The New York Herald Newspaper, February 26, 1859, Page 2

2 turn out of office the tory #dministrations and, ia reta et ee patronage. Ifthey did not give him be wantod, he threatened to turn thegn out also, by voting ‘with the tories himself and bis parliamentary ‘‘tai!,”” or Dy abstaining from voting at all ou important minisierial measures, which was attended with the same effict O'Connell and the Irisk members {p his interest, (hough they were ovly a portion of the one hundred who represented Ireland in a House of Commons o° six hundred and fifty eight mombers, held the balance of wer—the whig and parties being evenly divided, In order to r the tt 1 around bim, he was ever agitat! that, and collecting targe sums of ‘who called hin ‘fe Liberator.” Te j to take whatever he could got of the det of jus Troland. Ho was gl2ito bave it pait ‘however small. Smith O'Brien dit not ti his ways, nor did O'Coanel! like him, ‘were cust in entirely diferent moulds; borid did not want to see any man prominent whom be co Ot use as @ tool. 7 9 In 1828 O'Brien, in his twenty fifth year, was ¢ momber of Parliament for the borough of Ennis, ch town of the county Clare, the great scene of O'Connell's triumph. To the influence of his brother, Sir Lucius O’Brien, the chief man of the place, and not to O'Coanell, was he indebted for his clection. Indeed, such was his independence, that in 1833, when ho was 80 licited by the liberal party ‘to for Parliament, and this time for the county of Lime ho consented only on the express condition that O'Coa nell’s pame abould not be associated with bis in the can vass. Ho wished to be elected or rejected on his own merits, and would give uo pledge whatever. In spite of this disadvaniage he waa triumphantly returned, without exponse to Limse!f. In Parliament he showed the same independence. In 1885, on the question of tht dissola tion of the Legislative Chambers of Jamaica, which was a Cabinot measure, he yoted coutrary to O'Qounell and bis tail, and against the By bis single vote the ques- tion was decided—the ministry were defeatel by a ma- jority of one. The premier, Lord Melbourno, resiguod, ‘and Sir Robert Peet was summoned to take bis pl He was much abused by O'Congell and bis friends for ! or The wo men “8, O'Connell aid ing with “Orange ‘Poel and tho enemies of Ircland.”” But O’Brien promptly appealed to his constituents, who compictely endorsed bi { mention, that at the time of his first clei gbt & Cuct with the renowned Tom Steele—a y Clare, whose mind was consideradly years—a sort of half mad bultooa. He shor ion gor became & ‘ firiue Achates’? to O'Connel), who used to call him hig Head Pacifloator; and he, on the other baud, used to gay that i O'Cousell told Lim to sit on powder and blow himself ap, ho would election referred to he said somet O'Brien's family which lie.’ An immediate bo Two shots were exchanged without any Steele, however, had 9 narrow escape; bot Coat wore perforated. O'Lrien to which Steel OL fected, and sad: “If you fire it must be with 4 O'Brien. ‘ormar Mahc was ¢ owas m meeting was th ured, aud piste nd wt cool and calm tempt, peculi wore exchange Tt required more ¢ to fight these duel tituils present, ' hon, who wer most pup he would hi Leen torn ‘ot have been bad he killed OC tead of O'Contell Killing him, iuaduel on the C h of Kildare, which orat: the Agitator cal n of Dublin, of which d'Exterre wasa mem» bezgarly corporation. O'Connell had been previously invitee by Sir Robert to a duel on the Contine: the parties were arrested, andthe meeting prevented—a case in which O'Connell was charged with + showii i 2 Hoi ever this may be, after the duel with d’Exterre, ho “r —— a vow in Leayen’’ that he would fight no more luels, though he did not cease to give abundant provo- cation. Alte starting one aL ciety after another, and collecting “rent” and in all, O'Connell set on foot the Pre- ‘cursor Association," the object of which he sai‘ was to give theBritiah government ant Parliament a last trial, arm see whether they would “render justice to Ireland,”’ by passing ‘eleven measures,”” which he entumorated in his litical programme. Having failed in this, ag of course e expected, he commenced, or rather revired, the re agitation in 1840: for in 1883 he pursued it for aehort time, in conjenction with the brilliant orator, Richard Lalor Sheil, who, when he found O'Connell was not sincere, abacJoned the agitation and called repeal ‘a splendid having accepted from the whig government goffice of Master of the Mint, in return for after fought their battles in Parliament. Tn 1840, however, O’Comiell had gained great additional etrength aad Le compelled the Dublin [:beral papers to come cat for the measure by threatening to denounce them, and to start riv urnais. The movement did not make much beadway till 1842, when the Dublin Nation was started—a briliant weekly newspaper, which became the principal orgau of the Repeal Association, but breathed a ‘warlike spirit, which O'Connell condemned in pablic, ia order to guard himself from prosecution, though mauy of the people thought he secretly iked its'toue. Tn 1843 Were those tumultuous assem of the people in va rious parts of the country calied “monster meetiugs,”* held in the open air, which sometimes exceeded in numbers the wiole population, meu, women aud chil dren, of New York. O’Conholi addyeased these therings often a tove bordering oa warlike, ‘but generally keeping within the letter of tne law, and winding with nenleations of ‘peace fw vand oraen” a cme oecasion—namely, at Mallow—he hurlod defiance at the British government, in to a threat to put down those meetings by force. He id that they would first trample over lus dead boly ‘and he remiaded the people that there was more pl force at that meeting than was sufiicient to conquer Bu ope. This vaunt, however, turned ont Ike another one ‘which be used to make, that he would lay bis head on the Diock if in six months he did not obtain ropeai, pro- ‘vided the peopie obeyed the law, and paid the rent. Sgil O'Brien kept aloof, “but took atvactage of the circum stances of the time to make « strong appeal to Parliament for justice. He made a very able speech of Ove hours du- ration, in which he depicted ‘ongs of Ireland, and asked for a committeeto inquire into the con country. After a protracted debate of five days, the mo- tion was refused, by a vote of 245 to 164. O’Brien then retired to the cootinont of Europe for trave ‘and to recruit his bealti. Meavtume the monster meetings appeared 80 formidabie and so dangerous to “the integ of the British empir at the government determined on PR iting the leaders. The meetings were generally id in places having historic associations which would cali forth the anti-Eagligh enthusiasm of the people. The Tast of thea was called for Sunday, at Clontarf, near Dab- "| , | tral between Young Ireland and 014; os gat 2 candidate again | come & © eae | Seat ‘association wore » handsome greea uniform. ° val poittical establishments, were now two rival poitical esteblisimenta, the peqple ‘Ther | which pitched icto cach other as warmly as the government. O'Conpell cautioned hisinet “infidel ropnblicens,”’ and excited Catholic praju- | dice against the Protestants of the Association, thus way and kept away many infaaiat men, Ho érove 8 | made a wanton attack on, Phorm Dav who was the kindlest, able connected with the whole moveafént, and who died hortly after of fever. He was editor of the Nation. time the potato blight set in and produced a famine in the eountry, which carried off two million: in four years. | government inith O'Brien, who at frst kept nou- .. nae ae fighting or Young Ireland party. was chiefly rey SConnell’e Saamuetl abandonment of a compact. It was agreed in the Repeal Association that no Irish member of Parliament would take in any British | matter, but only in questions relating to Ireland. The speaker suinmoned O’Brien and Jobn O’Connell on an Fnglish railroad committee. O'Brien refused to attond, and was imprisoned in’a cellar of the House of Commons, but laughed at by the O'Connets and Co. On his reloase, | however, be made them laugh the other side of their | mouths, for he was received by the people with a porfect | ovation’ throughout the country. Meantime the plot thickened, O’Gonnell sickened aud died m Genoa, in May, Ho ordered his heart to be takerPout and sent to | Rome, and his body to be brought back to Ireland. His | con John coined capital out of his bones, and invoked his father’s shado against Young Ireland “had broken his heart.” (He afterwards got a tine place from the government.) ‘It was his settled polioy to excite the priesthood and Catholic bigotry agninst his rivals, who were thus placed between two fires. For example: when Smith O'Brien and other confederates went to Belfast to rouse the spirit of the North, they were equally assailed by Catholic and Orange mobs. ‘ Jobn Mitchel, who had beou one of the editors of the Nation, and vot deeming that journal or even the Youn, Ircland’ party fast enough for him, started the Unite Irishman, and formed what he afterwards named “a party of one.” He called on the people to xm for @ struggle, and told the farmers that they could have the lands which they held rt a rent from landlords as free farms if they only fought fur them, Mo called on them and on all to strike for e repablic, This was golog rather far for the omach of O'Brien, ani! be did not ke it, though he said little publicly. Moantiine the Frovch revolation broke oat, and ali Europe was tu & blaze. The Trish, too, caught fre, and Young Ireland ‘annea the flame.’ A ‘depute ilato the succesaful. revo e received them coldly, and, from out no hope of succor: ' This’ dopu- O'Brien, who, on his return to Par- asatraitor. ‘He madea fierce and ag deflance, and then returned to Iro- vy. O'Brien, Mitchel aud Meagher Young Iveland party in dition aud treason Wer epecches having appeared in ‘Mitehel’s own paper, be was arrested under gn act which had just passed mak ing seditious Isnguege felony. But weshould me i the building where the banquot was gi prosecuted geutiemien was assailed by an 0'Co at the instigation of a priest, and the whole aifiir brol up ina riot, which rendered it necessary for the troops of the garrison to interpoge to save the lives of the guests, O’Brien, who blindly rushed ito the thick of the mob, as ie, Was badly fojured, and escaped death This gave courage to the governmeut nt revolution, Mitchel was tried, con- sted, and sentenced to-fourteen years transportation. With all bis boasting, and the vaunting of the leaders of the Young Ireland party, they let him pass through the streets of Dublin to the convict ship without strikin, blow. The confederate clubs, which he and other leaders in Dublin wid the world were weil armed, either bad no arms or were very loth to use them. This was in May, 1848, and it was eaid the fight d take place after barveet. One g to crush rebellion. Parliament suspended tho habeas corpus act in Ireland, which gave the governm the power of arresting all persons on mere suspicion, throwing them into prison without tria We believe Sir Lacius O'Brien, brother of Smith O’Brien, votea for the bill. This spread terror, aud the leaders fled from Dublin into the country in all directions. Smith O’Brien proceed- ed to the mountains of Tipperary, and his object appears to have been merely to avoid arrest till the country had time torise. Butthe police and the troops were sent iu pursuit o? im, and a collision took place between a largo party of armed police aus O'Brien and his followers at the ouse of the widow MoCormack, iu Bullingarry, which was magnified in 2 New York joirnal into “The Battle of Stievenamon (alias Slievegammon), at whieh the Britieh ariny were aunibilated.’’ He there exposed his life in the moet reckless manner, by going up alone to the windows where the police were and demanding their surrender, which they refused. Soon after firing commenced on both sides, and some of O'Brien's men were wounded, It is said that oue of the loaders wanted to shoot him be- conse he would not allow bim to #et fire to the house, to which OBrien objected ou the score of hnmanty to the widow and children. He floally marched away with his few followers, and was not arreste ‘When they wanted him to seize the fatoxen of the landlords and kilithem, he refused to do co, and suid be was no robber. The priests drove away his followers and prevented others from join- ing him. Fe was reduced to the necessity of sleeping in the fields, for be was uowilling te commit the peasantry, who offered bim shelter at tho risk of being traug- now aproclaimed outlaw. Wearied with and seeing Do prospect of suocens, 1 was proceeding boine, where be expected to be tod, but wae arrested on Lis way al avaiiway station, tricd, and convicted of high tressou and sentenced to be “hanged, drawn and quartered.” ‘The sentence was com. muted by the government to transportation for life. ile made ap attempt to escape in & boat from Van Dieman’s Loni, but was betrayed, He would not accept a parole, fs be thought ft would interfere with his right to escape. He was kept a prisoner on Maria Island, appro- priated to the most dosperate convicte. He was finally pardoned in 1854. In this city in December of that year an address was voted to him at a public meeting which was presided over by the Mayor. On his return to Ireland he travelled on the continent of Europe, and published an able book in 1855, at Broseels, on “ The Principles of Government.”’ His pardon wag unconditiona!; no re- mtance avd no promise of amendment could be extorted ‘rom him. Since his return to freland, be has taken no part in any political agitation in that country, and recent! expressed his strong condemnation of such secret organi- zations as the Phoenix Society. Mr. O'Brien was educated in England, first at the cele- Urated Rugby school, and afterwards at Cambridge. The consequence was that his accent is very British, aad whetber it be from the same cause or from constitutional temperament, or partly from both, his manners have more of the coldness, and gravity, and stiifaess of the English . character than the warmth and spright- to thi elite mob Lin—the memorable battle ground of Brian Borohoim with the Danes—which was regurded as highly slgnificant, Pecially when taken in connection with one of the songs of the Nation against “the Saxons,” which had thege linee:-— And we them a touch of Brian Boru, the San Van Vocht. Here the government made their stand. ‘They had alarge number of troops in the gerrieon of Dublin, and they is- ation on Savurday evening against, tho meet- was cowed, and from that moment hia movement was retrograde. After his death this cowardice Or prudence was attributed to the softening of the brain, of which he died. He issued another prociamation warn: Ing the people not to mect, which, however, was too late to reach many,and he sent Tom Steele to disperse them. The ‘troops were also on the ground. O'Connell shrunk from a collision. He was at the same time arrested, together with his son, John O’Con- neli, Thoms Steele, T. 3. Ray, ©. G. Duffy, proprictor ofthe Dublia Naiion, uow in Australia, a free man; Rev. Ticraey, Rev. P. J. Tyrrell, John Gray, proprie- for of the Dublin Freeman's Journal, aud Richard Burvott, editor of the Dublin Pilo!. They were indicted, not for high treason, which reqr proof of “overt acts,” but for a couspiracy to subvert the British government in Ireland. The indictment was drawa up by sr. Monahan, the Attorney General, who was a Catholic. In pansilin, the jury he struck off every Catholic, and it was also oved that the list of jurors hat been tampered with. le was denounced of course by O'Cormell’s friends, who upbraided him with the taunt that be could not told the ice of Attorney General bot for the fact of O°Counell’s winning Catho lc emancipation for him. This invective, however, was ouly so much capital for Lim with the go- vernment. He was afterward appoluted a judge, at a ew Jary of $20,900 tor iife. The indictment in order to make out the conspira 7; charged each man. with al] the doings and eayings of the others. O'Connell, for instance, notwithstanding his cau- tion, was held to be liable for the war articles, and even the war songs of the Nation, among which was one en- titled “The Memory of the Dead,” written as a mere lite- Fary production, by Mr. Ingram, a Fellow of Trinity Col- lege, who ha’ nothing to do with the movemont. it began ‘with the lines— Who fears to speak of Ninety-cight? pos wis t binges at the name? is BOng formed part of ong ‘niictment, though O'Connell aiways devonueod thie men of "98, as he dia the French revolution, for he was no republican, By « jury Of the “true blue’ Fort, a verdict of guilty was rotarus O'Connel!, to the amazement and dismay of his follow- era, submitted to the sentence and waked into priton On the S0tb of May, 1444, Lut promised to come out soon fQgrin, and cautioned the people against arming. He ap. against the sentence to the House of Lorde, the last of in Great Britain. It