The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1872-09-13
The SecOr Fraud.
From the Chicago Tribune.

In 1862, the firms of SecOr d Co, and
Perinc, SecOr & Co., contracted with
the Government to build three moni-
tors. the Tecumseh, Mahopac, and
Manhattan, for Sl.3SO, ,OUO. They were
completed and paid for in 1861. The
contractors filed claim for extra work,
which was referred to a Board, headed
by Admiral Gregory. ON this claim,
S521, 1883 was paid. This was IN 1864.
The account was then formally closed
By the Navy Department Secretary
Wells, and Chief Engineer Wood have
testified that this was the case. The
fact is important, inaSmUch as a rule
of the deDartmnt fOrbids the opening,
by one Secretary, of an account that
has been closed by another. Early IN
1865, the SecOrs acknowledged That jhty
could bring no more claims DtIore the
Department, by appealing to Con-
gress for relief On March >, 1867,
Congress ordered the appointment of
Board which should " investigate the
claims of all contractors for building
yess els-Of-war" under contracts made
between May l, 1861, and Jan. l. lS6l.
This Board was headed by Connie
dOre Marchand, and reported IN favor
of paving the SecOTs Sll5, ,53J.lO. The
report was submitted TO Congress,
which, on July 13, 1865 passed its final
Iating to the SecoTs is as follows:
Beu enacted etc. That the Secretary OF
the Treasury be, and is hereby, authorized and
directed to pay to SecoT * Co, ana IeTiheI ee-
cor CO., the sun sum OF sll9. io',iy, Jj iIIt
the United States account OI me tcsSets "pnIt
iOhtch me Board mate their dtt0CofHcc, as per
their report.
This sum, making, in all S63G, 3l.59
extra, was paid. OF its receipt 10y the
report of May u, 1870, says: That,
i'm law, such a receipt was complete
bar to all further recourse, cannot be
be denied" twill be noticed that the
Board which recommended this pay
ment was formed by order Of Congress,
not by order of the Secretary OF the
Navy; that the Secretary took no ac-
ton upon its report himself, but sent
it to Congress; and That no money was
paid until Congress made special ap-
DrOpFiation for that purpose. Compare
with this the course of BObcsou. W hen
BOrie's influence put him at the head
Of the Naval Department. he was
AT once asked by the SecoTs 70 reopen
their account. closed five years before
Inv the Department and three years be
fore bv congress. He did 80. lie, ana
not Congress, ordered q new Board,
headed by Commodore Boggs' 10 DC
aBDOfnLeQ. i1cs anu AADb NSAArL -
considered its report, recommending
tbe paVment of S93, $50 to the Secors.
He. and not Congress, ordered this
paid. Before, the Secretary had done
nothing, Congress everything. Now,
Congress did nothing, the Secretary
everything. The Constitution and the
laws forbade the payment Of this claim
without a special appropriation, ana
the law Of July l3, 1865, forbade us
payment in any event. Moreover
Robson took the S93,OOD from lhe
money appropriated for the current rent
expenses of the Navy during 1870.
Admiral Porter demonstrated against
this; Chief Bureau Lenthal declared
it illegal. It was in vain Jan. J.
1870, the Secor5 were paid. IN giving
them 500, 900 Of the peoples money,
Secretary RObesOn violated ID the DC
Dartment rule fOrbidGing one secretary
10 omen an account which had Deeh
formally closed by another ~ inc
Constitution, which Art J. sec, ~
saws. 90 No money shall be drawn from
tbe Treasury but in consequence Of ap-
propriations made by law (3) the
MANY laws which have been passed
in enforcement Of this clause; l4) the
law of July -, 1865; and % the law
bv which the money he used was set
anart for the current expenses or the
Navy during 1870. II Is noteworthy
that while Kobeson was preparing 10
nav the Secor claim and Cressweil was
nreparing, n year later, To pay the
t,horDenning claim, Congress was in
session. that both Secretaries took
Mains To conceal their plans from Con-
atyress. and that Creswell, was sum-
mariIy checked in his plot; while
Robeson, who succeeded ia this, sue
ceeded also in c0nsummating his
scheme Dubious deeds are best done
in darkness.