New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-03-13

addressed 10 your committee under date of ih February
1885, by Mr. 8. j.. Dakin the statements in which mpu-n
the correctness Of report which had the honor TO make
the honorable the Secretary Of The Navy dated 9th j
nuary 1913
naine) that communication, will embrace ali the
form 1tion desired by NJ Pearce.
1nasrnuc as m, connection with these affairs purely
official am glad that an opportunity Is afforded me TO
yinticltc my acticn In The matter.
The points in Mr. Dakin'. letter TO which viii direct
my attention, are as follows:
l, lie says that he never desired and never applied for the
office ofnayy agen, a, Muscles
ile de ne, that ne made out the statement Of the nc.
assuaed eer Hon ". Huntington last
ply at tie ef Mr.. Could call NJ: Wmder, who
Inn! reported that there wa no foundation for IT, with copy
''ih. Tha, the examination Of Messrs. lien and Baker
Mess Fitch was $500 for about ten yea-a result move
To the Government even than that presented BY the
9Th Tim; ,r Wnders report, Of about 81 100 ntere
and Baker winch how. thai The advances were on &C.
si3 ESQ thai the balance Of n,cIe therefore, for i've yeaIs
the on agency ad N the matter ITO W.T.: calling on Nh
ccSsafy for cictinc the truth.
9th do clam credit for Developments resulting
from this investigation &c.
T. points embrace all that know Of this letter.
will remark, that as did not in my report make any of
the allegations denied in tine first second, and third points.
it would no, be necessary or 70 notice then they had
not an important collateral bearing upon the rest II VIII
be remarked throughout Mr.. OAK Ms letter that there
displayed anxiety make good tue assertions
contGnedin :he statement, which he is 0r DESTROYS 10
repudiae. strongly inclined TO believe, that, wilcn
have done with his letter lis dsntcrcsed generosity in 50
mod silly dsclanng all credit FOR the results will be very
! apparent.
will briefly dispose OF the three list points
aye Of my with the examination OF the accounts
! OF Nes.rs Fitch.
Early in December 1872 came TO Washington 10
side, and appointed q CicrksIip in the Navy De-
parnient short time after had been there, was
Informed by Secretary Upsur that The desire OF the
Irnat fhs
the accounts OF Messrs Fitch BrotherS& Co. United States
Navy Agents at Marselllcs lie said statement had
been handed TO the President Involving serious allegations
against iiii house. In its capacity rs Navy Agents; that
the same statement at been before placed in the hands OF
the President, and that the Fourth Auditor had been
dercd 10 make an examination, whose report IpOn IL had
entirely satisfied hi. (Air Upsur'.) mind, that there
no GrouGd for the allegations against the Navy Agents,
and had lac hoped and believed that the President
satisfied hut, after a lapse Of time, the charges
were reiterated BY tho same persons and the President
DESTROYS that not connected wi Ii the Audit
orS Office should make the examination. was selected
and he stated that the result OF my examination would he
relied upon by the President, and would finally dispose of
question. lie further stated that the statement upon
which the examination be based i'll The hands
of the President, and would DC sent Over to-
Some days after (it might have been the next,) Mr.. s.
ID. Dakn, accompanied by Mr. A. c. Benson, cauie into
my Office; and after Mr. Benson had expressed his graft
fcaon that had hcen selected TO make the examination
Mr. Dakn produced the statement, and told me that he
had made it, and regretted that it was not more full but
assigned why il not that he had only
II
Interview, that Mr.. Dakn the aspirant 10 the
agency That Judge Upsh also under that belief, Is
sufficiently manifest from the endorsement he mad. on
the Auditors repcrt (See Is, Senate DOC w. III that
endorsement he necessarily the person who made
the statement ard he never doubted that it was Mr. Da-
klns.
DO not mean to say that Mr.. Dakn's assertion
that Mr.. CoulG is the author OF the Statements not tluc
but do that, ii 1t be he did MOI state the truth
whenhc presented it to Nor Is 1t at all important
whether Mr.. Gould made it or not. Mr. Dakm" assumed
it, when he presented it c President, and by every
principle Of JUSTICES responsible for its contents.
