Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1878-02-07
FROM WASULNGTON.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 1st. 1878

| WASHINGTON, Feb. 1st, 1878.
tion-impo, tant Disclosures Bs-
! fore tile House Commatee-A
Base for froceedings Agains,
Ee-Secretary Robeson.
The G mmittee on the Expendi-
lures of the Navy Department, OF
which Mr.. Willis, OF New York, is
chairman, have discovered lot oil
entirely fresh evidence of the utter
disregard of lawful requirements
that characterized some of the
contracts given out in the closing
days of Secretary Robeson's ad-
minisfration. They have fouAd
the originals of contracts made on
the Sd, of March, 1877, by which
S1,5CO,0OO was awarded for the
completion { f the iron clads Am
phitrite, Terror, Puritan and Mon
adnock in advance of any appro-
priation by Congress for such work,
the terms of the contract involving
also the disposal of old materials
as part consideration of the sever
al contracts, a transaction in plain
contravention of the statnte. These
contracts were however made plan.
sibIy justi6able by a condition in
the contract that payment should
depend upon the action of Con
gress by an appended opinion by
/ Attorney General Taft that there
was nothing wrong 10 them
But later on the committee find
that two other contracts were en-
tered into by the Bureau of Steam
Engineering, one on the 7th and
the other on the 10Th of March,
which the committee say are not
excusable in any way These con
tracts were with the South Boston
Iron Company for steam fittings
tor the ironclad Dictator and the
steamers Narragansett, Tuscarora
and Snowdrop, and were made III
advance OF any appropriation by
Congress, without any reservation
or condition as to the action of
Congress without any report of g
Board of Survey; without the opin.
ion of the Attorney General ;
without competition or advertise
ment and on the simple proposal
of the contracting company.
Mr.. w. P. Hunt, president OF
the company, testified before the
committee to day that he had loaned
money to Mr.. w. j. Murtagh, not
tor any "infinence" the latter might
have but for information as to when
and where the witness could readily
find Secretary Robcson. ALI these
contracts were suspended by Secrc-
tary Thompson Immediately on his
coming into office.
/ The committee have also had be
fore them again Chief Constructor
Easily, who admitted the frequent
borrowing by one department from
another of work and material, in.
volying transfers which complicated
accounts. The sum of S25, 700 wa.
still due to laborers in the severa
navy yards, the men having gone
unpaid nearly year.
Among witnesses recently before
the committee was a discharged book
keeper of one of the bureaus, wht
swore that surplus of SIP 900 at til,
end of a fiscal year had not been GOV
cred into the Treasury, as the law re
uuires, but had been carried over ano
swelled the available appropriation
under the same head for the mex
wear. He testified in general terms
l to the diversion Of funds and to gros
!, irregularity In contracts for some
! dredging machines. Undertaking
! contractors in some instances wer'
declared defaulters 10 allow the bid
, of favorites to go through. In a Ger
. tain specification for paving stone fo
/ navy yard the article required wa
described as granite blocks, whereas
, the favored contractors got tie hin
, that rnbble was all that was required
an intimation that enabled them t.
!, secure the contract. The commltte
express themselves not altogether sat
isfied as to the re iobility and sinceri
ty of this witness, especially as he ad
: mitted, on cr0ss-examination, that fO
] a consideration of ten per cent of th
amount in each case he had given til
0 cue to brokers. who brought up cor
Q tractors claims at discount.
t Mr. John O. Evans. another wit
!, ness, acknowledged being iDterestc