, 1876-07-27
Minority Report Of the Naval
Committee in the Robe-
1 q : son Case.
Q, s: ,rity Report Pronounced q
/ 5 isgracefnlly Partisan
: = Document.
8 lon OF the Arguments in tho
: .lknap Impeachment Case.
- ,ennte WIN Proceed to Con-
slder Its Verdict TODAY,
Gen. Green B.. Raum Nominated aa
Commissioner Pratt's Sue.
Ce8spr,

Commissioner Pratt's Sue.
cessor.
ROBSON.
sTRoN6 rRoTr3r fRoM THE MINORITY Or Tun
COMMITTEE.
Speclaf Bfspdsch to The I.1bHnG.
WASHINGTON, D. G., July M.-Tl,e.followine'
extract from the report Of tho minority Of tho
Naval Committee shows the d!sgracclul meth.
DDS pursued by tic majority:
Tho tame party spirit which has manifested It.
thc commencement OF our labogs and closed tho
doors Of the commltcc. room 70 anyth!nx liko fair
and impartial insc*ttgatlon It II almost !nporei-
Il wilt be wholty Impossible tor tic. American mini
been carried on asa!nst our citizen. in lie AmcrI-
IND t9s lsws. md by Committee Of consIes.. Tha
aeea"ed s ot M an a9
cause Of the accusation, and bc confronted with
FOR MORE THAN FIVE MONTHS,
witnesses were examined before tlI:s Committee
from every rart Of tho country to be heard with
c!o;ed doors andcr pledge of sresecy md without
thgir Testimony. Evcry discharged enr]ioyc ] c, esery
disappointed eontraetof. every dlstalItacd ulcer,
by Interests had not been sufficiently con-
slsssd,.La , she't T. s.Sry neraon who supposed o.
fep!eeentcd tht ne haA enaec Of complaint; every
the Navy Department A.d the present .AlmlnIfsra~
tion: 4 err! Ea,aonal enemy who VII. disguised to
ed to appear aad giYa Aia statement, not only ct
what he knew, but what llc bad Heard aud what no
that llo Thought a,trtt 90 4n-
cross 1am!natlottt Of opportunity for explanation
Of the rcal facts: and+
III. com,,'s. To- xSs,L,T*Ts a.; f*1si 4h 1s
tees and sat in distant parts Of tho cunutsy APP
pascntly Tint opportunity might 10 given for tho
retail o. local gossip or iEe venting of petty per-
During - thts time. and until the Secretary Of
he Nasy actually forced BIZ way Into the con,ni.-
opinion constrained them to regard. mt on!y wcfo
nesrons supposed tobc affected kept IN snorancc Of
s Mss w.
shnt such subjects wcro under investigation, hut the
MEMnEns or Tl!n c9MMlrrEE TnEMsEtyE.
n eGttias " 1 y t H. wMIe aeg we.s
inlo. werc excluded by the injunction Of secrecy
eysn from seeking sources of corFsct and Esopct
Ing the renl facts either by Intelligent csoshexou
inatlon or explanatory testimony: Every protest.
sEa, thee w. ,nt net wt tic ,ery
ulanner Of the Adn nistrauon, to the cnd
tha, appropriate legislation might ho rccom-
hut tn. mannor Of Tho Investigation. tho sptr1t
IN which Il wat carried On, tl,e charaeter q tho
a9 TIE wny N whish M .hs, te',!nsniy
rs the substance and fpirt of tho report st.clf,
show that this Inycstt iutfon n, conducted ut un
fast fnvcetisAton for the benefit VI the service.
hut was mainly for the purpose uf p7rtfsun at-
tack upon tho Navy Department, Its Officers and 'ts
AN ABSTRACT or THE MINORITY REPORT.
10 the 1Fttstrn Aasoctaitd Press.
WASHINGTON, D. c., July 9G.-'rllo views IT
tho minority OF the Committee up Naval ffafrs,
signed By Representatives Harris, Danford,
null Hayes, was presented to-day In the House.
The minority severely c,1t'edso the majority re-
port, alleging that It is unfair In Its statement,
illlacfoua IN lts conclusnt, and Is evidently pro-
NOTED BY I,art|san sp'rIt Ignores entirely tcsti:
presents other portions In slch Wuys as to lnl'cs
gross injustice upon tho Secretary aud Other
ulllcurs
In reply to tho ehargu OF the majority rs to
tho alleged deterioration Of the navy under ths
prcseilt Administration, the minority show that
tl.c navy ia today In moro efficient condition
tl,an i aas been at any tlmo since lse9. Mt.
disposal OF Tho Secretary, Tho policy Ut re-
building vessels that would hase soon become
uscless Is lcfon1cl by the minority "a ccononll.
tai, prudent1 mud judtctous, md they say Instead
Of ce,lsuTe for this, thu majority propose. tho
Secretary deserves tho thanks ut tllu entIro
country. .............u
| With regard to the cU'ttrarta and purchases
| for which flIe nai0rity severely ccitA.,rc tho
Secretary, Implying corrupt action o!1 h!s part,
the Testimony u{ MI tho witnesses Is entirely
concurrent providing that In no sl'Tic instanro
| has thu Secretary cycr cndcayosca to tnAuenee
any purrllase or contract, either directly Or III
directly, by Inttlnatlon ur otherwise,
/ The C5arge by the majority that tho Secretary
had used good mAtcria( and lalur ot employees
fur his own private lenutt Is pronounced by thu
minority as frivolous and unsupported by testi-
nony. -
In rcspcct to tic apecuiat!ons Of Z. &. Cat.
tcll, anil his lcvyfng percentages on contractors,
tho m,noEty report allows tllat these operations
wc.r carried oi, without tho knowledge Ut the
Secretary, md that as soun aa he was advised of
sucl, pratIees he tnterposet vigorously to chccls
tletn. Whatever abuses or fEnula exist coll
necttnn with the contrncts for purchase
Of tho Eayy Department aro tho RESULTS
OF defects Inherent En systcm long established,
aud for which tho law-lnaiing power, and not
thu Department, Is responsible, and for which
although thy lavu been engaged III thu luyesti.
sA''''' '0' u roIlrtoAL INFLUENCE.
The minority say, as To the polite influence
eyil il opu which originated under, aud was
fosteled by, all previous Democratic AGnIr!s.
tratlons; that tho only effort 70 check 1t has
been made under tho present Republican Ad-
'mcnts arc Attributable chiefly to opportunities
of members 0f CunErcsa, asd not to tllo actlO!i
ot the Secretary aud tlo Respective Chtefs os
Tic minority enter fully Into tho examination,
Of the foreign navy lreouut IN London, showinl.
that tho action 0f the Secretary Was entirely
legal and It's results beneficial to thu GoYcrls.
ment, as not u dollas Of tho fund hus bce'1 u
Can bu lost. ...-.
ALLEGED rzRyEnsloss.
Tho minbfity review ge1,crally the posltlo''
taken by tue nlajo1ty In order to show tn many