The Republican journal., 1870-02-24
WASHINGTON MATTERS.
OUR NAVIGATION INTEREST.

In the National House of Representatives on the
18th, Mr.. Lynch Of Maine, Chairman ofthe Special
Committee on Navigation Interests, made 4 long re-
port the decline Of those interests and the causes
thereof, and recommended the following measures
as remedies:
First, The remission OF the duties imposed upon
the raw material entering int" the construction OF
vessels and steamers limiting the amount to the
minimum of duties per ton collected on the material
required for certain classes of vessels, and where
American iron is used in the construction of iron
vessels an amount per ton equivalent to the duties
on like amount Of imported raw materials. limit
ing the amount to I've paid.
Second, That all stores to be used by vessels sail
ing to foreign ports, may be taken in bond free of
duty.
Third, Further to encourage investment in ship
ping. and to extend aid to ships already built and
which have been sailed during and since the REBEL
ion at great disadvantage, allowing to all sail YES
sells and to all steamers running to the British North
American Province one dollar and fifty cents per
tom and on all other steamers running to foreign
ports, 50 per ton.
In view of the fact that the upon tonnage cam
not be removed without relieving the vessels Of all
foreign nations of the same, while no such eXcmp-
ton is extended to American vessels i'll foreign ports,
and in view Of the further fact that the shipping in
terest of the country to receive some reliefbv the
passage Of the proposed measures, the Committee
recommend only the removal ofall tonnage, harbor,
pilotage, and other like taxes imposed upon ship
ping by State and municipal authority, (Which tax
eS have been declared bv the Supreme Court uncGn-
tax upon tonnage that it will fall more cquably
upon the different classes of vessels affected there
by. The amount which VIII be received from this
source is estimated bv the committee to be more
than three million dollars per annuln. and will TO
that extent contribute to the relief which j. propos
ed to be granted in aid Of the shipping interest Of
the United States.
In order to carry out these measures the commit
tee report two bills-one entitled San act to revive
the Navigation and Commercial Interests of the
United States" the other IAN act Imposing Ton
mage Duties and for other purposes" The commit
tee reject the propositions to reatimit to American
registry vessels which sought the protection of for
cign flags during the war; and to admit foreign
sells to American registry.
THE SALE OF CADErsIIPs.
Mr.. Pettis, of Pennsylvania. charged with the
sale of cadctship denies the charge and teegraph>
that he is on his way here with the person to whom
tee. Mr.. Brooks. of Maryland was before the
Committee on Military Affairs to-day and testifiet
that he applied to j. Hale Sypher member of Con-
gress from Louisiana, to purchase a cadctship.
The latter said he could not trade but anything his
brother. j. r. Sypher. agent for the New Yorl
| Tribune at Philadelphia, could do in the matter
would be satisfactory to him. Brooks also testified
that the Philadelphia Sypher came here on his let
ter and agreed to arrange for the cadeship at $500
but Brooks would give only $4,000 and Sypher left
| saying-"If you want it at that price write ME. :
but Brooks did not write; he also testified that he
had to do with the sale of several cadetships, bu
| declined to give particulars.
IMPROPER DISPOSAL OF CADETsHIPs
| The investigation as to sales of cadetships is car
ried on energetically, and the Committee are max
| ing thorough work of if. Twelve members of the
present and the Forteth Congress, and of botl
political parties. are thus far implicated and agains
some of them the proof appears to be conclusive
Thus far the testimony may briefly be summed W
as showing that MessrS. Petts and Covode, O
Pennsylvania; Blackburn and sypher, of Loui>i
ana Butler, of Tennessee; Whtemore and Hodge
| OF South Carolina DpWppSp of North (iaropo
Golladay, of kentucky, and Fernando Wood, have
probably improperly disposed of their cadetships
Mr.. Wood is not charged with selling, but it is al
legged had boy appointed who was not of Woods
district. Mr.. Hodges, who is member fthe Com
mittee making the investigation, is charged will
permitting his appointee at Annapolis to withdraw
for which a thousand dollars.was paid AS to Mr.
Butler of Tennessee it is charged that he received
$1,000 for his West Point nomination. He yester
day appeared before the Committee, and after adj
hitting the fact, stated that he had given $500 O.
the money to aid in the election of Col. STOKES rs
Governor of that State, $500 of it to other politicians
and the remainder he had devoted to his own use
in defraying the expenses of his campaigns. 1t is
charged that Mr.. COvOde of Pennsylvania, in 1862
appointed the son of a political opponent, for which
about $1,000 was paid to man named Fitzgerald
Mr. Deweese, of North Carolina agreed to sell
an appointment, but advised with the late Mr. STAN
ton, who told him it was all wrong and to have
nothing to do with it. The further statement is
that Deweese finally traded it away to State Senator
Lassiter, of that state, to prevent the latter from
running against him for Congress and to influence
the passage of railroad job before the North Caro-
lima Legislature. w. Jasper Blackburn, of Lousi-
ana. received $500 for both of.hs cadetshps, from
gentleman in New York, who sent boys to An
napolis and West Point who never dreamed of liv-
ing in his district. The facts as to Mr.. GoIloday
are not made public, and the particulars as to others
named have before been stated. The foregoing is
the substance of the testimony before the Commit
tee.