Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-04-16
The R0besOn Investigation

Inc committee OF the House to investig ate the
,harges against Secretary Robson last evening
'Namined Col. a. A. Hosmer, who testified that
ais firm collected a claim from the Navy De-
partment, amounting to $50 600, for the loss of
The steamer Governor, there being a special
clause in the charter providing for her payment
10 case OF loss in obeying any order OF the com
mandng officer of the feet to which she was
attached. Neither he nor any member of his
dTm had addressed a letter TO the claimant
stating that the reason for the heavy fee was
because the government officials required part
II the money. VIM Al. Fvarts =. p Brown and
SIMEON johnson were associated with witness
IN correcting the claim, and no one in the
Navy department received any part OF the
tund TO has knowledge or suspicion. The firms
contingent Tee was fifty per cent. and they paid
ne claimants $4,000. Both Mr.. Brown and
Nr. EyaTts were paid ont or the fifty Der cent
zee. The case was first decided adversely but
hey presented a new argument. and il was Al
owed Eoth d cisions were made by the pres
tnt Secretary.
Isaish HsIScom, chief OF the Bureau Of Con
'tTncticn ana Repair, testified that il was on AIS
lruer that the sum of S2l1l9 was paid TO Jos.
l.. savage for an increase in price OF m tterial
under resolution of Congress. The claim was
presented previous 10 Mr. Robeson's admins
faIlun. a portion OF N. -. OUn, was paid oy the
head Of the bureau. The increase of amount
vas ascer'ained from the different naval store
keepers IN New York, Philadelphia and Wash
nptcn, the whole amount being S3l 600, OF
which 9,oCn was paid under Mr.. Welles' admin
s,ratlOn. lad spoken 10 Admiral Jos Smith
about the matter. lie said he had seen the
cliim. and thought il was due and he did not
Know why il was not paid.
Commodore William REYNOLDS. chief of the
Bureau of Equipment and Recruiting testified
nat II had never been the practice of The bureau
since its establishment % advertise for hemo
Mr.. Robeson had never directed him to favor
any one in purchases. Soon after he went into
lie bureau witness consulted with him i'm regard
% coal, saving he did not care to make large
contracts for that article as there were strikes
then and the price was high he preferred to buy
I as II was needed. There is a special law OF
ls5l, which allows the Secretary To discriminate
nthe purchase of fuel for the navy, and buy i'm
any manner he thinks pro ,er.
by Nj. Archer:-Purchased $1,000 of hemp
zane into the Office and offered to sell lot OF
Manila hemp HI l5k cents a pound. He nut
ais proposition IN writing. and added TO il a
proposition 10 sell one hundred tons of Russia
hemp at 1910 ton, which was 50 900 hundred
IONS less than the last purchase, and ten or
welve thousand dollars less than previous ones
ARD the Manila hemp was between 81, 100 and
81 10 ton less than previous Ones so he made
he purchase without going any further. Amer
can hemp has almost gone out of use, because
Il did not come up to the tests.
BY MIR. RobesOn:-Had not consulted with
him sbout the purchase from Mr.. Cattell;
never mentioned ii until after the bargain was
closed.
Chief Engineer Wood was recalled, and testi.
Jed that he had examined the records of the
Department; did not find that the claim of Sc
cor & Co, for work upon the monitors Manhat-
tan, Mahepac and Tecumseh vas before the
Ringgold board.