was at this critical moment that O'Brien, with his ‘usual chivalry and soorning of personal danger, joined the smovement, He had just returned from the Continent of Enrope, and said he #aw no country half #0 wiserable or Bll governed as bis own. He waited on 0 Conneiliu prison Rave him the band of recouciliation, and presided at next meeting of the Repeal Association. ('Connell ead mo. ied this as an “‘event,’’ praised him, of course, aud he did the best possible thing at the best po i ‘rent’? poured in and swelled fnormous Agure, but was all devoured by O'Connell's Barpics. By the decision of the House of Lords Mhe sentence was reversed, on the ground that the trial ‘wns Dot fair, and Lord Deuman pened it “a mook- Ery,adelusion anda snare.” Tt was suspected that this wesult was brovght about by a collusion of O’Counel! wita ho government, on condition that he would gradual!y let xiown the repeal agitation. Certain it is he came out of Prison an altered man, though he received a grand tri- mpbal procession. Tis course was henceforward mark- ed wiih great vacillation, and pported ‘verumont in Parliament, and mn Hig a Mw gh = is relatives, friends ‘end dependant ‘ig tation as purely Deacefule and ‘het th iberties pavion were pot worth one drop of human blood, hie, and perhaps the ambition of the oung men ‘whom he oversuadowen to play first insload “of sot idle led to a weg’ quarrel, and then open ‘wond ure, which in secession Eh a Ireland” party from the “ld Ireland,” fA estab!isbment of a rival organizaion eniled thy Comfederation.”” Before thie step, however, at a sueeting in Dublin, attended by doiegates from ali ; Sealey a “eye yo admnh istere hed a pledge minletered Dy Smith O'Brien that he Pog So @bandon (h eal movement till it was #uccegsful. How ho red ali know. This meeting was heid 0th of May, 164 fhe anniversary of O'Connell's imprivonmont, whir) was Observed. It was a mosting of the '82 Ciulb—an acy ation got up in connection with the other in imitatir armed yoluntoers of 1782, who oxtoriid the in ah pow liners of the Irish. It is very hard to excite his mirth, and rarely, indecd, has be been seen to emile. His bearing bas considerable hauteur in it. His figure is tall aud commanding, and he is a well formed, athletic man, but his featares are by no means handsome, nor cast in the aristocratic mould of the British islands, which 1s famed for producing fine faces. His dress, though neat and clean, is of a very plain descrip- tion, He has considerable powers for parliamentary de- bate, but bis ability lies more in the matter than the man- ner.” He is no demagogue. He has great firmness—evon to stubboruness. His charatter for personal honor and integrity stands 7 far the bighest of all those men who bave figured inthe recent history of Ireland. He has always been esteemed the Irish Bayard—Sans sans ri re vpreche. By the death of his nother, a short | ashort time ago, Mr. O’Brien iaherited a property worth $4,000 per annum. He is altogether, perhaps, worth $20,000 per ui num in real estate. He is fifty-ex years of age, and his eldest gon is just twenty-two. Arrest of One of the “Fancy” for Robbery. {From the New London Chronicle, Feb. 24.) Bishop Overacker, alias “The Western Pet,” a faucy man, who has for some time made this city his place of re sidence, was arrested on Tuesday evening on a requisition of Governor Morgan, of New York, to answer to a charge of robbery committed in the city of Buffalo in Jaly last. The accusca was at that time keeper of the Union Hotel in Buffalo, One of his gueste from abroad, one evening in- tending to go to the theatre and to ‘go around’” the town a little, thought it would be only safe to leave his money in charge of his landlord, He accordingly banded over the principal part of his funds to Mr. Overscker, who obligingly consented to receive them into his keeping. The next day “mine host’? Overacker was missing, having run away from bis gucets, his hotel, his creditors, and his wife, and carried with bim the stranger's funds. Since then nothing has been heard of him at Bufalo until the 15th of this mouth, when Deputy Sberiff Emerick, of that city, aw in the New York Clipper a flaming account of recent sparring exhibition in this city, in which the name of Mr. Bishop Overacker made & prominent figure, He started castward in the course of a day or two, stopped at Albany and Obtained from Governor Tequisition upon organ for Man, and came hero off Tuesday evening, the Governor of this State down to New London, atrivin from Springfield, by the gix o'clock train. He communi: cated with Deputy Sheriff Fitch and oMcer Dunford, and late in the evening the three procecded to a room in Holt’s building, at the foot of State street, which was the ren- dervous’ for the Western Pet and other eporting charac. ters in town, Finding the Ped closed and the lighis out, the officers went to the Ya boarding place in Potter street, and inquired fer him. After some delay thoy over- | hauled Lim in the bedroom of oue of the landiord’s daughters, and in epite of the objections made thereto by that’ young woman, they took the Pet out of bed, per- suaded him to dress if, and conveyed him 4o the Jail, whore be staid all ‘ot, Yesterday morning officer Mmerick started with bim for Buffalo, Personal Intelligence. Lientepsnt-General Sco't ia still sojourning in New Or- Jeane, a8 the guest of C. Fellows, trying the effect of warm weather upon his boalth, "i ‘experienced the hapless fects from h | to to the South, aud will re- june his duties in Was! yo in a few weeks ly im~- proved And invigorat sith, + amid ‘The Washington Si \uat the special committee to examine into the t the charges alleged against the Hon. Wm. Cullom, sate Olerk of the Honge, are now ready to report, aud that their report will entirely exome- rate him {rom all charges against Ris oftciat jutegrity. In bet ad to Weeks, the converted actor, whose letter announcing bis rearong for returning to the wer cently published, the Montrose a) digubican hae the 6 destitution of following:—This who'e story of ¢! mother and two whose “scanty win- tally de: brication, Mr. ‘eeks? fainity, ter clothing” and_‘‘caile for holp’’ are 80 pathet: scribed, reside in Montrose, and are in comfortable cir- cumstances, live weil, and never bad any help from Charles H. Weeks, nor ever called for or necded any. Neighbor Weeks ia an industrious mechanic, and quite able to clothe his two |ittle girls, as well as provide otherwise for his family, an’ would be sorry to bave the man do violence to his feelings by deserting the the stage op ibeir agcouut, young pulpit f ARRIVALS. m Calwey, in the pleamehip Price Alberto Smith ei. Mr Follars and lady, John Reilly, Geo Holian i, Jamon K Coiling, Mlas Pauline Ba Jam, Samuel Lenton, arage Prom Rt Johns—OoB Martell. wot i It Le Messuarle, Jolus ond, and’ two seoond | Tark—Capt J RB Taber, ark Gran ud@ua de ‘This calamity was attributed to the British | Protestant, | and noblest man | donee of the Irish Parliament. The members of the modora. | REPORT OF THE NAVALINVESTIGATION COMMITTEE. Management of the Brookiva Navy Yard— Evil of Political Appointments—Incompe- tent Workmen Employed=The Scoretary of the Navy Sustained.The Oharges. George N. Sanders Answered, d&c., dice ‘The following is that portion of the majority roport of the Naval Investigation Committee which refers to the manageiwent of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and the charges of mglfcasance and absence from duty ou the part of the pavy agent, dir. George N. Sgndera, The leading fontures | of the testimony taken upon these points wore published | exclusively in the Hmranp of yesterday: L—THR BROOKLYN NAVY YARD. ‘The large amount of money annually appropriated for the navy, though that branch of the service continues 80 limited in extent and power, haa justly excited int sos and ipquiry on the partof the ‘Tho following statement will show the extent of the in- crease in our expenditures for naval purposes :— No. of Vessels. No. of Guns. Annual Cost. 1846, 17 2,345 1858... pea 13/262/561 ‘Much of this increase of expenditure springs from the higher price of pee raion ey clothing, &., now than in 1835, or even in , much also arises trom the substitution of steamers for sail vessels in the navy of the United States. je In Great Britain the coat of the navy in 1863-4, when its force of men was 30,407, amounted to £6,236,493 ster ling, while in 1857~'8, when its force of men was only 89,000, it cost £5,109,108 sterling, under all the exertions that were made after the war to reduce expeudi- tures to the lowest practicable point. This merease of ex pense is wtiributed. in that country to the suvstituiion steai for sail vessels. But while the increase of expenditure in our naval ser- vice is thus accounted for tp part, i} bas become @ maiter of general belief that there i much of wasic in oar navy yards; for the number* of yessela annually coustracted ‘and repaired in our service, our appropriations for yards and docks, and for construction, equipments and repairs seom to be disproportionately Lota To show how our appropriations for these purposes bave increased in the last twelve years, the following statement will suflice:— 1846, 1858. Yards and docks. $535,649 $3,157,572 Construction, equip! $38,479 3,120,427 Total seeeees os $2,424,028 $6,286,049 ‘The investigation made in this case explains sou of the causes of waste in the navy yards. Your committee believe that persons in their dealing with government generally display more of voracity Tess of scrupulous integrity than is asyai In traneact with individuals. 