Year: 1875

WASHINGTON, Dec "a 1875.
THE PROPOSED RETRENcHMENT BY THE APPRo-


PRIATIoNs coMMrTTEE-A NEW THEORY RR-


GARDING THE RECENT ACTIVITY IN NAVY


MATTERs-wHAT AN INVESTIGATION Is LIKELY


TO DEVELOP.


Tho statement made in those dispatches in regard to
the purposes Of the Appropriations Committee mako
sharp and general reduction Of expenses has at
traced general attention in the departments. No
item OF tho plan, however, has caused much
ment as the avowed intention the part Of members
Of the committee not to appropriate a dol
lar to tho late unusual expenditures by
the Secretary or the Navy This decision has raised
breezo the Navy Department itself and 1t has brought
theory Of the OF these expenditures which
is both and in respects plausible 1t is said
to-day that II the committee adheres to its purpose
will create sensation and that the recent apparently
lavish expenditures for the navy have been show
than reality; that little money has been expended
in fact, and that, for instance, at Brooklyn old
wooden ships have been fitted for service
with apparently great expense, while very little money
used and the vessels known in to be
hardly seaworthy Further that the fleet has been
supplied from already hand and paid for In
short 1t is asserted that the whole of
vamping OF the navy is sham, and that close exami-
nation will show that IL must have been dono with
the purpose Of procuring large appropriations TO
previous and irregular expenditures Three members
of the Cabinet have declared to friends that they know
nothing in our foreign relations which would call
for the apparent activity in the navy, and navy
officers have from to time let fall in conversation
facts which show that the osentaous outfit of ships
has been done with the most parsimonious economy,
and with regard, apparently, only to putting large
paper force in commission and not to making the
fitted ships sound and formidable


The Appropriations Committee will make haste to look
into this matter and the investigate promises be
thorough. There is doubt that tho prospect is not
pleasing the Navy Department. where the announce
of it to have created good deal of excite
ment


ANOTHER SCANDAL ABOUT LOST PAPERs-MYs-


FERROUS DISAPPEARANCE OF BILL. PRO-


vIDINa FOR NEW LIST OF JURORS IN THE


DIsrRIcT-IAIAUNTTY OF THE SAFE BURGLARS


EXPLAINED.


People asking here to-day If there is to be another
scandal about missing papers This time 1t is about
bill concerning the District of Columbia passed by the
last Congress- and which it for granted the
President had signed, but which, 1t turns out,
was not signed. Tho supposton is that tho
Presidents attention called the bill to its
Importance. The bill designed to procure a
jury list for the District Toward tho close Of the
the character Of tho trials to take place here,
cludng trial Of the safe burglars, led to the pas
sage of bill providing for lists Of jurymen for
this District The old list had been prepared by
tain officers about the court supposed to be connected
with several trials at the session OF the
court Tho bill to mako jury lists
promptly passed by both houses and sent to
the President q few days before tho end
OF the session. Every interested supposed tho
President would sign It matter Of course, and
tention paid the until late in the
when OF the trials about to on and it be-
necessary to raise tho question about jurors It
was then found that the bill did appear among the
laws and a search failed to discover it among those
signed and returned TO the State Department Further
search showed that il mad been included In the pack
age of bills returned without signature. Doubts
now freely expressed TO whether the President
ever really considered the bill, and people wonder
whether the President made acquainted with
the objects OF the bill The escape of Green Is attrib
by many here directly to the fact that the jury
which tried him drawn under the selections made
when Harrington was Assistant District Attorney and
to the further fact that he with A. B. Williams and
young Fisher parties all suspected of completely
in the safe burglary, have been actively engaged
throughout this late trial TO prevent conviction.


Another matter in this same connection, which has
caused much remark about court, that the last
nouncement OF grand and petit uries contained among
many good men, enough OF those Thoroughly identified
with the principal rings of this district either make
indictment of any of their members very doubtful,
in case indictment to insure least disagreement of
the petit jury.


GENERAL WASHINGTON DISPATCHES.