The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-03-02
N,yu, Contracts AND EXPENDITURES,
TRuMpHANr LETTER FROM HON. ISAAC
TOUCEY TO THE COMMITTEE.
NAVY DEPAlTMENT,
FehrnnlY Ia. le

iul
I of the desire OF the committee which you pIe-
I'M 10 receive rom any statement on information In
g,tl 10 Il which may wish TO present now comply
t the request and it with reference to the contracts
for live oak thnDcr inale under tio NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. vi
No iye-oak timber had been purchased by advertised
contract for last sixteen years, excepting in these
instances - ooo
ls contract made September ~, 1915 iof ll,ovo
cubic feet -
frames Of sx large sloel ofwar, cut 70 mouls To replace
that which had been taken for the six large steam iristeS
ilt IN 1855 of which two have since been used for the
sl,onsol war Lancaster and = Pensacola author
lied in 1851 and the other four can only DC used ior
ships of that class.
aI The want Of additional quantities OF live oak hav
m been repatedy urged by the ircan of eolstruesion
tb deartment on the LIST of July, 1851, authorized
oontnct to I've made for such timber would replace IN
plr what had been taken from the complete frames OF
shirsofthe-lne and frgates which the wants OF the
service had made II necessary TO break in upon. and also
10 nroye crooked timber suitable for the repairs of vcs
sells Of the larger classes of which the supply was wholly
insufficient
For several years past the repairs the sloois-owar
and smaller vessels have been very great and hnve grad
ua absorbed the best and the most of the small size
timber and the of that timber every day be-
coming apparent Thus this KIND OF timber peinS
absolutely wanted it became advantageous and econom
i 10 purchase that whial had been refused on the eN
sng contracts for being below the contract sze rather
than cut the larger and more valuable pieces that re-
ouaiud OF the old stock, that then coming IN ON
the new contracts So great the want of this smaller
timber that it had been used TO considerable extent IN
the Norfolk and kitey yards in the latter to the amount
of So 972 Az before authority obtained IN proper
form make the purchase the officers in those yards he
leyng that the public interests warranted that course
And 50 great the deficiency of live oak timber IN the
Pensacola that there is not now stick OF
that kind in the yard which has not been purchased
since
While this deficiency of timber in the navy yard was
known exist reliable information received in the
month of May last that the British government had re-
yiyed the pretended right of Search and thnt the British
cruisers exercising il upon the merchant vessels OF
the United States in the neighborhood of Cuba THIS
information created great excitement thronghont the
country 1t Ii only necessary to refer to the wrke de
hates in both Houses of Congress TO appreciate its OK
tent To resist the exercise OF this right fleet OF twelve
wtr vessels fitted out and despatched to the neigh
borhood of Cuba, with instructions given them from time
to ne between the lith OF May and the 18th OF June,
to protect all vessels the United States against the eNer
else of the light of search the high seas in time OF
n,, by the armed vessels OF any other power These
cons would probably have Produced collision bud
not the right been abandoned hy The British government
Wbie thig yas going Congress, the 18th of June,
sed an act requring the Secretary OF the Navy to cse
40 DO constructed, ds speedily may Dc consistent oM ne
latdc Interests, eight war steamers OF light diaught,
combining the heaviest armament and greatest speed
comnotiIe with their character and tonnage, On the
ID OF July orders giyent to all the nasyyars that
they should be launched by the next meeting oil Con-
gress and that nothing should be permitted 10 pre-
vent it, taa @
Bv the same act Congress made an appropriation to
deny the expenses and compensation Of special com
missioner execution OF the joint resolution passed on
the 3d of june authorizing the OF force II nect say
"for the adjustment of difficulties with the republic OF
taraguay Independent of this resolution, the Ples-
ded determined to act promptly, aud measures were "
ken to increase the squadron on the east eos OF soh
Ameri 50 that it should consist of twenty armed yes
sells including two store ships most OF them to be he
for the PURPOSES of the expedition.
In this threatening posture of affairs with tho pubic
mind excited by the revival OF the pretended right OF
search with certainty that the attempt to suppress IL
would not bring us into collision Win oleat Dfi.'h'
with squadron OF twelve ships in the vicinity OF Cubl
to resist IT, with larger squadron OF twenty ships TO DC
prepared and concentrated in the direction oi faaguay
and with eight steamers of the smaller classes 10 DC
constructed according to the injunction oi Cohgtefs
as speedily as might be consistent with the pubc m
tercsts deemed it my duty upon consultation with 'he
che of the Bureau OF Construction and suaif 10 n's
the exigencits of the service by promptly drec9, on
thc day of the aoupcpt of Congress, june Ii, that an
advertisement be issued calling for supply ir rs short
a time practicable, of live-oak tmbcs most q u ot
smaller dimensions than had been usually required suc
adapted to the construction of the smaller vcs-
so just authorized by Congress, and TO the extensive
repairs both of large aud smaii vessels which the exi,
gencies OF the servic, would be Likely 70 require.
would have resigned my place before would aTe failed
10 act with the prompudc which the occasion seemed 10
den, and. The list made out 10y the chief oi the
Burea, of Construction according to his Own Judgment ot
what the interests and necessities of the service required,
without 4rrenee by inits Details and the advertise
ment was is ,eA si the Iith of June calling for one
half ON the st &C Septe,bcr and the other half on the lt
OF February following giving 70 bidders two and ait
anonths notice TO make contingent arrangements for the
first delivery and seven and half months aoilce ior
the other The time allowed in the advertisement fcr
this timber sufficient fop persons who We're acnai
dealers in such timber and who n ablng Offers ih'eha
ed to comply with them, were IN any dessaa prepared.
wa M Ott iJr any
view TO dispose Of his contract to other parties lhesc
the which influenced The department IN the
exercise of its discretion in this parcuas ae and when
the contracts executed assured by the pKpe-
rened officer in charge Of the Bureau OF eonsasucpon
and Reb2 that the measure had proved highly economA
seal aud hsecal TO the government saving 70 1t proba
bly, about tsPpty-ive thousand dollars beyond what
could have been accomplished 10y open purchase
After the contracts had been awarded 10 the lowest
Mddets question TO wi,ssh ! applied the plin-
cpe of e decision / had previously inaia. y,z that
when the department advertised for contract apon
certain terms and ope Of the bidders applied to sub
Sdibate officer and oba.ad assurances OF more iavor-
able texas at variance with tio adresed, and reSd
lated his lid accordingly the deparsesa S,Hld enforce
the advertisement and not the assurances OF the Saoo,d
nate and The thus obtained would constitute
no goa1d of relief because unfair to other bidders
When, therefore il appeared ths those to whom the
contracts wcsR awarded had neither persc;.ss1 them
nor intended 20 perform them when they bid, bos
haL acted upon information or assurances opahen
at the navy yards from subordinate officers at yari-
with the terms Of the adyess'sspent the dc,
patment act aside the forfeited contracts al Instead
of purchasing or contracting in open market on oi tl
next highest bidder and charging the difference 70 tue
deaulting parties accepted contract with Mr. SWht oi
the whole amount at the lowest Iid, which was much
lesser than the bids which he had made. l'Heby SAVING