7 Supplies for government, whether obtainel by cou tract or in open market, are’ made the occasion of fraud; the properly of the government is not preserved with due 3 a 3 its responsible Superintendents prove wnfaitutul, eir subordinates lack the zeal which private in- t dictates, and the fidelity which private scrutiny exacts. 2 These principles, applicable more or lees tb all depart- ments of government work, are shown by the testimony to be especiuily applicable to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. HOW AVPOINTMENTS ARE MADR, It is a feature of the times, and to come extent an inci- devt to our system of government, that offices and ap- pointments have come to be employed very generally, and more or less by all parties, as rewards for partisan service. Not only does the dominant party give the high and respons ble places of state into the hands of party friends, but the subordinate and merely ministerial p'aces, such ag those of clerk, postmaster, mail agent, messenger, doorkeeper and day laborer, are made to subserve the purpeses of party udvantage. It is natural, and not fia- Proper, that those Who have themsclyes obtaiued office ly patty favor, should prefer to bestow the patronage of that office upcr persons who have been their friends and supporters, rather than upon those who opposed them. And in regard to qualifications, all leating parties have competent men in their ranks, When tbe appointing power, in looking around for com- petent men, is left merely to exercise its natural pro- ference for friends over opponents, all is well. But when party relations and party services are made to constitute. a controlling claim upon office, then the strongest partisan has the highest claim; and as in party Limes the success of the party oftea assumes great. er importance than good government, so party clains in bestowing office come to receive more consideration and influence than character or qualification. Gftk ‘eed, cage to be viewed practically as positions of trust, cre- ated and maintained because their duties are esrential to the public good. They come to be regarded as places of emolument, whose salaries are ersential to party wellare, and to be distributea with that view. If, as bas been said, such is the tendency of the present time and with all parties, no one party is altogether blameable therefor. ‘Wherever in a densely settled community party strength is nearly equally divided, and party ascendancy often changes, there, of course, this spirit becomes imbuéd with & peculiarly mercenary tinge. Want presses, viclory Jeads to place. The emolument being the object which was sought, cugrosses attention; and while officials bave but litue thought except as to tbe means of holding their places, 80 those who want oflice have no care except to gain it. ue, principle and duty are forgotten in the angry conflict of the ins and outs. Is we have correctly described the teudency of things at the present day it will not be regarded with surprise that this spirit prevails strongly iu the commercial emporium of the nation, and has found its inteasest develepement in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. ‘The fact that appointments nthe Navy Yard have for many years past been bestowed upon party grounds is distinctly proven. ‘ JOUN KELLY'S STATEMENT. The Hou. Jol Kelly, recently a popular member of the House of Representatives, aud dow holding an importgut office In the city of New York, upon examination before the commitice made the following siatement:-— 5 ou known what has been the ment of the aad Gaderell partion! A. Yes, sit; when the whige formerly Beate yard they would, of cours, turn out the de:socrats AEST, alae apa emrcrat oto peony ere; Ef wold turn out {he Whigs; anc s0 it ffs boed in alt fe oto it all republicans; it is very can get a place; if he does, it is through some extraordinary in- fluence. WHAT MR, MACLAY SAYS. And the Hon. Wm. B. Maclay, at present a member of the Houre of Representatives from New York city, a gentleman of the highest integrity anda politician of ex- perience and influence, bas deposed the committse to the same effect. The following extract is taken from his testimony :— Q. How long have you been acquainted with the manage- ment ofthe yurd? A. Since 1842 Q. What change, if any, hss taken place in the meantime in the mode of nisking appointments, &c.? A, I do not thivk there bas becn any change. G. How Joog hare appointinents been made, there, upon political rece:umendations? A. I eapnot speak of it previous to the date I menticned; at that time, 1842 or 1843, Mr. Henghi w was Secretary of the Navy; T was rep ive in Congreen; in Congreen; upon one oceasi.n there were a great manyapplications (or the Dhuce of masters: the Becretary Gilly copeluded hat he would make appointments upon the dation of the members of Congress from Brooklyn, who were Henry ©. Mar- ly and my elf he raid if we would look ea: over the ind vaste yoann jona, be ke the =ppol ; Mr. Murpky and T thereupon very carefully selected some ten of twelve masters, who re- rained in oflce during the ncmtnistration of Mr. Tyler and the Whole of Mr. Poik’s; they were removed after the mg of the succeeding administration, that of Mr, Fillmore. Whether ‘appointments were made noon Mnietration Do you Fnow: pollifoal grounds during the ec of Mr. Fillmore? A. Yes, sir; they were made upon that ground. Where sppeintmenta are made u) veghlf grounds it is a necessary consequence, especially points remote from the appointing power, that the wehes and recom- mendations of leading politicians should be considered. Everywhere the recommendations of members of Con. gress are solicited by those seeking executive appoint- ments. So it bas been in the past, so, probably, it will be in the futare. When the present rdministration cane into ror, in consequence of the fact that onder the last administra- tion many of the Congressional districts had been repre- sented ‘by political opponents, the patrenage in the Brook- el Navy Yard hod been concentrated mainly in a few districts. Now, all of the districts of the city and of the country immediately adjacent thereto were forthe first time in ‘eare uncer representation friendly to the administration. ich member considered himself entitled to favor, and much of contention arose between themselves, and be- tween them und the offloers of the yard. LETTER FROM iT, 1. CLARK, Under these circumstances it was re} Secretary of the Navy that it would be agreenble to them bt ts ge ve trouble to him, if be id adopt the principle of an equal partition ‘f the sronaige among the districts, as for a practicab! 