Mr. Laird has not come very well out of his
controversy about the Federal application to his firm for aid in building war ships. Mr. Sedgwiek, the late chairman of the Naval -Committee of the House of Representatives in Washington, writes a letter in relation to this charge, in which he states his belief that Mr. Laird's unnamed correspondent is a Mr. Howard, who "produced sundry drawings, specifications, esti- mates, &c., from the Lairds, saying that he came at their instance to make these proposals for the Naval Department." Mr. Howard was sent to Mr. Gideon Welles, the Secretary to the Navy, who, says Mr. Sedgwick, "declined all negotiation." Mr. Laird has not, as far as we know, denied, since this state- ment appeared, that Mr. Howard was his unnamed correspon- dent, nor has he proved that Mr. Howard brought him -offers from the American Navy instead of taking offers from
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