The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-19
Financial and Commercial
FROM WASHINGTON.

The Case of Comma nder seeIy-The Cruel-
ties on Bonrd the URited States steamer
Pawnce.
Special Deepatch TO The Eoeninq telegraph.
WASHINGTON, Feb 19.-Secretary Robson
yesterday promulgated q general order in rela-
ton to Lieutenant-Commander Seely, who was
tried last September, which is as follows:-
l. At Naval General Court-martial convened at
the Boston Navy Yard September 2S, 1869, pursuant
to order OF this Department dated September 10,
1869, and of which Rear Admiral II. X. Thatcher U.
s. NJ was President, was arTaigned and tried Lieu
was found guilty Of the following charges and spec
Charge I-"Neglect Of duty
Specification lin this: that Lieutenant Com
mander Henry B. Seely, U. s. N, being at the time
Executive 0fceT Of and serving in that capacity on
allowing James l. oliver Master tarms Of said
vessel, TO in1lct unlawful and cruel punishments
and tortures upon the persons OF r. W. Turner and
John A. Symms Landsmen, serving on board said
vessel; said punishment and tortures extending
about the 3Oth day of June, 1862 said vessel being
from the 20th to the 26th day of said June, on the
passage from Brazil to the United States, and from
the 26h to the Both day Of said June at or near New
York"
mander Henry b. Seely, u. s. N, serving, as set
forth In the first specification on board the U. S. s.
Pawnee did, from on or about the oath day OF june
1862 to or about the 4th day of July, 1852 neglect
his duty, by allowing, for said period, James L.
Oliver, Master alarms, to nct unlawful and cruel
punshments and tortures upon the person of Patrick
OBrien, seaman, serving on board the U. S. s. Paw
nee This while said vessel was on the passage from
Brazil to the United States, and while at or near
Charge -"scandalous and unoflcerlike con-
duct"
Iieutenant-C Commander and Executive Officer of
said Pawnee, as aforesaid, and during said
and June on 1862 on about boarG e a5 sad
Pawnee, being asked by Captain j. NJ. b. Clitz, the
co 0 Tner a ans on
whose condition 1t was his duty to be fully informed,
falsely pretended to know their condition, of which
was wholly ignorant and falsely represented to his
said commander that they, said Turner and Symms,
| were all right; that they had not been unlawfuy
punished, and were not being punished beyond the
law, when, in fact and in truth, said Turner and
and were then and for long time had been cruelty
subjected to barbarous and horrible treatment to
| the disgrace OF said ship and Of the navy OF the
The Court, having found the accused guilty Of
these charges and specifications, proceeded to
tence him. and then transmitted the record OF their
proceedings, for revision, TO the Secretary OF the
deliberately examined the record was OF the opinion
| that the sentence was inadequate to the finding,
and, accordingly on the Sth day OF November, 1869,
ordered the Court to reassemble on the 10th day Of
| said November to reconsider the sentence. .
Having In of hs S order
| Lieutenant Commander Henry B. Seey, U. s. NJ,
'To be suspended from duty for four years, on fur
Tough pay, with loss Of rank for that time, and to be
publicly reprimanded In general orders, by the Hon
| orable Secretary OF the Navy" .t 'l.r. VI r.
| III. This sentence seems to the Secretary Of the
Navy still inadequate to the charges OF which Lieu
tenant Comm ander Seely was found guilty, and the
| proceedings finding and sentence in this case are
approved only for the that they the result
| OF a prolonged deliberation by respectable and
legally organized court, and because Mr. Seely would,
| otherwise. go wholly without punishment 49,. y
In publicly reprimanding Lieutenant Commander
Seely, in pursuance OF the sentence the Secretary
only say that while he believes that the "negect
OF duty" which resulted in punshments so cruel,
could only have existed on board wellordered ship
like conduct which avaied to shield and prolong IT,
he can find no excuse for the officer who has been
found guilty OF both.
| Lieutenant Commander Seely remains In the naval
service, since no officer, however cupable can be
dismissed except In pursuance of the sentence OF q
general court martial but not the less must it be
| understood that the infiction OF punishment, un.
sanctioned by law, by those whose authority to in.
1 never be tolerated by the department under any
| circumstances.
lieutenant Commander Henry B. seely is sus
| pended from rank and duty, on furlough pay, fol
four years from the date OF this order OF reprimand
which will be read at naval stations and on board
the ships Of the navy in commission.
| GEORGE M RoBEsoN, Secretary OF the Navy.
Removal of Disabilities.
Despatch 10 the Associated Press
| WASHINGTON, Feb. 19.-The members elect te
Congress from Mississippi, with the addition Of
Senator-elect Revels, made another visit to the
Executive Mansion to-day for the purpose o
requesting the President to delay signing the
bill for the admission of Mississippi until after
the bill removing political disabilities, which
contains the names of certain members of the
delegation, shall have passed Congress
The reasons for this request were because o.
the fact that the admission of the Stale before
the removal of disabilities of portion of the
delegatonl would deprive them of their seats
and were stated to the President who in responst
to the request expressed his willingness to con
form TO the wishes of the delegation. Conse
quently the Mississippi bill has not yet beer
signed. The interview was brief, lasting only
ten or fifteen minu es
Another Whisky Case.
A despatch from Supervisor Bloomfield, date
Springfield, Ohio, the 18th, says;-''The jur
have found for the Government in another O
the celebrated Pekin whisky cases, being ou
. less than ten minutes.
President Grant and the Monarch.
President Grant has intimated his intention G
visiting Annapolis during the stay of the Mon
! arch at that city.
l. " Naval Orders.
Lieutenant Commander Charles +. Blake
I order to duty as Chief of Staff of the Sout
Squadron of the North Atlantic feet. a
: Lieutenant Commander j. H. Sands is d.
a tached from duty at the Observatory, and OF
d dered to ordnance duty in Washington.
] Master j. M. Wilson is detached from tn
: Maumee, and placed on waiting orders.
h Ensign II, L. Roosevelt is detached frei
) ordnance duty at New York, and ordered 10 tl
Alaska. tar