Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-02-11

Adelegation OF silk importers was before
the Committee on Ways and Means to-day
in opposition to increasing the duties OF
silks to sixty per cent.
The Army.
The Senate Committee on Military AZ
fairs this morning discussed the bill recent
ly introduced by Mr.. Logan, making it OBJ
ligatory upon the President to retire of
ficers of the army and marine corps, when
they shall have served forty-five yeaTs
or attained the age of sixty-two, except the
General ard Lieutenant-General of the
army. A disposition was manifested to
agree to the b II with an amendment max.
ing sixty-five the age for retirement.
The Cabinet session to-day was short.
The Transit Of Venus.
The commission appointed by Congress
to make arrangements for the observation
of the transit of Venus, leave here early in
April:
The outstanding legal tenders are $751;
240,927.
Portland Canal.
A delegation of Ohio river rsteamboatmen
was heard this morning by the House Com
mittee on Commerce, on the bill providing
for the payment of bonds of the Louisville
and Portland Canal Company. An amend
ment to the original bill was agreed to au-
thorizing the Secre,a of War instead of
the Secretary of the Treasury TO take pos
session of the property. 1t was agreed to
take final action next Thursday.
Governments Contracts.
The Secretary of the Treasury having
been called upon by a resolution of the
House, for copies of all contracts with the
Treasury Department for discovering and
collecting moneys belonging to the United
States, whenever the same shall be with
held by any person or corporation, ETC.,
sent to-day the following letter TO the
House.
Treasury Department, Feb. 1O.-In re-
spOnse to a resolution of the House of
Representatives of the 9th ult., 1 have the
honor to transmit herewith copies of con-
tracts made by the Treasury Department
under authority given to the Secretary of
the Treasury in acts, entitled, an act max
ing appropriations for legislative, executive
and judicial expenses of the Government
for the year ending June so, 1872, and for
other purposes, approved May s, 1872, the
enclosed transcripts contain the text of con-
tracts made, except the names of persons
alleged to be indebted to the Government.
l have not caused lists of such names to be
annexed to copies for the reason that con-
tracts are based upon the claim that parties
and corporations named have withheld
taxes due the Government. The allegations
are supposed to involve a degree of
fraud, and they may or may not be well
founded, and have therefore felt that JUS
tice to parties charged required of me, in
the administration of the law in question,
to avoid any unnecessary publicity in re-
gard to these allegations before they shall
be found, upon investigation, TO be well
founded. Names will, of course, be fur
nished if, under these circumstances, the
House is of opinion they should be furnish
ed. have the honor to be, very respect
fully, WM. A. RICHARDSON,
Secretary of the Treasury.
To Hon. Jas. G. Blaine, Speaker CT the
House Of Representatives.
Copies of contracts accompany this letter.
The first is between Geo. 5. Boutwell,, Sec
retary of the Treasury and VIM. Il. Kelsey
of New York. The latter was one of three
persons designated to assist the proper
officers of the Government in discovering
and collecting moneys belonging to the
United States withheld by certaip persons
or corporations, under provisions OF the act
of May, 1872. The amount he proposed to
recover, or assist in recovering, was about
100000, which amount was claimed to be
due for internal revenue taxes. 1t was
agreed to pay Kelsey in full for his services
and for all costs and expenses of such col
lection a sum equal to so per cent of the
gross sum collected and received, the ba-
lance Of the money to be paid into the
Treasury. The above contract was sur
rendered by Kelsey and Immediately
thereafter renewed with Malcolm
Campbell, of Philadelphia. The next con-
tract was in August, 1872, between Vim. A.
Richardson, Acting Secretary of the Treas
ury. and John d. Sanborn, of Boston, who
claimed that S5O0,000 due upon spirit
uous and fermented liquors as well as in
making false returns of the amount manu-
factured and in evading payment of tax
upon them which was wholly due, under
several acts of Congress. He was TO re-
ceive 50 per cent of the gross sum collected
and received in fall for his services, and
all costs and expenses Of collections. This
contract was revOkable at any time by the
Secret9ry of the Treasury. 4 contract made
in November, 1872, by Geo. S. Boutwell,.
WIFI NlCLlDlSDu LlbCAls VI pAllta-
the amount he proposed to recover or assist
in recovering was 100000, claimed to be
due for internal revenue taxes by certain
corporations. He was to receive 90 per
cent, Oh the same condition as other con-
tractors. q contract was made between
Vim. a. Richardson and John Clarke, of
Philadelphia, in September, 1873. Clarke
was to assist in recovering moneys belong
ing to the United States, withheld by GER
tain deceased persons estates; the sum he
alleged to be due was $4,000. He was to
receive 50 per cent. in full compensation
for the gross sum collected.
a Crazy SyPher.
The eccentric German, J. G. Sypher,
who few days ago attempted to ride into
the Executive Mansion on horseback, is a
sausage maker of Cincinnati in good cir
cumstances. To-day his bOOk-keeper ar
rived from Cincinnati and will conduct his
employer home. Sypher was about being
examined preparatory to being sent to the
government insane asylum.