The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-05-11
OUR ROTTEN HULLS.
NAVY DEPARTMENT INVEsTIGA-
TION.
Report OF the COmmittee-ENtray
ganee Recognized at Every
step-The Food on which
Pampered FaVOrites
FaItened.

WASHINGTON, May l0.-The Commit
tee on Expenditures in the Navy Depart.
ment made report to day. They say
that the extravaganza and disregard oi
legal restraints have been recognized at
almost every step Of their Inquiry. At
the outset they were staggered by i'm
mense sums, apparently owing by several
bureaus, reaching the sum Of more than
seven million of dollars, and this, too,
notwithstanding the enormous sppro-
priations made annually from
1869 TO 1876, both inclusiye,
sggregsting in amount Sl49,O00,OO.
There is nothing to compensate this vast
outlay save a navy, contemplate even
in comparison with those of third and
fourth rate powers. Notwithstanding
the plain terms of the law open purchases
have been made by which the Navy de-
partment has been supplied with mater
ials not in obedience TO expediency, but
vastly in excess or It's means.
This violation of the law, with
out warrant in precedent or au-
thorily has depleted the Treasury TO
the extent Of mil lions of dollars and has
been the food on which pam pered favor
ties have fsttened, while it has prevented
the payment Of moneys due merltorious
class of creditors to such an extent that
many have been involved in bankruptcy,
and all OF them subjected to irreparable
loss. The amount OF open Purchases and
bureau orders within the last few years
aggregated moro than twenty millions Of
dollars. All the advantages OF the open
market have been ignored, fair COmpeli-
tion avoided, and both the letter and
spirit of the law disregarded. A large
snare of the departments Indebtedness is
due on account Of contracts for repair,
more properly for rebuilding the Puri.
tanic Amphrltite, Terror, MonadnoCk
and Misntonomah, intended to be
double-turreted monitors. The contracts
contain clauses providing for the ex
change Of new for old material. This
involves q violation Of law on the part of
the Secretary OF the Navy. The
sum which has been paid, or
remains due on contracts for the con-
struclion of said vessels is 81 ,3l6, 25O. One
of the largest contingent liabilities of the
government grows out OF orders for tim
Der and iron clads and boilers suspended
by the present Secretary OF the Navy.
The majority OF the committee report
that the Indebtedness which they have
mentioned is owing TO certain parties
in the amounts opposite thelr respective
names: In the bureau OF engineers,
81 l,4S3, ,S76; in the bureau OF construction
and repairs, 1929 534; amounts due for
timber in the bureau Of construction and
repairs Sl6,892; bureau of provisions and
clothing, S457935; making total OF
$3,21I738.
In conclusion the majority recommend
the adoption of the following resolution:
That the Committee on Appropriations
be and are hereby instructed to report
an appropriation in the sum OF $3,2l7,-
! G3S, or so much thereof as may be neces.
sary 10 enable the Secretary OF the Navy
to pay the claims mentioned to the re-
spective parties, and that the Secretary
OF the Navy is hereby instructed to can
eel the contract dated March 3, 1877,
with Phiness Burgess, for the
completion of the MOnodocks, of
$4,000; with VIM Cramp & Sons,
for completion of the Terror $4,000,
with Harlin IL Hollins worth; for the com
pletlon of the Amphibrit9 $578,OOO, with
John Roach; for completion Of the Purl-
tan S4l4,76S; also contracts with the
South Boston Iron Company, for con-
struction of boilers, amounting to S3,6OO,-
263 This report is signed by Represen-
tatlves Willis, Whitthorne, Carlisle and
PrcdImOre,
The minority report Of the committee
is signed by Messrs. Page, Hubbard and
Williams, of Oregon.