The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1874-05-14

Secretary and Assistant SeerV
tary, by their testimony, show tina
the papers were prepared by the So
lieitor, thus indicating that the ne
sponsibility rested upon him. Fh
Solicitor, in turn, testified that ne
simply the law officer of the Treasury
Department aud q subordinate of tn
Secretary Of the Treasury, withou
any power in regard TO the admins
tratiOn of this law, except that ex
pressly given by the Secretary. Thai
he had consulted in every instane,
with the Secretary or Assistant Sec
retary OF the Treasury; that he haC
In all cases simply obeyed the diree.
tlons OF his superior officers, and thai
the contracts and various orders ol
the department were well known to
the Secretary and Assistant SecIeta-
~. The disagreements and contra
dictions given respectively by these
gentlemen, as appears from their tss.
timony, Is matter greatly deplored
by the committee, as by it they are
unable to fix upon any one or any
where the responsibility for the NAL
administration of this law, and they
look with serious apprehension upon
the apparent efforts of these gentle
men to transfer the responsibility
each from himself to the other.
While the committee, therefore, are
unable to determine where the re-
sponsibility rests, they cannot i'm JUS
tlee to themselves ignore the fact
that these three persons deserve Sc
we're condemnation for the manner in
which they have permitted this law
to be administered. While the COM
mittee thus severely eriticise those Of
t1cials of the Treasury Department
directly charged with the admins
tration of this law, they find nothing
impeaching the integrity OF Secreta-
~ BOutwelPs or Richardson's action,
and the testimony does not prove
that the secretaries or any of their as
sociates were influenced by corrupt
motives. 1t Is due to the Treasury
officials to say that as far back as the
administration of the Treasury De-
partment by Secretary Guthrie, such
contracts were made for the collection
Of moneys due the United States in
extraordinary cases, and that this
practice was continued up to the time
Mr.. Boutwell, became Secretary of the
Treasury. When he came into the
office he found q number OF contracts
in existence, and his solicitor testi-
fies that after q thorough and ex-
haustive examination he found no
authority in law permitting them to be
made, and the Secretary Of the Treas
ury at once annulled them, and that
nothing of any consequence was ever
collected from this class OF contracts,
Under the act of 1870, a number Of
contracts were made by Secretary
Boutwell,, and although it was repre-
sented to the Secretary that large
sums were due to the govern
ment, and the parties making
contracts prOfessed to be able to
collect what was due, tue amount col
lected was very small. With the
light OF the experience Of the Treasu-
ry Department in the contract bus:-
ness here referred to, the officers, we
are told, concluded that parties pro-
posing to take contracts under the
law of May Sth, 1872, would fail to
make collections in any considerable
amount, and this fact may account
for the apparent neglect of this de-
partment to carefully and strictly en-
force the law. And it is further due
to the present treas ury officials to say,
that not only was this law enacted
while the predecessor of the present
Secretary was in office, but that the
first contracts were made by him, and
the general policy OF the administra-
ton subsequently pursued were deteI-
mined upon while Mr.. Boutwell, was
Secretary Of the Treasury. The COM
mittee are of the opinion that any
system of farming the collection of
any portion of revenues of the gov
eminent is fundamentally wrong;
that no necessity for such law exists
for the reason that the Secretary Of
the Treasury and the head of the In
ternal Revenue bureau are fully en-
powered by law to make all eOlIee-
snna lions OF taxes, including tsxssi i.d .dHfefR
nal Revenue Bureau is possessed of
full knowledge of the laws relating to
the collection of revenue; has all the
machinery necessary for their full
and complete enforcement; and has
full authority in extraordinary cases
to pay at discretion for information,
Congress annually making appropria-
tions therefor. Any law that provides
for any other method of collecting
taxes, the duty of which collection is
imposed on any department OF the
government, is, in fact, reflection
on the department charged with that
duty. The committee in view of the
fact herewith presented, believe that
the law of May Sth, 1872, should be
repealed, and the contracts made
hereunder should be revoked and an
nulled. They also believe that for ev-
cry service rendered by these con-
tractors exorbitant rewards have heen
made. For every equity which they
might claim more than enough has
already been paid. For every legal
claim settlement has been perfected
on the most liberal scale. In some
cases the committee are satisfied that
moneys were paid to the contractor tn
which he was not entitled under the
law. Now, when the whole subject
has Leen Investigated, in order to end
forever all demands against the
Treasury on this account, and to
avoid danger that q lax administra-
ton, under careless officers, may az
some future time afford q new oppor-
tunlty to assail the Treasury under
color of these contracts, the statute
should in terms exclude them from
the Jurisdiction of the Court OF Claims
and all further claim on their part
To accomplish the purpose here indi-
Gated, the committee report to the
House a bill embOdying the above
conclusions.