The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-07-26

! lbores.on fla register 900 vessels; that
by authority OF law eigfft @Bi0opssof. sFaf
and two torpedo boats have been added
4 thereto, and TINT by purchase fhree More
to- wit, the Dispatch, the Bio Bravo, and the
= Sea w ed-have also been added; making
i 216 vessels which should appear on the
register. But in fact, according TO the Sec
retary's LAST report, there are only 147; so
that II vessels have disappeared, and count
ling up TO the present time It is more, because
several vessels have been sold since Deem
Der last.
"Your committee have therefore to re-
port to the House the fact that the present
Secretary OF the Navy has expended in
money about $17,055 (?); has'used or dis
posed of the material OF more than seventy
ships Of war, besides other material; has
contracted liabilities amounting to several
millions; and has to show, as o result, o
navy whose condition is described in the
testimony Of its chief officer, already quoted.
| With their idly-disappearing navy before
them, while they are painfully conscious Of
the amount of taxes which they have paid
for its support, the people may well
ask how these results have been
brought about; may well feel, with the 203
vessels on hand when the present Secretary
assumed control Of the department, and
with the expenditure of $170.000.00 (O Of
their money since that time, that the nation
should now have navy in which 1t could
take pride-one adequate to the defence Of
its commerce and its honor-and, failing in
this, they may we'll inquire by what means
this great waste OF their resources has oc-
Cured, and exact OF those who have had
charge of these interests faithful and rigid
account of their trust, and II it be not given
demand that those officers, in the language
of one of the popular platforms OF the day,
'be punished with unsparing hand
"Beiievlng, as has been intimated in the
testimony Of the Admiral Of the navy, that
by a wise and honest administration $780,
600, 900 or S70,000,000 Of the sums expended
upon the navy during the last eight years
could nave been saved; believing that if,
upon the other hand, the sums expended
had been wisely and economically expend-
ed navy could have been created such as
the country requires-a navy which would
now be the pride Of our own people and
the admiration, il not the envy, OF other
nations, as was once the proud fact in the
history OF the American navy; and believ-
ing, further, that this immense waste OF the
public money and property has been lille
gally If not criminaliy brought about, your
committee have now to submit to the House
the reasons upon which their opinions on
this subject are based"
Then follows elaborate details under the
captions, "Politics in the Navy-Yards,"
Fayoritism in Contracts,' " Frauds and
Abuses" Straw-Bids and the Like" "Il-
legal Purchases" " Barter and Exchange"
"Corking Accounts" &c.
The report concludes "While your
committee do not hesitate to recommend
that all officers of the navy who have been
connected with any of the frauds and cor
ruptions disclosed by this investigation
shall be brought to speedy trial before a
court-martial with view that il uniustly
charged they may be indicated, and that if
guilty they may be speedily and vigorously
punished and the service relieved; yet
they do find in the case OF the Secretary
some embarrassment in recommending
what shall be the measure and manner OF
his punishment, arising from the present
condition Of the law as viewed by at least
portion OF your committee. The law as it
4 now exists simply declares that no person
shall be employed or continued abroad to
receive or pay money for the use OF the
naval service on foreign stations, whether
under contract or otherwise, who has not
been or shall not be appointed by and with
; the advice and consent OF the Senate.
No punishment is fixed for violation OF
this statute. So in regard to the provisions
OF the laws requiring advertisement to be
made; bonds to be taken and fled; en-
penditures to be kept within the limit Of
, appropriations; contracts and purchases
to be in pursuance OF authority
of law; repairing OF vessels without pre-
yious ascertainment Of cost, &c, by q
board OF survey, &c. Again, in case OF
failure to make reports to Congress,
the punishment is fixed at fine OF not
, over 81, 900 and not less than 500. Is a
violation of this or violation OF the other
> laws referred to, where no punishment Is
fixed, such crimes and misdemeanors as
is punishable by impeachment under the
Constitution OF the United States? Again,
il q public officer charged with certain
duties fails and neglects to discharge them,
but permits his subordinates to perform
:, these duties, and they do so in violation o.
law, is such public officer thereby guilty OF
; an Improbable offence under the Constitu
ton!
Your committee, while they have we'll
formed opinions of their own on these ques
, tions, yet, in view Of the vast amount Of
! proof taken and the numerous legal ques
: tions involved, have no desire to precipltatt
, the discussion and determination OF so grave
a question as the impeachment OF high Off
Ger of the Government upon the consldera
ton of the House without having full eX
. animation of the law and facts which may bt
:, involved therein. They therefore submit tt
the House the following resolution, and re
, commend its adoption:
RESOLVED, That the legal questions, to
| gether with all the proof taken by this com
, mittee, be referred to the Committee on thu
{ Judiciary, with power to hear additional
J testimony and argument, il they see fit; t.
J examine and report whether such violations
OF the law as are referred to herein consti
E tute and are improbable offences under the
:. Constitution, and il so then they shall re
3 port articles Of impeachment against
, George NJ. Robson, Secretary Of the
Navy. But il they shall lind thai
! under existing laws such acts and do
ings Of said Secretary are not impeach
, able or otherwise punishable, then they
|, shall report what additional legislation, in
: their opinion, is necessary to make salc
:. laws sufficiently primitive to protect the
: public service"
SENATOR GoRDoN's REFORM BILL.
WASHINGTON, July Ex-senator Gordon's
, bill introduced to-day for reform IN the
,, revenue department provides that all ap-
pointments in that department shall be
made to the lowest grades upon competitive
examination, and that the higher grades
, shall be filed by promotion and also upon
!, competitive examination. 1t requires
board of examiners, made up from both
,,o,it1ool narties and forbids the refusal tC