Middletown transcript., 1872-03-02
n1roo Against Secretary Robeson.

IN Secretary Robson '.risc to ex-
Dr Certain accusations have been
o11hl sesinst him that may, or may
-, ~ true but which. II false. he can
& u honor. suffer TO pass current with
~ denial. lie IL accused Of making con-
49, yith Mr.. Caticll. a brother Of cx-
1ootos Csttell, Of New Jersey, and Of
uA6siug In the profits. 1t is alleged that
\ - eesl costing in Philadelphia three dol
- TIM, Robeson agreed to pay Cattell
- dollars ton. The writer then makes
~ lbllowing statement:
IN amount Of coal 10 be consumed by the
~ h the ysar 1879 10 estimated nt COO 900
49, tho profits on which TO Cattcll and Robe
- vill b, 10 round Rg.,c-, one million ,,ro hun.
- tAsssswd dS'iers--all pure robbery"
h b next charged that contract has
boea entered into. with Secretary Robe
oee's knowledge, for fifteen hundred tons
= iron plates at 1924 per ton. the marke.
valss Of such plates being only $3.50 per
)oo--lhe excess Of the contract price over
ths market value yielding to the contract.
lsg parties profit Of gill 900.
Another alleged fact is thus stated:
= The Trnncsscc is well-known old steam
sAip. She Is rotten. She eau never go to sc,
aQ9ln. Rohopon has made contrac, with John
Hl,1ch Z SdWto build new boilers and engines
IT ihis rotten and useless old ship. This con.
tsnet wns not made ny public advertisement aud
fhlF rorIctiiion, SO that every engine builder
eould have cone In TO say for what price b,
would make such hoilrrs and engines i, WI,
pnnde secretly, In the way thu, public piunderci
weuld make II. Robcson agrees 10 pay Roach 4
Roa 800, 900 for this new machinery, $500, 0Ut
u cash aud $500, UDO in the old engines aud
h~llcrS, when there care responsible machine bull.
dess who would have contracted 10 furnish The
NcW boilers aud engines for S3c0, 600 alone
This sIugle item o, I,obtsons robbery amount.
- e&UO,O
Engines for tho same vessel, VIC are in.
Sbvtmcd. have been contracted for nt cosl
" = 100. 900 over the fair markc, price.
Hc is further charged with contracting
With the same Ca;tcll. Of Philadelphia,
tbr brick to be exported to California to b,
ueed in tho construction Of naval store,
kousc on Mare Island. Bricks Of equal,
good quality could. il is asserted, hav,
hcen bough, in California ut about ten pc,
ceus. sbovc Eastern prices. The Phila
delphis bricks, however, bough. Of Ca',cll
II preference, were shipped by way o
Cape Horn, aud when they reached the
Pacific It was discovered that through III,
astrition caused by the motion of the vcs
~ in a-tnrbulcut sea. there we're no brick,
IN. ;. They had been literally ground
10 brick dust
Again. Last year Congress appropriate
half . million OF dollars for live oak an,
other timber. One Sam Brown oh
onincd the contract from Secretary Robe
eOn. and was permitted to cut the timber
y IN tho Atchafalaya country " from Govern
sneus lands" Browns entire outlay vii
not, Il Is estimated. exceed $500. 900
Ills profit under the arrangement will
therefore. be S300, 600
Finally. ia hill was introduced In the Hons
n Representatives. sunc time since providing fai
1te construeton Of twenty iron mcp-of-war nm,
auothes bill has been prepared by General Bank
10 au1hOrixc the construction Of ten or more YES
~, 10 be bnilt OF iron or wood, as Roheso
nnay decide. As there Is no seasoned live oal
- u had, these vessels must bc built Of iron
1oa With view 10 this contingency the Chesie
broa Works, near Philadelphia, haye been pdr
f,aoo6 hy Robcson mud his associates TO do III
~, Among the partners In the Chester lro
Xosss sre John Roach, Of whom We have al
yondy spoken, Il. q. cattcli, Of Philadelphia
~ George ". Robcson, Secretary Of the Navy
n y estimated that the vessels will cos, abou
~ ullllton dollars each. making twenty million
~ ~ ships, or forty millions for twenty ships.
Here arc six distinct operations in whic
Gooestsry Robeson is distinctly accu sed q
tolng directly or indirectly concerned
Iomes, dates. amounts, md other Incl
hc1tal matters connected with them, ar
: nIeea with circumstantial detail.
4tf s------------