The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-03-14


Since nc i:t 81 March iatt total OF ~, o;7s2,ac IS
This Doc. ~ states that the S0 Of
september last there was balance OFF,. "a or 3 %
Showing q nominal expenditure TO that
date, seven months, tli,ijOl5S IL
SPECIMEN or rms ADMIRAL RrruSprSo.
But this, arprehCnd, does not cover the entire
expenditure. There Is, for instance remaining on
hand In tho different navy yards considerable
quantity Of material belonging to the different
bureaus, aud each bureau n directed, when wanting
material Of any Kind OF which thereis surplus be-
lonlng TO another bureau to purchase Of that sur.
plus In preference to purchasing elsewhere.
For example, tie BuI eau VI Construction" pur-
Glasses Of tue Bu eau o. " Yards aud Docks $1,000
worth OF tni er, OF WI lea tue latter has excess,
and Yards and Docks buys; perhaps, tlooo0 worth
OF iron Of Construction Now, to guard against
abuse, the late secretary, Mr. Woes, directed that
these transfers should be made 10 take the shape
OF regular purchases, that Ia, by requsition, aud
the whole transaction be thereby made TO appear
on the books. ltappears RON The obscure and con-
fused statement OF Secretary RObesOn la what ur.
ports to DO his exhibit Of eApcnditures that no
claims this Tansier OF property from one bureau to
another, 10y which material or pro- crty In possess
son OF one bureau Is sold TO another, and PAID ior
from its appropriations, is rciuuding to tie Urea.
sury. by this process tie Secretary assumes that
the two $4,000 purchases was rounding s9lOOJ 10
the Treasury when In TACT II IL an actual expendi.
turo Of that amOuut mon. Two Distinct lpprJy ria.
tiVls. those of "Construcuun 80 and Of "larjs and
DoclS' ny this process or pretencc the Secretary
declares tat he bad re unJeI ~ to the T., o. ~.
cembor e. Tg0.3Ts, ara b. proceeds to d"aUc' that
amount from tie SUN VI u.s. expenditures
NEARLY F1FrT MILLIONS IN SIXTEEN MONTHS.
The result OF this mistake will be detected by a
clear and distinct statement from such data as
have. lbo Navy Depa tmcnt has received, ~ al
ready stated, ace the 1T Of March last, ca, s9.
1865. Hy Document No. ~ IL il stated that all
which remained utcx ended OF this sgc amount
On the 3Nh q, s-ctcdibcr viii be required tor tue
fiscal year ending June 30, $50. With the exception
Of tl0OoOOO u'der tic aI opIiat"n for prov no 8,
50 that in sixteen months from the l-t VI Mdrh
last the Navy Department will have spent So ,ol,.
nt In addition 10 Mi>, there IL all the material
which has been used y. transfers, or what he calls
rounding, ana wuicn IL ~ much part Of tho
expenditure any other purchase which has been
I'd for from tie same appropriations, the sun Of
t7,1ss 3I3. So Sat IN sixteen months the Navy De.
partmcnt viii lave actually expended, as Is clearly
manifest, the sum Of t445s2,0ea Why are the plain,
honeet facts vi hheld from Congress and tie couu-
tryf Things must be In n mudde In The Navy De.
partmenL and members may try to hght item out,
the irresponsible Vi,e-Admirai Porter, na- spent
money right and lett. 1hey have exhausted tie
balance lex taem last March. 10 !ehcr with ali lao
aNails from the sale OF property. No wonder they
evade and. hide
THE DIFFERENCE
After showing that Admiral Porter lie holding his
position head OF the Navy Department in viola.
ton oflaw, Mr.. Cor calls attention TO the s65opUO
surplus turned over to the Treasury Department by
Secretary weles, and draws the following comgar.
lson:
on the Grst Of March, 1863, when Secretary wcncs
LEFT the Deps tment there were employed IN the en-
1ry-thrce persons. On the nrst of July there were
employed Two thousand -four hundred and ffteen
persons. This increase Of nearly i've 20 one took
place almost Immediately on the change Of Admins
tration. Tie former secretary cut his garment &C.
cording 10 his cloth. Since tat time there has necn
no restraint limit ami the expenditures have been
fthe Department had free Becess To the Treasury,
REGARDLESS Of sppro FORMATIONS. Under the MANAGE.
ment 1T ' ice Admiral Porter u Dep rtmcnt Wou
never have covered tCa00,0OO into Tic Treasury.
ruK ApxiR,L's txraAvAoANcE.
