Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-03-06

reduction from the price-not upon the price
| asked. but the price stipulated and agreed 10 bo
paid by that naval ofhcer-ssved 10 the Govern.
ment more than twice the aggregate amount Of
all his commissions /; anl in anol her instance Of
| similar kind he saved TO the Government
s23,Oo0. | am ab.e TO give to the Senate the
details OF that transaction, il it were required,
and in the progress Of this debate I NAV feel
Obliged to DO SO. omit it, however, Tor the
present
There has been some complaint, also. out
side, If not here upon the floor, that Mr.. Nor.
gan had paid more than the actual value Of Ger.
tail vessels that he had purchased; and some
times the propeller called the Stars and Stripes
has teen Indicated as one of the vessels for
which he paid more than its value. The sum
he pail was $55 900. The evidence Is, ard the
opinion OF competent judges is, that this was
not one dollar more than its actual value. But
that's notan | will show you on how much
better terms he made that purchase than other
purchases had been made by a high naval Off.
cer-other purchases Of similar character, aud
where the comparison can be fairly made A
short time before this, Commodore Breese, an
officer OF ligh intelligence and high character.
then in command the navy-yard At Brooklyn,
under the authority of the Secretary of the Ma.
Wy. purchased two propellers called the Pen.
gum and the Albatross, for which he paid $780,.
O00-S7a 900 for each-being $40 200 for each
more than MIR. Morgan paid for the Stars and
Stripes. And let me say further, that the two
vessels, VIII ch were Of the same description,
purchased by Com modore Breese, were older
oy two years, and of less tonnage and OF less
value than the Stars and Stripes, purchased bv
Mr.. Morgan for $4,000 less. These are hut 8
few of many instances which show with how
much skill and economy Mr.. Morgan made his
purchases, and show how much the Governmept
has been the gamer by his employment.
SO much, Mr. President for the difference Of
cost 10 the Government between Purchases
made by naval officers Of the highest rank and
character, and the cost to the Government Of
purchases made under a single commercial
agency and so much, too, for the preferences
OF the one system. over the other in their rracti
cal results. So much, too, for the charge that
Mr. Morgan has been robbing the Government;
and SO much Tor the assertion, too, that all hin
commissions come directly from the public
Treasury.
do not mean to be understood, Mr.. Presi-
dent, as saying here that this was the only, or
even the best possible mode or measure of com.
pensation wuich could have been adopted n
this case. All mean to say is that, under ,be
existing facts and circumstances of the occasion,
the actual results of the transaction, the econo.
my and caeapness with which the vessels vera
purchased, do not warran' us in voting 3 cen.
sure upon the Secretary of the Navy, impeach-
| ing h's character as an honest and tpright man
and officer, if they do not fully justify him in
| the appointment OF single commercial agency /,
in the appointment OF the very person he did
| appoint TO this agency, and in the adoption Of
| the rule of compensation which the commercial
word iIad niuptrd as, upon tue wnu'c, tru t'sss
| and most equitable, as general rule OF com
| pensation, as between the agent and the buyer
and the seller in open market.
In view, then, MIR. President, OF all the cir
| cumstances Of this case confess that am
unable TO see anything in all this transaction
which, in the slight degree, impeaches the
character of Mr. Weles, which he has borne
through all his lifetime as an honest, trust
worthy and an honorable man.
Sir, at this passing hour, when we are con-
sidering this resolution of censure upon the
Secretary Of ihe Navy, for it is nothing less
and nothing else, the recent brilliant naval
achievements of Dupont, Of Foote, and Ol
Goldsborough, which at this moment ate thrill
ling the heart of every loyal An,ericon citizen
with unwonted joy and exultation, attes. alss
the ability, the efficiency, the vigor the activity
and the success Of the administration OF that
arm of the public service over which he pre-
sides And now, sir, again admitting an errOi
of Judgment If you please, admitting mistake
if you please on the part Of the Secretary of thu
Navy, under the overwheln ing pressure Of the
occasion, put the question 10 you, Senators
in all earnestness, is it wise, is it polite, is L
just, is it just to ourselves is tjust to the SEQ
retary. is it just to the country in this hour O
i,s peril, to attempt to smite down the man un
der whose direct ions and under whose agenc,
, the only effeclusl blow has been struck which
as yet, has keen given for the suppression o
, this rebellion, and for the preservation Of oa
, national life