The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-02-15
JrAsHING7pg CORRESPONDENCE.
WASHINGTON, February IA, 1859.

WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY IA 1922.
The leading man in the recent unsuccessful attempt to
defeat the admission of Oregon Mr. Grow of Penn
sylvania Grow, from the Wimot region--nurtured in
the Wimot schoobrought up at the feet OF the great
apostle Of reesoil-Grow who favored the admission of
Kansas under the Topeka constitution with population
less than tenth that OF Oregon and Grow who him
self reported the very bill which enabled the people of
Oregon constitution and State government this
same identical Gausha a. Grow under the spur Of party
expediency opposed the admission of free State Oregon,
because it does satisfactorily appear that it has the
requisite population And he did this too in the teeth
of established by the strongest kind OF moral de-
onstr2tion. that the number Of inhabitants in the Ter
ritory is than necessary 10 meet the present ratio
of representation
The republicans are now endeavoring through their
and sbbers to fabcate false charges based on
pretended investigations in secrd committee. Their
scandal Is Rented by facts especially with regard to coal
The quantity of coal used by the navy since
the introduction of it into the service to the LIST of De
cembeg, 1868, had been 10000 tons. The quantity
used in the several yards for fifteen years preceding
the LIST of January 1852 may be stated at To- 800 tons,
average of 683 tons per annum OF this amount
S. 1872 tons procured through the coal agents APP
pointed by the department in 1851. whose commissions
amounted to Sls 1853 Mr. James Polk and Mr. G. II.
Hemter the only coal agents at present employed
The great paint story which was to involve the Navy
Department and the officers of the yard at Brooklyn IN
cloud of shame, has ''simmered down to this mas
ter mechanic was arcused by discharged workman of
questionable character of having taken from the yard
keg white lead weighing 100 lbs which cost the gov
eminent exactly six dollars TO establish alleged theft
the OF which could have been fully investigated and
the crime punished by the officers Of the yard If the ac
cusaos. had been made to them, the committee are
told have toed ten witnesses all the way from New York
to Washington expense Of about sixty dollars each
who have fully established the fact that the charge was
not only entirely without foundation but that there
really good reason to believe that the characteess
cser OF the master the identical man who stole the
lead
Most Of the charges they have investigated would in
like manner be blown the wind ii the parties
ony had ~ opportunity TO face the witnesses that i'm
ylicatc them.
We satisfied tbsi the eggs Mr.. Sherman has found
In this navyyaro mare Best will never produce any
colts 10 speak of In other words, this mighty navy
ward inys.iigaton which has been carried at an enor
nous expense will out monstrous abortion yield
ing no results ip tbs way Of reform In fact think
ahc real object of the investigation was to obtain sup
gy OF eectonecrng scandal io the next presidential
campaign In this and in this only, w ID be success
full
In recent report Of the Senates Committee on Naval
Affairs il is stated that not only have fewer guns
aoat proportion to commercial tonnage, than we
had quarter of century ago. but that our navy, in
ships and guns, is weaker, ip comparison with that OF
Great Britain than It at the close Of t wnr of 1872
In 1857 our entire navy aoat comprised twenty ane
these were sattered all the globe while at the
same time Greai Britain had about our own coast
thriy-our vessels carrying seven hundred aud ninety
four guns.
The House Committee Of Ways and Me4gs bad afl-
other meeting on Yesterday morning bat adjourned with
out accomplishing anything about tariff or loan bill
Efforts are being made to trace ont the authors Of nm
founded scandals set aoa in the New SeTk papers and
20 hold them respcSsiblc before the courts