Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-08-23
Washington News.


months past his demise has been expected.
CONVICTION OF PARTIES FOR ATTEMPTING
FRAUDS ON THE PENSION BUREAU The PEN
sion Bureau have advices, by telegraph, of
the conviction, in Connecticut, of Alfred j.
Works, attorney at law, (of New Haven,) and
James II. Ccncklin, his clerk, who have Just
been tried for attempting fraudulently to OBJ
tain some $4,000 on the revolutionary claim
of the heirs of Elizabeth Lille, widow of John
Lille, who commanded for time, Mt West
Point, during the war of the revolution. Their
crime consisted in inserting in blanks left in
affidavits, sworn to by witnesses, a statement
that she remained the widow of the said Lille
until the time of her death; whereas, she mar
ried a second time, and died the widow of q
person named Baker. The punishment for
their crime cannot be less than five years i'm
prisonment in n States prison.
A few days since similar information was
received of the conviction of j. G. Nesbtt, st
Auburn, New York, for a somewhat similar
crime. lie has been sentenced to six years
Imprisonment in the Auburn States prison.
These Connecticut convictions make the fifth
which have been effected by the officers of the
Pension Bureau since the LIST of April last,
when the present Commissioner entered on
the discharge of his duties. At this rate he
will not be long in breaking up the half dozen
nests of Scoundrels who have been robbing the
Treasury, through the Pension cffico for years
past.
The PROPOSED REPAIRS ON THE SAN JACIN-
TO'S BoILBRs.-It will be perceived from our
advertising columns, that the Secretary of the
Navy has extended the time for the reception
of proposals for executing this important
work. This act takes away all plausible pre-
tensions for objections to the manner which
has been selected as that to which will best
secure the reconstruction of this ships boilers,
so as that she will hereafter be equal to any
naval steamer afoat Parties at the North
who have too often obtained special jobs from
the Navy Department in connection with the
construction of the works Of our public steam
ships, are making great noise in the Phila-
delphia SHn and elsewhere, because the Sec
rotary has concluded hereafter to throw open
such work to the competition of all, and not to
pay for it until its efficiency shall have been
tested beyond peradventure. Their only seri-
Gus plea in this case is, that he has not allowed
sufficient time for the preparation of plans,
bids and estimates. This plea has been taken
from them very properly, and it is to be hoped
that ore not heraafter tn find hia affo 70
redeem the steam navy of the United States
from its condition of well nigh hopeless ineffi-
cheney, thus assailed.
APPLICATIONS FOR THE DISCHARGE OF SEA-
MEN IN THE NAVY. AND OF MARINES. are being
constantly made by trends of such persons
AS matter of interesting and useful infor-
nation for them, We have to say that they
should in all cases be based upon written
application of the party himself, whose dis
charge is thus asked for. Otherwise, no notice
can be officially taken of their request, it mat
tiers not how meritorious the case may be
THE WASHINGTON THEATRR-We learn that
up to this time the proprietor of the Washing
ton Theatre has not concluded lease of that
establishment for the approaching season. Its
last season is understood to have been quite a
profitable one, though the management in this
city was not conducted with judgment. Wash
ington' taste in such matters requires much
higher order of theatrical entertainments and
abilities, than answer for any other commu-
nifty of its size in the Union. small, but
good stock company, with quick succession
of stars and new pieces, cannot fail to insure
good houses from the 1st of November next to
the 1st of the following July.
PRIssoN's CoSDENsER-Itisd due to the pro-
prictors of the patent for this improvement to
mention that it is applied on the little naval
steamer Hancock, of whose performances Com
mander Ringsold writes so fattering accounts
These parties claim that her remarkable saving
of fuel is the result of the application of this
condenser. The Aspinwalls, who have also
introduced them upon their steamships, bear
out this declaration, in an informal report we
understand; saying that they save upon their
ships an average of ten tons Of coal per diem,
where used. There can be no doubt that this
Improvement is destined to be of vast impor-
lance to our transmarine commerce, carried
on by steamships; yet we seriously doubt
whether the owners of the patent can induce
the Government of the United States to adopt
it for all the steam vessels of the naval service
on terms h,gEey than are charged for its use
in ships of private parties. Heretofore, they
have stood out for a per centage from the
Government upon the saving of fuel effected,
which has been refused, very properly, it
strikes us. We have 10 doubt that they can
induce the Government to use them in all
cases, hereafter, at charges pro rata with those
paid by the merchant steam marine; adding
on only a fair addition for the difference in the
size Of the machinery required for the naval