New-York tribune., 1873-02-27
ANOTHER HUGE JOB.
new TO LEGIrIMATIzE STEALING PUBLIC
MONEYs-AN UNPATENTED IMPROVEMENT OF
TrvEFDfS AupIT pIAN

M0NEYs-AN UNPATENTED IMPROVEMENT ON
MIR. TwEED'S AUDIT pLAN.
4 prominent citizen of this city recently re-
ceved FROM the appointed District Attorney for
the Southern District Of York, Mr. George Bss'
ir., au ocal notice. politely informing HIN that he had
been &C npaned OF for not having paid 20 the united
States )vcrnmeDt the legacy and succession taxes due
ON an estate for which he had acted aaoxecutor nearly
ten sears ago and 4btimating plainly fat 1t would be
well for him to car and settle the matter ut once AZ
t claimed Rad been paid nearly eight years aeo'
xad the citizen p question fortunately mad the reeeps
,f the proper Urted States Collector in his possession
e instead OF rushing TO Mr. BIiss came to this cice
and after stetiug his case asked T citizens had any
rights which a United States Official bound to re-
spect" Thenatter was turned to reporter with
vestigate lie 6rst visited the Once oi te
Assistant legacies Snd SUGGESTIONS Tor the
County ~ Kew York. at No.S3 Cedarst, ana fearheu
FROM thar Official that complaint had not emanated
from his'oice He there shown record OF legacy
and succession taxes which contained the evidence that
our COMPLAINING citizen had fully complied with the law
There aud elsewhere reporter learned facts OF more
than ordinary interest concerning this business whch
NAV be summed up follows: The notice sent TO our
informant and several hundred others of the same char
acter owe existence TO act OF Congress passed
May 8, ls72 which reads as follows;
For detecting aud bringing TO trial and punishment
persons guilty of violating the Internal Revenue laws
pr AT the same where such expenses
are not otberwise provided for by law $4,000 and from
snd after the passage of this act the Secretary OF the
Treasury shall have power TO employ not more than
three persons 10 assist the proper officers of the Govern
in discovering and collecting any money pe,0hg
ing 10 the United States. whenever the same snail be
withheld by any person corporation upon such terms
aud conditions be shall deem best ior the lnteess o. o.
the United States but compensation snail De palu 10
persons except out OF the money and properly 80
secured
THIS law having immediate reference to internal reve
nue. matters ought TO have been included in the Revenue
bill passed the very session, but 1t was slowed
awav I'm the heart OF q mass Of figures seldom read by
members OF Congress in cumbersome 'aet making ap-
preparations for the legislative, executive and Judicial
expenses of the Government for the year ending June So
1873 and for other purposes" and to divert attention
from its import be Observed is so worded
as to convey the idea to careless reader that II pro
yide for expenditure of only $4,000 SO far Is this
from being the case however under it millions may be
taken out of the Treasury where thousands named
as may be seen from the following statement:
Under this act Secretary Boutwell, selected Mt San
born politician from his native State OF Massachusetts
to collect commission of 3Oper cent all back taxes
due the Government egaces and SUGGESTIONS. There
are now from this source, 1t generally believed at
least 0OGOO OOOO and OF this amount $4,000 or
$500 600 are due this city alone and to pocket nearly
onethird of this immense all Mr. Sanborn has 10 DO
is to file with the Secretary of the Treasury the names
of all the executors of estates found in the Surrogate
office This be has already done and the United States
has received instructions TO commence
proceedings against them OF course as onea OF these
estates have already made returns and paid tax through
Assistant Assessor COughlns office, and another pOr
ton have compiled with the law by stating to him why
they are not liable TO tax, many innocent persons will
in consequence of this plan Of collecting amounts
due the Government be haTrassed and annoyed by these
threatening notices from the District Attorney
Our reporter learned that this same work
which Mr. SanbOrn now gets such an enormous
commission performing has been heretofore done In
this city by Assistant Assessor John D. COughin under
the supervision of Assessor Spencer Kirby salary
lected through him and his associate. During the three
past years the amounts collected from this source
through their Office were follows: 1870 s3eoOO; s7I
s145OOO; 1872 $4,000 Mr. Coughn has made speciality
of this kind OF taxation eight years. i clear
headed on the ntrcacie OF the law has by heart all the
numerous rulings of the department questions arising
under the same knows what estates have paid tax and
what estates have not and in short possesses all the
qualifications TO fit him for the work OF collecting what
Is now due the Government from tins source and 1t Is
almost needless add that If Civil Service rules meant
anything when the Government made up It's mind TO
be so magnanimous 10 pay so per cent commissions
on work that he did faithfully for less than
one per cent he and Mr.. san0orn, ought TO have
been the one rewarded Although this act and the con-
tract under il are now nearly year DID, 1t is generally
believed that the delay in putting In full operation
sprung from fear of those within the Ring that dis
covery of their scheme during the Summer might have
had an influence on the Presidential election OF last
Fall It looks though there might be another little
Credit Mobier affair lurking behind this matter While
Congress has on its investigating it, perhaps t would
find something spicy by getting at the history Of this
mysterious act and It's mysterious workings.
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