The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-02-25

ton 70 his quacnt aud cha scter that under hs
unecob Strenuous efforts we're nado 10 prevent praa
tce which ob'a yard Of answering To their
names at roll call and afterwards abscbtng themselves;
tat ADDITION TO this ON the i4ih day Of Decsmoer iase
lie iasoed an order giving power the commander or the
yard TO discharge worthless aud incompetent meA-rnea
sur,s OF feo' NJ, all Of whuh we're very important
The conmtee repeat, he had sndeavorea to redress
particular easts u abuse which bis knowledge
lhe committee how. ver beIeve hat the yard can never
he managed In proper manner and u profitable way
| the government until some regulation shall aioped
preventing appointments in the yard from bong made 81
The usi,e instituted particular examination
the mann or in which the Navy Aseot and Naval Stare
per ocbaged their duties No charge Of
MALT against them was proven; but it pro
that they had not devoted as much time and en-
tinD their Offices the mportint duties thereof
CURED.
agency. II proven that DR.. Hunter the agent, has
given OF atent0n ~ tue duties OF the Office but
has entirely neglected it, He has partner the profits
partner has bestowed very little time than
| has the agent himself. He has left the management
firm of coal dealers in PnladeIohia, under
he title Of Tyler Stone Co. 1t appears that wheasver
that they superinend the whole business Of procar
ing the coal, shipping it, &C. The condemn the
course OF Dr Hunter and his partner Mr. Smith, but
that he has always been gentleman Of standing AMI cha
Iac'er that be lived in the neigh VI coal
oD, ana had been engaged in the iron BUSINESS which
tended acquainted with the different kinds Of
coal; that ne recommended 70 this Office by ead,og
members of the Pennsylvania Legislature other nd
ptai citizens of Reading aud Philadelphia
has been Office there has been nothing call the atten
OF The DeI 10 bis neglect OF No
sD has been made by anybody TO the Secretary or the
Navy the subject The coal Of The very bess quality,
has been rrnshed regurar for the OF the
ment by the firm OF Ty Ter stone Co, and appears ~
40 cents per ton less than the had obtained
| for up to the spring of l84s.
In 1857 the bought coal at 81 26 per ton,
and unoer this agent purchased ali the time at IS S.
Il Is true that arge number Of gentlemen mad sworn
committee of opinion that they could have furnish
| ed itice suitable Tor the government use.
AS TO the selection OF DIR Hunter his recommends
|
themselves, the committee say that the sSecretary
OF the Navy had never been informed OF tho
arangt ment The previous coal agent, Mr.. Tyson 70
sized at Reading, and had partner residing at Phlade
phia as present agent also reading at Reading has
one at the same city Some iptoa,oa was made % tho
President on ibis subject, but was indefinite, ana II the
PRESIDE Mt understood anything about IT, mercy
| to a division OF duties, as heretofore.
In the firm OF Tyl Stone " Co. Mr. Beach nephew
of Mrs Toucey; but making arrangement. IN thas
finn Dr. Hunter that he did toast
intma'on, or any request direct or Indirect from the
Secretary of the Navy that he desired him to DO so and
he knows believes tho Secretary had
knowledge por wish upon the subject
The Of compensation OF the coal agent 6xsd
during Mr.. Fimore's administrator at the present price,
and the preeeDt large amount Of compensation In
Of the exit aordnary demand for coal in connss
ton with the Paraguay expedition
oak contracts Two dealers had live oak on hand-S~ht,
mcnt bad taken steps for the construction Of
Scoops of and the expedition to Paraguay had been
authorized much less time was allowed Tor the delivery
of the timber than heretofore, because it wanted
| for very s0On Some Of it, which was immediately
| needed government
fore the time for awarding the contracts The Secretary
Of the Navy, in his specifications inserted an unusual
clause, by which he reserved 70 himself the right
| party unless the price was fair and reasonable
one; 50 that he wished to get the timer 1,.
