Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-05-23
Report of the Robson Imvestigatimg
Committee.

WASHINGTON, May 22.-In the house to-da
| the report of the house select committee upo
the charges against Secretary Robson wa
| presented by Mr.. Sargent. 1t is signed b
| Messrs Sargent, Peters and Warren, and
| exhaustive upon all the subject matter of tn
inquiry, and a complete vindication of the sec
| rotary. The committee refer TO the terms of til
resolution as requiring first an investigation o
the public charges affecting the personal char
acter of the present secretary, and next an in
qury generally into the administration of aC
iars of the navy department during his term OF
office. In view of the instructions of the house
the committee deemed the first branch of in.
quiry as of paramount Importance. The report
then sets forth in full various articles in the
New York Sun, in order to illustrate the thor
oeugh and complete yindication of the officer
implicated as disclosed by the testimony sub.
mitted. The committee say, at would be SUI
perhuous to attempt to state the testimony as
to the various charges, or show in detail the
conclusive manner in which each and all OF
them have been refuted. Not single witness
even pretended to establish one of them.
Not particle of testimony out of all the
mass appended in the report has any tendency
whatever TO show any fraudulent act or design
on the part OF the secretary. If it were desirable
to refer to the testimony at all upon this sub.
lect in detail it would not be for any purpose of
reputation, but only to exhibit the malignant
and wanton character of the libels, whicl, oaye
rise TO the investigation.
That inasmuch as these charges, all of which
were shown not only by the most searching ex-
animation but from testimony of the accuser
himself to be utterly devoid of any substance of
truth, were printed in a paper of large circula-
ton published in the chief city of the country,
repeated from day to day in every phase of Win.
peraton long after the testimony including that
OF their author himself had shown their false
hood.
The committee feel justified in denouncing
them in the strongest terms as the most extra
ordinary libel ever published in this country
against public officer, and shameful peryer-
sion of privileges of the press. Notwithstand-
ing this fact, however, the committee, with tbe
assent and assistance of the secretary have in
yestigated all matters suggeseu in the course of
inquiries, and do not find any errors or irregu-
Iarities OF administration which would Justify
any action by the house or cast any discredit
whatever upon the secretary. Most of the
matters which have been even attempted 10 be
criticized in this prosecution have been the acts
OF bureau officers, following the routine long
established under former administrations aud
decisions upon statutes made by former genera.
tons, such officers acting with the best of mo-
tives and for the interests of the government
In relation to the payment of S93 900 upon the
claim Of the Secors, the report carefully
examines all the grounds covered by the volum-
nous testimony and discusses the claim in its
legal as well as equitable aspects citing prece-
dents and authority to sustain its position The
committee find that the Seeors in an exceeding
ly prompt energetic and satisfactory manner
performed their contracts with the government;
that the government, without fault of the Sc
cOrs caused them damages and extra expense,
and required much work additional to the work
under the contract.
That the claim of ninetY-three thousand dol
lars was presented to Secretary Bore, aud by
hlIn referred to Admiral Porter, and by him re-
ferred to board upon whose favorable report
and recommendation the claim was paid by or
der oil the present secretary. That the only
real question is whether the claim thus exam
med and paid was barred by the wording Of the
act Of congress allowing the other claim. That
il this is question on which lawyers NAV DIFF
fer, it is so close question that decision either
way honestly made should not be subject of
reproach against an officer whose constitutional
duty twas to decide it,
The committee find that all the charges about
the Corliss matter are entirely lalSe that not a
dollar has been paid on II, and abiding TO ynri.
GUS matters brought to their attention they saw,
THAT all other acts sought to be criticised were
within the legitimate discretion of the secretary
exercised without Improperly of either motive
or action, aud that they are not able to find anv
rule either Of law or right which forbids the
secretary to do Justice to a public creditor mere.
~ because II has been denied or omitted by his
predecessor"
They conclude by congrathating congress and
the country that as the result of the inyestlga.
ton mo stain nor suspicion of dishonor rests
upon the officer charged, and that in all their
searching investigation Of the various and ex-
tended operations Of government department
covering three years, with an expenditure OF
nearly sixty million dollars, they have found
nothing which affords pretext for attack and go
little which needed explanation even in matters
of discretion"
Mr. blair OF Micl igan, as a minority of the
t1n'u
of the law IN reopening and paying the Secor
account, which had been closed by The depart.
ment aud by congress. He claims that Ills
action was in direct violation of the law. and of
wholesome rule OF the department tIat one
administration should not reopen accounts