The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-04-23
ment than all the bonds you could pile into
the Capitol of the nation.

tue NopllOl Oh tOo 08tlO0s
Under the present system If any thing is
wanted at Navy Yard the Navy agent
directs the contractor TO procure it. For
instance, there is the article Of Massey's
logs that are used on our ships, and which
are manufactured at New York. The place
where they are sold is on Broadway. They
are sold there at the price of twenty dol
lars. When we wanted some Of them the
order to furnish them was given to man
by the name Of Sco6eld, and they were fur
nished to the Government at the price of
thirty-six dollars. The Naval Committee
do not think it necessary to abolish the
system under which this is.done!
The article of pressed hair, which the
manufacturer and patentee offered to fur
pound, was furnished to the Government
by one Of these naval contractors who are
to be protected by the action Of the Naval
Committee, or rather by its chairman, at
ninetsen cents pound.
The bill which introduced required that
all articles such as Oil should be aua,yzed.
During the last two years and a half we
have been paying from $l,75 70 = % gal
lon for sperm Oil. ! honestly believe we
have not had in the public service gallon
Of sperm Oil during that whole time. 1t
has turned out by an investigation that has
been gone into that portion Of the oil for
which we paid Sl,69, was procured by the
contractor at eighty cents, and was almost
entirely lard Oil mixed with little sper
But the Committee on Naval Affairs, or
rather its chairman, does not think that the
presen; system should be abolished! He
thinks that the present system has opera
ted well, is well calculated 10 effect the ob.
jects sought TO be attained, namely, sup
plying the Navy at reasonable prices with
the best articles demanded tor the SER
vice!'
There is another provision in this bill
that think ought to be adopted, and that
is in relation to cOrrupting agents and en-
ployees Of the Government:
THAT il any officer, employee, or servant
connected with or in the employment Of
the Navy Department, or any officer or
agent thereof in any navy-yard or else
where. shall defraud, or attempt or be-
privy to any attempt to defraud said De-
partment by false count, measure, weight,
quantity, or quality Of naval supply, be
shall, upon conviction thereof before q
naval court-martlal, be fined in any sum
not exceeding $40, 900, and be imprisoned in
| some penitentiary In the United States not
exceeding ten years.
The extensive house of Phelps, Dodge 4
| Co., one Of the largest houses in the United
States, said that until a few days ago they
were utterly unable TO furnish 10 the Navy
| Department a single article in their Line /;
and why? They proposed to furnish the
| article Of tin at the lowest figure that it
could be bought for anywhere. think at
ltwenty-nine cents. A naval contractor
came TO them and bought that same lot OF
| tin at twenty-nine cents. He turned it in
| to the Navy at the nAvy-yard prOfesSedly
for twenty -seven cents. How did he ma ke
his preft? BY corrupting the agent who
was to receive it, the master mechanic who
was to receive il, and cheating the Govern
| tn f0lc nj has
the Government over these master me-
chanics? None whatever. They can be
dismissed from the public service, but they
have their ill-gOtten gains in their pockets,
and they set US at defiance. ] propose by
this bill TO put them under martial law,
and to declare that if they are convicted OF
any such offense as that, they shall be in
carcerated in the penitentiary in addition
to being dismissed. But the chairman Of
the Committee on Naval Affairs says that
"The system sought to be overthrown
has been In operation, as before stated, for
more than half q century, and, in the opin.
ion Of your committee, has operated well
and is we'll calculated TO effect the object
sought 10 be attained, namely, supplying
the Navy at reasonable prices with the
best articles demanded for the service!'
Mr.. President, the Senator from New
Hampshire rose the other day in his place
and said:
~ wish to call the attention Of the Sen
ate for single moment to a personal mat
: ter. find myself, in the proceedings o
; the Senate yesterday, charged with mis-
ststement, 4 falsehood. will read il from
the Globe:
Mr.. GRIMES. When / introduced
, this bin this morning. I stated that if tiler'
was any objection TO its immediate consid
Grafton would not press the bill at thi
I time. There was no objection. The Sen
H. Ia hpJ no n
iected.'
. 81 do not ask anything"
u On, no he did not ask anything. an
4 culy astonished that at this place, in imifa
ton Of his great prototype, Criah Keep,
did not utter some OF his usual deciara
ton Of extreme humility.
D al simply want TO call attention 10 tnl
i breach OF parliamentary privilege and {
: the rules Of the Senate, and having don
! that have done." H
= Mr.. President, when rose in my plac
n to reply to the Senator, by sort Of shar
Y practice he refused to give way to me unit
n he had submitted large quantity Of docu
e facts? What did say and what the Ser
n ator pretended to quote was this:
It "Nheu I introduced this bill this mOrK
b ing stated that if there was any Objectio
d to its immediate consideration would NJ
q press the bill at this time There was
~ objection. Inc SENATOR lTOm new k1tSlAI
= shfre says that he objected, but nobod
y heard him until after he had made aspeec
70 on the subject of the bill" e.
The Senator cuts one of my sentences
o two in the middle, quotes the first part
It and does not quote the qualifying part;
's specimen Of pettifogging that would
le credit to the most acute practitioner at u
e, Old Bailey bar. Did tell the truth, or d
p not? l asserted that "the Senator fro
Q, New Hampshire says that he objected, b.
l. nobody heard him until after he had mae
T. speech on the subject Of the BILL" Th
e was the fact, and the record shows 1t. \
9, troduced the bill and explained it; stat'
$, that II there was any objection to its imm
y diate consideration I would not press II.
y The Senator rose in his place andth cor
Q, menced one Of his usual attacks on Il
r, Secretary Of the Navy, by. attempting
Q Q prove that there was either a. a. suiiicie uH.
IN - of the Navy was derelict In his duty
be not procuring them, by telling us abo
a. Mr.. kasson's having applied for the ope
OF ING of a recruiting rendezvous in the Sts
m ~ Iowa. After he had got through, I