The Portland daily press., 1872-04-08
WASHINGTON.
THE NAVAL INQUIRY.
Dana retires from the Investigation.
THE NAVAL INVESTIGATION.

| WASHINGTON, April 6-The Naval lnyestI-
| CATION Committee met this evening. MI. Dana
| and his counsel were not present.
Rear Admiral Boggs was sworn and examln-
| ed by Secretary Robson. He testified ne nad
| been in the navy 45 years, was with Ad-
| miral Gregory during the war, experimenting
| the constructions of iron-clads in New YORK;
| was President of the board which examined
| the Secor claims, and considered them falr anu
according to contract. HeeXamined and found
| that they had not been paid. Similar claims
| had been allowed to Miles Greenwood under
| Secretary Welles' administration of the Navy
| Department, after an examination by the Board
of which Admiral Gregory was President, but
he admiral Gregory died before the Secor
| claims were finally acted upon. The order was
to treat all claims alike in the allowance OF the
Secor claims everything that was not under
| contract.
Mr.. Archer asked whether the Board of
which witness was President, included any OF
the allowances of the Marchand Board, to
which witness replied that he thought not, for
the reasons given
Question-W hen you were on the Board in
1869, did you take into consideration the law of
which allowed Secor Perrine & Co., S115, 900 in
full settlement?
Answer.-The conclusion to which the Board
came, was that the law did not appear to apply
to this case, but as they were not lawyers that
was for the Department to settle.
Admiral Boggs was further examined by
Mr.. Archer as to the character of work done.
Inc allowed Miles GREENWOOD DaVInenC
extra to the contract.
BY Secretary Robeson.--The same allowance
was made as to the Tippacanoe, which was
boat similar to those of the Secor's
Chief Engineer Lorng, who was one of
Boggs Board, was examined and testified
that the same work was done by SecOr, as Oh
the Tippecanoe. The bill in the case of the
TppeeanOe was sent to the Board to compare
by. The extras were not in the bill previously
paid to Secor's. All the work was extra to
contract
BY Mr.. Archer.-Did not know whittier any
of the bills presented by the Secors were mark
ed rejected by the former Board or not The
Board examined the bill to see whether any
items could be found on the bills which had
been paid
BY Secretary Jacksonville facts are that
similar payments were made on other monitors.
Chief Engineer King, Chief of Bureau of
Steam Engineering was sworn and examined
by Secretary Robson. He testified among
other things, that the Board was authorized by
Congress under the direction of Secretary
Welles. The Board considered how much
Should be due to contractors under ther con-
tract paper The claims of the Secors were
ruled out as not coming in within the law. Wit
ness went to Europe on his own motion. He
had some difficulty in obtaining leave of alb
sence the Secretary of the Navy sa ying he did
not wish him to be absent from the Bureau.
Mr.. Archer remarked that it appeared from
the report of the Marchard Board that S52,195
had been paid to the Secor's for work over and
above contract prices.
Witness said he presumed the statement was
correct.
Mr.. Archer-And the ISecors received S115,-
900 for damages and 1893, 900 besides.
John nj. Broadhead, Second COMPTROLLER of
the Treasury, testified: He had control of the
accounts arising in the War and Navy Depart
mentS and the Pension and Indian Bureaus
He was the officer having the ultimate decision
OF the accounts. When the vouchers came to
him for the payment of 1913, GOO to the Secors
his impression was that the allowance was a
mistake. He took them up to the Secretary of
the Navy, with whom he had an interview, and
called his attention to the law of 1868. He and
the witness went over the law together, and
both came to the conclusion that the acts of
1867 and 1868 were completely IN pari mdterid
and must be construed with regard to each
other, and that the award by the board desig-
mated acted only on claims that could not be
allowed by the department outside of the con-
tract, being in the nature of damages. The
witness became satisfied with the view taken
by the Secretary and had no doubt of its cor
rectness Since the law of 1868, he said that
$115,000 should be to discharge in full all
claims against the United States on account of
those vessels upon which the board made an
allowance as per their report under the act of
March, 2, 1867. There was no need of the in
terventiOn of Congress as there was large
balance due the Secors. The witness was en-
tirely satisfied and passed the vouchers. 1t was
not unusual to reopen accounts. 1t was some
times done IT 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 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 depart
ing from the rule of giving contracts when bids
were made to the lowest bidders Goods are
obtained from merchants without Ito his
knowledge) the intervention of middle men,
He always applied for authority to advertise
for proposals when the amount Of merchandise
required was over $1,000 and not without au-
thority was given except in urgent cases. He
applied for authority to advertise for 1000 tons
of coal for the steamer Tennessee just before
she went to SANTANA Bay, but he purchased coal
so without delay. He never had any direction
from the Secretary of the Navy to favor any
body, but he received letter from the Seere-
tary, as follows:
NAVY DEPARTMENT
Washington, May 16, 1871.
William Ingraham, of the firm of Shoemak-
er & Ingraham, coal dealers of Philadelphia, is
the son of personal friend of my own, and
known to me as gentleman of character and
responsibility. 1 shall be glad if his firm can
have fair opportunity to supply coal when
some is required to be purchased for use of the
Navy, subject of course to the provisions of the
law on that subject and to the best interests of
the country. Very truly yours,
GEO. NJ RoBEsoN, Secretary of Navy
There are no middle men who make pur-
chases for the Navy Department in Philadel-
phia There never was an order given to wit
ness to purchase coal from either of the Cat
tells or that they should buy coal for him. He
had purchased flour from A. G. Cattell & Co,
flour and commission merchants, at various
times to send on board ships going to sea or for
baking bread in the Navy Yard, the whole
amount of the purchase being $313S.3 S to date.
Witness never employed anybody to buy coal
for him. AS to the letter of Secretary Robe
son to him about Shoemaker & Ingraham, wit
ness said they never sold him any coal. They
made bid but their bid wasnot low enough.
Mr. Archer asked whether he had ever been
approached directly or indirectly by the Cat
tells or their friends, to give them contracts to
which witness replied that he had never been
thus approached.
The committee adjourned until Monday eve
ming.
THE UTAH CONSTITUTION.
WASHINGTON, April THE Utah State Con-
sttution recently referred to the Committee on
Territories has been printed.
declares that such terms it any, as may be
prescribed by Congress as a condition for the
admission of the State of Deseret into the
Union, shall be subject to ratification by a ma
jority of the people. This Constitution guar
antees the free exercise and enjoyment Of re-
ligious profession and worship, but the liberty
of conscience secured is not to be continued as
to excuse acts of RIGHTEOUSNESS or other crimes.
or justify practices inconsistent with the peace
or safety of the State. 1t also contains clause
defining treason against the State.
THE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE.
The Ways and Means Committee held long
meeting yesterday on the tariff bill. They
want to present it to the House early this week.
The Secretary of the Treasury decides that
freight ocean steamers are not obliged by law
to carry donkey boilers to work the pumps
NEW HAMPSHIRE.
THE NAVY YARD AFFAIRS.
PORTSMOUTH, April THE U. S. steamer
Vund-lia, receiving ship at this yard for sever
al year, was taken in tow for Cbarletown Navy
Yard, by the Speedwell and Leyden.