The Portland daily press., 1879-02-10
THE NAVY.
Report of the Majority of the
House Committee.
Secretary RObeson'S Admimistra.
ti0n Severely Censuged.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8.-Representatye Whit
thorne makes report of the majority OF the House
naval committee on the late administration OF the
navy department.
1t says that duing the eight years OF Mr. Robe
sons admnstr alton there disappeared from the ma
Wy register the 70 vessels, OF hich were lost
at sea- 46 sold and proceeds paid over to contractors,
20 destroyed by order of Robeson the materials cut
up and proceeds paid over or credited TO contrac-
tors. If the DIES royed property which cost the gov
ernment one hundred millions is credited at fifty
millions we have an expenditure during the eight
years of over S232 200. The property sold aud
disposed of would certainly have yielded revenue
of 10000 900 to any prudent private individual. In
fact the government received for less than $780,
900. Now substracting from the annual applopria-
lions for he navy the sum applied to its maintain
ance it is found that over $6l00000O applied to
the construction equipment and armament. This
makes nearly $50, 100000 applied to the construction
a sum which applied to the building OF war vessels
would have given 70 vessels like the Trenton
a number sufficient 10 have made the navy at oIce
respectable and useful.
10 the enquiry whether the laws enacted for the
government of the naval service and protection of
government interests have been observed tue COM
mttee say they are constrained by facts and a
OF duty to the House and country to answer that
these laws have not been observed obeyed but on
the contrary have been disregarded and violated land
further large of public money and large guam.
titles OF public property have bee1 disposed OF in
number Of instances in violation of law, among
which are disregard flaw requiring supplies to be
purchased from the lowest bidder and that reouir-
ing the proposal to be accompanied by written guar
anees Of sureties, which the report states has been
wholly ignored in over $50 cases.
Provisions of the law requiring that no contract
be made unless authorized by law under appro-
priations adequate to its fulfllment have been
VIOLATE in contracts made for the building of the
MonadDock, Amphirite and Puritan. The
law folbiddiug the advance payments in excess of
work done or prior to delivery of materials has been
disregarded in livery of materials to Roach and
and others. TIT. law prohibiting any department
from exceeding the appropriations made by law is
also declared to have been disregarded.
The committee also says that Tiers were con-
tracted for with Messrs Hunt Roach and Gardiner
in 1875 and 1877, at prices which prevailed 10 years
before. Hunt being paid higher prices than he had
previously built them for, and his explanation that
the same high prices paid other parties is no
doubt correct. From 80 to 80 1-2 cents pouni for
boilers was contracted to be paid to these parties
when had competition been admitted, it is the
opinion of thu committee, the cost could have been
reduced to IS or 20 cents
But perhaps the greatest loss is in the purchase of
live oak timber. 1t appears from the report of
Leutchel q lsherwood aud the proof of Chief of
Bureau Easily that large quantities Of inferior oak
had been purchased and allowed to rot from exposure
This would not have happened if the report of
tracts bad been made to Congress as directed by
law. Again it is shown that Mckay bought at
private sale ship Delaware for S5,l75, aud after
ante IF thn
from the ship sold the hulk for $4,000. The Severn
was advertised to be sold, auction was had and a
bidwas made which the Secretary did not confirm
Subsequently she was turned over to John Roach
tor $4,000, though other PARTIES were anxious to
know of the Secretary the price asked and were
willing to give more.
The committee find that for the Indebtedness of the
navy at the time the investigation began and that for
unlawful sales for disposition of large amounts of
property belonging to the government, and unlawful
disposition OF large sums OF public money approprl-
ated for naval services Geo. M. Robson late Sec
Tetary OF the Navy, W. W. Wood, late chief Of the
Bureau OF Steam Engineering Isiah Hanscom late
Chief Of the Bureau Of Construction and Repairs
and chief of the Bureaus of Provisions and Clothing
from 1872 to 1871 chiefly responsible By the late
chief of the Bureau of Provisions and Clothing paw
master General Watmough) it is said that being act
ing chief alone during the greater part of this time
he felt bound, without contrary instructions from
tie head of the department from the real head of
the bureau Psyuaster General Bradford), to pursue
the policy of his said chief. This being so it would
tend greatly to relieve him.
The committee recommend that the conduct of
Chief Engineers Stewart, Fthian and Hanson and
Paymaster Russell be inquired into
The report concludes by declaring that it is the
duty of the House TO mar its condemnation of the
illegal practices of these former officers of the Navy
Department, and invite The attention of the Execu-
tive Department, upon which rests the responsibility
of further action in the premises,