The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-03
WASHING ToN.
The District Board Of Works and Gov
erlor Cooke at Loggerheads. :
SUNDAY SESSION Of The SENATE
Bills Passed and Amendments Ret fined and Re-
jectsd-Colfax and the Mesh; .tts-white-
wash for Subsidy Pom. An Inau.
gurasion Prayer -Aeeting.

wAsuISaroN, March Q, 1873.
How the District Bo,<rd OF Works Mar
rovvly Escaped Getting It's Goose
Cooked, and Hzys,ssa Little Rake" OF a |
Million and " Half Was Sailed Down. |
There was ''hiidaddy" to pay In one OF the par |
Tors Of the great ornamental banking house OF.
Jay Cooke Co. an evening or two ago. The story
OF the little fscene runs thus Henry D. Cooke, q
very amiaDle and mild-rannered man, is Governor
OF this District, though ne has not made much of
Governor Alexander r. Sheppard, muscular
Christian, in tho plumbing and gashtting line, 4
is the Board of Public Works. 1 speak ad-s
visediy when use the singular noun
Both these genfemen-the banker and the
piumber-hasse been master spirlts running what
is known as the Washington Ring, which has made
itself reputation second only to Tammany. The
Ring went into Congress Just before the holidays,
and demanded that's the way 1t does husiness
million and alf of dollars just to pay or their
poor suffering workmen and make their homes
cheerful during Christmas week. The hard
hearted aud ose-isted Senator Edmunds opposed
1t, and 1t went over. The fact Is he saw through
the little dodge and the money weuld 20 into the
pockets Of two.Or three rich members or the ring
not to pay thei poor suffering labOrcrs. On the
reassembltng Of Congress the ring effected its raid
on the qfeasrhy, grabbing million and quarter,
which 10 seems the Governor cooly transferred to
the books efE his own banking house, crcditing it
up against certain certificates OF Indebtedness
which ~weEe held as collaterals on loans
made 'ty THE bank. This was taking care Of
No. after q fashion not at all approved
by sund dry, impecunious contractors and their
unpaid workmen. Indeed, this little bit OF sharp
banking practice has caused no end of talk In Wash
ingten, ansi demonstrations OF somewhat threat
ening kind Against the ring have been made at
street cor hers The blame, however, was laid
Thus the big-fsted and loOse-t0ngued Board
OF WorksP credit now stands. Entering the
elegant parlor Of Cookies ornamental bank
Ing houses few days ago, he accused the anna
BILE Gov Jernor OF unfair practice in credit.
Ang up the money got from the government
against This own discounts. And he did this in
Saanguae e that was not to be misunderstood. The
Governor said there was previous understanding
that he should do 30. Hereupon the Board OF
Workstpronounced this statement as ITO use his
usually polite language) damnedlie. That was
too mhch for even the Governor OF the District of
Columbia to stand. His Excellency, took an atti-
tude known to the p r., and would have planted
his lett between the peppers OF the Board OF Works
but for the interposition of q mutual friend, who
caught the blow. or rather the Governors hand be-
fore 1t had done any mischief There was now
SEINE choice swearing done both sides,
which is very much to be regretted, seeing that
good standing. The Board threatened to imme-
dately resign its commission and retire into pri-
vate liie His EXcerency reiterated that he of the
Board Of Works was responsible for all the cXtrava-
gance, bankruptcy and disgrace that HAD been
brought the city and to talk OF resigning under
such circumstances was sheer cowardcc. He
should advise General Grant not to accept the
resignation.
Tho Sunday Session or the Senate Wen
The unusual spectacle OF o Sunday session of the
Senate attracted great crowd OF people to the
Capitol tonight, and the galleries were filed
soon after the hour OF mcet!ng-at seven o'clock
Among the audience were a very large num-
her of ladies and gentlemen from other parts
OF the country, who have come to witness
or take part in the Inauguration ceremo-
MES and festivities Edmund Yates, the novel
list, and J. Ii. Bellew, the English reader. were
present Ia the gallery, and Frederick Douglass
the moor. The Boston Lancers, in their bright
scarlet uniforms were conspicuous in the gallery
for an hour or more. When the Senate proceeded
TO the consideration OF unobjected cases on the
calendar large part OF the audience dispersed to
wander about the Capitol, but the galleries re-
maped quite well flied till nearly midnight.
Colfax and His Generous Friends, the
Nesbitts.
The Postmaster General denies the telegraphed
report that the files OF his department show that
Colfax was the attorney or lobbyist OF Nesbitt. He
says that, finding the Nesbit contract for stamped
envelopes had been extended by his predecessor
without advertising for competition, ne referred
the question OF its legality to the Attorney General,
who decided IL TO be without sanction OF law, and
that the depar tment should terminate the same on
reasonable notice and issue proposals for new
contract, which was done. In the meantime q
question arose as to the temporary supply until
the new supply OF the new contract should CON-
mence, and 1t was to this temporary supply
that Mr.. Colfax urged that the heirs of Nesbitt,
who died In 1859, having the necessary buildings,
machinery and materials, and not having forfeited
the contract by any malleasance, should have an
opportunity to work up the same until the new
contract was let, or that they be allowed to pre-
sentea argumentas to the validity Of their contract
M extended. These views as to the temporary
supply seemed so just and reasonable that they
were adopted by the department, and the heirs
OF Nessitt were employed to furnish the
temporary supply, though at reduced cost Of mr.
teen per cent upon old prices. The extension had
been pronounced illegal By the Attorney General,
and no azgumeUt. upon that point would have
availed against his tAecision, matter from whom
1T came. The Postmaster General further says
that he never supposed for moment that Mr..
.Colfax designed or Sftcmpted 10 influence him In
his oflcial action in vany improper manner what
ever and that Eimilsr suggestions ~ to the inter-
ests OF constituents areNx frequently made by mem
beers Of Congress Without comment or . intimaton
OF their impropriety.
Winding Up the whiscwashintE-Even
Pomeroy to be. Da ubcd.
1t Is stated, on what seems 10 be reliable author-
ity, that the investigating Committee wni to-
morrow report that the charges AGAINST
Senator Pomeroy are not proven. ia Is
also understood that the delay In the pres,n-
tation OF the report Is owing to tbs efforts OF ny
Pomeroy's friends, which still ir progress, to
induce the committee to include in their rcportN J
some expression OF opinion adverse to the validity
OF Mr.. Ingalls, election one the ground that 1t was
enected oy merely pretended exposure.
"armOth Bent in l.omia-S