5 and ihordor do this it was suggested that it would be well,if practicable, to allow @ master workman to each ¢ nel ‘April, 1887 New Your, . Dean Sin—Mny take thie method of recalitag you atten- to the ba! watter of the appointments to bemade Fattugvon nected with our navy yarc! -1 expressed to you in the upinion if deemed proper by irelf, the places of toablary i the teveral necaticonts RRR Ee slatted wih Tmade appliaiion for cor Ward, of the Eighth Coagrescioual d ‘self tothe plage of muster laborer or ited with some of may co! In their fecoramen cc appileants from among thelr severet egrefta cles (3 other mesterships; but (he appoiztment of Mr. Ward ts the only one which | soltelt or ‘chal? of my eoustituency,’ May Logain call Your aitention to wis subject, and rent th you wil give my ‘pplication your favorable conaleration in cage you can adont the principle to which] havereserred, and which appears tome Ulablet The diffieniy of oblalhing & pirsoual interview with you in Was.iogton subsequently w theoceasion when I called upon you ni your residence tn company with Hon. John Kelly, bas induced tne to nddrees you by fet. HORAOE F. CLARK. Hon. Issac Tovery, Secretary of the Navy. this arrangement the Secretary asgmted, Tt docs appear that in exactly equal partition was ever at tained or attemp ‘The master pointer alpne cane from Mr. Searing’s cistrict, and for a jong time the master cauiker alone from Mr, Cochrane's, while alone sore of the other districts had three. Aad in regard tothe employés under the mesters, the Cistribytion has remained to this day very aneqnal, It is Ld in the testimony that the number from tha diatrigt In which tie yard is located. now re; Georg: Taylor, bas rema.ned a! the over disiricte. ‘The arrangement apy are to he approach to i regul If aj © conten plated ruch en alization as might convenfently be mado dismizsals and the new nppointments. in the yard are to be wade on political A iitleult to resist tho iusion that districts are all ontitied to a fair share of the patron- ‘TER ABUSES INCKRASYO, ‘The evils and abuses in the yard appeared, however, to grow greater. How far this bas grown out of other causes it might bevdifficult to determine. ft should be borne in mind that during the year 1857 a crisis of com- mercial aud peceniary distress fell upon the country, which, in the city of New York, throw « groat many per: song out of employment, ond thas increased the olsmor for government work, Tt i#also true that in 1857 and 1964 the goverumeut bad need of a larger nombor of men NEW york ERA) SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 86,"1859. 9 _¥ in the navy yards than 0 haps ever before, and of a number of master « rkmen also, 4 om whatever causes has sprung, your committec are satisfed, from the te \ ony, that great abuses have beon and are practised in yard, ‘Where so many men are thered together in govern- ment employ, abuses are some extent unavoidable. Bat the system of appointin and retaining iaon in tho yard upon political influence works great evil. THOOMPRTEN? 30 EMFLOTED. He Men have been appointed without due regard their qualifications, ant ré-aived. sometins afvor they had. shown themselves unworthy. learned to rely, in part, upon a strong friend to retain them, instead of ‘striving to entrench themselves behind meritorious services, This state of things has shown its natural results in producing insubordination, idlencas and a dis- regard of obligation and duty in general. testimony upon which your committee came to thin eod@itition te mainly the testimony of in Rootes, who was for months the executive officer, aud frequent during tbat time the commandant in the y: the confessions of the master-workmen themselves, dad the letters and testimony of the members of Coogress. ‘The complainis of displaced and disappointed men, who discredit themselves by saying that knew of these abuses while employed im the yard, but never gave information aeout them. “ull ” they were dismissed, should, we think, be reooived with allowance. Wherever their stories’ bave been tho- roughly investigated they have generally been shown to ‘be either wholly or in great part untrue. a ‘A man named Berry, who was ae from the . tion of inaster painter, alleges that Hon, Johu Kelly became irritated with him and had him displaced because he would not keep in office men who, be informed Mr. Kelly, were drunkards and ontirely incapable of a proper dactaoge of duty. Mr. Kelly, on the contrary, denios the tatement, alleging that be neverasked to have any man clawed after being informed of his incompetency, and ays that the cause of his difference with Berry that be latter used towards him coarse and ii ng lan. evage. It turns out, however, that Berry was not dismiss. ed uptil some three months or more after bis difference with Mr, Kelly. ‘Auotber man tells of a place being bought by one Mr. Teller of the master painter (Turner) with a present of five gallous of whiskey. When examined, Teller and ‘Turner concur in a representation of the matter go utterly unlike that given bythe informant as to make it, in all its eescntiais, an act of slander, Yet another states that ho ‘was assessed twenty dollars for political pero upon his clerksbip in the Custom House at New and he re- fused to pay it; and when asked ‘ What was the answers, “I was removed—from what cause tell.” Ho attempts to convey the impression distinctly that he was removed for (his refusal, and upon examina- tion it is found that his assessment certificate is dated 1866, and his removal took plave on the 7th of August, 1858, Such chargee are entitled to very little weight. ‘THEIT AND INSURORDINATION IN THE YARD, Commander Rootes says:— There were a ber of men who were very incubordinate.”” my opinton, theft * was common in the yard.” «T think that’ a short time betore 1 left the New York yard, the foreman under Mr. Cohea mate acharge against Mr. Cohon and some one else in the yard that they were in the habit of letting men go out of the yard and still yeceive their wages. I have no doubt in iy own mind tbat it was done.” “A short time before I left the yard the men got to knocking olf work twenty or thirty nlinutes before bell-ring in the evening.”* When asked to what these abusee were owing, Com. vhander Rootes answered, “From the fact that they think members of Congress put n there and can keep them there, In defiance of the officers of the yard.”’ Lient. Barnett says, when asked what abuses passed under his observation in the New York Navy Yord I think there is one that exists in relation to taking tn la. borers, Itehould be part'cularly the province of the oflloers toselect these men, ‘They are, many of them, phyaleally in. capable. In one iustence-in Crew a the Louis—I could tcarcely get the masts out of her. I could not get the men to work; in fact, they were, not strong enough. If they bad been sailors f co: have done well enough, bat these were men wi0, apparently, had deen broken down by whiskey, and besides, they were’ old, very old, so that they were unable to perform the labor re: quired of the: If i would set them to whitewashing, [ would have to wateh them to see that they did not stop. I'reported this thing to Capt. Rootes, but he said be had no authority to discharge them and take in better men, although I believe be look it upon himself to do it pretty violently upon one or two occasions, when he got angry and turned them out of the yard. by neck and heels. Mernifield and Turner, who are still master workmen in ihe yard, and who testity under no bias, state that they often kept incompetent men under them for fear of giving offence to members of Congress. And tho letters of these gentlemen, published with the evidence, will show how fiercely some of them wielded the rod of terror. But it is due to these gentlemen to say that cach of them who was questioned denied that he had ever desired the retention of an incom. petent man, and all agreed that the duties imposed upon them by the necessity of superintending this division of patronage was very irkeome and annoying. They did it because the system imposed it upon them, but wouid have been glad to be relieved, ‘They recommended men, fron without knowing much ab: © their qualifications, an when these men were remoy. (hoy were apt to attribute it to some other cause than iuc ame It is very probable that the system of appointing men upon the recommendation of members of Congress tends to the retension of too many men in the yard, especially ‘tabont the period of clection@) and this may ‘have been done to some small extent during the last fall. Butthe proof is not decisive on that point. rive THE YARDS NOT STUFFED FOR ELECTION PURPOSES, n« oitioore taatify t 0 ere Were, both ai Brooklyn ana, Prifedatahhe naar Mtont Yitan woes absolutely necessary; but they say that those men were usefully employed. Mr. Crabbe, the Clerk of the Phila. dolphin yard, testifies that at that place the number of men was greater after the election than before. ‘The official atatement of the number of men at the dif- ferent yards docs not sustain the allegation that the yards were stuffed with a view tothe election. In New York the greatest number of men in the yard coincided with the State aud Congressional clection. Tu Philadelphia the eleo- tion occurred in the first half of October, while the great- est number of men were employed there in the