New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-03-28

aiready stated answer 10
| O You stu think you had that right A. Yes Sir.
O Under what Iawt A. I think 1t is a proper method
OF executing this law. 1t not an easy law 10 execute
| In way satisfactory TO everybody ID
with the wide range that 10 took beginning In July
1872 don't you think would have been proper thing
for the Secretary have laid these contracts oefore 'ha
Congress that met In December 1872 A. Well Biz my
theory in matters OF that kind TO execute the laws thai
VIC are called npon to execute as best we can ..
70 And not tell even Congress how you are DONG III
A Tell them il they want TO know do not Know now
ever that Is the practice OF the Departments 10 DO
communicating information TO Congress unless they are
called upon for IT, r. - d.. ,
Won aid not think this was matter OF sufficient I'm
portapce to com Congesst A. Idon't know
why this should DO Dom inundated any uore than any
Other matter. rH. .
THE AUTHORITY GIVEN MR. GREEN. sANBoRN's AS
...T ID .. sIsTANT
O. Presbrey and Green-somethng Is said about them
In these lettersi A. Yes. Sir.
@ How did they come to figure in tSts. when there
was to b. only three Employed RThey were as
sistants OF Mr.. SanbOrn.
O. 80 known the Department. and treated as such
A. Yes they treated with that degree OF defer-
ence of COURSE they were recognized as his agents;
they were recognized by Mr. Douglass himself. I.
q Was it not the intention OF the Department when
letters were given to Mr. Green, to make the Impression
upon the people upon whom he called that he had
examine their papersi A. No. Sir; think not.
O. What impression did you intend that he should
mako upon them when he went clothed with that eter
and with that autorityf A. Well that no was not III
entirely unauthorized person that he had species Oh
relation to connected with the Treasury Depart
ment.
@ You intended that impression to DO made upon the
peope upon whom he caedi A. Some sort Of impress
sion like that. .... ..... ....
O. In other words to give him power their papers
that he would have otherwsei A. No, Sir; he had
no power OF that kind.
O. But did not you intend TO convey that impression
to the minds OF the people upon whom he calledi A.
No, Sir.
O. Then why give II to him at ALL IL 1t was not TO
increase power A. Wol IL was not 70 give him any
power over books and papers the slightest degree
O. He was not an officer OF the Government; was he
not a lawyer here in Washington A. Yes Sir.
O. Not connected with the Government at ALI a.
No, Sir. ...
O. Did MT you appoint him on the secret service also,
TO give him further facilities TO aid Mr. Sanborn In this
matterf A. or course give him sort OF Gre
dentiaIs TO limited extent
O. Has the letter which given TO him by the Sec
rotary been this Committee part OF the
papers case-the letter which was given to Pres
brey and Green A. No, Sir; think not.
Docs it not in your judgment relate TO the Sanborn
contract A. 1t should be here, Sir.
O. Why Is 1t not herei A. Well, II escaped attention
O. VIII you explain TO us why has taken four dif-
ent efforts to got the truth out Of the Department In
reference these papers; and prepared to say
that we have got 1t nowi A. am not prepared to say
that you have got every letter OF nature In refer
to this sort OF thing the application and all; the
1t is this: Nnetenths Of oil the business In my
Office and suppose in the Secreary's office, is with the
regular officers OF the Government, and the files 80
kept that the correspondence with those ofhcers-he
correspondence with the District Attorney at New-York
for example, any other regular ocerwe could easily
turn to and End; but when everything IS nieh alpha
beoay and when, according to the system OF the De-
partmeut Of appointment are referred 10 one
Office other matters another, unless we can, by
act OF memory. recall the particular thing that we are
seeking we apt to overlook It, especially miscela
neous matters such this contract matter this con-
tract matter was In the regular course it was
anomalous thing.
AN ANOMALOUS LAW.
O. The anomaly ADMIT. A. Very well. then; II the
law anomalous of course our action under It, In the
execution OF it, must be somewhat anomalous; now
portion Of those papers In my Office aud portion In
the Secretary's office. and in different bureaus OF the
Secretary's office; and unless somebody sit down
and by an act Of memory recall the names Of every
person connected with the matter, we would DO very
liable to overlook something's but that there has been
any intention withhold single paper in connection
with this matter positively deny.
O. 1t has been done though until we have called for
them four times A. Not purposely.
O. DO you know the purpose Of every man In the De-
partmenti A. know my own purpose. and feel that
know tue purpose of the Secretary OF the Treasury
O. And OF the Assistant Secretary and OF every other
man I'm the Department. A. No won't go to that ex-
tent
O. Why were those papers kept In so many different |
places as you have satedi A. Why is the ordinary
course OF business there.
O. They we're isolated matters OF contract A. know
they were.
N Than whv ware they KENT I'm 40 many dYerent bu-
reausi A. All matters of appointment kept sep
arate.
O. you had only three appointments to begin with
A. Well II had known that had given those
men any particular appointment would have referred
to it, had passed out Of memory that they had
any such appointments.
THE SECRET SERVICE BUREAU.
@. Another point; you have a Secret service Blu
reauH A. Yes, Sir.
@ VIII you turn TO the law that authorizes that
bureauf A. There is law authorizing the bureau IN
Organization but for great many years there has
been an appropriation for detection Of counterfeit
ing and other frauds upon the revenue which the Score
tary of the Treasury called upon administer
the bureau organized either IN Mr.. Cbases or Mr.
McCuough's time, and that appropriation has been
through the agency fundamentally OF
what is called the Secret Service Division.
O. Has Congress been called upon to appropriate
money to pay clerks of the different bureaus in that
divsoni Does It appear IN the book OF estimates ut
ALT A. have hand in preparing the book of
estimates but presume there is annual appropria
ton of $4,000 this purpose.
O. And the Secretary does what he pleases with the
appropriation A. He administers It in this way.
BY Mr. Poster-I understood you to that you were
oftenmes pressed by members OF Congress- and other
distinguished people, to make these contracts wish
to inquire as the OF Sanborn under whose nu-
ence he became contractori A. 30 far as know,
there was nobody "behind" him. as the phrase Is No