The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-03-29
] THE TRUTH ABOUT ABoUF THE NEW
From the n. Y. snn.

at the late session o. congress. JohH
Roach did not pass the winter in vain nj
Washington. With the management OF
Seeor Robson in the house ana William
E. Chandler in the department, aided
by the active support of Eugene Hale,
who had charge of the bill in the senate,
the three jobs which the old ring had per
sistently pressed for years were carried
| through. Here they are in the order
passed:
T. For engines and machinery for
the double-tuneted ironclads, one mill
| ion dollars.
! The ring had at first limited this ap
Precipitation to $450,000, ''for complet-
ing one of the monitors" In that form
it passed the house. 1t was intended to
have the amount raised in the senate and
to include all of the monitors, with the
foreknowledge that packed conference
committee would concur in the changes.
This confidence was justified by the re-
suit
The foundation has thus been laid for
future appro.r iations, but the public
purse str IS wiz be in the hands of
democratic house naxt winter, and the
Roach-Robeson ring may not get rich
suddenly.
II. The: Secretary of the navy shall
take possession of the donble turreted
iron clads. and he shall ascertain the
amounts which ought to be contractors
scverally for the use and occupation of
their yards with said ships, and for the
care thereof. and report the same, with
all the facts connected Herewith to con
gress."
Hell etofore congress has refused to rec
ognize the monitor contracts of Secor
Robson, corruptly made while he was
holding, over for few days as secretary
of the navy under the fraudulent presto 1t
This act was designed to commit the
government to new policy, but no
money was voted to carry it out, and pee
haPs Mr.. Chambers adroit scheme will
not commend itself to the next house.
III. For the construction of the steel
cruiser of not less than 1900 tons dis
placement now specially authorized by
law, two steel cruisers of not tina: 5000
nor less than 1880 tons displacement
each. and one dispatch boat, is recon-
mended by the naval advisory board, ST.,
100000. The secretary of the navy, in
addition to the appropriation hereby
made, apply to the constructing and fin
ishing of the vessels in this clause refer
ed to any balance of the appropriation
made to the bureaus of construction and
repair and steam engineering for the
current fiscal year or in the present act
which may remain available for that pur-
pose,"
Divested of the aRtful continuance in
vented by the ring TO deceive congress
and the country, the appropriations for
these new cruisers stand as follows:
Direct as above. -. s 300 600
Indirect. authorized from
bureau OF construction
and repair. ...........1,0 900 900
Bureau of steam engineer
ing by the present act ... 900 900
Remainder of approria-
ton for bureau of con
struction and repair,
voted for Ang 5. 1852 1850 900
Remainder of appropria
ton for bureau of
steam engineering. vot-
ed Aug. 5, 1892 .... 1,600 600
Total. ............-. $3.50 600
How much of the last two items may
remain on hand is not now known.
But the whole scheme was so Slated as
10 get all the money possible Indirectly
for this hugh job, and to hide the APP
preparations by shattered items in two
acts. The secretary has the power to
husband these recources. He is expect
ed to use them in the interest of the ring,
just as Secor Robson would do were he
at the head of the department. Instead
of 81 300,00 for the construction of
these ships. as would at first appear,
there is. therefore, fund of Sc, 600, 900
to bank upon.
A part of the preconcerted plan of de
ception was the creation of a Naval al
visory board" consisting of five officers
on the active list and two civilians. Mr.
Chandler selected five of these seven
from among officers and civilians who
had formerly served the Roach Robson
Ring, intending that they should contn-
ne to serve the Ring. This board was
made to order. 1t is put forward as a
cover for the Official action of the sec
rotary.
The law requires advertisement for
sixty days for the cons ruction of the
of the cruisers This sham
is well understood Between The tech
nical terms of TIE law and the n"nip,'a |
ton of the advisory board, the job will
az surely go to the old ring contractors
as If the award had already been formally |
made. An competition is excluded.
There are eight navy yards mair aine d |
at large exT ,nse. Some of them are
provided With applie1ces for building
ships and for constructing machinery
Their facilities would be sufficient for |
this work. with improvements that might
be added to them without great cost |
But the navy yards will only be used to
help jobbers. The ring rules. Public
interest has no place in its venal vocal |