The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-11-02
Albahy Argus.l

I...H' pr.
.uulsn, basil ALBANY Argus.l j'' d ''i"' '.'
The Naval Committee gave a list ofold
claims paid by Secretary Robeson, about
which we have something to say. ia...
/. Thesecor claim, $4,000. Soon after
the breaking out of the war, the seeors,
had contracts to build three river and
harbor monitors, which they contracted
to build for 81, $4,000, Under Mr.. Welles
they we're paid $52l, 1856 .5S extra for GER
tain alterations of the plans and deten-
tions caused by the actions of the Gov
ernment, and yet they claimed that they
were entitled to more pay for their extra
services and outlays, and they went to
Congress with their claim. On the I'd of
March, 1857, an act was passed which
authorized and directed the Secretary of
the Navy to ascertain the additional cost
necessarily incurred by these contractors
in consequence of the alterations of the
plans and detentions, and report back to
Congress tabular statement of the case.
In conformity of this act, Secretary
Welles ordered a Board of Naval officers,
consisting Of a Commodore, Chief En-
gineer, and Paymaster to examine into
the merits of the case. This Board, aft er
q careful examination into all the details
of the case, reported that they were
equitably entitled to receive $ll5,539.Ol.
This was by the Secretary reported back,
Soon afterward, July IS, 1868, Con-
Rress passed an act authorizing and di-
Tecting the Secretary Of the Treasury to
pay to the Secors the above named sum,
which the act says, shall be in 1ull dis
charge of all claims against the United
States on account of the vessels which
the Board made the allowance, as per
their report, under the act of March 2,
1867 and two days after the passage of
the act the Secors got their pay in full
and reCeipted for the same.
But, strange to say, under Robeson
fresh claim in their name was trumped
up for additional outlay on said vessels
made previous to said settlement for
$4,000, and Secretary Robeson allowed
il. The chief constructor Of the Navy
(Lenthall) swore before the Blair Com
mittee that he had told the Secretary
that all the SeCor claims had been settled
under Mr.. Welles, and he had referred
him to the law. ... ... ......l.
The Supreme Court of the United
States has decided that claim passed
upon and settled by the Secretary of a
Department cannot be opened by his sue
cessor, and the rule of the Department
has constantly been adverse to allowing
such thing to take place, AS Mr..
Welles swore, at would be ruinous
policy for the Government to establish
the doctrine that the Head of Depart
ment could reopen case adjudicated by
one of bis predecessors" .trI ION
Notwithstanding all this, Robeson
passed the bill and took money out of
paymasters hands, belonging to another
appropriation, and applied it to their
claim without recourse to the Treasury
Department, as the law requires must be
done. '.' ".
2. The Governor claim, $4,000. This
is claim set up for an old vessel called
the Governor. She belonged somewhere
in the State of Maine, and was lying at
Hampton Roads when the war broke
out. She was chartered by Admiral Du-
pontito accompany his squadron to Port
Royal to take on some marines. This
was in 1861. She foundered the second
day out. The charter pulated that she
should be at the risk of the owners, and
be officered by them. but if she was cap
turcd, destroyed or damaged by an enc
my, or run ashore by order OF the COM
mandment of the squadron, then the
Government was bound to make good
the loss, not otherwise. Ex-Secretary
Welles 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 responsible for her, and all thatthe
owners ever applied for while he was
Secretary was for one months pay, |
$500, and this he refused.
1t was only after Robson assumed
control of the Navy Department that this
claim for $4,000 was set up. The Secre-
tary ordered the money to be paid by
the Navy Paymaster at Washington out
of the funds drawn from the Treasury
for other purposes, without the bill first
passing through the Treasury Depart
ment.T 1t is in proof that only small
part of the money passed into the hands
Of the owners of that vessel.
8. The Savage claim, $2l 1888. This
claim was manufactured out OF whole
cloth" Mr. Welles testified that Savage
had defrauded the Government andwas
cast into prison in 1864 that he gave
bonds and paid back large sum of mon
ey, and through. the Intervention of
friends was restored to favor: that he
% (the Secretary had appointed board Of
naval officers to investigate all his mat
ters on former contracts, and they award
ed him $9,838 So. ,..-.,
This award Savage accepted, and moth
ing more was heard of him in regard to
any old claim until the event of Robe
son, when this preposterous claim was
produced and successfully carried
Through. It is in proof that certain
individual in Washington received $l0,-
900 to push this claim through.
4. TIE Ames claim, $2l8,0l5.38. This
ia a claim for new kind Of cannon. Mr..
Welles swore that they did not pass in
spection, and consequently he could not
receive them; that the gun was an ex-
pertinent and a very costly one. The
Government was paying from eight to
ten cents per pound for their guns, and
those of Ames cost a dollar or more per
pound. Commodore Dahlgren, the great
ordnance expert, pronounced them a
failure. Mr.. Welles adds "The guns
turned out to be cheat" and SO he re-
jected them, Afterward Ames went to
Congress with his claim. Nothing, how
ever, was done about it until Robeson
was made Secretary; then this large
claim was passed by him and the money
drawn from the Treasury for it on his or
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