The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-04-02
WASHINGTON.

WASHINGTON, April 1.-The publl
debt has decreased over $4,000, 900.
The House Committee on Public BniId
ings and Grounds will report a substitu
Ior Mr. Garaeld's bill conveying into III
treasury all appropriations for publl
Dulloings not yet commenced. The substi
sute 70 the bill provides that all past or pro
spective appropriations for public build
ings shall remain available until the com
pletion Of the work for which they are an
ptoprtated, but will authorize the secre-
tary Of the Treasury to exercise his dis
cretion as 10 the time Of commencing OF
prosecuting any such work for the bes
interest Of the public service,
Frederick A. Sawyer, Assistant Sec.
retary OF the Treasury, made his state
ment this morning before the Committee
on Ways and Means. he gave bis recol.
leciion Of the manner In which the pro.
vlsicn authorizing the Sanborn contracts
was embodied In the Legislative Appro-
priation bill last year. He was then a
member Of the Senate Appropriation
COMMITTEE, but had no personal connec.
tlan with the offering Of that amendment
de believed he voted Tor It, as he also ana
afterwards in the Conference Commit
zee. BE denied with some feeling
lhe newspaper assertion that the
provision had been smuggled into
Ihe bill on the contrary the same
proposition had been made at several
previous sessions and was openly discuss.
ed BY the committee In conference on the
bill In the Senate and in the House, he
declined to give any opinion as 10
whether the Sanborn contract was or
was not In compliance with the terms Of
the law--that was o technical legal cues.
tion. The Solicitor Of the Treasury De.
partment was the proper officer to frame
these contracts and he presumed he had
done 30 with proper care and attention,
dc had no personal knowledge Of San
Dorn, Presbery or any Of the per.
Sons connected with the contracts and
all his official acts In reference to them
were merely formal and done in the reg
ular course Of business. He gave an eS-
planstion Of the manner Of doing business
In the Treasury Department, correspond.
Ing generally with that given yesterday
by the Secretary. That Is, that the
papers were brought to them for their sig.
natures, and that where these papers
were checked by the subordinate having
charge Of that particular branch Of busIs
ness they were signed without being read.
de defended the department against the
imputation OF having withheld inn
portant papers from the Committee.
and maintained his personal recol.
lection and account OF an interview
with Messrs. Beck and Foster, of the com.
mittee, In regard to the papers; against the
recollection and account given of It by
those gentlemen. The point at issue, how.
ever, was not very important one, and
was merely o question of difference in IN.
derstsnding what the agreement between
them was. He declined to give an opin-
ion as to the propriety Of repeating,
or continuing the law as 1t is,
on the ground that 1t was legislative
question which was to be decided by the
committee and by Congress.
During the session Of the District of
COLUMBIA investigation Committee to.
day, some half q dozen witnesses were
examined with reference to the special
assessments for improvements. The bur.
den OF the testimony being that the prop.
etty owners were assessed for more work
than could be shown to have been done.
testimony was also given showing that
The streets W R and & were not required
to pay any tax for their portion Of the car.
riage way improved by the Board and
used tor their trucks.
The House Committee on Agriculture
to'dsy agreed 10 recommend the passage
Of q bill for the prevention Of cruelty 10
animals in their transportation BY rail.
roads, with an amendment providing that
animals shall not be kept in cars without
Iood and water longer than twenty.four
hours, instead Of a period Of twenty.eight
hours, as named In the original bill.
Outstanding legal tenders 1889 600 600