The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-01-03
WHAT Is GOING on nv WASHINGTON.
| The samann Job-Coal Contracts for the
Navv-Mr. uoar-The state Department
| Carriages for the Cabinet.

The samann Job-CoaI Contract. for the
Navv-Mr. Honr-Thc state Depa rtmcnt
Carriages for the Cabinet.
Correspondence Of The sun.
WASHINGTON, Jan. Tho spectators
in SANTANA Bay are quite ANXIOUS to hurry their
job through the Senate before the subject can be
thoroughly discussed or fairly submitted to
vote Of the people directly interested. Why this
violent haste if the thing be right in ITSELF aud
why this large expenditure Of money without any
urgent necessity by waiting patiently, oil these
islands will fall under our influence or into our
possession by sort Of natural law, and without
the expenditure Of dollar Of the national trea-
sure. Certainly there is no immediate urgency
for an acquisition so costly and there ia no i'm
pending danger that renders it presently de-
sirable. 1t looks very much as IL the whole
scheme was "put up" for the last news tells us
that the opposition to the sale or surrender of
the bay is the only issue between Baez, who
made the bargain for his own selfish interest, and
Cabral, who heads the bulk of the population
against it. The secret Of all these hasty and
concealed negotiations is that there is a good
deal Of money in the transfer which is expected
to line somebody's pockets.
Mr.. Robson has taken great pains in his re.
port TO elaborate the economy to be made Aers-
after in using sails instead Of steam for the navy
on foreign stations. He says there will be vast
saving Of coal, &c. But he has also taken very
good care TO keep silent nbout the enormous
frauds in the contracts for coal for foreign
service, made right here under his eyes, with
out advertisement, without inviting bids, aud
'|ihout competition of any kind whatever, at
enormous prices and profits, to corrupt and
characterless knaves, who found means to pro-
pitiate the necessary influences. These rascali-
ties have been brought to his notice repeatedly,
and lately, as is stated by Ohio members Of Con-
greSs, by Consul Neal, who has exposed them in
'h9 most palpable manner, and thus led to an
inquiry by Congress. which ia determined 80
correct these abuses by an exposure Of all con.
cerned. II ever the whole truth gets out, there
will be some shaking of dry bones.
Mr. Hoar admIres the axiom Of Jefferson in
regard TO ofiice.holders, that few die and none
resign" He will hold on to the Attorney Gen.
eraship in spite Of the Scnates virtual rejection
OF his nomination for Justice Of the Sup
Court Believing that bird in the hand is
worth two in the bush, and being q practical
philosopher besides, he declined TO retire from
one place until assured OF the other. He knew
that trouble was in store for him and he was not
disappointed According to the testimony of the
ornamental Sumner, no such scene as that wit
messed on the occasion Of Hoar's rejection lever
disgraccd the Senate in the worst days of slavery
rule" 1t was so bad, indeed, that he refused 10
ride home in the street cars with those who had
perpetrated the outrage Of not needing his pre-.
pared speech, which rccited the griefs in South
Carolina Of Mr.. Hoar's father, aud repeated much
stale rhetoric about " freedom" that the Senate
could not digest. 1t was hard blow for the
magnificent Sumner and for poor Massachusetts,
to be treated so cavaliery in the house of their
friends; but it was necessary to make both eat
little humble pie, in order to reduce the swagger
Of erorbitant pretension. If Mr.. H,ar persists
in "defyng" the Senate, as it is now called,
perhaps he may be left out in the cold without
any pay, for the benefit of the -plerdid Sumner,
who initiated that statesmanlike precedent for
Furnishing freedom of speech and difference Of
opinion 1t would be amusing to see the engi-
neer hoist with his own petard.
The comprehensive intellect of the sagacous
Mr.. Fish has lately been exercised in regulating
the State Department upon the basis of Yankee
cotton factory, where the old employees are now
treated like so many operatives. The number Of
clerks in that modest little Department, as Mr..
Seward was wont to call it, is quite limited and
they are, generally speaking, men Of standing
and merit, who have not been subjected to the
vice of change for political reasons. These gen.
temen are now required to note the hours Of
their coming and going, are forbidden to 20 from
one room to another except on special business
are obliged to report every absence from what.
L.
sick or well. Printed notices are posted on the
doors, excluding all visitors, "without excep-
ton," SO that the common courtesy heretofore
extended under every other administration is
arbitrarily and meanly denied to men who fur
nish most Of whatever brains may be found in
the Department and who are relied upon as au.
thority in every case Of need when Mr.. Caleb
Gushing and other distinguished men are not EN-.
ployed, with large fees, under the name of coun.
sci, to write important dispatches in the shape
OF "opinions," for a Secretary who is not equal to
any such task himself This shabby treatment
of the officers of the State Department, which no
predecessor Of Mr.. Fish would ever have even en-.
tertaned, is consistent with his small dealings in
other respects; for the public messengers are
often used as household servants, while a
carriage is kept up at the public expense
for the convenience of the Secretary who
thus sugments his salary by that charge to the
National Treasury. And this is not only true of
him, but Of all his colleagues in the Cabinet, and
Of various heads Of Bureaus, who, under
specious pretexts, have contrivcd to maintain
equipages for which the Government has to
pay. These dignitaries will not consent TO walk,
or to ride at their own cost as Others have done
before. They insist that Uncle sam shall foot
the bills for their display of republican vanity
An investigation will be proposed into the au-
thority for this extravaganza. SPECTATOR.