The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-08-03
THE NAVY.
whiffhorne Relates n Story OF Ofleia1
RascaIity Unparalleled In
Any Age.
SeveEty-one ships Of War Missing.
with no Record OF Their Sale os
Destruction.

/ SeveEty-one ships OF War Missing.
with no Record OF Their Sale os
Destruction.
Admiral Whitthorne's report of his
investigation of the navy department
makes a handsomely printed volume
of 100 pages. 1t is a most mastery
summary of the evidence taken, and
is a fattering result of some eight
months or arduous labor. There is
not single dull page in this entire
report. 1t is as interesting as any nov
el, and its varied pictures of compli,
Gated thievery will send pang ofen>
Wy through the breast of every rascal
in the country. 1t is signed by all of
the Democrats of the committee, and
by Burleigh, of Maine, a Republican,
leaving only Harris, Hays, and DAM
ford to write a minority report.
The committee start out by de-
scribing the onerous labors put upon it,
as the resolutions ordering the inves-
LEGATIONS directed an examination in>
to the affairs of the navy for the last
eight years. They deplore the lack
of technical knowledge, which, they
say, would doubtless have expedited
their Investigation, and made it more
satisfactory in detail, and in addition
would have enabled them to have
penetrated the close corporation which
evidently surrounds and controls the
administration of the Navy Depart
ment at the present time. Probably
no officer connected with the public
service possesses as much power to re-
ward a favorite or
TO PUNISH SUPPOSED ENEMY
as does the secretary of the Navy.
An Objectionable officer is liable upon
the mere order of thetSecretary to be
sent to the coast of Africa or put up
on waiting orders, and the humblest
mechanic or day laborer in a navy
yard is wholly dependent for the
means of supporting his wife and chill
dren upon the pleasure of the head
of the department. That the officers
of the navy and mechanics and labor
ers employed in the navy yards are
conscious of this power in the hands of
the Secretary, has been made painful
ly evident to the committee during
the progress of their labors. Not
withstanding the difficulties encoun-
tered, the committee have,endeavored
to discharge faithfully the duties i'm
posed upon them, and they thought it
best to embody
IN ONE REPORT
a response to both resolutions under
which their labors have been conduct
ed. Under the head of the condition
of the navy they generally say that
the first inquiry in the regular order
presented to the committee was as to
the past as well as the present condi-
ton Of the United States navy. There
has been expended on the navy, from
the time of its organization up to the !
fiscal year. ending on June 80, 1875,
as appears from the reports of the Sec
rotary of the Treasury, the vast sum
of 1899, 1893 81, more than one
third of which has been expended be-
tween the year 1864 and the present
time. By way of
MAKING ( COMPARISON
which will be easily understood by the
House and the country, the committee
call attention to the fact that the ex-
penditure of the navy for the ii
years commencing at the close of the
fiscal year 1S47 and extending 10 the
close of the fiscal year 1861, was
$3.50, $50, 1913, while the expendi-
ture for the seven years extending
from the close of the fiscal year end
ing on June 80, 1868, to the close of
the fiscal year ending on June 80,
1873, was, as appears from a state
ment prepared in the Office of the
OF the Treasury, the sum of
$3.50, 037, 4S1.49. The report COM
ments at great length upon the terri>
BILE fact that we have
ONE OF THE WEAKEST NAvIEs
in the world and have expended more
upon it than almost any other nation.
Porter, in his testimony OH
his subject says: 81 need scarcely say
hat the officers of the navy who ex>
oect to take part in any conflict that
nay arise between our country and a
oreign power look with anxiety for
In improvement in our ships, more
particularly since the West India drill
made it apparent to the youngest Of
hem that our combined force of YES,
els was
INCAPABLE OF A SUCCESSFUL ENCOCN-
TER
nth feet one-f6urth as large built on {
modern principles. Indeed, one such
hip as the British Iron clad Invinci-
,leOught togo througha feet like ours
md put the vessels hors de combat in I
hort time, for she could run them
lown or destroy them at long range
With her heavy rife guns" There I
re pages of similar testimony. from !
very officer of prominence in the ma
y. After quoting from this evidence t
he report thus recapitulates: 1t APP It
'ears that in 1869, when the pres =
mt secretary took charge, the navy
'ore upon its register 203 vessels; that !
y authority of law eight sloops of war
nd two torpedo boats have been adj
ed thereto. and that hv m1rchase