Daily globe., 1879-02-10


received for it less than two millions. Now,
substractlng from annual appropriations for
navy sums applied to its maintenance, it is
1ound that over sixty-one million dollars were
applied to construction, equipment and arm
ament. This makes nearly sixty-fve millions
applied to construction, sum which, if ap-
Piled to building vessels, would have given
us seventy new vessels like Trenton. one Of the
best IN the navy-a number sufficient to have
made the navy at once respectable and useful.
lnquiring next whether the laws enacted for
the government OF the naval service and pro-
| lection Of the governments interest have been
observed, the committee say they are con-
strained by the facts and their sense of duty to
the House and country to answer that these
laws have not been observed or obeyed, but on
the contrary have been disregarded and violat-
| ed, and they further answer that large sums of
public money and large quantities of public
property have been in the administration of
| the naval service illegally disposed of. num-
Der of instances declared to be violations of
| law, among which are disregard Of the law re-
| quiring supplies to be purchased of the lowest
bidder, and that requiring proposals to be ac-
companied by written guarantee and sureties,
which the report states have been wholly
ignored in over eight hundred and fifty cases.
The provision of law requiring that no con-
tract shall be made unless authorized by law
under an appropriation adequate to its fulfill
ment has been included in contracts made for
| rebuilding the Mondovack, Miantonomah
Amphritite and Puritan. The law forbidding
advance payments in excess of work done or
prior to delivery of materials has been disre-
garded in the delivery of material to Roache
and others. The law prohibiting any depart
ment from exceeding the appropriations made
by law is declared to have been disregarded,
and the report goes on at considerable length
asserting similar disregard of law.
The report says that up to the close of Robe
sons administration low prices, while having
their effect on general business, did not affect
the trade of the navy department. Boilers
were contracted for with Hunt, Roache and
Gardner in 1876 and 1877, at prices which
Hunt, indeed, being paid higher prices
than he had previously built for, and his ex-
planation that the same high prices were paid
to other parties is no doubt correct. From 80
tracted to be paid to these parties, when, if
competition had been admitted, it is the opin-
lou OF the committee the cost could have been
reduced to from Is to 30 cents per pound.
But perhaps the greatest loss is in the pur-
chase of live oak timber. 1t appears from the
report of Lenthall & sherwood, and the proof
of chief of the bureau, Easily. that large guam
titles of inferior oak have been purchased and
allowed to rot from exposure. This could not
have happened if a report of contracts had
been made to Congress, as directed by law
Again it is shown that N. Mckay bought at
private sale the ship Delaware for SIS, ITS, and
that after realizing 1000 out of material
removed from the ship he sold the hull for
$5, ,000.
The Severn was advertised to be sold at auc-
tlon. sale was had ard bid made which
the secretary did not confirm. Subsequently
she turned over to John Roache at $50, ,OGO,
though other parties were anxious to know Of
the secretary the price asked, and were willing
to give more.
The committee especially refer to the report
of Chief Engineer King in relation to the dis
position Of large quantities OF material at
several of the navy yards, resulting in large
losses to the government. The committee find
that for the Indebtedness of the navy at the
time, investigation be made and that for the
unlawful sale and disposition of large amounts
of property belonging to the government. and
the unlawful disposition of large sums of pub
M Roblson, late secretary of the navy, w. W.
Wood, late chief of the bureau Of steam
engineering, Isiah Hanscom, chief of the
bureau of construction and REPAIRS and chief
OF et75 the bureau of pension and clothing from
1917 to March, 1877, are chiefly responsible.
The committee recommends that the conduct
of Chief Engineer Stewart Felthian and Hen
derson and Paymaster Russell be inquired in
to. The report concludes by declaring that it
is the duty of the House to mark its condem-
nation OF the illegal practices of these former
officers of the navy department and to invite
the attention Of the executive department, up
on which rests the responsibility of further &C.
tion in the premises.
Capital Notes by a "Glo1c" Correspondent.
coNKL1Ne AND HAYES.
To the Editor of the Globe.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb 8, 1S79.-Perhaps
the telegraphic news from this political center
is about all that the people of your t'Norttr
STAR State desire, but maybe few notes con-
cerning general matters will not be refused as
relish.
1t is a little bewildering just now to the COM
mon mind to have committee of the lower
uouse trying to determine whether Hayes or
lllden is President de jure and the Senate hard
at work in ascertaining whether Hayes or Ros-
coe Conkling Is President de .tacto. All are
waiting with bated breath the solution of these
great political problems. 1t would really be
funny if Potter and his crowd should discover
that Tilden was President and the Senate that
Conkling occupied that august place. The civil
service chicken has come home to roost on the
Republicans, and they seem inclined to feast off
The carcass Immediately. even if the bird is
poor and tough; many Of them have lived on
crow so long they will regard it a luxury.
ARREARS OF PENSIONS.
The passage of the pension act by Demo-
cratic Congress rather takes the wind out of
anticipated it's passage or figured out the re-
suits in dollars and cents. 1t is sufficient to
know that it has become a law, and no politi-
cal capital can be made during the coming can
vass out of refusal by Democratic Congress
to pay what may be due to the soldiers. We
will have less bowling the back seats in the
future on the ground of want of pecuniary
patriotism among Democrats. This may not
be much of a justification Of the measure, but
it is sort of unctious emolient that soothes
the Democratic stomach after taking such
DOSE
The evident attempt on the part of the Re-
publican leaders to forestau public opinion in
favor of Grant is not relished by the more re-
spectacle elements of the crowd, who see in it
a revival of all the crookedness which char
acterizcd the eight years reign of Ulysses.
The principal part Of the noise is made by the
machine men and political harlots who went
out with Grant to make room for Hayes rela-
tions and Ohio henchmen. They stand round
the lobbies and hotels and proclaim the glories
of the drunken smoker, and twist every event
into an indication of his popularity.
| Matt Carpenters election to, and Zach.
Chandler's prospects for, a seat in the Senate
| are proofs that the people of those States are
all for Grant. Another strong influence in this
direction is the military. While many
of these -buttoned gentry really
despise Grant, they see the indications
Of growing determination to reduce the num-
ber OF pensioned loafers, and stop the waste
and extravaganza of the army, and believe that
by once more exciting the public pulse by re-
counting the deeds of heroes in the late war
(Which constitute Grants only clain) they will
turn the tide once more in their favor, besides
it is we'll understood that Grant will always
favor large army.
''BLOODY SHIRT
Factories like most other branches of manu-