10 them and to the world that he did not intend 70
give them for it ANYTHING more than fair price Whom
the bids In uncor these proposals. these two men
who bad the timber, (Swi and Jas Bgler) not the
lowest bidders Others bid below them and the contracts
awarded 10 them. Immediately after the contracts
awarded the contractors TO Washington aud
told the Secretary Of the Navy that it impossible for
them 10 comply with the contracts. They knew when
they made the bids that they could not get the timber
time but relied upon getting the time extended for the de-
declared void Under the law the Secretary had the
| right to contract with Swift or any other person,
he pnS give rate timber ssn
for and charge the difference TO the defauItng contrae
tors But Swift came forward and furnished the timber
at each yards lowest price bid by any
other party The committee believe that the price
way mpeached the integrity of the offices OF the navy
In 1854, while Mr.. Buchanan was in England. George
Pitt, whose wife has some family connection with Swift
entered into contract arrangement with Swift to tho
effect that he Pitt would endeavor to get contracts for
roduced Swift to the Secretary Of the Navy and other
WS =. bis fends soon after the cncians
invention Pitt introduced Swift to Mr.. Buchanan, but
merely said that he cold line whg," that
had given him (the Presidency cordial support Swift,
appears contributed freely 70 the Presidential election
emaIk. This ali that told to the Secretary
to the President until some time after the contracts for
live oak In september last we're awarded TO Swift. Some
time in October or November while Pitt was at the
White House. he showed the President the agreement with
Swift that Swift had refused to carry out and
asked him there could be any objection prosecuting
Swift for non fufimen of the agreement Of 1854 and
the President replied he could see no objection to it, aud
that Pitt could do az he pleased.
appears that Swift claims that his contract with Pitt
only extended TO the end Of the last administration.
The and last branch of inquiry in relation
awarding of the contracts for the soops Of
ordered at the last session OF Congress There
contracts in all and in awarding Eve OF them appears
that political any other improper influence
70 by the different bidders that the proposals were
advertised according TO the law that the log estab-
shmeDts in New York, Philadelphia Boston, Ba tmore
Hartford presented bids for each and all of the engines
and that the contracts every instance awarded
establishments OF high reputation for undoubed mechani-
efficiency These bios were referred to board of
gncers consisting of the engineer chief chief
engineers the contracts given according
the report of the board-in some unanimous,
and in others the recommendation of tho ma.
jori,y Mr.. Martin was a member Of this board,
and is the inventor Of a boiler which was
IN @S ns q on All v s s b Two
member and the plans which did not include his
boiler rejected by every member of the board All
of the pans tor real competition included Martins boil
The committee find under the state Of the THAI
preference could have been given to any plan by Mar
tin on that score but suggests that would have been
better If be had not been put on that board.
One Of the contracts was awarded to Merrck Sons.
T"'" h" ~'s now - the lowest OF scven One only
four thousand doll lower, and bas forty
uous4,.. sner: 1t further appears that the plan
member of the board, and tho plan of Mercx Sons
, approved by every member of IT, Merr tx " Sons
not politicians, and never undertake 70 influence
. their workmen. Two &C tho three incline to the
opposition In connection With ts letter from Colonel
Patterson 10 the President. ndng the rm-not
this particular contract for they bid for many-was
hbed but fully appears, from the testimony generally
and the statement OF the Secretary OF the Navy the
President took part whatever it-made examina
ton Of any bid tor this any other contract during his
administration but merely in the course OF business
shown by the testimony referred this letter. by the
common and usual endorsement, TO the Navy Depart
ment 10 which the subject properly beongedthe prac
ce bong to refer letters on business 10 the proper de-
parimeut
When persons implicated In the investigation by
by committees witnesses are summoned at their request.
AS TO the charge against Clancy Jones in the
, | ed minority statement, he being out Of tho
country could have no knowledge notification