Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-03-03
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP


Preside nt's, at 8 o'clock this evening The
rumor that the receptions are suspended being
untrue.
The Contract System for Building War
Steamer. that the Navy Depart
ment has had some little experience in the mat
ter of doing steamer building and fitting them
out with machinery, we have taken occasion to
to hunt up the details of the history of the
heaviest contract of that sort yet made for the
navy. This is the case of the contract for the
construction of the celebrated q Shot and she'll
proof iron steamer which was to have been.
AS We may do some good by laying before
our readers the result of our investigation in
this connection, we proceed to say that on the
14th April, 1912, Congress passed an act saying,
g that the Secretary of the Navy be, and he is
hereby authorized to enter into contract with
Robert L. Stevens for the construction Of a
war steamer, shot and shell proof, to be built
principally of iron, upon the plan of the said
Stevens; provided the whole cost, including
the hull armament, engines boilers, and
equipment, in all respects complete for SER
vice, shall not exceed the average cost of the
steamers Mississippi and Missouri" The sum
of S25O,OOO was appropriated towards carrying
this law into effect
The following is history documentary OF
this affair. (See Secretary Preston's report
dated December l, 1s49, only seven years and
eight months after the passage of the law
above cited
"The contract with Robert L. Stevens bore
date the 10th of February, 1S43 the time 70,
its completion expired two years after the date
of the contract. Nothing appears to have been
done under this contract; no plan was fur.
nished; the construction of the iron wa,
steamer was not commenced. The contract
was renewed On the 14th November, 1874, and
the time extended for completing the vessel
two years from that date. Some preparation
was made under the second contract, and q
portion Of the materials was procured, but nc
plan was submitted by the contractor, and the
Secretary of the Navy withheld all payment:
after December, 1845. Thus the matter rested
until the 9th of September, 1s4s, when third
years from that date were given for the com
pletion of the iron war steamer. No precise
plan has yet been submitted by the contracto,
to the department., and no progress has beer
made in the construction of the vessel beyond
the purchase and delivery of certain quaint
ties Of iron. Under these circumstances, the
Secretary declined to pay bills for iron pre-
sented in July last, and further payments
under this contract will not be made TIL,
matter, however, is submitted to Congress 70,
its decision. Of the sum appropriated for thi
object, there is now in the Treasury an unex
pended balance of $1S3,52l o., which it il
believed should have been carried to the sur.
plus fund
That balance was subsequently carried t.
the surplus fund.
Although this unprecedented period of more
than seven years had expired since the passage
of the act of l4th Of April, 1912, without pro
ducing the * shot and shell proof iron steamer,
Congress, by its act of August 81, 1852, more
than ten years after the original act granted
a still further indulgence. by authorizing and
requiring the Secretary of the Navy % to have
completed, with the least possible delay, the
war steamer contracted for with Robert L
Stevens, in pursuance of an act Of Congress
approved April IA, 1872" and re-appropriated
the balance which had been carried to thu
surplus fund.
The shot and she'll proof iron war steamer,
mi
not yet in the possession of the Government
after IL years delay; nay, it is doubtful whe
Their keel has been laid for her, or two sheet.
Of iron riveted together for her hull and still
more doubtful whether she will ever touch sal
water. The bargain is too good an one for tht
contractor who, it appears, receives 33l Pc
cent. over and above the price of the iron he
delivers; that is, he is furnishing iron for the
Government at a clear profit to himself of 80
per cent .....-
This is a fair commentary upon tho contrac
system Of building war steamers as it has beer
heretofore administered.
Results almost as unfortunate have beer
reaped IN much of the machinery of wa
steducTS HOW III Tue naval SeTVlce constructed
by contract 1t may not be known generally
that in every case of failure of our American
war steamers, the trouble has arisen, if w
recollect correctly, either from the contrac
work in her, or from the use Of something il
her machinery patented by some special favor
lite. We are glad that Secretary Dobbin has
had the nerve to insist on strict fulflment Of
contracts with his Department thus turning
over an entire new leaf there, as it WERE l
will be recollected that in the matter of thu
repairs of the Princeton SO recently made, he
by a clause in the contract for the work, with
held most of the pay until it shall be demon
strated, not by mere trial trip, but by con
siderable regular service, that the job ha!
been, in all respects, faithfully executed.
The superior Performance of the ship since
she was thus repaired, demonstrates the wis
dom of that caution.
Mr.. Buchanan's Residence in London
Some of our quid nuncs are often curious t.
know what our representatives at foreign cOurt
| do with all the money they get from the gov
| eminent. An item has just come to our know
| ledge, in regard to portion of the expenses O.
| the American Minister in London, which will
show how the money goes" He lives in {
respectable and decently furnished house, No
| j6 Harley street, for which, including a sta
| BILE, he pays an annual rent of 1881 60
III, 70 cp1o