New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-12-03

S57i7 making the total Indebtedness OF the
Of steam Engineering 10 July l. 1877, -. l639l5 40;
The ndeht,snes oftbe Bureau Of Construction and ne
pair ascertained mp 10 March l. 1871 Yns upon III
in equsinon ~ navy paYmasters S1s567O accrued DIS
not drawn. Ss355S II for labor at navy yards 80.
9i9 76 and bills held by parties and available onJ ST
an appropriation meet the was niade ny Iuh,
crcss, Sj47 900 c. Largo quantities Of timber had
been contracted for part Of winch lad DreI LIZ
and auo.h part was To be Thereafter ue.,',
cred Tuat part to he delivered was contracted
for by orders from the bureau which having pen and
without advertisement and competition were ail Gus
PENDED The department having no rea'99n w -
icye that the parties who held these orders "nr nt
acting otherwise than in good faith, ana no, mo'
consented that i'm an cases where they had me
timber in transit at the time OF the sispes, ~ Win
the understanding that the question whether OF 10 ~
contracts 10 that extent si0nld nc lecot c'nizod
lowed ehoull be submitted Congress- III ItcvIuM,
and The money appropriated and paid the tI , "a
become the property Of tine United states Inc hat
included in these orders, Is S2s7,Jo3 u. , o,.,r,
There also other claims alusl a - INA 81 20
of which The department has bad notice Inc ag-ieS .'r
The ree f The timber after the suspension OF tno
orders. There contracts mnde by ne uSai ~,
March g. 1877 for work 90 be done ny lhs bureau ioi
the completion aud fitting the iron clads Puritan Nonad
mock Anphitrite and Terror amounting TO e2'lO3ot-'
There being at that time money available IN paw
ment of these contracts. a provision inserted III
them that payment sh0l d be- made undcf mem u
Ill appropriations applicable to the purpose were ane
by Congress deemed 1t my duty also 10 suspend these
contracts inasmuch as regarded them as not author
lied by law, and 30 submit to CONGRESS TO decide Wott
they shall be recognized, or cancelled, ana II
these vessels are TO be completed IN rrs @n't
appropriation applicable TO that papose do not regard
the department rs possessing any Gseie,oag p1f t
Government has IN them is properly protected. II ln
by these contracts - To he CHARGED
against the Bureau of Construction ana Repair then ne
whole amount Of its actual ana conditional Indebtedness
A contract was made by the department February :.
1s77 for the mpregnaton aud Irescdvaton @l .RS S
for which agreed 10 pay - 4GO for lODUOo lct
Of timber, and beyond that quantity Tour cents per cc
foot with further conditions in reference 10 the eAin
sion III rcof This contract was also suspended Tor to
referred 10 above, and is not there
FORE embraced in the foregoing csiliuiic OF hutp'
indefinite.
The indebtedness OF the Bureau OF Provisions and
was S55,slG 81; for clothing, S}s5.lS9 os; for SINAI,
stores. s2s5oO. and for height S3,935 81, making
TINS bureau. however TO say that there was due 10 on
clothing, Issued aud checked against the pay Of the
to paw OF tie navy on account OF purchases
and expenses Of siOfehouses abroad, S225.7i2 -
81 5i5 &c. mSias IT, total o. 2937so T. So hat in
striking the balance between tins bureau md nav OF me
for which there has been transfer Tie bureau mas
also unsettled balances with the other bureaus ana ihe
dcbtcd 10 tine sum OF SO 80 80. while IL 8, indebted -
them and the hospital fund 1916 90, leaving s3s32 -
1e rrus - VIZ. c ~ An m an me money ar
prOpatcd foI the iast scai year las been expended
@ o s' Nh, ,I 10 tl ~ these balances,
tie uentcdncss Of he bureau cannot BE- relieved n Any
other way Than by tAr appropriation OF the whole amount
Oi $l7347l 30 los Congress.
Ii tnc covered by these suspended contracts be
held cuar.cabie against the bureaus ~ steam -ui-
erring and Of Construction and Repair on total indeDt-
edutss 0i the three bureaus is S1O-53O3 % III the
amounts covered 10y The conditional contracts win the
Of Steam Engineering and That or Construction
Repair be held not 50 cdargeanl', fheu the IN
drbtedutss will be reduced To S31e32iO 1O;
and If IS pIOlrr 10 say IN reference To- these
conditional contracts that the ron-cios they were
designed 20 complete already cost he Government
argc SUMS OF money ana that u would be bad economy
10 abandon them their present condition. II rs GER
tauly des able that they should be finished speedily
and c,onomiraly possible but the secretary of The
Navy has authority Ia do rms IN The present condition
the appropriations or without the direction OF Con
gTcsS
n the conditional contracts shall be approved,
ones authorized q the necessary appropriations no
made, the measure, necessary % secure tcr speedy
completion will Doe adopted n Congress shall decide ~
leave them M their present condition the department
viii employ al the means osst sscs 10 take care OF ana
preserve them. The adjustment OF all these
Claims and demands in such manner as Con
ness shall direct vii relieve tie department nom
ccuuitry chbarras5 aud On lDc al Us Affairs % De-
conducted mat TIE appropriation Tor tie present
fiscal year can DE applied directed by law ana every
effort viii he mace 90 secure .ucn result during the
year that there snail be 10 dehcruc, N a end What
neycr rss directs TO he done viii be accomplished
possible and whatsoever It does not direct, Will not be
a