The Portland daily press., 1874-03-26
WASHINGTON,


Inc MOlety ana Contract system.
\, WASHINGTON, March 25.- The Ways and
MEANS Committee heard Attorney Bliss to-day
IN defence of the Sanborn contracts. but he
nnaly admitted even he wonld not now enter
INTO such contract, and further admitted there
was no reason why the regular officers of the
government should not have obtained the same
Information as Sanborn. Bliss justified his
taxing the FIVE per cent from Sanborn, and
saio he was glad to get it as even everybody
eise would be except member of Congress.
solicitor Banfield followed Bliss. He ap-
Peared he said not in the interest of Sanborn or
a. any other contractors but at the request of the
secretary of Treasury to explain the relation of
euae department to this contract question. APP
plicaton for contracts to collect debts due the
government had been made as early as 1869,
s anu altt1ougn the Secretary and Solicitor were
ravorably disposal to the system, contracts
were given to several parties at rates of com
nllsslon varying from so to rs per cent on
amounts to be collected, the Contractors to nav
an expenses but the invariable result had been
that nothing was collected At ali events the
rogated and was not resumed till tbs MASSAGE
OF the law under which the Sanborn contract
was given and less care taken to limit the
commission under that contract than there
woui9 nave been If it had been supposed that
anything would have been collected
Inc solicitor was sharply eross-examined by
MT Beck as to why Internal Revenue Com
missioner douglass was not called into CONSUL
tation by the Secretary and the Solicitor when
i i effso understood DER TO-. to carry the law
had to write letters to internal revenue officers,
directing them to aid Sanborn, when the law
required that he should not aid them? To the
nrst question his reply was that the law refer
red to debts withheld and not particularly to
internal revenue matters. To the second, that
the idea of the assistance was that it should he
mutual, and that Sanborn could not very well
assist regular officers, unless they were willing
to assist him.
In reply to question by Mr.. Sheldon. the
solicitors said he had no knowledge belief or
suspicion that any officer of the government
had received or expected to receive anything
in any way from the Sanborn contracts.
After the examination Of Mr.. Banield was
concluded, John D. Sanborn himself came be-
fore the committee, but instead of proceeding
with his statement he said he had with the last
twenty-four hours been advised by his counsel
that in view of the indictment pending against
him in Brooklyn, charging him with collision
with revenue officers to defraud the govern
ment; it would be injudicious for him to make
full statement which he had been ready and
willing to make. He was ready, however, to
give the Committee such general information
on the subject he possessed. He was informed
by the Chairman of the Committee and other
members that the Committee could not sit and
listen to any partial statement, and he was
present, not by order of the Committee, but by
his own volition and in accordance with his own
TtQutSG III OIutI tLdJ lie IuISQL make Iull and
fair statement of all the circumstances con-
nected with his contract if he was not prepar-
ed to do that ant to answer such questions as
the Committee might desire to put him, the
Committee would decliue to listen to any par
tial or restricted statement The subject of it
all was that the Committee adjourned without
any decision.
District Investigation.
On the re-assembing of the committee S. J.
Brown, ex-Mayor of Washington, testified that
the average price paid by the old corporation
for grading was sixteen cents per yard, and
each contract contained clause directing that
the earth removed should be deposited wherev-
er The commissioners of the several wards
should direct, the understanding being that
such earth should be used for filing up the
streets requiring to be filed.
Peter Mcnamara testified he is an old con-
tractor; was large contractor under the old
corporation; contracts under Bowen and Emery
were not uniformly let to the lowest bidder; the
price for grading was about IS or 20 cents, and
it was the universal custom of the contractors
to use the earth taken from the excavation to
fill lots owned by private parties, for which
they got very good pay. Witness stated that
the price for grading under the board is forty
cents per yard for old gravelled street, and
thirty Genus for all other grading the contrac-
tor being compelled in all cases to deposit the
earth in streets necessary TO be filled. Witness
would prefer to grade the streets on the basis of
the old corporation contracts to the basis es-
tablshed by the board of public works.
Treasury Balances.
The following are the Treasury balances to-
day:-Currency, $2,S78, 451; special deposit of
legal tenders for redemption of certificates of
deposit $53, 6S5, 000 coin, $S7 1873 105 including
coin certificates $37, 799, 700 outstanding legal
tenders, $685., 100000.
Secretary Richardson ON the Financial
Question.
NEW YORK, March pa Washington spec
ial states Secretary Richardson favors free
banking in the States needing it and a gradual
resumption of specie payments. He thinks
there will be no need of the additional $1S,00O,-
600 voted by the House yesterday.
The Geneva Award.
1t is stated that at the meeting of the House
judiciary Committee yesterday, several votes
were taken on the points arising in the discus
sion of the Geneva award, the principal result
showing that insurance companies will be
practically ruled out and that all personal war
risks are to have priority.