New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-23

Bureau is sometimes embarrassed through I'M
necessary and unwarranted carping and fault
nndng, real defects are quickly discovered. Who
ever dis covers them has no esprit de corps or
personal interest to induce him to gloss them over
or minimize their importance. but rather the
contrary. AS result. the Department quickly
hears of them and the Bureau has an OppOr
tunity to correct them While thus the Depart
ment is apt to hear much more than 1t otherwise
would Of the defects and shortcomings OF this
Bureau. the result in general Is beneficial to the
Bureau itself and to the service at large. 1t Is
impossible to carry such work as that done by
the Bureau involving not only large COnsidera-
ton and complicated questions. but also a vast
amount of petty detail, without errors and mis-
takes. For the reason pointed out above. how
ever. errors and mistakes must be soon dscov-
cred. corrected for the case in hand and avoided
in future. This Bureau Is the only working bu-
reau situated above, and II Is respectfully sub
mitted for the consideration of the Department
that. in any rcarrangemeMt or reassignment OF
duties or organization, endeavOr should be made
TO secure a state of affairs where the man who
works the completed machine. ship. gun or en-
gine should be a fearless and unbiased critic Of
the man who designed ana built it. This Is the
only certain way Of rapidly discovering and rem
edying such defects as may creep In, and whose
prompt correction in time OF peace IL essential to
keep vessels Of war at all times in readiness
to successfully withstand the severe additional
strain incident to service in time Of war"
In deciding the case Of John w. QUA rkenbush
vs.. the Secretary of the Navy. the Supreme Court.
District Of Columbia. says THE situation of the
relator seems to be remediless save by Con-
fectualy displaced from the service by mad
vertence or by accident in 1874. and by purpose
and design In 1888 The inadvertence or mistake
in the nomination OF Sch!ey tnOw captain Of the
New-YOrk). vice Quackenbush. dismissed Is
demonstrated by the fact OF the communication Of
his sentence by the President on June 9. 1874. TO
SIX years suspension; by his retention on the list
al commander. suspended from rank and duty
furlough pay until July 9. 1850: by his being
then placed on waiting orders and drawing the
appropriate pay until April. 1881, and by the
keeping for him untitled during these years a
vacant position OF commander. He was dropped
in 1883 because OF the decision in the Blake case
and his displacement was Intentionally made ef-
fectua and the lack Of intention in the displace-
ment OF 1874 emphasized by the nomination To-
and confirmation by the Senate in December.
1899. of Mullan. vice John y. Quackenbush, no
longer in the service The correction OF this
error from which Commander Quackenbush has
SO long suffered would be a simple act OF justice
II should be corrected not only as a matter OF
righting wrong to an injured and poWer.esS
citizen. but as matter OF honor on the part OF
great and just Government. The remedy. how
ever Is not in the courts. but IN Congress The
petition must be dismissed