No, vrrc th.t apv an, In Crnr-eSs ~ nm no
Committee on Appropriations knows tho amount Il
expenditure during ihc last fiscal year, nor the
commence mcnt O. tho pr,-'ut f-cl year, Tor me
secretary at the Navy has been backward In stating
know that the bret Of March, when the change 4
| Administration took pIec". th,-e va- balance gu
hand. uueN cndei, to uv credit ui the NnNy Depart
mont under IT. several apvr.yihlpn- OF tae sum u
$2i Jl9 le5 q. IWutr II OF the fiscal lor had N,
had paid OF som" millions u Oh war con.
| tracte, IN addition TO current expenses. Tie
1Pgsop IT. So TOR S5re e s g,e S n4qS S
may claim that for one tN.rd OF tho year th.f be-,
from tho Let OF March TO the 1T of Ju1. Do art.
mcnt was entitled to ono third Of the 'Ii'oprai ms.
| " ich would he t5,7s5.ijJ lui~ deduction would
OF should leave balance IA the Treasury on ~ .sth
of June, tie close of t4o fiscal YEAR Of $lGl2d, IS 31
| Was there any sucn balance at that tlmct II not
| how much o. It had been c1pendcd, and for Wli
| purpo.oY In tho best aspect of the there va.
| in ia. Nnyy Department on the 3nh day of ll-t
June deficiency OF sG,2Oi. 'g -. But ttcre We
IN fact an actual dohci'ney OF tl2HN';SsVl IH.'
duced Tor the ir-t tmo by this Admini-tra .on. u
the truth vas told plainly tic tl2ocOV0 represent
had the courage ~ hide tine wnuc OF 1t, dorClictons
but II has az just shame enough 10 conceal = part
THIS excess Of six OF tN Give millions, according u
words or iacts, is what WIS spent from the IL .
March ill the 9Oth of June last. since then th,
Department has been going on IN tue s.ln, rut.
TIVE TREASURY SWEPT CLEAN.
or. Il presented in another form, II may he more
clearly und, rstood. The Secretary OF the Navy o'
the change OF Administration In Aarch last,
from his predece,s Or S2l,sl2le5S5 To tUi- th'r
was added on tle lot Of July tor The current ns,a
YEAR ouatug on the Goth 0i juno ncNt $l5SiO 53l "a
making sum tot o. 81, 'S9, 10 -. but the u,
! rlrtment comes 10 Congress ~ the close Of the s'N
| rntn month OF the present isc year with The 80.
tile that the tl5. ,ODUI appropriated are already "a
hLustcd, and not ouiy this, but all the ayailhnc 'H'
ancc Of tyi, 100, y hich was In the 1rc'sur! on
te let Of Mar,h, 1sGy md passed over at that ilc
" also exhausted. And in couscquDnro OF I'M "a
haustiOn and malad minIstrution, bJ not makIh-
more equal distribution OF us resources 'i'
expenditures six or sigut thousand workmen nav
been diechar-ed in midwlnter, ami We are require
! | to make ha-,y legislation on benevolent grounds
Remnants OF appropriations Ia some nj The bureaus
amounting TO three or four millions. Il is claimed
| are SIN uneb pended anu VIII probably carry tlos
a bureaus throu IA uU remainder OF the year. say
. this, the whole so Ts2, 1858 has disappeared
somebody has swept the Treasury clean. hey "a
) II mas gone 20 make repairs aud changes. All
change How many Of these millions nave hoe
expended In changes not authorized by Congress
not advised by the naval constructors nut on tn
tpss dtrt). The mere whlm and caprice OF poiso
placed in the Department. not by virtue or wa ran
OF any law not With tie approval OF the Senate bu
on the simple detail order If the Presiyent, indt
pendent VI any law and independent Of the Senate
rue ADMIRAL's TORPEDO couPs.
Among the estimates In tho ordnance branch {
the Navy. IL one Tor the experimental torpedo corp
! Of 4i0a 1A3. Where IL the law authorizing such
/. | c0rpsi Who are its members How Is II cOnst
| tuteuf Congress has mad no voice In the matter
| Were such an institution the torpedo corps nd
VlsRbe. Il should be established by law, not by ~
order OF the Secretary, aud the money TO cOnstruc
workshops, ma aZlnes, sc, should be LEGALLY appro
| priated, and not takou by him from thc TTeas ur
| without law. NeithaT the Secretary any pcrsO
detailed BY the President 10 assist or sul crNise hin
| should be permitted TO embark In such scheme
| without proper legislation. Goat Island in Narr.
| gans1u Bay, near Newport. will furnish pleasn
snore places 10 iavori,s at the public expense; m
those who seem 10 suppose tnnt the great end q
| Government aud the first duty OF the country j. l
| support naval officers on high pay. vita little dut
IN pleasant places, may justify tnis eXIaoruirh
proceeding.
now THE ADMIRAL CARES roI MS rRtNDs.
Great pains have been taken to conciliato NJ
oniccrs and reconcile them to tho Wee admiral
management aud TO his supcrlntrndchc" OF the u,
partmrnt. There are CERTAIN rules ana tcchucn!tir
~ tas admiu isratiOn OF the Navy dat member ,
Congress inpsrleCtly unlei~ and. Abuses therefor
creep ~ unaWarCs. Oncrrs now receive order
| Their homes when giv,s item dn'y pay. u j.
| new load on the TrcHsuri. Oficrts of duty r.
, | turning from iOr'ign stations are allowed ~
| pay ana sea service ano.Atr ith0Na,loh at a.