latter part of that month. It so happens that the greatest number of men in other yards, viz: in Portsmouth, Boston, Washing. ton, Norfolk and Pensacola, were employed also in the monthe of September, October and November, 1858, ex- cept, perhaps, in Flori¢a, It will not. be contendsd’ that the yards were stufied in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Virginia to affect the elections in Pennsylvania and New York. It appears from the testimony that there was at all the Eastern yards in the fall of 1868 an unprecedented amount of work in progress, and that as that work was completed the number of men was diminished. Commander Rootes speaks of the large number of men necessary for fitting out the Niagara and Plymouth expe- er and Sailing Master Brady follows up with this state- ment:— . How does the amount of work on now com} with the nmonat thet was being done ie Neberaber ast aT think we are doing a sirflar amount of work at the present time, omy we Are not quite oa hurried aa we were then; at that time'we were hurry ing of ay expedition; 48 soon cs we conid posalbly diapeuse with the services of auch @ iumber of laborers without inconvenience to the public ser- vige they were dischs: . When was the first disminsal made? A. T cannot say ex- actly; Think it wae made gome time afer I got there; ik about the first of the ensuing month (ihe lat of December), and more were dismissed on the 18th of December. But the benderevad chet Mr. Lenthall makes a more full and eatisfactory explanation to the work:— Q. State what work has heen done in your department in the navy yards, according to your present means of stating, durin, the pact year, ia he stmainer and fall inore especially’ "A. At Portsmouth they have been working upon tna Constitution, which required very considerable repairs, and the sloop of-war Portamouth, and have been building one of the new sloops; at Boston they have been repairing the sloop-of war Levant and the brig Dolobin, and building one of the new sloopa; at New York they have out Niagara, the St. Lo; tnd the two storeebige Relsase, Bailing cae of us eswernpart ve the nature of the case. fupply and new sloops, and fitting the steamers Atianta, Caledonia abd Memphis; at Philadel P he te gress, fint Bntlding two of the new sloops, fit ow for the Pi y expedition, repairing ond, which bad been very gerioualy tm into by a government vessel; st Norfolk ing the sloop-of war Rishmond and one of repairing the Jobn Adams, and fitting out the steamers ern Star, the Preble, Fulton and Water Witch sloops, South: the Paraguay expedition; at Pensacola they have been irre Ding sloopa, one called the Pensacola, and one of the new sloopa last au: thor: is al that rmer and fall. of T remember ot the work durin, . flow did this amount of work Compare with the amount of ‘Work at any time before going on in the navy yards! A. T cae it is rather more than we ve ever had atany one time fore. Q. What occasioned the necessity of ibis great amount of work being done last autumn! A. Part of it fitting out of the Paraguay expeditior in wanting more ‘we could |. How many new at cugh of he yarca; at Philadelphia there were two. ow maby new vessels have a 86 durin, ihe lust yourt A, Five authorized by the Inet Congress, aud kyven riithorized since. van there ever a time before when there bave been twelve veeseis in the edurse of construction at the navy yards? E ni Tere, then, appears a reason for a larger aumber of men than ueual during the fall months of last year at all the yards, LEVYING CONTRIBUTIONS ON THE MEN. If, however, the system did not lead to this result of packing for elections during the last fall, it cortaimiy tends in that direction. The practice of evy!ng contributions upon the men and receiving fd presents from them was amply proved ‘and fally admitted. It is a practice which your committee cannot too strong- ly reprobate. The bestowal of a present by a subordi- bate Upon a superintendent is simply the purchase of an indulgence, He must bea man of strong principle who W.il require full compliance with duty from one whose costly gifts be bears upon hie person. If such practioss should be tolerated, employments in the yard will be bought and sold, and the question of a iman’s retention will be determined, uot by his faithfuluess in daty, but by luis liberality in presents. And #0 the oflice of master workmen will be a mere brokerage in appointments. Tao wen themselves, Laving obtained these places by pay, will feel _no sense of obligation to disebarce their duties properly; and the snperintendent, being bribed, there will be wone to exact fidelity. MR, SECRETARY TOUCEY COMMENUED, If afnir share of the r ibility, whatever it may be, for tbe policy of equalizing the patrounge among the different Congressional districts must attach to the present Secretary of the Navy, it will not be denied that he is on- Utied to credit for thé measures of reform adopted during bis term and by his direction. Commander , Whose services there commenced soon after the incoming of the present administration says:—“There were a great many reforms mae in the yard while | was there.’’ And one important reform he mentions as made by him in carrying out the orders of ‘and Docks, Cunstructor Delano men- the Burean of Yards tons a re about a year and a half ago for the cr ge of all dis wane Wee eas te appoinied, thus securing none com Phat heréafvor be. appolnted to thove. siuace. Thin thinks will have a decidedly benotictal effect. It appears that an order was issued on the 14th of comber by the Secretary of the Navy, the purport which is to give to the commander of the yard the pow to dismiss disorderly and intowpetent mea. It is as fol- JOWs im crnovi.an. Navy Darantwent, Deo, 14, 1858. ‘The commandant of anevy yard, at any vine when in hie udgiment jue publle lutereata require it, ls audaoriaed wy diregt eetimen coe Veadvantageonsly dis- ; also avy jnst grounds of complaint which may gainst any of them at TOUCRY, Secrcincy of the Navy, commandants of navy yards. ards is that the master workmen are appowiot at Department, aud that they select (oir own men, ere is ve suitcloa’ power’ inthe hands of tbs it of the yard to enforce discipline aut ria Lae service of idic and worthless employes, the unportaace of this order wil! be seen. Here, then, are several valuable reforms latroduced uo- Gov. Toucey into this branch of the service. Aut as to the abuscs which bave been mentioned, flagrant us boy are, it would be difleult, upow any principle of jussiee, to hold hin partiaulariy. responsible, ise it does not ap- pear that tuey were known to him. The witnesses Were questioned closely on this aryl aud alwost usani- mousiy said that no complaints byeem lodged beiore the department at Washington. iat thie departinent was ways ready wo all necessary investigations made Com. Rootes distinctly proves :— P Q. I wantto know whether, 0 far ‘as knowledge, when complaints were made to ‘Warhington about misconduct im the ‘was there any re- aissneas in the department in having thes> thiags investigated {nto—these com) ed at men OF practices tn th [my A. ‘They seemed to vy susious i ‘ 4 came within your the department at very to have investiga- If Governor Toucey be allow¢d due cre tit for the many important reforms introduced by him inv this branch of | the service, and algo for his readiness to inquire into all alleged werongs that might be brought to his knowiedge, he 18 entitled, as your committee think, to a favorable judgment at the bands of his coungymen. It seems to be conceded, however, that in order tosecuro thorough reform in this regard, some act of legislation is necessaiy. Thogreat object would be to remove the ap- benim ond dismissal of men from the rean of political fluence. It is a serious question with your committes ‘whether it is practicable to 80, Can appointments bs made at such a location without the int ‘lon 0: party Diag? Its accomplishment, if practica)|c, is vecossary not oply for the goot! of tho yard, but for the fort, conve. vience and independence of New Yori nembers of Congress,’ ‘The Hon. John Cochrane, the Hou. Hi. F Clark, and others, have spoken out explicitly on th ‘THE STORRIEEM ner offices of Storekeeper aud Navy Agent at that place haye been discharged. ‘These oth important offices, and have exch been the subject of much unfavorable rumor. As supplies cannot be purchaged exactly, when wanted, found vseful in practice to keep a quanti for inamediate use, the office of etorekeoper is indispensdbie; it is bis duty to preserve