New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-03-23
TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
OFFICE on 1UE TREASURY, March ~

OFFICE or 1HE TREASURY, March ~, 1877.
SfE: In reply your letter Of the 10Th inst, covering
certain resolutions adopted bt the Committee ut inYcs
CATION and Icirnchmont, have the honor to furnish
the Committee with tho correspondence Dot"ceh Tue
secretary O the Treasury and the several Collectors 81
the General order business Ny views ia regard 10 me
expedicncv OF employ ing Warehouse under he eOhfo
Tie steamship companies for the storage OF unclaimed
goods are stated IN this correspondence ana l REFER
especially TO my letters OF June ana ., 1870
dqe cf SSfP at Ne%yo ' that the o
The steamship companies might be used for the
the storeh0uscs should he placed under the exclusive
control of officers of the United Stateand that the owners
steamship companies should be treated precisely "a
other persons would be treated and should he excluded
to the thrd resolution Si the S0mm5iss
General Order business lately introduced by the
Collector New York received the approval OF the Secre
tary of the Treasury la making the approval however
~ sill appear from the correspondence IL was under
tood Inv me that tho storchouses owned by the steam
willing to allow them to be used upon the conditions
provided storage for unclaimed goods given in my
letter to you OF Dee 20. ls'i. Very respectfully,
TIE Hon. william A. Buckingham, Chairman etc.
The two letters TO which Secretary Boutwell, refers,
written June and g. 1870. have already been printed with
the evidence taken before the Patterson Committee and
referred TO many times. not only In debate but III the
Investigation in progress. In them Secretary Bout
well gives 1t as his opinion that, upon full CON
can see no valid objection 10 the use Of the
stores upon CompaDys piers, II those stores can be
placed under the exclusive control OF the officers OF the
Customhouse As will be seen By the secretary letter.
he still continues hold this opinion The correspond
ence referred TO in the secretays communication com
prSs 2l letters written by Secretary Boutwell, to Col
lcciors Grnnel, Murphy, and Arthur, the agents OF
steamship companies, merchants and Others, and tho
whole make up entire history Of the discussion Of the
rde IN from the beginning of the
present Administration until the present time.
The only witness before the Committee was John j.
o Brien. formerly IN the employ OF A. f. Stewart hnd
during Alurphys administration an assistant clerk IN
the Collectors Office, aud Weicber III the Custom
house OBritn testified Of length in regard to the
differences in the Republican party Of NewYork CITY in
FAN Of 1870 giving substantially the same vcraon Of
those disputes which had been gwen by
Murphy, Deccy" Bliss, Jr, and nnner
GUS other Custon-house witnesses. Ie also
testified that at the solicitation OF two friends ~ the
Fall Of 1870 having been furnished with ticket when
admitted him to the presence OF Tweed, he called upon
that worthy aud received proposition to act under the
direction of Police Commissioner Smith, within his own
party in the interest OF Tammany Hall. He said that
Tweed told him that Mr. Fcnt0n was likely to he rein
stated In power within 90 days, and that he "Tweed'
would guarantee the young mans future if be would at
as Nr. Smith directed This he refused 70 do.
There has been debate this evening among those
who nea1u inns testimony III ieSdiu W "H't '"'t"
meant by saying that Mr. Fenton would be rensed IN
power within 80 days and that Tweed would guarantee
OBriens future Some OF the friends Of the dninistra-
ton assert that this proves that Tweed and Mr. Fenton
had an understanding With each other III the Fall of $780,
nd that Tweed made this compromise on the
strength OF friendship With Mr. Fcnton The friends
Of the Senator positively deny this and say that the
testimony does not admit OF any such construction.
They claim chat if Tweed ever told oBrien any such
thing he meant that whenever Mr. Fenon reinstated
I'm power and Murphy and Company turned out, he
Tweedl would take care OF O'Brien under the City
Government The ComInittee viii hold session to-
morrow,