The sun., 1878-06-11
sECoR ROBEsON's EXECUTOR.
The Democratic House Carrying Out the
Grent Hobber's Last Wishes.


WASHINGTON, June s.-Thc last House OF
Representatives investigated Robson Its
committee found:
Of the Nay nGparmc9t IL cXccso Of arr9rraon. arc
liabilities uuun contracts entered into and not vet COM
pctcd amount. ~ our opnion 70 about s2,3uoHnmore.
loose il not criminal administration OF Its Affairs
No worse fact appeared This summed up all.
1t was contrary to law II was corrupt. 1t
formed the chief fact upon which impeachmcnt
might and should have been undertaken. Kobe-
son had n year left to retrieve himself. In the
past he had ovcrdrawn tho pay OF the navy"
account. With the most liberal appropriation in
his hands given for this purpose in six years.
he plundercd this account worse than ever be-
fore. A single deficiency appropriation of
million and moro was diverted to pay debts. lie
rightly deemed discovery near. lie reduced
tho Indebtedness in this way to between three
and four millions. His fears relieved when tho
fraudulent count returned Hayes. ho made
haste TO incur new debt to the amount Of 3d.
.2G3. This debt tho department never rccog-
nizcd. The Housc-the Democratic House-by
Democratic votes. under lead Of New York
Democrat Benz. A. Willis to-day condoned
Robcsons grcM wrong. assumed the debt ho
left and paid 1t. The list Of claims paid Is long.
II foots nearly s3,00O.0O0. 1t bears every un-
sayory name dragged TO light by past inquiry
into the Navy Department. Every item is in
strictness contrary to law The larger items n
careful and painstakng committee has decided
to bc exorbitant. Many 1t has declared corrupt.
In the face Of all this they are to be paid.
This work Mr.. Willis has done. lie has car
rled through the most successful combination
Of claims made for years past
His plan was well laid. liz was made Chairman
NJ fput tH.t Ma.
Expenditures. With somo trumpeting he be-
gan an investigation. The sole result of that
investigation has been the preparation and
combination OF claims against the Treasury.
Wills made a great parade OF discovering
ROhesun's last nbOrtive contracts. They had al
ready been named and denounced. The de-
partment hnd repmdatcd them They were not
worth dollar The fees on them wore contin-
gent. No WORK was done under them. II was
them. Other claims existed They mndc IN the
great indebtedness Robcson left. Willis had the
department tqbulato them. This was n great
convenience 1t brought the claims. 80 To- speak.
t"c and each other. From this tuhulatcd state
mont Willis made another list This aggregated
sS.2l773s. 1t needed the exercise Of as cheap
and perhaps moro profitable virtue to pay
them as TO reject the others.
Willis made his report. II included claims
ranging all the why from express charges Of
1850 to the magnificent totnl which John Roach
claimed of 1923. 1870. So Willis wanted them
paid in the lump and entire. There were con-
tracts there for material far above its fair price,
There were bills there by men like William
Matthew'S. hnpclcssly involved in Robcsons
corruption. The entire list WIS turned over 10
the Committee on Appropriations. II would
have been wiser 4 that c9mmittee had relgent-
ed the audit OF the smaller claims, and there
arc over nny undor 81 OOO 10 some board of
audit. and sent the larger ones to the Court "
Claims. some ot the Democrats uniting with
the Rrpuhhcans. however. decided 10 pay
pnrt oi these claims The end WIS certain. The
claims united 10 defeat the committee. Taking.
then. all the small claims. to which no great
n Anlr0-
priations made ont list ~ 81 .l0s ,6OlG Gj claims
It proposed TO pay. Very nearly half Of this
sum was for claims under contracts brought
within the strict letter of the law " being con-
tingent on an APPROPRIATION. These largo
claims the committee omitted
The Providence Steam Engine Company ..... s2ss is7
@ S.h s, Ro.,on ga ra c.hp,l slsSgf'"- M 81 70 I,
John Roach construction and rcpair.......... a@ais
Il A. rorroy \ co Observation-Disclosures. ;s5ti
Total ......... ..................... si.i78O8O
These claims timber claims 10 the amount Of
AlG3l'.32 pnd sonle smaller sums. aggr"gat-
lns sl.Ss6, ,ij7l4, W Ills set out TO have taid
he Su"ecdsd. ihe APPROPRIATION committee
had weedrd out the small troub 'esoine amounts.
Willis had only e. land the hlg Fat fish. Tins
shows the priceless ,alue 10 Contractors OF
ella iu- and then has the cnims paid.
This did not pnss without "a struggle. Eden,
Blouht. Clym.r. and some other economical
Democrats are still left in the House. Willis
mad" three separate amendments. All were
resisted. The debate abundanty shows the
character OF this assault on the Treasury. This
is the law:
Nodepattmeut Of the Government shall cvpend in anv
S , M , , 't s r an. 'i ,,,, e' .n m NJ, many, , IN
excess OF such appropriations
Said Mr.. Dlount Of Georgia in applying tho
law:
These deficiencies are such an any sense arise
u'cr The raw and which can ie.iuma.ly be- emtrac, q
tr u h-isncN Airiu, nation iil lhcse are n,r,ll
80 be- con,dcr,d nAc oucr claims fhc.c are not c Il.
ciccc,m Appropriation such as can Justly be included
He demanded accordingly. that thoy should
60 TO be considered. eithcr before Congress or
the Court Of Claims. to be considered ns claims.
The Chair thought otherwise. Mr.. Willis then
presented his amendments. No one denied
they proposed To nay claims Illegal in origin in
growth. and in amount Some may have euuita-
lle ground for partial payment. but said Mr..
Edcn
r'ns secm. to be proposition . nav an amount in,
law must vote against the doctrine advocated here
.r..,. y, ,i,,s 80, m - .f H., ii .' a. ~
visions of tlle statute.
The amendments werc passed, The acts Of
malaiministratiun that were cnudonrd uy til Is
vote were well summarized 10y Mr. Clymer.
eey,l eectot ~ day. work 9f thc lr',,ient :
icut for ANY amt every vocation ct law an the admins
veIanonoi the .iicr and -rrtci III, law. hc dc,
thoycd or con,emf plated by law he may rob one hnr,au
70 pas h" dcnciengie- OF another hc may maze the
tr1ci, 10 tnc amoin ol m,lli.n- ne may ac' ihg Law
! uhrsc Nn-s hc NAV dp win iWpunts ani hnd preer
! a'nt Hh1 authority ih ur nii,ltuu We are snn' ting.
.. who uhlsh the vicious precedent who sanction by
Implication nn nnNroken eH''g" disregard ior law and
punish it that the rcprohaiion o thc lconc should Justly
he rniacd Gy yo, Of M the oa.c i i Ge Tor ,hS & p,ope
! themselves to appl, the supreme remedy
This morning this question came before the
! House. The facts are clear and without con-
| iradlNion, hut the House voted for this great
Ioh 10 ( 9 uhe vote in Wlllis's ilr-t amend