II little remarkable, that in the whole course Of
this natter Mr. Could never known by any onc
he heard Of until late period and then only
by the assumption Chat is Mr.. Datns word) of The
statement in letter to the Hon. j. w. Huntingdon let
terf correctly informed that gentleman has little or
| no recollection OF.
think the Committee, therefore, will judge il right and
proper Dakn should be responsible for thai state
mcn and is fully and fairly entitled 20 all the credit
resulting from the Developments OF the examination which
il produced.
ought to have stated before, that Mr. Russes letter
(p Co. Senate Doc 1922 proves clearly the presentation TO
me Of the statement.
animation and the 9Th of January ls43, handed my
report the Secretary, (sec Senate Doc S"2 p. 2i)
come the assertions in Mr.. Dakin's letter, de-
nyrg the correctness Of the deductions III my report ana
for the cearness will them again. refer
first, 10 the contained under point No. 4
THAT the examination of Mcssrs. Allen and Baker proves
that the average amount Of advances in the hands OF
Messrs. Fitch Sis300o for about ten ycars-a result
unfavorabc 10 the Government even than that pre-
scented by the statement
With regard 10 Mr.. Aliens statement II IS not az all ne
ccSSary to refer Ills recanaton page ~. Senate
Doc 800 shows It TO he utterly unworthy OF confidence
besides II correctly informed lac told senator VINO
expressed his a>tonShment that mistake such referred to
po TSeI s5 SS o,g 10 do Whether RI be So ' q"
the repot; itself together with its adjunct the recana
BIZ, how does Alr Dakins assertion tally with Mr. Bakers
report On page r. lat the hoom Senate document 800,
To- the accounts accompanying this report will be perceived
;hat the of Nessrs Fitch Brothers Co. have rarely
stipulated for contract changed by in
l, and e they have had much less Than the amount
Such i, Mr. Bakers :timony this point Not one syl
which Mr. Dakin makes assertion Comnittes Of Con.
gess which gross aud easily detected well east
His assertion. under point five, is in the following
'Tmt Mr. WinIers report of abou, 81 100 interest, u!
Is di>pr9red by the subsequent examination OF Messrs Al
esase slsscoc and that the balance therefore Tor FIVE yca
enjoyed by the house was about nd ifi theelS
"ndrr 10 evew > eNanpaionl proved 10 niNeO'e ne
cessayy Tor ei;cuGS the truth
appeals 70 sustain his assertion Now lei wh3, Mir
Baker says on this point tsee m &c aud 81 Senate Doe"
"hayep deemed necessary prepare interest ac-
the business transactions between the Navy Depart
and the house Of Messrs Fitch Brothers 90 have
however paid great attention 10 that subject IA the course o
my aud upon assuming hat the Government N
accordance with us agreement with Fitch brothers Co.
was 1ysnee 80 zoo If gGc 10 ie I'm "l
no hesig',9n az dssiGfins Tt tie dLaee 81 tTet as ~
I I
be- the tonniitcv that Mr.. Bakers
pOt embraces period o about YEARS, while mine
only five antecedent acd INCLUDING tee quarters o!
1912. The statement upon which the based
embraced three The Secretary thought sufficient
10 embrace previous and aitrr that period 10
certain ally the Truth of eacc the difference
between Mn Baker and myse made the balance of
about 81. is5 l:aiiis; the NesSr>. Fitch
Now. the quotations have made from M Bakers Report
prove. coHcIsycly that Mr.. Dlks assertion that
advances >I0GO for years wholly
uafounded; au that las deduction therefore. that they
about 80 cg Interest for iive years, false but has
appeal Mr. Baker fS farther for instead of then de
irving aa! benefit the snare OF al and Instead OF
the advances benz SS Coz they the long far
short OF the stipulated for IN the contract ta N!.
Baker has no hesitation in ecariu: ; tive baarcs Of ~
te1esi i ia favor OF Nlessrs Fitch troiher, x Co."
There aiher fact in Mr.. Bakers Report, which beg
| L. csii The aJtsGton OF the ComnIiice.
lie 81 Senate Document 5a - Ii appears from
made the President dated 9Th February
1871. by Mr. = D Daki. that Nesrs Fitch Brothers Co.
made charge 10 the Government Of Ss!,i7 ID for
missions " his charge, SAYS Nh Baker. j. uniouudeL
This important TACT. This le,ie. OF r Dakn Is dated
the ay Nh Aens report handed 10 he PgeSi
dent aid -itCrA,cS of the cscs II Ne; alios The
ces Lass toe iisht VIZ. Baker back!
cannot Therefore. sren the What so!ici
i -. LII