Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-06-20

Congress.
AN INFAMOUS SLANDER.-The Albany Eren.
ing Journal of Wednesday last, in noticing the
fact that cylinder-head of the steamship Min
nesota has recently required repair owing to
the discovery of 'shrinkage check in it.
while admitting that such defects are contin-
gencies in the execution of such castings which
1--WE quote its language) ithe utmost skill and
care cannot always prevent" undertakes to
base, on such data, charge of corruption, &C..
at the Washington navy yard, which, according
to this knowing journalist, was constructed for
no other purpose save to make patronage for
wOrkmen.
In reply, We have TO say, first, that the con-
struction of the Washington navy yard became
necessary through the exigencies of the public
service long before the Journals editor was
born and since that date il has been regarded
by all connected with the naval service of the
Government, rs equal in public utility in all
respects to any of the rest of the Governments
naval depots. We shall not argue that ques-
ton, as the fact is made plain in all the naval
reports bearing upon it that have been pub
lished within the last forty years, at least ID
to this season even the miserable jealousy OF
those interested in rival establishments. and
the selfish sordidness of parties seeking private
contracts for the Governments naval work.
failed to give the accusers of the Washington
navy yard courage to initiate such a charge.
The journal quotes the following from the
Albany Mercury, and undertakes to say that
1T Is applicable to the state of things i'm the
Washington navy yard, without pretending that
Its conductor is in possession of any testimony
whatever to substantiatc such charge:
SIN the Brooklyn Navy Yard, grossly corrupt
abuses are every day practised, which it is the
duty OF the Secretary of the Navy to abate Hun
dreds of thousands of dola s are here annually
squandered, for no other purpose than to reward
politicians from the lowest stews of this city and
Brooklyn. IL is true, change has recently been
made by the Government in the most important
departmental least in the expenditure of money
In the yard-the Engineer department; but. we
fear, from what we learn has already taken place
under the administration of affairs by the new in
cumbent. the change has not been for the better
The system here existing of employing men in
the various trades not for their ability to do dutv
and work well in the branch of trade assigned
them, but simply because they are noisv poijti.
clans, should be abrogated. 1t is fact that nearly
one thousand men are employed and liberally
paid, whose work could I've performed by five
hundred 1t is true, that shoeinakers have been
employed as painters; painters carpenters and
blacksmths as masons-all receiving the high
est rate OF wages. aud to extent i'm numbers
most unjust to the Government and disgraceful to
the engineers and masters sanctioning the system
one that indirectly swindles the treasury,
In reply, we have to say, in the first place,
that we believe what is thus said of the Brook
Ign Yard is false. If not, we guarantee that
whenever any one of its allegations can be sat
isfactorIy proved to the Secretary of the NAVY.
that functionary will instantly take off the
official head of any employee there, high or
low, who may be justly chargcable, directly or
indirectly, with any such conduct, or with acts
resulting in such infdelity on the part of others.
So far as the Washington Navy Yard is con-
cerned, we know that all such allegations are
false Fortunately, as far south as we are,
Albany morality with reference to the use Of
public money has not yet come to prevail.
There is no private manufacturing establish.
ment in the world where scrupulous honesty in
the use of funds entrusted to them is more con-
sistently practiced than by all holding respon.
sible trusts in connection with the Washington
Navy Yard. We challenge a single item of
proof to the contrary.
ARMY REGULATIONS" General Orders,
No. 8, from the Adjutant Generals Office. da.
ted June l6, 1857, says:
The following regulations have been received
the Army ~
Officers Of the Army arriving at the seat of
Government will report at the office of the Adm
tant General and record their names and during |
their soOurn in the city, will wear either the mn
d:ess coat prescribed in paragraph 1874 General
Regulations, or the military frock coat, with or
without epaulettes, at their option
. The inspection Of military supplies reported |
as unserviceable, required by paragraph 927 of the
General Regulations for the Army will, unless
otherwise ordered, be made by the commanding
officers of posts. - - "|# ~
From Cascades, Washington Territory is an
nounced as double ration post, and will be con-
sidered as such from the date Of its occupation.
BY order Of the Secretary Of War:
5. COOPER, Adjutant General.
The NAVAL Courts To-day, in Court No
j, the case of Lieut.. Parker being before them,
DIR. Fox, Prof Chauvenet, oft the Naval Academy,
Pnrser A. E. Watson, Com StelIwagen, Lieut.
bfeese and DIR. DUNCAN, were examined in
Lieut. P.'s behalf.
IN Court No. 2, Lieut.. Walks case still un.