bludgeons, was, for some days, people themselves, in which the President himseen sauntering about the Capitol, and Hous- self has called upon his partisans, to excite the ton himself was frequently on the privileged people against their representatives, and thus seats within the Hall of the House. to overawe them into a conformity with his will, It is said, and we believe with truth, that his not on great measures of public policy, but on intention to make the attack was known to the question of the "spoils of victory"-the dissundry members of Congress; and we have tribution of Executive patronage! The last heard, from a source entitled to credit, that remaining act was personal violence, to intiMr. Speight, of North Carolina, who aspires midate and overawe members of Congress, and to be considered a leader of the administration thus prevent an exposure of the frauds and party of the House, advised him not to make malpractices of the Executive favorites. the attack in the rotundo of the Capitol, as in The reader, on perusing Mr. Stanbery's that case, he (Mr. Speight) could not defend remarks, will be at a loss for the cause of him, because it would clearly be a breach of offence. It was his duty, as one of the repreprivilege. Accordingly the place of assault sentatives of the people, to speak; what he was transferred to the public streets, and on said, was predicated upon information derived Friday, about 8 o'clock, Mr. Stanbery was from the Delegate from Arkansas, to whom, assaulted near his lodgings, in the man- and not to Mr. Stanbery, Mr. Houston, if ner he has stated, knocked down with a innocent, should have addressed himself. And, bludgeon, and much and severely injured-his under the circumstances of the case, right arm being disabled, the left hand severe- Houston, if innocent, was under obligations to ly fractured, and his head and body much beat- Mr. S. for the opportunity which he presented en and bruised. for asking an investigation by the House. Had What gives more importance to this transac- he been conscious of innocence, such would tion is, the known relation which Houston bears have been his course; and the attack is but |