The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-09
ROBES0N'S CLAIM RECORD.
GLAZING FRA UDs SHOWING THAT
HE SHOfLD NE IMPEdCHED.
Vast Sums Paid Out In Clear Violation OF the
Law outrageous sauHndcring of the Pub
lie Money-Decisions of the supreme Court
set Asido-The Beiknap Robbery Again.

Tue naval COMMITTEE give u 1st I'll olu
Claims paid by Secretary Robson about which
we have something to say.
4. The Secor claim, $4,000. Soon after the
breakinR out OF the war, the Sectors had con-
tracts to build three river and harbor monitors
which they contracted to build for tl,3s),OOJ.
Under Mr.. welles they were paid t59l, 1858 ex-
IRA for certain al.eratlons OF the plans ana ior
detentions caused by the action OF the GOVERN
ment, and yet they claimed that they were On
titled to more paw for their extra services ana
OUTLAWS, and they went to Congress with their
ciain. On the I'd Of March. l-ji an act was
passed which authorized and directed tho Sec
rotary of the Navy to ascertain the adiitionh
cos. necessarily incurred by these contractors in
consequence Of tho alterations In the plans aud
uetentions and report back to Congress tabu-
lar abatement ofthe case. In conformity to this
net Secretary welles ordered a board of naval
officers consisting OF \ Commodore, a Chief
Engineer, and a Paymastee. to examine into the
merits Of the case. This board, after a careful
examination into all the Diet ala of the case re-
ported that they were equitably entitled to re-
ceive sll5,Sj90l. This was by the Secretary re-
ported back to Congress. Soon afterward, July
H. 1868, Congress passed an act authorizing and
directing the Secretary OF the Treasury to pay
Co the Sectors the above named sum, which the
act says shall be 10 full discharge OF all claims
against the United States on account OF the ves
sels upon which the board made the allowance.
AS per their report, under the act OF March 2,
1857 and two days after the passage Of the act,
the secors got their pay in full and reoepted for
the same.
But, strange to say. under Robson a fresh
ciaim In their name was trumped no for addi-
tional OUTLAY on said vessels made previous TO
said settlement for $11.OOO aud Secretary Robe
eon allowed II and paid IT, Tue chief construc-
n hef he
Blair committee that he hid told the Secretary
shat all the secor claims had been settled under
Mr. Weles, and he had referred him to the law.
The Supreme Court 81 the United states has
decided that a claim passed upon and settled
b. the Secretary Of a department cannot be
opened by his successor. and tbs rule Of the
department. mas constantly been adverse TO al
lowing such thing to tike place. As MIR.
WeIles swore, " IL would ne a rlinous policy Tor
the Government to establish the doctrine that
head OF a Department could reopen case
ndjudicsted by one of his predecessors"
bill and took money out Of one II his payrnRs
trs hands, belonging to another APPROPRIATION,
and applied 1t to their claim without recourse
To the Treasury Department. a. the law requires
shall he done.
:. me Governor claim. sj2.OD This Is a claim
Bet NJ for al old vessel called mo q 1vernor
Bhe belonged some where in the state OF Maine,
enu was lying at Hampton Roads when the war
broke out she WIS chartered by Adniral Du =
pont to accompany MS squadron u fort Royal
TO take on some mdr1Ne-. uts WAS IN 1871. sue
foundered the second day ont. The ch lrter
stipulated that she should be al the risk OF the
owners. and toe differed oy them. but II she was
captured, destroyed, or dainagod b. an enemy.
or run ashore by Order u the conmandlnt OF
the squadron, then the Governments was bound
10 make good the LOGS, not otherwise. Ex-sec-
rotary weiles testified that Admiral Dupont
wrote him that her loss did not come within
the stipulated provisions Of the charter, and the
Government was In no way liable and response
bic for her" aud all that the owners ever APP
FILED for while h. was Sc rotary WAS for ne
months \, 81, -Ul aud this he refused.
