Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-03-21
Reform in the Conduct of the Business Of

yesterday py Mr. Doco0n, hoA' N'o AAo1So
Naval Affairs Committee and passed, emana' cd
from the Department. Its intent is to enable
the Secretary hereafter to guard against the
abuses of the contract system in obtaining
supplies for the service. 1t authorizes him, at
WILL to refuse any bids for provisions, clothing,
&C., made by persons not engaged in the bust
ness to which the supply of the articles wanted
appertain; to refuse all bids of any house
where the partners of that house make differ
emit and distinct bids; to reject one partner as
surety of another and also, to purchase at
will, in open markets, certain descriptions of
supplies intended for squadrons on the Pacific
and in tropical latitudes, which, experience
teaches, should be Of peculiar brand or prepar-
alton, the -four required for vessels in the
Pacific being the NEST important. When
forced to take every lowest bid from any respon-
sible person, it not unfrequently happens that
contracts fall into the hands of parties who
have no reputation in the line of business at
stake, and who sometimes successfully labor,
through politicians and others, to induce tho
Department to overlook their failure to keep
their engagements to the letter and in their
spirit, always to the great annoyance of those
administering the affairs of the service. The
evil of being obliged by law to consider all
the bids of all partners in house, often ends
in the withdrawal of one or more of their low
bids, and contract with the same house at
higher figure. But we might write page upon
the thousand and one tricks which the con.
tract system, without checks, enables the
speculator to play upon the Government. We
are, therefore, glad to find Congress secondinz
the efforts of the Department to put stop to
them, as is manifest in the pcomptness with
which the House passed the joint resolution
above referred to. The Senate will also doubt
less enact it, so that it may be in operation in
the consideration of the bids for provisions
clothing &C., for which the Navy Department
is about to call.
The Annual Agricultural Report Of the
Commissioner Of Patents, which was sent in
to the House yester day, has been very anxious
ly looked for of late. Year by year it has
been increasing in interest, until it has become
one of the most important documents emana-
ting from the Government of the United
States. 1t is for the most part register of
the experience in raising the various products
of the farm and plantation, of hundreds of the
more noted and successful agriculturists located
in all the different sections of the Union. As
such it is not to be disguised that it is a work
of prime public interest and importance, being
perhaps hundred fold more sought after by
the people, everywhere, than anything else
printed by order of Congress. The pressure
| shall by no means be surprised to find the
House ordering the printing of 100000 extra
| numbers.
The Chandler Decision.-Up to this moment
the novel decision made by Mr.. Chandler of
Pennsylvania, as Chairman of the Committee
of the Whole, on Friday last, is being earnestly
discussed in Congressional circles. The uues-
| ton involved is, whether the person occupying
the chair has or has not the right to count
gentlemen in the body of the Hall, to enable
him to determine whether or no quorum is
present, when they refuse to vote on question
being taken? The practice has heretofore
been to declare no quorum present. when Il
quorum fail to rise up to be counted for or
againt proposition, or to pass through the
tellers to that end, though there may clearly
be quorum in the Hall. The practice of
failing to vote is often resorted to by minori-
ty, in order to defeat measure VIII .ch they can
not defeat by straight forward voting. Many
| consider it a legitimate means of defence
against the acts Of a tyraRical majority. Mr.
Chandler, acting under his own views of the
responsibilities of the chair, refused to sane
ton the practice of pronouncing that no quo
rum was present, when he counted more than
quorum in their scats and the House lin
committee) sustained his course We feel
satisfied thai, though some members NAV find
fault with it, the country will thank him for
thus taking the initiative in reforming practice
placing majority in a measure in the power
of minority, and also manifestIy productive
of great waste of time Of tht national Lcgisla-
ture. From present appearances the more his
decision is discussed, the more nearly unani
nous members are becoming in favor of its
wisdom and propriey.
From Europe.-We present the following
extracts from European letter, by the last
mail, to the readers of the Star, because the
writer is highly distinguished as one of the
most successful and enlightened merchants of
the continent; and we therefore place more
confidence in his views, than on those of the
writer's Of most correspondence finding it way
into the press
HAMBURG. Feb. Is, 1854
You have no doubt heard that Old enourc
has coded to Prussia a small bay on the North
Sea, called Jahdes Meerhaven. with the terri.
tory around it, which will be the future station
of the Prussian marine. For the present, half
million has been voted for building dock.
1t would not suit the Republic of Bremen to
have naval station Of foreign military
power at the mouth of the Elbe, but her au-
thOrities are understood to be well pleased to
have such protection tn case of need in their
neighborhood. e.s- ...,..-
A formidable war is preparing in Europe
Commencing in the Black Sea, it will spread to
the Baltic, by which all commercial intercourse
Is to be interrupted. The blockade ofthe Bospho-
rus and the Sound will, of course, destroy the
Russian export trade: but England will de-
prlve herself of the supplies of grain, tallow
DC, which are so essential for her existence.
am still of opinion that the Emperor of Rus
STA will reflect on the baneful consequences of
such war, and will, for the present, postpone
the operations against Turkey which have been