The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-30
RoBEsoN IN 4 TTGHT PLACE.
Crooked Dieburscmcnis Of Appropriations
The London Fiscal Agency.


WAsuIvaToS, March 20--The Secretary
OF the Navy Is certainly in tight place In re-
gard to his disbursements OF tho navy approprla-
tiors. by law he Is required to keep the appro-
prlatlon for each bureau OF his department
separate IN the Treasury and his reauisitions for
money must show from what appropriation II
shall be drawn. lie also must oonnne all his
disbursements within the actual appropriations.
Tho law Is explicit on this point. Section 3,GTp
~ the Revised Statutes.says that "no.department
of the Government shall cxpend In any one ns-
cal year any sum In excess OF the appropriations
made by Congress for that fiscal yoar" Now II
IL certain that Seccr Robson has violated both
provisions OF the law and has not only ex-
cccded in his expenditures tho amount appro-
priatcd for the present fiscal wear. but he has
used money appropriated for one bureau for the
payment Of debts contracted under another
bureau.
Tho furry COTTON up shortly before the assem-
bling u Congress over threatening Spanish
complications, was solely for the purpose Of
enabling Robeson TO spend a vast amount OF
money. aud to cover up other excessive disburse-
meuts which be had been making IN the con-
sttuctlon aud repair bureau. lie has been
spending mOncy recllessly and unlawiully
In rebuilding old ships and repairing old
aud worthless monitors, thereby enriching
himself aud certain ftvotito contractors. To
enable MIN to meet the liabilities thus incurred
~ they Tell due he appropriated the money pro-
vded for other bureaus OF the department.
rho money chiefly drawn upon for this purpose
Is that set apart for the pay q officers aud sea-
men abroad. The result u that now. and for
some time past, there mas Oecn a dehcit IN this
account and In order % raise money to meet
the drafts OF naval paymastcrs abrond on Lon
don, Psymaster-General Bradford, who Is sta
toned. centrarv To law, in that CITY, has been
compelled to draw sight drafts on the Secretary
OF the NAVY.
=. And lust here singular fact has come to
light. 1T appears that Jav Cooke, McCulloch
- ga1 l.N
masters In foreign waters as the fiscal agents ~
tho nlted States, and al drafts ore drawn upon
same time Selisman 4 Co. Of London are sup
posed to be the real fiscal agents OF the United
states. Pavmater. General Brad ford when
notified nv Jay Cooke, McCulloch & Co. OF navy
drafts being received, goes to that house and
takes them NJ with checks on SelGman Co.
Few DAYS ago the house OF Selgman Co. In
New York received for collection from their
London house drafts TO the amount of $s0O,OOO
drawn by Bradford on tho Secretary Of tho Navy.
These drafts we're forwarded TO Washington in
due course for collection here, and they were ac-
ccpted by Robson, payable four months hence.
the drafts were returned to Seligman 4 Co. I'm
THIS condition. and OF course they were ia
trouble; They wanted to realize the money, and
40 the drafts went on the street or were offered
to other houses. Tney were not takcn.
In this dilemma, Seligman applied to Hnau-
cial friend. who happens to be In public life, for
advlro. That friend suggested that he should
10 10 Washington and see kObeson, and tell
him that he wanted the money, and N II was
not paid there was DANGER that the whole mat
ter would get into the newspapers or before one
Of the committees OF Congress-; Seligman. act
Ing on his advice. came TO Washington and
saw Robeson. who declared That he
could not pay the money because his
appropriation for the present nscnl
year Was exhausted. He claimed. however that
he had the tight to accept the drafts payable
when he chose, and thar he should stand upon
this right IL an intermeddlesOme committee
Of the Democrats House inquired into the mat
ter.
IL will be remembered that q precisely sim
liar transaction. although not so fragrant vio-
iation Of law. drove Floyd out OF the war Dc-
partment. In 1eG0-6l he accepted the draft OF
Morgan Waddell, who had the contract for
trans 1ortation OF grmy supplies across the
Plains, payable months in advance. lie claimed
that ho had a right to do this, not because
his appropriation was exhausted, but sim
ply because the public cxtxency was
such that II was Of imperative neces sity that
tho sunpl.es should he gOt through, aud without
favor Of this kind the contractors could not
raise the means TO carry them. 1t was simply
an accommodation TO the contract Jrs, rnu II
was not because the appropriations had been
exhausted. In Robeson's case the drafts were
payable four months renee, simply because
lie had, contrary TO law spent the money and
had nothing with wuich > meet the current rE-
peuscs OF the navy abroad