, 1874-03-21
WASHINGTON.
House Action on District Of
Columbia Bills.
A Special Tax Authorized
to Pay the School
Teachers.
Testimony Taken by the District
" Investigating Committee.
The Accused Acknowledge
the Existence of Certain
Important Doou-
1nents.
Report Of the Subj Committee to Inves-
tigate the First National
Bank.
It's Officers Condemned for Gross Der
ELECTION Of Duty.
Features Of a Bill to Settle the Usage
Coded Land Case.
Passage Of the Army and Fertilization
Appropriation Bills in the
Senate.
National Banks Called upon for Statc-
, mani nf Thar Cnnf1tfion
It's Officers Condemned for Gross Der
ELECTION Of Duty.
Features Of a Bill to Settle the 0saqe
Coded Land Case.
Passage Of the Army and Fertilization
Appropriation Bills in tho
,", Senate.
National Banks Called upon for Statc-
nlont Of Their Condition.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
Special Dispatch 10 The Chicago Tribune.

DISTINCT DAY IN THE HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, D, g., March 20.-As this WAS
District day, tho. House, after spending tho
morning honr principally in discussing tho
Georgia contested election caao, went into Com
mittce of the Whole on tho District affairs.
A strong o1folt was made To paas tho bill author
iziug the construction at tho expense Of tho
United Statca Of an iron and masonry bridge, to
tako tho place Of what IL now known ~
THE ANAcosT1A BRIDGE
acrosa tue eastern branch of tho Potomac. Tho
lowest eatin1ato Of tho bridge stated on the floor
VICE $250O0O. Tho friends Of tho bridge seemed
to bo having it all their own way till Con.
Coburn, Of 1ndiana, took tho floor, md in fow;
wcll.timed, pthy remarks showed tho ahsurdity
Of tho idoa that tho Government is
undor obligations to build bridges for the
solo use aud bonoAt OF tho citizens of tho Dis
trict In tho course OF Ills speech, tho General
took occasion to refer to Mullott, saying that If
he (coburn) wore Supervising Architect OF tho
too, would devote himEclf to erecting costly
monuments MI ovor tho land to keep his mama
and tAmo alivo to future generations.
uolman followed in short speoch, concluding
with motion to kill tie bill by striking out tue
Of those who boiievo that the United States
Treasury ought to furnish tho money to 1nate
all the Improvements needed BY tho Distriot, the
motion prevailed by vote Of 1o2 to 40.
THE 8ouooL-TRAoHEns.
Tho hill appropriatiug 81, ,0D0 to pay the
district school-toacllers, tic amount to DO talon
out OF any appropriation Tint nlay hereafter be
made il behalf Of the District waB taken up
aud after considerable depression waa passed..
Il was falt tint the feelings Of common human
the relief Of these sufferers. especially when it
was on the understanding that tho District would
eventually pay tho money
- THE DISTRICT INVESTIGATING CO31MITTEE
put in tiva hours hard work to-day. Tho hourB
between 10 and IL o'clock were devoted to hoar
ing lhe answer OF the District Governmental the
first charge Of tho momorialiste. They admitted
aomo portions OF the CHARGE aud denied others.
They admit the letting of conttacta in coll
siderable numbers to John, O. Eyans 1owiB
timo show that ono Of those contracts ut
least was let at the earnest solicitation Of W. W.
e. cornn md two Gr three others Of tho memo
rialibts They admit also tho issue of private
cironlar to bidders arranging for consultation,
but canl they sent it to all the responsible bid
dcrr, and further declare the consultation waa
held for tho purpose Of establishing a uniform
2calo OF prices for tho work contemplated. They
admit tllat they awarded john o. Evans con-
tracts amounting to over 1,0u0, 900, aud the
payment to him Of nearly that sum.
THE MOST IMPORTANT ADMISSIONS, .
however, made by tho District Government
I:eI we5e tnas 5ne huntineton momolanda ana me
';o to co, s9ue ~ s,n .e n III
~Alon t;e tnetao91al!sth clnln 70 sao" tnat Jay
Gooae q 20. ala aoya9eo ~ eoo tue hlioonrno anu
matt1 ~, lln6 lannsols "ele III eA1sletco.
tne otn"l stucluchtlo's ~ eIe u1st cnalke tney
uenS, or e4pla'u hway ~ tnelr OWL Haslslao'lon
~ .east'' IN conclusion tneS saY:
Errors o. judgment IN tao prosecution Of the large
,pfoSementa III Wnicn M .ney naxe pGon enga8ea may
sod 10 auy o.tp n fand Il 70 n4s wcbar 0 ~
reeccts tho character Of lis 1nproycu,onts or AZ
RESPECTS tho Interpretation Of law Should b. attributed
to error Of Judgment and not to corruption OF purpose
or impurity OF intontion.
Tle afternoon session Of tho Committee waa
consumed in tho
EXAMINATION OF ". u. rAn1sox,
n1l asphalt pavement contractor In was nscor-
taiueu that he baN forfeited to tho extent Of
about $1o, ,oooon s29 900 oontraot, but 1t wasnot
shown that le had been IN collusion with the
Board of Public Works. I3y lis own admission,
tho Doard, after awarding him contract, cut hinl
down about 20 cents n superficial yard below
tho price originally agreed upon. At tho rc-
tIucod price, be noted about 81 yard profit. 1t
was attempted to bo shown by this witness that
AL, 1,n1 Ah.nIr