thera, to keep an account of the qnautity received and the quantity paid ont, and thus be able at any time to show the quautity on hand. Whenever a new storekeeper is appointed, it is indispensable that an inventory should be taken,’ in order to agcertain whethey the supplies on hand corres pond with the quantit ick the Books ca!l for—other- wise one man might Ve made to suiler for the fraud or carelessness of aro Indeed, it appears advisable .to your committee that inventories should be required at Etated perior's, even during tho servico of the same store- keeper, ehould that service be long. It does not appear thut th's regulation bas heretofore, for years, been strictly and thoroughly complied with. ‘The present storekeeper (Mr. Herrick) speaks of another abuse as heretofore oxist- ing in bis office. It has been the custom of some of bis predecesors, he says, when “supplies of n permanent character were furnished to out going ships to credit them vpor the books as paid out. Yet if the vesselg, apon coming in frora their creise, should return a portion of these supplies, as frequently happens, they bave not again beon charged against the storekeeper on the books ‘Thus tho storekeeper would have on hand stores for which it would be difficult to Gx his responsibility. It is diffieutt to see how such a case could arise without gross neglect | somewhere. The purser or commanding officer of the veescl, is, or should be, required to account for ail stores, permanent or perishable, aud if paid over again to a naval storekeeper, the receipt of that officer should be required as a voucher, ‘This abuse, however, Mr. Herrick states, has boen re. formed during his service. ‘The amount of stores which should be on hand in the offices of the different storekeepers on the Ist of July, 1858, according to the records of the department, is $6,298,664 21. At New York alone the amount on hand at that time should bave been $1,414,152 68, and at come other yards even more. There passes through tho hands of ihe store- keoper at New York, in the course of tho year, stores amounting to something like a balf mition of dollars. The penalty of his official bond, as he siates, is $40,090 only. ‘This appears to your commiltee to be scarcely adequate. EDITORS APPOINTED Though the importance of this office is thus shown, it appears, for years past, and under the administrations. of Aiderent parties, to have been regarded as a respoctnb! and comfortable place for come man who wished govern. ment aid while be carried on other busivess, It has often ‘been filled by editors of pele rape Such was Col. Ful- ler, under Mr. Fillmore’s or Gen. Taylor’s administration. Such is Mr. Herrick now. He says, in his testimony :— Tam editor of s newspaper; Tdo not imagine that a store- keeper with a salary of $1,700 is paid mainly for the manual! or ptr? labor he performs, but fur the responsibility he as- cr When asked whether he devoted as much as ono- seventh of his individual time to the dutics of his office, he answers: ‘I do not know that I do, but I do all that is re- quired.” Again, be says :-— 1 think Tam ag much in the storexeeper’s office proper as any storekeeper I have known, and 1 have known several for fifteen or penny reaes there was Capt. Paul K. George, Col. Craven, Mr Pentz, Col. Fuller and Col. Delavan, who all con- ducted the business just as 2 ‘at least, I suppose they did; me he to go there once or twice a week to go every day; consider ihe slorekeeper's vial Inboror the wok of mcleres ns csPete been given for many years, under all aver. While Commander Rootes thinks that the force in the storekeeper’s office is unnecessarily large, he thinks it too small, and states that his books are now bebind on that paying account. If the government should approve the policy of one man for responsibility aad another Br labor, it will find occasion to increase its employés in all branches of {ts business, This icy your committee are not pre- pared to recommend. ‘The office of Navy Agent is one still more important, He disburses all the money expended at tat point, both under the Bureau ot Yards and Docks and under that of Equipment avd Repairs, amouuting in the ,060,060 and more. this office, for years past, rumor bas alleged grave abuses; and therefore your committee resolved to make an extensive examination into its management. CHARGES AGAINST GRORGE SANDERS. more or less grave, were made against 'y Agent, Mr, Sanders, by diduront wit- Nesses in this investigation, . R. &. Swackbamer , who had been employed us clerk under Mr. Sanders, and been discharged, stated that his accounts had been’ falsely made out, s0 as to show lese of money chargeable against him than was correct, and also that he had, in some cares, for a compensation to himself, paid money’ to some parties before it was payable, with. holding tt from others to whom it was due. Mr. Swack- ote The saiement made to eB A, The statement made to the Secretary of the N: the inst montial Was there did not repreveat the Snangesot the office; there were generally aeveral bil's, amounting to. seve- ral thousand dollars, entered as having been paid the last of one month, when they were really paid early i the follow- month. By whom was this done? A. By-the chief clerk gene- rall Q. What effect would that have ‘upon the stitement of thig recount * Would tt enable Mr. Sanders to draw more moncyt A. Yes sir; I took that to be the design; it would present an incorcect view of the matter to the Secretary of the Navy; he would not suppose there was so much money in haud as realy wag, Q. How long did you continue with Sanders? A. Until his eee oe confirmed—a Utile over a year after his appoint eh, Wis amount of bills were returted na pail which were iy unpali?. “A. J think sbunt $29,000 or 640,000. Q. What was the aggregate amouat! A. It passed on from one month to another, probably increasing; I remember one bfll of $8,000 and odd, which was reported as paid fa April, which was not paid unttl some time tn Ma} Mr. Swackhamer further eald that the accounts of the ‘former Navy Ageut (his brother) had been incorrect!y stated algo, wo Others charged Mr. Sanders with sending his requisi tions almost exclusively to Secor & Co., of which house his surety is a member, without making the requisite call ‘pon contractors, and without knowing anything about tue price which Secor & Co. would charge; aud miny wil- nestee charge him with neglect of duty, &c. MR, SANDERS WLTAING, pon all these points Mr. anders was examined ength. He denied the charges made by Mr. Swack: hamer, and on that subject submitted the foliowing ex. yo ie 4 a bill to th n you rend abil] to the department to draw the 7 onthe th ree tached Loe ea, A biauik forma oF rroaipt ig attached to tt; it ts not signed, however, until the money 1s ready jp be pal . Q, You rend the bila to the department: they aend you the money, you yay the pariies, and then the algae the Fecelptat A is go; they sign the receipts when the money Is paid to them. nd hese racetpi, th ed, are my vouchers, Q. Then the bill, when it 4s first sent on, is the mame ns ths gne ; ou send as a voucher, ouly the receipt ‘is not signed’ A, Yea; they soud ft back to me, ata when I get the recelpt signed ‘t goes to the accounting oificer of the Treasury ae my vaucher, Ten record of these bills kept at the department? 