The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-13
shut the Gates Against these Frauds.

The report which Mr.. WILLIS OF the Com
mittcc on Expenditures in the Navy Depart
mcnt presented to the House OF Representa-
tivcs on Friday last Is remarkable docu-
ment. 1t starts out by declaring that EEK
travagance and disregard Of legal restraints
have been recognized ut almost every step
Of their inquiry" and closes by recommends
ing that the Committee on Appropriations
be and hereby is instructed to report an APP
preparation in the sum OF S32l7, 1876 or so
much thereof Us may be necessary. TO enable
the Sccrctar- of the Navy to pay the claims
mentioned to the respective parties named
hereinafter
These claims are distributed among the
Bureaus Of Engineering. Construction and
Repair and Provisions and Clothing, and
include half million alleged to be- due on
timber contracts. Investigation has made
the public familiar with the management Of
these bureaus, and how they were used 10y
STCuR robson to promote the johbery in
which he was VIGOROUSLY interested. II Is
not pretended that Mr.. WILLIS and his
associates investigated the merits or de-
merits Of the claims. The aggregates fur
nishcd by the bureaus We're adopted in
gross. and are recommended to be paid just
n they stand. without any reference to the
character of the contracts, or to the rcla-
tions between robson and the contractors
In this total of three and u quarter mil
lions there are undoubtedly some honest
claims, but Of no very great amount, be-
cause the system Of Pay Director CUTTER
whose nomination for Chief Of the Bureau Of
Provisions and Clothing is now pending be-
fore the Senate, and others who stood close
to RoHEsoN. was to pay the Ring contract
ors 10y preference. until the fund was eN-
haustod. aud to throw over regular traders
on the prctcXt that there was no money to
meet their bills.
Although this report was noninally made
by majorityof the committee, as was ne
cossary to get il before the House for action.
ii * not, I'm fact, sustained by majority.
Mr.. WH1TTHoRNE, the seventh member,
and also Chairman 81 tho Naval Affairs,
gave notice that he would move n substi-
tuto for the recommendation to pay the
claims, which practically means that before
a dollar Is voted they are to be- thorough
ly examined a. to the nature Of the con-
tracts the prices 10 be pnid. and other mat
t"rs connected with the transactions.
When that searching inquiry shall he com
plctod. and the House shall he possessed Of
all the facts. it will be IN II better condition
t. appropriate the peoples money than IL
is now. when asked by sham reformcrs to
grant lump sum 81 several millions for the
Ring Of Addition, Division. and Silence.
The Republican members of the commit
tee are Mr.. PAGE Of California, Mr. HUBBELL
of Michigan, and Mr.. WILLIAMS of Oregon.
The first two were thick and thin adhereuts
of robson while he was in Office and the
recipients of much favorat his hands. They
not only join III the recommendation to pay
the claims referred TO- but they virtually
disapprove of the resembling OF the Illegal
contracts made between the 81 and 10th Of
March. 1877, while RoBEsoN was holding
over. And they sustain boldly the twenty
millions Of "opon purchase in defiance of
law and disregard of precedent, which ROBE
son turned over to his favorites ana secret
partners, either through the heads of
bureaus or paymasters, who acted under in
structons and sometimes shared directly in
the spoils
This subject is assigned for consideration
in the House on the 2jth Of May. Mean
while the Naval Committee is quietly prose-
cutting an investigation which may develop
new and startling testimony before that
time, or, at all events, sufficient proof to
shut the gates close down on the speculative
claims that are SO vigorously pressed in
and out Of Congress.