New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-01-16
THE BANKS EXPEDITION TRANSPORTS.
Report of the Senate Investigating Committee
now THE GOVERNMENT is DEFRADDED.

From Oar Special Correspondent
W.sHIyGroy. Thursday, Jan. 10, 1888.
Senator Morrill, made the following report to-day
from the Select Committee, consisting Of Senators
Grimes, morrill,, and Kennedy:
The Select Committee Of the Senate appointed to inquire
into the ehaerns Of transport vessels for the Bsnk' EnP'd
ton and also Ia regard employment. of transports gem
ersy report ia part wi,-ss to the Banks Expsdton
| The following are tbs resolutions Of tho Senate;
"Re,oref Thu. Select Committee of three members Do
inquire into and eP' 20 .as Of
for the Banks Expeditions the Vi
vessels AM the character Of The men 20
M aud that they be empowered to send Tor persons aha
Z R,,orr.s That the seec. Committee OF the Senate sp
n, on n. pa inst 70 inqno into the OF charter
ps transport vessels for the Banks Expedition be also IN
.fsc,.d 60 inquire toto the Of the employment Of
spoIt, rrneraIy by the qaalermsstefs Of Tho army OF
,y tie sgents Of the War Department-ihe ra'cs az ~hcn
they engaged By whom for what purpose aud ''f 10"
long time"
Acting upon the precedence apparently given la tho roso
n,i,ns to tho subject Of inquiry the COMMITTEES at
once procee led New where the expedition referred
to VS.. lifted out place favorable for dpach In
tue discharge of their dgties
The enterprise cam etei In the months OF November
and December last, and the expedition sailed from New
York on the 18th Of the latter monihthe feet comprising
steam vessel, of sll descriptions and twenty-five
m yee chart,ed snd 6t,ed for the voyage a, New.fok
The vessel. were selected aud chartered under the authority
OF the Secretary OF War by Cornelius Vanderbilt Of New
,pu.ing condition Of hi. accepting the trust,
h.. ne was not expected receive compensation therefor
Com Van OF the Uuten States Navy ordsred bJ
the Secretary OF tho Navy to report to oen Banks al New
York for special service the supervision and outfit Of the
port feet Of the expedition and authorized BY Gen
Banks to avail himself Of assistance Of chas H. H.a"sn
Of NewYok. engineer by profession. and surveyor Of
steamers FOX the Underwriters In the cities OF NeWfoS Dos
a.. nj xd Iauta
These per.ous are regarded by the Committee the re-
poa.be parties authorized agents Of tho
httrg out the feet OF the expedition The scope Of
their combined authority comprehendei the chaterng In
spectng fitting uperv,ng and all needful preparations Tor
the safe eIDbaiks;ion OF the troops,
II viii be poced ths, two classes OF vessels steam and
sail were employed in nearly equal numbers Is believed
that both scouomy and safety would have dictated the EN-
poymen OF srsef roron Of tie latter but 1t ID not In
probable that these eOn,dsons were held to be 'ubord
nate least to rea! supposed necessity
for psch the Of the expedition and to that
sr,en, would sb.io the force Of the criticism otherwise
deemed no; urjuit
The sail vessels were generally Of the ht class and were
chartered fair rsts.Ooh uuder the term. Of their CHAR
tiers would be regarded reasonable for the mefc liant
and In his latter respect understood to contrast
avor,by with similar charters tsTetoor made In behalf OF
the Government
steamship ssoins tho sslnug aud those suited aud
designed for inland navigation The former were doubte
well adapted 10 the service contemplated oth' cas- were
tho steamers Illinois Empire CRY North Star. &C. Tho lat
ter Il 10 clear were not well suited to the service required
OF tbi, eln tho Niagara 81. Sanford &C. Ia reply to
en- inquiry whether bi. elias Of vessel h foT en- eIo
dillon beyond Cape HAera. Mr. Hs,wen stated tina, they
would be under vy favorable ereum,anccs II they should
not meet with bad weather aud DO .kfay managed as
IN ia. Al Of lulls bet
weather. Com Van Bruni fiaod: 81 tod mr. Vanderbilt
that there smaI vessels such would have
sc;ed hsd had tho hisg out OF these vesels would
Of these small vessels river stsAer"
Tho selection Of such ye-Ie, lof such service tpyAeny
La plea want o. this, 'k and forecast which the Govern
had night expect in those who share lie confidence
aud sccepi place. u responsibility Only opS sIpsraoo At
al reving sis Of the suggested sud that springs
from the supposed divided responsibilities and da,iss Of tue
SCENTS under tho circumstance Mr. Vanderbilt undertook
select and charter tho vessels the ",Gpervon AID out
e, wa eoaded 10 Commodore Van Brnt he 70 avail him
ssR OF the assistance Of Mr. Hnwel
/, needs TO bo remarked that the denAon Of the fee.
known only M Vanderbilt aud the commanding Gen
eL would follow the, the selecting and charter
iug vessels would be done With hs kno~iedse which
would qualify for q 1t did not naturally susge,. an HqaiD
Into their htns and sdsplsoni while tho inspecting and
supervising would take pl,e under dTcumstsncs'' less favor
able 10 such inquiry aid calculated 10 provoke IT, Mr.
Vanderbilt seems have acted the sopposion that his
duiles performed when suhicisn, number Of trans
ports had been secured TO so. the demands a. they Ho'e
having the question Of soauorthne, hns 6c to those
duty was TO nipec them quito forset!u Of the e."
sea,i fact tia. seaworhine snd htae would depend IN
s0o5 degree upon the service resaiToda fac GniHPosnt
Tor thern 10 know.
On the other hand Com. Van Brant appears to hne con
tened himself with performing hi. duty with the sh he had
apon the ha, the vessels had been selected with
20 the service 'Or which they wofo hsd without
rqniTins into character Of that service. Thus Is not
difficult to undo,sHd low hs selection OF that class Of
sells occurred.
Whether Il were not incumbent Mr. Vanderbilt, who
possessed the information to exercise HE udgmen. Of the ut
the vessel. for The service designed TO Impair. that
taowedss those whose duty to inspect &c. and
whether CON- Van Bfun, seeing ,hese two classes employed
ono Of which un.ued to going should have applied
to the Commanding General for the Information to
enable him dsenuc the question Of fitness worthy Of
serious consider alton for future guidance 1t least
Whatever OF disaster may be disclosed peril involved at
lrbutabe TO this supposed omson 1t but u' to say that
suspicion tho roe,iiude Of the Intentions oil eLsr
party
Ia the case OF tho Niagara other questions arose touching
the condition tho vessel the responsibility OF the owner
for A. the inspection super vision aud ou!h She buit
fer the Northern Lake service In 1885, and rebuilt IN 1919
employed there passenger 1A1 until within the last
two or three yeas when she regarded az unht Tor use
and laid By In this condition she was purchased by her
present owner for about on O thousand dollars and brought
to NowYok the past In July last MI iiaswe made
an examination Of her found some OF her mber 'o and
reported her accordingly 70 the underwater" She ""
chartered by Mr.. Vanderbilt the representation Of tho
owner that she "a hn quality vessel" he paying the
price for such vessel
MI Haswe states that he made but patslpuspecon OF
hs relying upon the statement Of tho that he had
,,.,,d Lar To Nil ecesary extent" She lel. NowloTk