4. [ presume so, ot least; Ido not know enongh of the way Woy manage thel= business, however, to aay ponitively, Q. ‘Then, at the end of the quarter, you send to the Department al! your receipts! A. You, and they D my aecounts for the quarter; T have never had a mistake found in my accounts yet: some flema may Ye sent back for explann- tion, but in every thatance it was satisfnctorily expialn' In relation to the chargo of leaving unpaid accounts bich wore ane, Mr, Sanders stated as follows:— 1 Hins i evar Bron the case that yon have used money which Oui bave reveived for x particular hill which you bava rent to py, hI ar bill yon bave not sent t» Waehing- ie Bed oi 5 ‘ro AN never hy over excey ¢ e Wo work off the. the least fojary of Dich resches me in ad. year to $3, ‘Against. on wae of the ca that r otto, very day T waa 82,087 in ad as aa a od de- javy e . When did you iant settle up your accounts? A, 0 of deptember lant ht ii — Q, Did you exhibit your, receipts apd voughers at that tme ? A. Yeu; everythin ’ ‘be borne in mind that the evil complained of a Q How did your accounts thea stand? A. They were equare. Commodore Smith, chief of the Bureau of Docks ‘Yards, says that these things could scarcely be trun auy important extewt without discovery, au no Fae ‘iam had ever been made to the departinent ject. ‘ Gates teasezsiom, would it vot be practicable to brix| former quarter what had faces cit alice Ks tart see how it could be dove, uuless he commitied a fraw aE TF Uish wee done would it be likely that complaints wou wo com: bemadet, A. Ube a wus io taceive tue money “apd ‘whic a iatat if he did net receive his Parga with the Navy Ag uipon paying for the tse of it; ‘that, 7 ‘charge upon & previous quarter the payment of a which he had mot paid, excepting by & promise. Mr. G. A. Blood, who has been cbief clerk in tho Nav ent’s oflice for tire Finger fully sustains Mr, Sander deniais, and confirms his explanations. In relation to the ebarge of procuring al! his supplies ¢ Secor & Co., allowing them to charge too high a pri Mr. Sanders stated thet his purchases in open | from Secor & Co. had been, since the Ist of April li only about $13,000. In relation to hie failure to consal caiaclens: he explained by referring to the followii letter addreksed by him to Commander Smita on the sw Navy Acent’s Orrion, New Youx, ine # of the department always keep! ent required notbiog but of tI the he.article: a ranean cis mer sean Su tae Cia rs rand the ‘bills mate ja Bs pas. Req Hits a tell readily povestve, would’ not Oat ¢isqust them with the whole working oi the department. Iti. often the case that articles are not required until the momec they are wanted for use, and then they are eithor purchise by the yard, or if time is taken to ugh the form of cloular, hundreds of men ore kept idle, waiting, bey perk loses more than twice the cost of the art'cle 1d thia cannot be avoided if the clroular is carried ont to th . Tf there 18 a requisition from the yard of any larg, t, itis invariably the case tbatit is siated on the face a, isto be bought. | bave too aulably ylelded to thes augges'tors, thereby establishing a bad precedent, ag the iv) Spector ahould not tafiuence the purchage. I do not widarglan ¢ circular to-give contractors the monopoly of of *he contractors aze evidently of thts op! fi muke bics below the cash value of the best rticles of the clase hoping to make up such losses by charges on articles orders by open purchaac, If the ivapeciors do thelr duty there wil bo fittle profit on the open purchases, eveo were they all give. ton single house, nnd it is certainly 'to the fntereat of the ge Vernment that the best house in the elt ehou!d do ail the mis celiancous business, as [ bave shown it is uot of suilictest com sequence to be much divide GEO, N. SANDERS, Navy Ayeut ‘The Chief Clerk, Mr. Blood, corroborated Mc. Sander: on this point also. Mr. Sanders distinctly denied baving ever received any part of the profits upon articles purchased by him. Hav, ing investigated these charges as thorvughly' as they could your committee have no hesitaiion in saying, that upou be weight of testimoay before them, Mr. Sanders las not beeu convicted of auy fraud or malfeaeauce iu office ADSENCE OF MR, SANDERS, ‘The charge that Dir, Sanders is frequently absent from New York, and gives comparatively litte personal atten. tion to tae duties of his office, appears to have been bet. stained. He alleges, however, when absent from ollice he leaves a very competent assiztant to discharge, his duties for him, Il does not appear to your committee that the business of bis office bas suffered by the absence of Mr. Sanders; nor does it appear that any complaint of reonaliouttention to duty has ever been made to the Department in Washington against him, It appenrs to yout committee tbat the duties of Navy) Agent are not defined with sufficient distinctness. The ony legal provision on the subject ia that which fixes the salary at $3,000. The rest is left to the regulations of the Department. ‘The contest which appears several times to have angen between the Navy Agent and the commandant of yard, in relation to their relative rights and responsibal ties fo making purchases, ought to be settled, The responsibility should be clearly fixed. The large amount cf open purchases, and eapecially the, large smount made without the intervention of the Nay Agent, bas struck your commitiee with surprise, Porebases by the master workmen do notseem te sufliciently guarded against fraud and collusion, The Navy Ageut purchases upon a requisition drawn by the civil cflicer of the department that ueeds the article which requisition ig approved by the commandant and countersigned by the storekeeper. Tbe articie, wi bought, is inspected by the inspection officer, and is ea-| tered upon the books of the storekeeper. There ap} to be every necessary precaution in this case, except do the question of price. When the master worl purchases, the civil officer above him and the comman4 ant of the yard are require! merely to approve the bil! Other safeguards are removed; and yet it appears ti tivre than two-thirds of the articles recently purc! at New York tare boon pu tu that way. AMOUNT OF OVEN PURCHASES MADE AT TEE NEW YORK STA. TION, ARRANGED AOGOKDING TO THE QUART! rn 1, 1857, TO DECEMMR 81, 1868, INoUUE! Purchas: vernment renl!: es Quarter. bs Seoul af , ending June 30, 1857..40.26% at Third “7 6 ° Sept, 30, 1867.. 14,802 Dec. 81, 1867.. 4,830 30 March 81, 1858. 6,787 57 June 30, 192 $8 (C8X GRFNADIERS, COMPANY TL. SEOOND Eat. ment N. ¥. State Militis.—The members of this are hereby ordered to appear at the Sunday the 27th fast, ai with overcoats, for the prose of Orerot ur Me ENR I: ORACEY, Listt Com'ne P. 5.—The th ‘ respectfully in officers and members of the Second. egaeet vited to attend, HENRY J. G) aCkY,” MEMBERS OF THE IG GU. T "requested to meot on Benday, Fobe Er ni ous reece a BYES Boulh street, to attend the funeral of Tomes Scott. By or- der of JAMES KID, Gaprela, DANCING ACADEMIRS. DOPWORTHS DANCING CLASSES, AT NO, 806 roadway and ic? Noatague place, UirooklyncNoy Goi Se Rep hea ea jane, Will continue open unt Fridiys io Brooklyn Wedsestnys snd Satcrekya ia Now Tork, | Red fais teat Lo Ehidns irs br dormrhessenhinn bebmivschslichainy UMAR’S CHEAP DANCING ACADEMY, 27 BOWERY. Lessons $1 per month, Monday: Wedaesisya, Thuredaye pod Beturdays Ladies’ afterneon classes, Wadnosdaye and cents, Private lensons 60 conla, 4 IE SUIT OF BEAUTIFUL ENAMELLED FURNITURE, from $25 avd upwards, at the old established manufactory, 6% Broadway, Parties should purchase now fr 1 A a eR or for deli rs fully packed for the country. —— \BESINUT AND FIRST PRUMIUM KNAMELLED Cor. tage furnitare, in_all colors, of superior and warranted pas Wisaisetlaek” Uasuiinors Oh San'as Waser see. i japu ani tablished in. 1948, fe sale NAMELLED CHAMBER SUITS OF FURNITERE, | all colors and styles, w holt tices from pe four doors moor eaaitee se = c., dc., at 123 Bixth avenue, between Ninth and Teuth etrecto, FIRENITURE “PARTIES DESIROUS OF FURCHASING furniture will (ind it to their advantage to call at 69 Bowery, before the first of March, as {he ggoprietor Is dectining bust osseesion must he give a, ‘he premises next week. ‘The entire stock to be sold be larly invited toon eos COO™ OE ovsEHOLD Fury, alers are particu ‘C. ROBINSON. THE SUBSORI- ‘efgacond and fart to break up house: ‘an auction, ona find | ferald offiee, stating OLD MINES.—LEAVENWORTH CITY AND PIKE'S” Peak &xproue and Passenger Line.—The above company + aun ital.” We connect wito easy. dat Leavenworth City, K 7, Apri "We propose surting two Gaily padsouger couches Ie’ud. | Fi allio to ue thatmay be required for saprens goods. Ts Hickels passing over our line aan We had at all the Fence of sent, oye hotding Uke willbe ter at the com 's offic? in axing pI 108 > ed os aly ty den Lenvenwor Togiater. Mee an arrive the or its vi will be inside of tweive di ce se oy weive da} in ro! guaran day, but feel every contidence Sty te our fopot 1a fe manor Dencee is well eatabllehed hope ey for w Wa am Rd RIZONA PRARLS.—THESH BEAUTIFUL PEARLS A ‘set in Ane gold, into reastpins, pa Reb —) crores, Bre a rage. No Jady ta fully dressed without! hein, Cail and nee them at 331 Broadway, opposite the bol ALIFORNTA DIAMONDS—IN RREASTPING, RINGS, a Sere ery on 6 0. Broxdway jewelry store, 331 Broadway, op posite ile theatre. pote lds a at Popo Ries eli st aad eaten o@ + Tera nai , OPERATIONS PRRFORMED IN THY moat skilf) pnd scieutihe mknner; every variety of teous| arte vad princk VRATERES ant WilgON, a Bron POM WAY, COW. ard atveet, No exorbitant pri A BTIETOLAT, TERTH INSERTED AT THE LO porsible i silver, $4; on gold, $25 con’ aT ain. OM Wad wy. FAULSTOS