, 1876-03-28

ROBSON.
TIE EXTRAORDINARY THINGS WHICH AnE NOW
uEtN1 SA1U or HIN.

ut:tNa sA1D or HIN.
Special b4spdtch to Ths Ch,eaoo Tribune.
WAsn1HoroS, D. g., March27.-One Of tho re-
cont mysteries Of Washington has been the lavish
manner iu which Secretary Robeaon spent money
In tho Navy Department. last fall, just before
tho meeting of Congress-. The appropriations
for the current fiscal year "ere not such as to
warrant putting the navy On war footing ut
tho tiuno, and tho officers through whose hands
tho accounts Of the Department At TINT ttme
passed. As scll as unofficial observers. shock
their hcads doubtfully and predicted largo de-
iciencios. hut all have been disappointed. No
largo deficiency estimates havc been submitted
by tue Secretary, and he has. On moro than
ono occasion, said tint ho WAS conducting the
business OF his department within tho sppro-
prtations, and that ho ahould spend NO moro
mouoy than was voted by ConEresa. But now
the House Committee on Expenditures Of tho
Hayy Department {Deobc, of Now York, Chn!r-
man) haa mado discovery which lots in aood
Of light on tho financial management Of becro-
tary RobeBon. It seons that inssead Of contln-
lug h,B expenditures 70 the appropriations, l.o
Inns been trenchtnB on no1t ycar'a In
come. Dratts originating In London, aud
amounting in = single case to $2o0.-
600, h1Vo boen accepted by Secretary
Robson at four months, thus making thelr pay
ment fall within the ne1t fiscal yoar. About q
week ago Dcobe eeut lotter to tho Secretary OF
tho Navy asking him In relation 70 theso accert-
auccs,-their amount md tue object for which
they woro givep,-but no reply bas set been ro-
celvcd
MANY CpNJEcTunEs
have been indalgod in BY those who havo
learned these facts in order to explain them.
Has tho Secretary been borrowing money III
London with which to pioco out tho genF's np
propriat,ons, AMI intending to pay II 10 July
noxt. OF las ho nacd up tho appropriation tor
some bureau. md. fearing tho Investigation that
appropriation, rosortcd 10 this questionable
method Of postpunug pnyment Of aome Of hia
bills until the appropriations for tho naxt fiscal
year become availablo7 Of cousee, either OF
tLese proceedings would be
WHOLLY ILLEGAL AND UHAuTHon1=Ep.
8iucc, By Eec. 8, G79 OF tho Revised Statutes. It
| 10 provided that mo department Of the Gov.
oznincut elIal czpond In auy ono 1ipcal year any
| Congress for that fiscal year, or involye tho
t Government In any contract for tho future
/ payment of uonoy in o1cess Of such app1orria-
tionY." II Secretary Robosot, ia not involving
tho Government IL liabilities 70 pay money III
okcess Of tho appropriations for the present tla-
cal year he would hAvo no occasion to grant four
months' accoptances. bccaueo all the appEor1ia-
| tons for the current Jear are n!Waya available
70 that all bills against the Department may bc
pai In caab. Under tho circumstances, md in
Wow OF the plain provisions Of the law quoted,
NJ we'll M the decisions Of tho aup1ene Court,
| it is doubtful II Secretary Robeson'a accept-
Qnceg AFRO
| WORTH THE pAPEn on WHICH THEY AnE WRITTEN,
| since tho giving Of thom Was. without doubt
| illegal and unauthorized. It is also reported
that othor paper Of tho Navy Department a'e-
bsokB. It Ia also said that this practice OF post-
poning payments and making tho apl'ropria-
tiotls Of one year pay tho expenditures Of D pro-
vionB ono has boon common IN tue Navy Depart
mont, and thar, ty It, will be explained tho I'M
1nensa expenditures Of last fall duriug tho OK
element ovor the Cuban question.