New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-02-25

nsaeu7e-s, which Arc fully scd ,iosrS sss forth IN
tie report Of tins Committee, il wa soasrivei s.s:
Mr. SVft should get further contract fcr l5o 900
feet Of timber, amounting TO Sl66,7OO, sOous
So, 600 moro than il would have cost .ho Gov
erDmsu. if the contract lad be-a honestly AID
properly offered to public composition. v.tsou!
toe diIgrscefl fivon.ism which the testimony
proves 10 have been prse.ised.
Ill The investigation irto tie condition Of the
Brooklyn Navy Ya;t disclosed. in the irs' plaoe,
tie fact that tie patronage Of the Yard VIA system
sticaly divided among the Democratic members OF
Congress from New-Yorf. Thus, the constructive
engineer, tie mater plumber, and the master
block mAker, represented Mr. Siokles; tts master
painter represented Mr. Soaring; the mater spa.-
maker, master blacksmith, and timber inspector,
Mr. Mac,sy; the master boat builder, AID
master shpesrpen!er, Mr. Tylor; the mas
ter caulker, Mr.. CSchrane; ard tie master
stone cutter, Mr. Ward In the general division
Of patronage, Lawrence Cohsns WAS appointed
master carpenter upon the nomination Of b..
Hsskin. He was removed on the 9th of June,
1853 on sccoun. of Mr. H.skin's anti-Lecompton-
isu. Alexander Ward, the master lsborsr, repre-
teuted Mr. CLARK, and in May, 1853, after Mr..
Clark had taken his position upon the Kansas
question, Ward resigned, to avoid being turned
out.
This system, M. Sherman justly remarks, hiss
reduced the Navy Yard to mere political machine,
where idleness, theft, insubordinasio1, fraud and
gross neglect Of duty prevailed to an alarming de-
gree. Members of Congress took scardalOus in
teres! in the appointment. Of the lowest workmen,
sometimes pressing appointments upon the master
workuen So q reward for partisan services, with
out regard to the qualification or character Of the
applicant. For example, Mr. John Co'hrane, on
juno 10, 1857 wrote thus to Mr.. COtane, Mr.
Hsskm's master carpenter:
"Mr Cohane: Mr.. Cullen tells mo that you
"are to take men Oh, on Tuesday; now ask you
"to take him on and the Others lave ssked you
"to take on. l rW have my proportion OF men
"under you. IfyoH do not gre them, TM lodge
"ehare,s against you" He alss wrote in similar
style TO the master blacksmith.
In another case, Lewis ". Berry, the master
painter, discharged man for hs5isud druaten-
ness, who had been appointed upon the recon-
nendsSOn of Dir. John Kelly. Mr. Kelly 70
quested that the man be taken on again. Berry
deuurred, telling Kelly that the man was di'-
grace to the service. Kelly said be could not help
thst-the man mus. 90 to work again. Berry
still refused Upon which Kelly told him, "You
"may set it down as fact that L viii have you
"renoyed if can" And be was removed two
or three months afterward, Mr.. Kelly having aP-
pied for bis removal Mr. Kelly, the report
states, tostihes that he did not know the man was
drunkard.
It appears from the testimony that it W" BY
order of Mr. Secretary TOucey that the patronage
of the Navy Yard was divided among tie men,
bers of Congress. Under date Of July 80, 1853
Mr.. Toucey wrote to Com. Kearney, the Com
mandsnt of the Navy Yard, telling him that Mr.
Sckles had complained of the master joiner be-
cause be had not employed, under him, single
person from bis district. And the Secretary d.
reefs the Commodore " to inquire into and report
"upon this matter" "Yery extraordinary bust
"ness," remarks Mr. Sherman, "on which to
detail al officer Of the highest rank known in
I" the Navy of the United States"
TIE Commodore, in reply, transmitted to the
Department q letter from the master joiner, who
justified himself for not accepting the recommend
tons of Mr.. Sickles BY sayirg that /" in nine cases
"out Of ten the men who are most strenu9usy re-.
commended are very Indifferent hands many Of
whom cannot obtain employment from private
employers"
Abuses Of the gros.est nature are shown to exist
in the other civil departments of the Navy Yard,
especially in those Of the Navy Agent and Naval
Storekeeper Similar abuses exist also at the
Phiadephis Navy Yard. Bat, one of the most
sgrant violations Of law and Of propriety was dis
closed by the inquiry into the contracts for the
machinery Of the steam sloops fwsr directed to
be built by the Act of June, 1853. On the 2Cth Of
July, sealed proposals were invited by the Sacre-
taIy Of the Navy for the machinery Of these yes
sells. Bids were accordingly sent in by most OF
the leading marine engine-builders Of the United
States. For the large slOop q! Philadelphia there
were seven bids, the lowest being from the No7ety
Iron Works Of this city, Offering to do the work
for S95, 900. Merrick & Sons Of Philadelphia
offered to do it for SlO2, 600. Before the Secre-
tary hd passed upon any OF the bids, Col W. C.
Patterson Of Philadelphia wrote, under date Of
Sept. l3, 1855, 10 Dir. Buchanan the following
letter:
PHILAprLs HIA, SECT IS, 1853.
"Dr,n sR; ven.cre 10 ssssst TO you tas Importance Of
awarding for the machinery Of the ,oor
buidias Navy Yayd q: this time and. II it be done
without preu dice 10 the public service, 70 Hsrrck Sons
Theirs oIy es,sbH.hGen; 10 the Fss Dstrc. which
plOyss large number Of neckAacsst his time $50 ~her ir
nj work, 80.
The m,n,r1s partners CM ~ IT, being .b'sD. IN b..
heath fa Of s,rsnins - their
force drs tAI depression, AID. IL far know tie only
old Wings Of influence In TIA. District l. syoI Of
the reelection Of Col Florence.
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