Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-01-15
THE NAVY.
Large Expenditures by Robson With
ont Authority of Law.

From the Cincinnati Commercial.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12.-The naval
appropriation bill came up IN the
House, and after a long-winded, maud
ible speech from Swami, of Maryland,
Whitthorne, of Tennessee, took occa-
sion to say that although he was a mem
Der of the Naval Committee, he wasnot
aware, at the time the bill to authorize
recruiting for the navy was pending,
that the Secretary had been recruiting
illegally or that he wished to have his
offense condoned, as stated by MIR. Car
field day or two ago, thus presenting
another evidence that the whole thing
was a put-up job.
He was succeeded by Mr.. Beck, of
Kentucky, who, in addition to the facts
mentioned in your dispatches last
night, showed that in spite of the vir-
tuous protestations of Congressman IN
favor of cutting down appropriations,
the appropriations of last session
which it was remarked Immediately fol-
lowing the Presidential election, when
the Republican party achieved an over
whelming triunph-exceeded the estl-
mates of the Department officials by
about fifteen millions of dollars. Mr..
Beck's speech attracted great deal of
attention at once, and the real think
ing members of the House thronged
about him with cOuntenances express
sive of amazement at the strange reve-
lations that were being made. There
was also great connection among those
responsible for the successful condor
ING" of the Secretary's offence, and
Hale, Maynard, Garfield, Scofeld, and
contreres, gathered and took counsel to-
gether in an afrigbted sort of way, re-
ferring studiouslY to the book of estl-
mates, the Treasury reports, and the
Congressional Record.
MIR. Hale, of Maine, attempted onceor
twice to throw Beck off the track or
weaken the force Of his facts by asking
whether he Beck really feared that
Robson had misapplied the apprOprla-
tons for the pay of the navy, as charged.
But Beck put him at once aside with
the remark that he had no fears. He
had the fact that the report of the Sec
retary of the Treasury showed that IN
the first quarter of the year tive-slxths
of the appropriation had been expended,
and that report was sufficient OF itself.
After Mr.. Beck had taken his seat,
Mr.. Garfield took the floor to defend
himself. which he did in a way that will
not add to his renown. He attempted
to make trivial sophistries answer his
purpose, but they only weakened his
cause. He pointed to the fact that the
Secretary had stated In a cOmmunlca-
ton TO the House that he was recruiting
men to fill his ranks, as evidence that
Robson had confessed that he was do
ing so illegally and asked that the
wrong be "eondOned." This paltry
lodging was received with incredulOus
smiles, as everybody knew that such
was not the case. When the letter was
written it was supposed that Tie Navy
Department was enlisting men to fill
DID the quota allowed by law, and moth
ING more. referring t9 the fact of the
increase of appropriations over the
amount asked by the SECRETARIES, Car
field at, first attempting to deny 1t,
urged that they we've really recon-
mended by the Secretaries in letters
written by them subsequent to the send
inc in of their regular estimates, and
made great show of virtuOus indigna-
ton against what he characterized as
an attempt Of. the Secretary of the
Treasury TO shift on to the Appropria-
tons Committee responsibility which
belonged strictly with the Secretaries.
There is nothing better known to
Gen. Garfield and those cOnversant
with the transaction of public business
in Washington and before Congress
than that the amounts actually neces-
sary for the carrying on of the business
of the Departments, estimated most
literally, are put in the annual book of
estimates, and that subsequently the
Secretaries feel free 70 recommend on
all accounts by letter. Anybody can
get recommendation from any Secre-
taiy, for any object telongiue to the
Departments, at any time, in letter,
and this is the manner In which the
jobs are put through. They are not
included in the book of estimates of
amounts imperatively needed to carry
oil The business of the Governments
Dul dTt COuSlNlClCu do CANl anu v" mn
such a subsequent recommendation
is successful, it is regarded as so much
clear gain. Secretaries Will not en-
danger their demands for money to
cover actual running expenses by max
ing them cover all sorts of Jobs, but
they feel at liberty, after they have set
forth those demands, to recommend
other appropriations very nice to have,
but absolutely indispensable. A Sec
retary's recommendation does not by
any means do all that must be done to
get money out of the Treasury, There
must be legislationby Congress, andthat
legislation will not be granted in face
of an adverse report from the Appro-
priations Committee, and the pretense-
for to that it comes-that the ApprO-
priations Committee dutifully grant all
that Secretaries ask for, and are not
responsible for that which they do re-
commend to the House, is ridiculous
and unworthy to be put forth by any