New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-02-25
BUREAU OF CONSTRUCTIONS, EQUIPMENT AID


att DiioD OF your COMMITTEE he's been chiefly directed
~ IoDr Gis;iooii'ems of expenditure.
TIE purchase % f0el for the Navy.
N. b. purchase # hve-oAt timber.
Ill r. usnt Of the Navy 1aBds land especially nat
~. COctTses for steam machinery.
The urdtrt'gDed beg leave to submit the resuit Of
thsr inquiry upon Of these subjects separately.
COAL AGENCY.
Pre- Tioas 70 and including the yeSr 1870 fuel for the
nas Of the Navy was required by law TO be purchased
b. oonnsct sth the lowest bidder III the
90 other q ateras for Navy. By the act Of Sept
., 1850 II was provided that
article Of fuel for the Navy naval sta Ion, y.6s
~ ss'>siy Of the Navy shall have power 20 N
sLh be oseu proper tbat Kind OF ius which IA
bsst s6sp I'd 10 The pu pose ot whiee isto be ufed'
In the exercise Of this disc eonary power Mr.. Ora
Ian, Secretary Of the Navy, appointed Mr.. ID. N.
Springer retired coal ohsnt OF Phadelphs, the
Agent Of tie Government to purchase Anthracite coal
Upon receiving QUESTION FOR coal ne went around
am pps the coal de6'er Yed their obsrs and took
the lcwe,t bid upOn ITS delivery either he or his
scs was upon the wbaiftO thst il weighed
rsctly aud shpped in good order. The 60 npenssiOn
Of the agent was fixed at ge per cent coGlmissi,u
In hay latt Benjamin II son wss the coal agent,
Ap6 several applications made 70 tue Secretary of
tho Navy foI the place. TIE mode Of Purchasing the
COAL the telectlOn OF te agent if needed, sad bis
WERE by las entirely VI TIE discretion of
the B.cretsry. TIE coal business had largely ir.
csss,d 90 thst the snount annually purchased was,
In 1873 abort IS COO tuns beire larger amount thao
10 pseyioes year, per centage yielded larger
salary. In May, 1883 soms of the applicants met at
Wash,netor and at a cotfeIercs with each her aud
Their iIlenos (snOpg whom was the Hon. j. Clancy
yorer), It ~ss sgreei tDst Or Cosries II. Hunter of
kesoiIg, Ptppsy lvsnis, should be appointed GOAL
sgsD. and tina, the enolnm,uts Of The office should
be sviOed equally between him, John L. Smith, and
j. LswTeoce Getz warm persoo. sod political friends
Of tho President sho had contributed largely 10 his
election. Hunter and Smith both applicants for
ire cflcs Of coal agent; Ge'z rneu Der Of the
Pennsylvspis IL gsstnIe and then and now the editor
ef lac EeaasRg OasaJs. Each of ths parties above
psmed ~Bs 1lHed 10y youI Committee ana also &.
N ohulss BE ach, whose connection Wltl The transsc
tiUn v iL bpIesitsT appear.
hr. Satin tes ihea tibet be was in Washington Ia
MAY last 6ud wac prescott when ths Arrangement for
the appoiI tnlebt 0. HGRteT made. That some of
the applicants and their friends had couver alton 70
arranse tblrgs suica ily they could. ttndy t vas
a,Ieod that If The Seceary would appoint either Of
then, be sboDd appoint DT. HuateI, ar. Getz, anu
MIR Smith. That tne arrangement was communicated
TO tie Hon. j. Clancy Jotts, then member OF tmS
Hoose and that the President also uncorstOod that
toe onuianeuis OF TIE C1cs 20 ~ 10 the three,
As uis wac deemed impmtent by the Committee, the
witE vas examined su1 IeeEsmued by different
peubtrs Of he Committee es u the knowledge OF toe
Presidents he syeGod that the President kocw tLst
the three 20 divide tle eulCn nents Of the Office
ara q at the parties satisfied with the decisyo;
but be knew nothing about the Arrangement w0etner
Cae-hel To SO 10 patty and tho other half 70
the ether two or not.
Mr. Gtiz testifes tbbt he was ct Washington at the
tne and was informed Of the arrangement f,r the
sppOLtmept Of Dr. Huuier, sno That be ,Geiz) 10
hsve One-lETd Of TIE profits. lie Ssr6ed - It sih
mental rtesfyAuCr." He cCnversed With the Prss-
sdt nj sbout the appoinmspt Of br. Hunter and the
Presioeps said 20 him, Mr.. Jones urged me 70 ep.
poirt you, bat you are no spphoASt; have maize
~ my mind 10 appoint DR.. Hunter.
Mr.. Beach C.. NiCnoos testified taa: he Is snsphew
by uolfisee Of tire Secretary Of the Navy; that he
we Gu intimate relations with him; that he was IN
WssAinstop when tie arrangement Of tue apPoiIt-
Hebt OF Dr hGnteI wac mace, that he himself al
spplcant Tor that cfcc tba. he cOrvcrsec with Mr..
JoI SboG Il; that hs knew that the EN- luments Of
tie Office were to be divided up among those parties
and thSt ass msttor Of general rnmOr In Washing
tor be'He and a. Soc une u tho sppointmeut that be
talked with the Score. ely about lie sqport rent Of
Dr. Hunter and ta6t Tie Sscretary informed him TIA,
~ the application use Penney . ana one, ne would
defer 10 the wish q t1e Pn,sicens
IL ia 70 he remarked that ty law the President has
pOthrC 10 DO Viin tie purchase o. Cosl The only
power in the MISTER Is oonfo'red by laS, upon ne
Secieisry; yet Il appesIs from the testimony bad the
S-c1etaIyS adhesion 20 Beach, that the power was
yielded u tie pgcsicesf.
La pursuance Of the SrrnrgSuen. Dr. Hunter wss
spPoioec cosl agent Smith received the commission
fI,m thu Navy ID, pE tmeDt, took i - Dr.. Hunter At
Rsadu y, aid nsIgGt1d 80 h1 The aIgaI - -lec., %
which ncuisr esfced. Getz subsequently Geclne3 20
share ~ the prcts bCcause, az be ssys, the arrange
mcnt was disiasicf1l 20 ti~.
nr. Bunter has been for yesrs, was Thea oud stil
as prateing physicisn in Res6iOg. Tie had never
purchased Goa for sale, be tit not kEgT Id market
vsne took 10 psrs 70 escirtau It, cd not purchase
spy coal for the GoVsrumeIt n DO any act Ia the
pe Sformsuoe OF he dgy e1cSp to q n formal papers
s-ht 20 him by Tyler, stOoe ~ Co.. certifying t1Et
nps ec Qgan ty 81 coal ofhc besquaiy o6d been daily
fspettt ard weighed by hin, and stipped on board
named vessel 1hese papers scse cent 70 TIE proper
bpsssu aud all parties knew, or ought % have ku0Tn,
that the certificates were false 30 sI ~ relates 70 hs
psrsopal kDOsledge Of the feets cefihed.
Dy a. understanding BETWEEN Hcctsr & Snl.h re