New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-02-15
Admiral Porter Discussed.

In the House Of Representatives last
week. Mr.. Starkweather, from the Com
mittee on Naval Affairs, reported bill to
permit William II. Hanscom, a late naval
constructor in the navy, to withdraw his
resignation, which was accepted on the fifth
of January, 1866, and reinstate him in
office.
The bill was opposed by Messrs. Archer
and Sargent, on the ground OF the corrupt
transactions of Mr.. Hanscom, in 1866, in
connection with his official duties, and
which had led to his resignation.
Mr.. Starkweather denied any truth in the
charge which had led to Mr.. Hanscon' S
resignation but on the advice which he had
given to the Navy Department at that time,
In reference to twenty ight-draft monitors
which We're being built, and which he had
told Secretary Welles would never float
After that advice his place was made SO
uncomfortable that he had to resign.
Mr.. Banks advocated the bill. and stated
that the Secretary of the Navy was anxious
to have authority to reinstate Hanscom, but
was not satisfied that he had legal au
thorty.
Mr.. Farnsworth remarked that there was
no doubt about the legal authority Of the
Secretary of the Navy in the premises.
Mr.. Banks repeated that the secretary
had doubt as to his authority. and there
fore wanted the action of the Congress in
the matter. As to the charges against
HanscOm, that were trumped up and sent to
the House by Admiral Porter, he declared
that Hanscom bore as honorable a reputa-
ton as any man in Massachusetts, and
that in the opinion Of the people of the
country, Hanscom was as superior III
point of reputation to Admiral Porter
as the Apostle John was to the traitor
Judas. laughter. Even if the charges
against Hanscom were true. that he had re-
ceived remuneration for giving men employ
ment in the Charleston navy-yard, as they
were false as hell, his character would still
be better than that Of those officers of the
navy who had compounded the felony and
, let him go unpunshed He denounced it as
an infamous proceeding on the part of the
high officials of the Navy Department. to come
to the. House and say that they had de-
tected a man in a fraud which should have
sent him to the penitentiary, and had let
him go in order that they might get his
place for one of their friends. Referring to
the intimidation Of naval officers by the de-
partment he said that he had heard within
the last two days of scores of naval engineers
having said that the Tennessee, now on her
way to San Domingo, or some other place,
was not seawOrthy, and that they were I'M
willing to risk their Elves in her. He did
not understand, however, that any engineer
of the navy said to Mr.. Wade, or President
White or DIR. Howe, eff you take voyage
on this vessel, you do it at the risk of your
lives" Why had they not told some Of
those three hundred souls who had gone,
no one knows where or how, that if they
placed their foot Oh the Tennessee, they
were in danger of being lost forever! Be-
cause they were cowcd Because they were
in situation where they could not give
their honest opinion. Because if they ran
counter to the schemes of the bureau men
and he did not refer at all to the Secretary
of the Navy-they would lose their places
and reputation. So Hanscem had run coun-
ter to their schemes and plans in condemn
ing twenty ight-draft monitors, and he
thereby lost his place and his standing in
the department. They rooted Hanscom out
of his little place in the Charleston yard.
BY allowing the commerce of the country
to be destroyed, they prevented him get
ting employment in his profession in ship
yards. Mr.. Banks remarked that he had
sustained the appropriations for the navy.
Mr.. Farnsworth moved to lay the bill on
the table.
Negatived without a division.
Mr.. Sargent made another argument
against the bill. and alluded to the indecent
hostility manifested by the former officers
of the navy to Admiral Porter. 1t seemed
TO him that calling Admiral Porter Judas
IscariOt was but a poor recognition for the
gentleMans service which he had rendered
the country. That, however, was a matter
of taste. AS to HanscOm's innocence of the
charge made, he challenged an explanation
of the fact thattthe notes which HanscOm
had received for the place which he had