Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-04-08


been paid TO Secors for work over and above the
[ contract price
Witness said he presumed that statement cor
rect.
Archer-And the Secors received $4,000 for
damages and 500 900 besides.
John NJ. Broadhead, second controller of the
treasury, testified that he has the control of ac-
counts arising in the war and navy departments
and pension and Indian bureaus, and was the
officer having the ultimate decision of accounts
When the vouchers came to him for payment
OF $4,000 to the SecorS, his impression was that
the allowance was mistake. He took them
up TO the secretary Of the navy, with
whom he had an interview; called his
attention TO the law of 1865 and he
and witness went over the law together. and
both came TO the conclusion that the acts of
1867 and 1868 were completely in pdri Dlaterid
and must be construed with regard 10 each
other and that the award made by the board as
designated, acted only on claims that could not
be allowed by the department outside of the
contract being in the nature of damages Wit
ness became satisfied with the view taken by
| the secretary, and had no doubt of its correct
ness, since the law of 1868 said $4,000 should
| he in full discharge of all claims against the
| United States on account OF these vessels, upon
| which the board made allowance as per their
report. Under the act of March End, 1867 there
was no need of the intervention of congress as
| there was a large balance due Ithe SecOrs.
| Witness was entirely satisfied, and passed the
| vouchers. 1t is not unusual TO reopen accounts.
| 1t was sometimes done if it was supposed that
| the claims were Just.
Alexander w Russell, pay inspector and naval
paymaster at Philadelphia, testified that the
| secretary of the navy never said a word to him
| about the business until here tonight; nor did
| he hold any business communication with him
| except in an official way. Witness gave an
account OF obtaining supplies, never departing
| from the rule of giving contract, when bids are
made, to the lowest bidder. Goods are obtained
| from merchants without his knowledge. The
| Intervention OF middemcn must be always APP
| piled for authority TO advertise flor proposals
| when the amount of merchandise required was
| over thousand dollars. and no authority was
| given except in urgent cases. He applied for
authority to advertise for a thousand tons OF
| coal for the steamer Tennessee, Just before she
went TO SANTANA Bay, but he purchased the coal
| without advertising, having been ordered to do
so without delay. lie never had any direction
| from the secretary of the navy to favor any
body; he received letter from the secretary, as
| fOllows-
NAVY DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON,
| May l6, 1871
| Shoemaker lngham, coal dealers of Philadelphia,
| is a son of personal friend of my own, and known
to as gentleman of character and responsibility
l shall be glad if his firm can have a fair opportu.
nifty to supply coal when the same is required TO be
purchased for the use the navy subject of course
to the provisions of the law that subject and 10
| the best interests of the country.
| GEORGE NJ robson,
| Secretary Navy,
Russell-There are no mddemen who
| make purchases for the navy department III
Philadelphia, there never was an order given tc
| witness 10 purchase coal from either of the Cor
| tells, or that they should buy coal for him; he
had purchased -four from A. G Cattell & Co.,
flour and commission merchants, at various
| times, to send on hoard ships going to sea- Oh
| bNIklOp broad in the ward bp bpI
amount of purchases being SO, 1888 to date
| Witness never employed ANYBODY to buy Goa
for him. As TO the letter of Secretary Robesof
to him about Shoemaker lngham witness sale
they never sold him any coal; they made a bid
but their bid was not low enough
Mr. Archer asked whether he had ever beer
approached directly or indirectly by the Cattell,
Or their friends to give them contracts, TO which
he replied that he had never been thus ap
preached. The committee adjourned unit
| Monday evening.
UTAH.
The Utah state constitution recently referred
to the committee on territories has been printed
| 1t declares that such terms it any, rs may be
| prescribed by congress as the condition for the
admission of the state of Deseret into the Union
shall be subject to ratification by majority o
| the people. This constitution guarantees free
| exercise and enjoyment Of religious profession
| and worship; but liberty of conscience sccuret
is not to be so construed as to excuse acts q
Righteousness or other crimes, or to justify
| practices inconsistent with the peacc or safets
| OF the state. 1t also contains clause defining
treason against the state.
INDIAN AFFAIRS.
The senate committee on Indian affairs to-day
authorized Senator Stevenson to offer al
amendment to the appropriation bill providin.
for the sale of Lake Flambeau and Lake Cour
in O'Reille's Chippewa Indian reservation il
| Wisconsin, and the concentration of all Chippe
| wa and PottawOttOme Indians in Wisconsin OF
the remaining reservation, known as La Point(
or Bad River reservation. The reservations t
he sold comprise six townships, covered witt
| valuable pine timber The reservation for FOnt
du Lac contains about 100000 acres, and is tray
ersed by the Northern Pacific railroad. Tn
| committee also voted to propose another amend
| ment to the same bill, authorizing the secretary
| of the interior to negotiate with the Ute indians
| for the purchase Of the southern part of the Ute
| reservation, in southwestern Colorado. This
| reservation comprises some II 000, 900 acres and
| the part desired for purchase contains valuable
| deposits of gold and silver. The committee also
voted 10 report an amendment appropriatmg
/ about 800, 900 for the payment of annuiticS due
the Michigansbands of PottowOttomie Indians
| under various treaties, some of which date back
| to 1893. Senator Buckingham has had Il claim
under examination nearly year, and the com.
| mittee voted in accordance with his recom-
| mendatiOn.
| SPLIT IN ARKANSAS POLITICS.
| A private telegram from Little Rock, Ark,
| dated yesterday says that four members with
| drew from the state central republican commit
| tee, when the remainder,fllcd the vacant places
| and the committee thus constituted designated
| May 22d for holding the state convention.
| Another telegram gives a different version stat
| ing that on account OF the chairman refusing TO
| recognize four members Of the committee the
convention, by six against three, adjourned, not
wishing TO have any difficulty, to the house OF
| the chairman, where the meeting was held. The
probability is that there will be two state con-
ventiOns
THE HOUSE.
The house was in session Saturday for debate
| only, and but few members were present Mr..
| Moore of Illinois opened with speech on the
state Of the Union generally.
Mr.. Monroe Of Ohio made speech upon the
| management of the treasury, treating particular
| ly upon the points in the financial policy of the
administration which had been criticized, and
defending the course Of Secretary Boutwell,, the
verdict upon which he believed wonld be that
there is no nober example of successful admin
istraton in all history.
MISCELLANEOUS.
The balance in the treasury Isl Coin, 1921,
5S2,6S0; currency, SS,114,2 73; coin certificates,
sos, Ia, 900.
A jockey club has been formed with Charles
A. Bristed, president and Admiral Porter vice
Several branch societies of the internatiOnals
have Just organized in this city
The ways and means committee held a long
meeting yesterday on the tariff bill They want
TO present 1t to the house early this week.
The secretary of the treasury decides thar
freight ocean steamers are not obliged by law
to carry donkey boilers to work their pumps.
a Glance at Cnnndn's Future
HAMILTON Ont Anri1 Han Wn, No