The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-06-11

TIKI WlLLETrS POINT INVESTIGATION.
Report Submitted By J.dgs Hopkins and Mr.. |
ThomAs b. Florence.
Resolved. That special committee consisting Of i've
members, DO appointed for the purpose q investigating
purchase Of tract Of land q wkins, Or wetss Pout,
In the county of Queens and State OF New York opposite
cation during the 1857 and that u he said
committee be, and they are hereby, authorized to send
The undersieped, MEMBER Of the committee appointed
10 examine into the facts and circumstances connected
with The purchase Of the wetts Point property by the
government Of the United States have had Che
der consideration and beg leavst to submit The following
fhe committee have given to the subject committed to
and they have allowed 10 the Investigation the widest
sble range Ih scope, indeed a. the evidence will dis
rial ntruaon upon private affairs and transactions wholly
disconsected with the subject Of this investigation
al the ssrctty IL snouid have been for in accordance
with the special desire q those who TO be chiefly
affected the results Of the investigation that the door
of inquiry should be opened wide, the committee yielded
perhaps too far the spirit Of determination evidently
exhibited to find somewhere o.her aud somehow or
other, cause for anmadversion or crimipatioo.
OF the motive that promptedl tho investigation the
undermined have nothing 70 say OF that each must
Judge for himself hon the evidence submitted win this
with The facts OF the case and those facts briefly and
chiefly
necessity for fertilization at Wllets Point most i'm.
poran national defence was urged upon the government
Sy the highest authority, 2! 60 use me nSu'ss OF G9o
the celebrated Gen. Bernard that appropriation for
this object was-o quote again the words OF Con Tot
ten" Recommended with q great deal Of emphasis
several times" that in pursuance Of these repeated
commentators, Ccnaress finally, by act approved
March nor We mol
hundred fifty thousand dollars that after said
appropriation was made the necessary negotiations were
chase Of wies lilo acres Of land or $50
scres including the water rontfor The site OF the pro-
Az % ard s,. S ny
Cabinet, and with III appreciation. Wettsoin was pur
chased at the price OF two hundred thousand dollars
In ordinary times such transaction. being but com
business act Of department. Of the government,
would have passed without plant The integrity Of
the act would have been matter OF universal presunp
ton But In the present exsperated state OF party poll
TICS and heated local strife between factions Of the
party there Is le charity with thu o. who are Out Of
the wies Point property by the government has been
made the subject OF accusation against the unc
tiony who made IT, the Secretary Of War, and other OIL
From the tenor Of interrogation pursued by the
most manifest thst the purpose was and the evident
effort is to FIX upon the Secretary Of War the following
grave imputaons that be violated the law In Civ
ing more for the purchased land than the amount OF the
appropriation Secondly, that he gave for the pro.
perty than could have been bought for Thirdly that
and isstiy, that The Secretary Of War was party to
10 effect the tae OF the property a. N exor
me committee dc not ssste to say that there is no.
thing in al the volumnous ropy tho facts OF
the to lend the aates color to any Of these
As for the OF the prics paid over the amount
OF the appropriation made the language OF the act Of
Congress Is sufficient explanation and vindication.
TIE words Of the law are As follows
Fer The Of opposite Fort fchuyisr.
New Yi SFs hun , sJsd and S thousand d'la.sss
bad the appropriation been one complete sspara.e,
ral appropriation for the purchase Of the the fort
most clearly the Law YOU have been transcribed by
ceedTg the amount OF the appropriation but there
no special independent entire appropriation for the pur
chase Ct site The appropriation geDera- in Its
lion OF great work OF rational defence upon which the
viii OF Congress bad formally ard soemnly resolved. 1t
docs ne en- s lace pretend TO be complete and aSa
policy evidently intended for stupid enough
to suppose that the contemplated fertilization could be
built for The gun OF one hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars. Congress then having resolved the policy Of
building fort opposite TO Fort schuJ that being
tied the purchase site for tue fort being
the rs, step toward the consummation Of this policy
there could be violation either OF the spirit letter
Of the law in making purchase Of the site The purchase OF
site on the beat terms nothing
hsstbau an absolute necessary means for td.ctug par
ueuiar, and se,tlet, and approved end isdeea, the
hcation carries with necessarily snd irressibiy, the
discretion and power to purchase the cite
o. to price, specc sum Fixed by sw for acquiring
The ste.
"cOUmeUced' q
previous acquisition Of the site which TO cree,
eaS ard H. alter Congress rad Indicated its will that tho
york should be "commsccsd," and had prescribed
1x price for SITE the secretary Of War had declined
chg Il because he could purchase the site
within particular sun, would he have been ameua.
BILE 10 the charge OF illustrating at least for time, the To-
Il 10 that General Totien, in his examination before
the commitee, is made, seemingly to bear testimony
against the view jos. but the adverse bearing
rather seeming than real Tor his Ia In response
TO particular form Of inquiry oecepvely put, and does
no, touch the point In controversy.
The question propouneed to General reiten the fol-
lowing
Has been the custom Of The War Department to pay more
son a ss WIS hs aoslsSss ssSSs
rsrce Cssep sseeo)
Here both the question and the answer refer 10 case OF
specific appropriation FOR specific property. In such
snoun OF appropriation, for specific object would have
been in deosAton Of Jaw Bu, 10 the wetts Point case
such presented Trers was no specific proper
b named and 10 specific prise for lis purcSsce
AsbefoTe said tho approp sion iDatory only made,
rot 10 purchase tbs property that 81 this tbst price,
tut to put en- foot to dominance fertilization opposf
Fort Schuyler, New York" II based evidently on
the ces Of al such future appropriations might be
ctfsary TO complete the work all its parts from the
puTche q The foundation 10 the las ina o The last stone
and TIE piart!pe Of the Last gun
Ana SO as 10 the testimony o. Juese Black the Attorney
General There mssifest purpose make his opinion
Gear sgans, The Legality Of the wes Point purchase;
but critical examination will be found ike General
Tcttens, In In no wise antsgonistic
The question Is very cexierously propounded u the
govti n. had made specific appropriation Of siso eco
for the purchase Of wets Point you'd be Ohe Attorney
Gtrsra1 have recommended purchase Of 500 ,o,os
AZ The question was put. Judge Back answered cor
rectly, that "peher The War Department Any other
Cepan eDt OF Ne GOVERNMENT authorized TO expend
more morey than Ia Appropriated for particular pur-
pete"
But tie question should have been CJnxrees had
sppropTaied-a certain sum 10 commence fOrii6oa;on
limiting the price 10 be paid for the SITE the site
could be had for that certain sum- would have been
legal corsct 10 pay than that for the
stel In th,s form, doubtless, very different
would have been given. Judge Black evidently did
have before him, at the time Of hs exsninaton the ap
preparation Of March 3, 1897, he would given
difsrt cppion for the subject had been OH tally sub
mittsd TO him ~hile was 10 progress, and he had
toned approved AZ the legal adviser Of the secrets
~ Of War.
fut General ro,sn Is mistaken when be says that there
fssaDce within his experience OF purchase OF
property txceechg specific appropriation. II DONE
aad BY General Totem himself IN the Fort 1ompkins ad
dop and later than August Of last year In this
lanf ~ Aerial nnrchaacd a2h nnr acre and