, 1874-05-14

t steamers are already running, all fully
paid for. besides I. .352. 900 paid on &C
Z count of the two additional steamers
o now building for China. The total sum
q paid on these eight ships is 81, 100. 600.
When completed, they will add $4,000
tons to the carrying capacity ofthe fleet.
, WASHINGTON, May 4.-Committee on
: Ways and Means submitted report In
the Sanborue contract case, reiterating
. the law. 1t gives history of the first
A contracts given under it, especially San
borne's. The say that paid Government
: officers furnished Sanborn with inform
| alton, by means of which he obtained q
list of delinquent and unpaid taxes. and
/ that when he obtained list Of delin-
\ quent railroads he was instructed by
: Treasury officials to add the names of
nearly every railroad m the U. S., and
his contract was made to include 592
. railroads. instead of $50, as originally
contemplated. While the law provides
} for 3 persons to assist the proper per-
sons in collecting, this contract provides
that paid Government officials shall as
sist the contractor. 1t appears that the
Commissioner ofInternal Revenue wrote
to the Secretary of the Treasury re-
monstrance against the method of COL
lecting. which was never answered. Ia
no case do they find the contractor as
sisting the Government officers. while
the Government machinery was always
at the disposal of Sanborne.
1t is the opinion of the Committee
that large percentage of the amount
collected under the contract could have
been collected through the regular chan
nels. and were not properly subject to
the contract. When the Committee, feel
ing alarmed at the looseness with which
the Treasury Department was conduct
ed, attempted to elicit from its employ
ed officers where the responsibility rest
ed, each one professed ignorance of the
matter and atten pied to shift the re-
sponsibility. The incongruity of the
testimony of these gentlemen is deplor-
able, and the fact cannot be ignored by
the Committee that they deserve severe
condemnation for the manner in which
they permitted this law to be admins
| tered.
Committe finds nothing impeaching
the integrity of Secretaries Boutwell, and
Richardson, and the testimony proves
no corrupt motive in their action. In
justice to Secretary Boutwell, it must be
said that contracts for the collection of
taxes had been given in Guthrie's term
of office, in extraordinary cases, and
when the Secretary came into Office he
found number of such contracts in ex-
istence; but, upon examination, he
found no law authorizing them, and had
them annulled.
In the light of the evidence elected
during the examination, the Committee
are of the opinion that the contract kw
of May l, 1872, should be repealed. and
the contracts hereunder revoked and
annulled, and all demands of contract
ors against the Treasury be silenced by
the passage of bill embodying these
concessions which the Committee Ie-
port.
SHANGHAI, May A serious riot oc-
Cured in the French quarters at Shang-
hal. a mob of Chinese attacked the
residences in that quarter, sacked and
burned several houses. The police fired
ON the mob, killing several. The Chin
ese assigned as the reason for the attack
that the French were cutting a road
through their cemetery.
OTTAWA, Ont. May SIN Parliament
last night, on vote for the Pacific R. R.
survey, Mr.. Mckenzie gave an expls ma
ton as to the progress made in Lake
Superior region with respect to the west
ern section. He explained the greatest
difficulties were presented by the Cas-
cade Mountains. In no place had there
been more favorable route found than
one with grading of $50 feet to the mile
for an interrupted slope of Is miles
without level reaches. He went on to
explain steps taking in the organizing
of surveying palties to ascertain the
best route, so as to guard against any
possible failure of their inter-colonial
railways. He went on to show how inv
expedient it was to commence work
without the fullest information. Mr..
DeCosmos insinuated that the present
Government was not keeping faith with
British Columbia, inasmuch as they
were not prepared themselves to COM
mence actual work of construction this
year. Mckenzie replied that no matter
how anxious the Government might be
to commence the road, it was impoasi-
BILE for them to do SO until surveys were
completed.
GERvA1s, Oregon, May 5.-Last even
ing, about 4 80, lightning came in on
the wire, melting the parts of the switch.
es, splitting the instruments and setting
fire to the office. The flames caught in
papers and blanks and the whole con-
Germ was in flames, but the fire was
quickly extinguished. The Office is in
bad condition.
SAN FRANCISCO, May g. Heavy storm
of rain and hail falling.
Gleeson & Fell, dry goods merchants
on market street, arrested for getting
up lottery, or gift enterprise. to facil.
itate the disposal of their goods.
Chief Cockrell hus to-day commenced
the work of reform apparently in earn
est, ordering officers to serve notice on
keepers of houses of ill-fame in reputa-
BILE Localities, to move out within rea-