Daily globe., 1879-02-10

substracting from annual appropriations for
navy sums applied to it's maintenance, it is
found that over sixty-one million dollars were
applied to construction, equipment and arm
ament. This makes nearly sixty-ive millions
applied to constructions sum which, if ap-
plled 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-
tectlon 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 obcyed, but on
the contrary have been dsregarded 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. Anum-
Der OF instances are declared to be violations of
law, among which are disregard of the law re-
quirtng supplies to be purchased of the lowest
bidder, and that requiring proposals to be ac-
companled 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-
| t'act 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
| ntran cd for H.,
Gardner in 1876 and 1877, at prices which
| had prevailed in years before
Hunt, indeed, being paid higher prices
than he had previously built for, and his ex-
PLANTATION that the same high prices were paid
to other parties is no doubt correct. From 80
to 3219 cents per pound for boilers was con-
| tracted to be paid to these parties, when, if
competition had been admitted, it is the opin-
ion of the committee the cost could have been
reduced to from Is to 20 cents per pound.
But perhaps the greatest loss is in the pur-
chase of live oak timber. 1t appears from the
report of Lenthall l. sherwood, and the proof
of chief Of the bureau, iLasby. that large guam
| titles of inferior oak have been purchased and
allowed to rot from exposure. This could not
have happened If report of contracts had
| been made to Congress, as directed by law.
| Again it is shown that N. Mckay bought a.
private sale the ship Delaware for $5,175 and
| that after realizing 00O out of material
removed from the ship he sold the hull for
! $5, 900.
The Severn was advertised to be sold at auc
| ton. A sale was had ard q bid made which
| the secretary did not confirm. Subsequently
| she was turned over to John Roache ut $40 eco,
| 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
tlme 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
| lie money appropriated for naval SERVICE Geo.
NJ. Robison 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 the bureau of pension and clothing from
1872 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 it's 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 ac-
| tion in the premises.
Capital Notes By q "Gl0be' Correspondent.
coNKL1NG AND HAYES.
To the Editor of the Globe.
| WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb 3, 1S79.-Perhaps
the telegraphic news from this political center
| is about all that the people of your ''North
STAR State desire, but maybe a few notes con-
| cerning general matters will not be refused as
| RELISH
| 1t is little bewildering just now to the COM
mon mind to have committee of the lower
House trying to determine whether Hayes or
| Tilden is President de jure and the Senate hard
at work in ascertaining whether Hayes 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 as luxury.
ARREARS OF PENSIONS.
The passage Of the pension act by a Demo-
cratic Congress rather takes the wind out of
the Republicans sails. Perhaps neither party
anticipated its 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 a refusal by Democratic Congress
to pay what may be due to the soldiers. We
will have less bowling on 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 a
dose.
| GRANT.
The evident attempt the part of the Re-
publican leaders to forestall public opinion in
favor of Grant is not reished by the more re-
spectacle elements Of the crowd, who see in it
u revival of all the crookedness which char
acterized 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-
!, 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, 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 brass-buttoned gentry really
t despise Grant, they see the indications
l of growing determination to reduce the mum
D ber OF pensioned loafers, and stop the vast.
and extravaganza of the army, and believe tina
by once more exciting the public pulse by re
counting the deeds of heroes in the late wa
(Which constitute Grants only claim) they vii
turn the tide once more in their favor, beside
; it is well understood that Grant will alway
e favor large army.
e ''BLooDY SHIRT
s Factories like most other branches of manu-
y featuring, have been standing idle for som
II time but will soon be set running again in or
q der to furnish full supply of CORY garment
y to be weaved next summer. Several of tn