1t was only after Robson assumed control OF
the Navy Department that this claim for Si2.G1
was set up. The secretary ordered the money
60 he paid bv the Navy PIymastcr at Washing
ton out OF funds drawn from the Treasury for
other purposes, without the bill first passing
Through the reasury ID .partment. II Is In proof
that only small par; Of the money passed into
3. Inc Savage claim, ssl,5l9 s.. rh.s claim was
manufactured out Of whole cloth" Mr. WeIles
eminent and was cast int prison IN 1857; that
he gave bonds and paid d OK a large sum Of
was restored to favor; that he Che Secretary
bsd appointed buurd of naval officers to inyes,
they awarded him $9,ss.3j.
This award SAVAGE accepted and nothing more
heard Of nm In regard To any o.d claim
until the advent Of Hobeson, when this prepos-
ferrous claim WIS produced and successfully
carried through. II Is In proof that certain In
GIvdual In Washington received $1,000 ~ push
tais claim through.
1. Tue Ames claim, t2lGOl53s This is acclaim
for new kind OF cannon. Mr.. We!les swOTe
that they did not p IS INSPECTION, aud cOnse-
Quently he could not receive them that the
gun was AN experiment aud a very costly one.
Tue Government was paving from eignt to ten
cents per pound tor their guns, aud these Of
Aues cost dollar or more per pound. Com
modOre Dihlgren, the great ordnance expert.
pronounced them failure. Mr. We les adds
'Ihe gun turned out 70 be a cheat" and SO he
rejected them. Afterward Am-s went To Con
Press with mis- claim. Nothing, however. was
done about II until kobesOn was inaue SeCre-
tlry; then this large claim was passed by MN
aud the money drawn rom tne treasury Tor II
on his order.
this 81 i'm, Mr.. Weles testified that a board Of
engineers suggested To him IN writing that II he
would permit series OF experiments TO be
made under their superlntendence on steam
machinery ana boilers, It would be a great BEN
ent 10 the navy and to science generally and
That they would "cheerfuliy give their services
Ia making tnese experiments. MS bO nd con-
sisted OF nine engineers connected with large
machinery works Ia New YORK, Bos ON, Phlla-
delphis, and hartford. heir operations ex-
tended from February. 1875, 10 December, ls,1
a. the navy Yards, aud cost the navy avast sum
MIR. Wees disalowed their claim on the
ground that II was a matter OF their own sug
costing and getting up, aud that they had vol
uuteered their services, aud mad said that they
would cneerfully give their time. IL Is we'll un.
usrstood that such experiments as these would
be a great benefit TO those permitted To make
them and would have cost them at least $4,000
II they mad been made at their own expense.
TINS old claim was allowed aud paid Oy Robson
soon after he became Secretary.
D. no Clara DOlsOn clam, $3.50. This =
hn OLD clam tor the use OF "A steamer IN 1868
u was rejected VI not noticed under ar. Weiles
but IT came up under secretary IObesOn and
was unlawluly paid by him from money appro
pfiated Tor other purposes. Jsequently the
claimant presented the blance Of ms clalm u
Congress Why the whole claim was not thus
presented - mystery.
Z. Tue VIM. Mathews claim, S3l 1851. with
this party secretary HOOesun aud MS family
traded heavily ia the purchase uf articles oil
domestic use, aud ms personal friend and con.
Bdant, Catteil, IL IA Ia proof, got ten Thousand
collars " TO nelp push this old ct i'm through"
y. The lilton Wheelwrixut clam. xE!,On
This claim viii do to 10 win that u savage. Ii
was trumped-up IN dr altogether. They wert
defduiters on their contract IT 1853, ana weT,
only let on On making good their uelcienciei
through al act OF congress.
y. m Beiknap claim, fll2,S2. Respect M
this claim ex Secretary Weiies testified as fOl
lows: " Understood that ne WAS living prett,
fast as a paymhster on "A limited salary.
fhorty aftorward, within two months, | nae
word from that yard liroukynl tuit the pay
mhstcl's safe had been broken INTO and ROBBED
OF large amount Of money. Briknap ia,
drawn the money Saturday 20 pay out on Mon
day-aad drawn $l3O,0O0, | think. Well. this wa
on saturday. lie said ne had locked his safe "
Ia tue yard. There WAS guard Al toe yard al
tue Time In front OF the PIym ister's ON o.
When he went there on Monday morning a
nine or ten O'Clock he SAID his fe was broker
open and the money all gone 1 immediatel
suspended him. Some time hiteiw ,rt
- year or two afterward-theTe was A dim al
among some collsctors-somo Improper prdc