Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-03-06

himself, Without, however, in any manner sym.
p.thizing with the New York Hard faction.
An effort will be made to defeat him, by get
ting up coalition between the Wings dissat-
is6ed Democrats and AboIitionists; which viii
prove -abortiye-or there is no truth in the
signs of the times.
The Hargous Claim Award.-1t is runored
in drumming circles that the verdict rendered
on Friday last in the Gardiner case. will be
likely to induce thorough investigation ints
the Hargous award made by the Mexican Claim
Commission or Board, alleged by many, it viii
be recollected, to have granted away much
more money than should have been paid On it
ihe qutd nuncs are busy endeavoring to fnd
out OH what this rumor may be based. VIZ
tike it for granted, that if the least reliable
information throwing diseredit on the integrit,
Of that claim or any of its many items reache:
or has reached the Government, it viii be
sifted to the bottom, though, we apprehsnt, sc
far, nothing of the sort has TRANSFERRED Never
theless, we have not the, slightest idea, that il
that claim had been against an individual and
had been submitted to a court of law, the
amount awarded would have been half as
great as was allowed. Constructive damages,
and failure to obtain profits anticipated
though heretofore paid for with unexamrle
liberality by some such commissions, hardly
ever 60 down before juries of honest and intelli.
! hpa W Oh II
ter than to have the awards of that parlic ulal
commission overhauled from beginning to end
Were that done, and the result of the inyesti.
cation published to the world without fear or
favor, the effect would be beneficial beyond
expression, on the business morals of the public
men of the United States.
| An Important question concerning an Army
Officers pay settled.-An officer of the army
commanding geographical department, was
not long since temporarily absent therefrom,
by order, for the purpose of consultation upon
matters connected with his command In the
meantime, Breyet Brigadier General was
| ordered to exercise the command in that de-
partment, and as the latter had command ac-
| cording to his brevet rank, and was, therefore,
unquestionably entitled to his Brevet pay,
under the act of April l6. 1878, the question
arose, whether both could be paid as com.
handing the department. 1t wds held, lin
settling their respective accounts) under the
opinion of the Attorney General, that notwith-
standing his temporary absence on duty, the
| former continued to be the legal and ttular
commander, and that there was no legal in
| compatibility in the idea that both might be in
| command at the same tune in the same military
| department. and each be entitled to his ap-
| propriatc pay and emoluments and, as in
civil cmployments, such temporary duplica-
ton of officers and compensation must occa-
aionally happen in country so extensive as
ours, OF otherwise there might occur an abso-
| lutte cessation of Government
The Inquest over the Body Of the Late Dr.
Gardiner.-The coroner did his best to secure
the attendance of John Charles Gardiner, the
brother of the deceased, as a witness at the in
quest. But in vain. Summons after sum-
| mons was dispatched for him, but the baliffs
could not find him. The condition of his feel
ings and nerves caused by the unhappy end OF
| the deceased, was alleged by his friends
| as the reason why he kept out of the way of
| the messengers sent after him. There seems
to be little doubt that had he attended his
testimony would have cleared up the mystery
| relative to the immediate cause Of the sudden
| death of the deceased, without the analysis Of
! the stomach and its contents now in progress
! in the hands of Professor Breed and Dr.
| STEINER, of Baltimore.
The Navy.-Congress seem inclined to dc
their share in improving the Navy. Hundreds
| of doctors in and out of the service are pre-
| scribing for its ills some whispering theil
nostrums into the ears of members more espe-
House. Others again resort to the newspapers
as the columns of the Star testify The sub
jet is one of the most important now before
| the National Legislature, and we are disposed
to do our best by way Of aiding in bringing t,
/! the notice of the members and the country, TIT
suggestions Of all who have had experience in
the service, and are really interested in it
efficiency and prosperity. Below we presen
the first of two papers on the subject from thu
pen Of a naval officer. 1t contains sharp things
things which may give more or less offence
however much Of truth there may be in them
We know we'll that the writer has the good Of
| the service at heart, and ourselves heartily ap
prove of the earnestness with which he plunge!
the knife at the bottom of one of its creates
| evils:
| MEssRs EDITORS In the Union of somt
days since, observe an article upon the sub
Ject of Naval Reform, signed ''P, +" which Qiks
| nearly all the articles upon the same subjec
| with which the newspapers have OF late teen
| ed.) does not touch the evils under which the
service is rapidly decaling. The statistics
which he gives are curious enough, but they
amount to nothing in this discussion-they ar,
simply the effect Of the cause. What tina
cause is, and how it may be removed, is the
question upon which depends the hope of saving
. the Navy as | firmly believe, from utter ruin
To my mind, it is very clear, and the remed,
is simple and obvious. The writer's upon THU
subject have looked everywhere for the source
unno,iced The difficulty is that the personnel
Of the Navy is far too large, or else the mate
rieI is far too small Want of employment il
at the bottom Of all the rottenness in thu
Navy. Idleness begets host of troublesome
offspring, and in an Institution like the Navy
from the very necessity of the case, each ont
is HYDRA headed. Mer whose wants arc caret
for by the Government and who have littl,
else to do than to live i'll luxury and rount
Of lille diss patton, soor. come to consider tina
sort of life as necessary 10 their happiness, and