The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-28
ROBESONIAN RASCALITY.
THE JOINING AND THTEVTN0 or
THE NAVY DEPARTMENT.
Timber stolen from Public Land and Sold TO
tho nment-Paymnsterr' irrcau'nri-
ties-Cattell & Co.'S Dredging Machines.

Timber stolen from Pubic Lana ana Solu 70
tho Government-Paymaster irrcGulnri-
ties-Cattell q Co.'S Dredging Machines
Prom ne Chicago Times
WASHINGTON, Feb. 23.-Mr. Whitthorne
got leave to-day for vhe Naval Affairs committee
60 sit during the sessions Of the House for the
purpose Of making thorough investigation oil
the management Of the Navy Department.
Among the abuses which the committee are
Informed that proper inquiry will reveal are the
following. That paymastcrs at the navy ynrus
draw In gross the amounts they are entitled 10
dsburse during quarter which ai,"u ,i h,n
largely exceed the sums In when tney haNe
given security. This practice both violates !he
law and imperils the public funds .nat n ,mg
that The pavmaster so depositing receives ana
appropriatcs the interest thereon that Nee,
payinasters draw gold drafts on H9Nernmenl
rredit na currency and pocket the difference
that the detailed accounts, long wlthhelu' are
SO arranged IA to make IL Impossible for amy
ono but an expert to find out what really he
nnai,cd vim lay Cooke McCulloch X Co.. be-
lore the panic Of lisa. was deposited with Henry
u. Cooke Of the Washington branch, and 10y him
remiited to the London house, most OF u being
real estate pool and other Washington Ring OPP
CREATIONS; that the Republican party In Florida,
the Republican delegation In Congress from
that state. and the Federal appointments
therein. are controlled by the Ring engaged In
stealing timber from the naval reserve timber
The American Crucihe Company is alleged to
have stolen much cedar, and II Is est mated that
$lO,OnO,DwOrth Of cedar and live oak have been
stolen from these naval reserve lands In Florida
and other Southern States within Few
years. Much Of the live oak SO stolen Is
alleged to have been sold to the Government at
SlN to SEQ per cubic foot II is fufther
Charged that much live oak belonging to the ia
Vored contractors H. stored In navy yards from
year to year; that this enables such contiac-
tors to mndSrnld all Others, ana eNp', ,.s
or three Others are always the loves,
bidders, Also. that large amounts I.. "a. 9f
Tor years. rutting for the lack OF use, while fresh
contracts are gwen To- iaNorites. suits against
timber agent NJ Pensacola some time since al
the direction OF the Assistant Naval Constructor
at that port. ~ consequence oi the agent : re-
port, but the Navy Department ordered the suits
discontinued, and transferred the agent who re-
ported tho need for them 70 another post. his
life being twice attempted before he left.
\ report by Capt fehiger, exposing the thefts
and making strong recommendations for the
preservation of the timber. Is said to have been
suppressed and ignored. II isalso said that John
ROnch made the fret Of the ten men who made
up fund Of slooo0 for the Presidential cam,
paign Of lSl. and was IN consideration Thereon
promised contract for building four iron
clads which he received under cover of the
Nir.nius excitement. a year or more aftcrward
rms Ene> To Soniiin the opinion expressed 10y
well-lntormed men that the Si,uIuO obtained
In ls'3, ostensihly for the preparations Tor wa,
ISL, and had to he made UP.
1t Is also charged that ex-senator Cattell and
John q. Evans got the department IN lS,i e.
purchase at Philadelphia several hundred thou
sand dollars worth 81 dredging machines from
the American Dredging Machine Company. and
that after the survey had rcicctcd them. Evan-
received S'NUn for the nrst machine; that At
tornty-Gcnenl iluanis'N opinion that no cause
OF war with spain was given 10y the capture ul
the NirIinius WAS Prepared some time before
its delivery and withheld in order that the SAen-
GU appropriation might be secured beforehand
,.tIat more coal had been ieceipted and paid fOi
Ut the navy ward than the vessel whose cargo
The receipt covered could possibly carry that a
fayOritc Of Cattclls furnished poor beef To the
Port Royal :, c. squadron at a'much larger price
than better beef was offered AZ the markets. ht
getting the contra ( Wltlrut advertisement, and
having done soucwhat the same with the same
squadron al Key West that - ships have been
sold since 1863 together with equipment enough
then on hand to make appropriations needless
W to the present time that no proper account
Of about tiu.tVr.t'U received from such sales has
ever been rendered that Nathaniel Mckay was
to have a contract for removing the Phadcl-
phia Navy Yard to League Island for Stb.t.1, but
that "a Mr. Rice bid $1,000 and after an effort by
Mckay to get this bid disregarded, which was
frustrated by the superintendent Of the yard
kice's price. though not the lowest bidder. He
managed to get allowed scrap iron rs a part OF
his compensation, and Il said To- have Cgrted of
whole engines ~ scrap iron and otherwise profit
ed largely that the sale 81 two vessels, one AT
New York and one at New London, whose
nHmes are not yet as'ertained. has failed Of con-
hrmatiun nv tie department.
II T. stated that Mckay offered $1,000 for
the two but that the machinery OF one wa,
not appraised. and that 4 pool was formed
bids So thar the two sold for siOltr
The price demanded for getting the sale con-
brmed is said Co have been $1,000 that the fnui
fires I'm the department within one week at the
last session were de. gncd to forcstall the COM
iEg Investigation vs. destroying tie rccords
ltI. ADD fItaatH AN tff ltaf a.