The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-04-25
SALE OF ROx.CLADS AND THE NEUTRALITY
LAWS.

WASHINGTON, April 30, 1858.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
In your Washington correspondence mention u
made OF the sale Of two acknowledgements and
Catawba-to Alexander Swift Co., for the SUM
of $755,o00. To those who do not understand me
case the sale may appear to be very pretty thing
These monitors cost the government little over
81 400 000 have never been In commission and are,
II there Is any choice in the iron hull monitors,
or II they are worth anything, the very best In
our navy. But there appears to be something very
singular In the sale of these monitors when viewed
in connection with the and talk the street
about the action Of Congress- the Navy Depar tment
and certain foreign officers. II will be recolleotcd
that Congress almost suspended operations while
the act authorizing Secretary Weles to dispose q
useless iron-clads was being put through.
Some people thought the Treasury would
fail or suspend unless the iron-clads were
Immediately sold and the value received
was deposited in the Treasury forthwith AS a.
the bill passed authorizing the sale, and the board
was appointed to appraise them, the Secretary ad-
vertsed for proposals before the board had time 70
them, much less to determine which were q
the least value to the government and report their
estimated value. The SecretarY's advertisement was
dated 18th February, and the bids were opened On
the Goth of March. The following bids were re-
ceived viz:-Partridge Perry, for OneOta $47b ooo
for the Catawba $4so,oO0; M. F. Merritt Co., for
Oneota and Catawba $50 1000; Daniels Smith. for
Oneota and Catawba, $1,5sO,ooo; Fuentes Co.. for
Oneota and Catawba, ST. OPS 900; Wm D. Russell, for
OneOta and Catawba 8 $40, 900; W. J. Terry. for
OneOta and Catawba, $3.50, 900.
were accepted and that Alexander Swift & Co., who
were not bidders, could buy these monitors for
below the lowest bidder unless tss take tss
Of March !, translation OF which ID as f0ll0ws:-
NEW YORK, March lssa.
fo% Quite Of The part
United state. Minister Gener. Hoyey took in the pr
s the a sae Of ss rnss
10 s Ss ss o he
With At a s. Of the Omitted U :s
a. eSsy Sss IT, The s. ri 4.
know. t. and every every clerk in hi. once familiar VA
law .say sssa = .s
scheme selling ORIGINATED IN the npps, circles e
SSss wi az
Peru where General Hoyey Introduced g. Kicker 70 Pss:
snS 1ss %
s
belonging TO the United States rspresenns ne.
oyey. for hs = s.id Of s2sSS sa!:niss
'i wsfs' 50 said ss &c &.
Saa.scc Cabinet ths Soa!ss.
S be working & hard S ~ guard .g..n. .
.5 came 70 Ss
aos Of No!s%Ssr s. where BE Se rs%an: 81
on the Srs. Of hi: month purchase
Of cons:s authorizing The Secretary Of the Navy % dspess
Oh yS Isl hurried through By Ps5s s o ne
price .s.
s'
.pps s ne Sss .
ass e:
money Tor the pargc,e Al sysnt,
to Sc
March Sd: s.s Sssn 70 s .a as
delay r. 1snf them S. to sea- On pnas, as a.
knowledge Of the Navy ''I Department. and member
cS%s lie and ~ 0 Where SO we" ar. Ss 90
Where the guardians Of che neutrality awsi Is there
Mr. Seward An irishmsn By Of Grace, who be:
made the q b JOIN a,s5 S
ssO and she Is now being prepared for that purpose
ws,sT VIII ss xsS,:.
and
te more In advance on property Of the United States nav
II the statements OF "Alfonsor be true, It would
appear that NJ +. Merritt Co., Alexander swift d
Co. and Messrs. Merritt and Kicker one and the
vance OF the Navy Department that Merritt and Kicker
obtained those monitors at a very low figure, and
intend TO violate our neutrality laws by turning them
over to Peru, belligerent government. so far a.
the sale OF these monitors has been made II really
the letter referred to states the facts In the
No other parties cared to purchase these moni
tors From their class" river and harb0r de-
fence"-and their specifications, no foreigner would
think Of buying them unless he had been deceived,
a. "Afonso" says, and paid some Of the money
down before they were seen.
noticed Mr.. Merritt constantly with the Az
sistant Secretary in and out OF his Office and occa-
slonally with the Peruvian Minister Garcia Garcia,
while the negotiation was going on, but as soon ~
the bargain concluded the Minister left for New
York. where he has since been stopping.
why Mr.. Seward has not asked for an exp anat0n
since the publication OF this letter attempted 10
rcute its statements why Mr.. Garcia has not contra
dctcd them, Is mystery. Have they
pecuniary interest In the large profits that are
To accrues IL Is clear that n these state
ments prove tobe correct, there must be great
ruption somewhere, which was commenced In Lima
and Is to be ended In Washington: otherwise how
could these monitors be purchased at such an insig
nncant price and be sold to Peru for s2,000,00O,
without large margin" so called, somewheret
There Is said to be singular connection somewhere
between the parties named to tho erect that Kicker
once partner with Minister HOvey; that Merritt
| Is connected by marriage with Secretary Weles aud
appears now to be partner with Kicker and swift
VIII Congress or the State Department or Mr. Wclles
please enlighten uss