Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-01-25


Mr.. Grimes said he was in favor of an investi-
CATION. He did not think this resolution conclud.
ell IN proper terms. Is this committee upon all
subjects mentioned in the resolutioni Then il
range of inquiry would be wide indeed. IL the
Senator Hale wants to take up the subject OF
supplies. will 60 with him. On the subject OF
the construction Of ships will go with him. He
did not think the Senate ought 10 adopt the reso-
LUTON in such broad phraseology, as It would
render confusion more confounded." tel ..f4
Mr. Hale thought there we're one or two other
matters which required explanation. The matter
of furnishing supplies Is one. The Secretary of
the,havy was going TO abolish the present sys-
TEN, he understood. He had seen list furnished
by proposal, where the price varied from one TO
one hundred per cent. on the same articles. He
had seen an article costing twelve dollars furnish
ed at one hundred and fifty, and in that same list
cotton waste. purchased at twenty cents. furnish
ed on advertised proposals 1T eighty cenis. He
could not tell whether that grew out Of de-
feetive system, or otherwise. He wanted 10
know. ffl...--. n
The discussion here terminated. aud the reso-
luton was not acted upon. ,,.g .tr.Is.4l4
fHl e (From the New York Newsl aar ls....
FRAUDS IN TIE NAVY yARp--PERKNProRY RENov.
AL or THx MASTER CARPENTER, HIS BROTHER.
AND TWO of MS FogENES -,1laf 'f
The Navy Yard. like the Custom House. is
prolific 10 fraud If IL said that revelations will
soon be brought to light which will throw the
financial and commercial operations OF Palmer
completely in the shade. Rumors have been
atioat for more than year past. duplicating Mr..
Steele the master carpenter, and numerous other
parties in the yard. with having been engaged in
a most extensive system of plunder. which OF
common law is technically called robbery
The charges brought against Mr. Steele we're
numerous and of very grave character, and, II
substantiated by p.oof. ought to consign him to
hard labor ut Sing Sing for a term Of years.
These charges have been undergoing an investi-
CATION at the Navy Yard; and the fact of bis sud
den removal yesterday, and also the removal oi
his brother and two of his confidential foremen,
would seem 20 indicate that The investigation has
shown some OF the charges TO be true 1t would
require great deal of time and space to enumer-
ate all the charges made against MIR. Steele, but,
as the subject is likely to be thoroughly ventilat
ed, it will do no harm to state few of the most
prominent afttf
In the first place, il was charged that he has
been in the habit of Transporting large quantities
Of material from the yard to vessels in different
parts of New York; and of having repaired the
vessels of private parties by the workmen OF his
department, while they were at the same time
drawing their wages from the Government. Ii is
said that the amount of government property sp
proprated in this manner Is immense, and that
Mr.. Steele retires from the Yard wealthy man.
In addition TO this. he is charged with having
conveyed lumber and other materials from the
Yard to his house in Williamsburg and used
government employees to repair and embellish it.
Some of these facts leaked out at a recent
meeting of the Republican General Committee,
and several members OF that body publicly
charged him with being guilty Of all manner Of
swindling ard peculation.. Mr.. Steele. however
secured sufficient number of partisans in the
committee to table resolution calling for pub
lie investigation of the whole matter, and the
committe went into secret session excluding the
reporters. As the same system was ad0pted by
the authorities at the NAVY Yard the public hav e
been left 10 Judge for themselves to the guilt
or innocence of Mr. Steele and his subordinates.
Now that the whole party has been decapi
tated. the Navy Yard authorities it to
themselves as we'll rs ~ public opinion to make
full exposition of the asar. Ii is said that the
District Attorney will recommend the Grand
Jury, which will be impsneiled in the Oyer and
Terminer on Monday next. to inquire into the
matter, and by that process it is hoped that the
public will be made aware of the manner in
which their money is being used by the 'loy-
nj" men who rule in every department OF the
Government -
Mr. Steele, even if all that is charged be true,
is lot the only man in the yard who has been
guilty of frauds. and Is at present enjoying per-
feet immunity, although the naval officers who
have control there well aware of the facts.
And further, Notwithstanding an established law
of the yard prohibits the employment of any per
son who has ever bees caught in the act of
stealing, an individual who caught in the
very act. and was put in the guard house all
night, and discharged the following day because
his brother presided over one Of the departments,
was re-employed in two days afterward and pro-
mosed to better position with the full knowl-
edge and consent of the Captain or commandant
of the yard. without whose signature he could
not be reappointed
Mr. Steele. II will he remembered was the Re
publican candidate for Sheriff of Kings county at
the late election. .. t..-.