New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-04-08
WASHINGTON.

,yrp o,TrERs-A QUESTION FINALLY PROPoUNDED
To HIM WHICH HE WILL BE REQUIRED TO AN
swER ON THURSDAY.
IBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNRl
WASHINGTON April THE Sanborn investigation,
without doubt has developed the fact that AIneri-
can witnesses, as q general rule, have the worst
memories of any people in the world, ana propaDIy
those who have testified before the Ways and Means
Committee. in proportion TO their number. have
never been and never will be equaled in the facility
with which they forget the most important and
striking events Secretary Richardson showed re-
variable eleverness IN that direction, ana MS
ability in forgetting is about the only strong point
in his character. Assistant Secretary Sawyer, al
though young in the Treasury, has shown marvellous
ability and his promise for the future is most Dri-
liant although it can hardly be hoped that he VIII
ever equal Mr.. Richardson in the latters spe-
ciaity. Solicitor Banfeld is an Improvement
on both. possessing a genius which must
some day bring a fruitful reward. But OF
All witnesses ever before an investigating
committee Mr. Sanborn in the matter OF memory
Is the most deficient He is the best witness for
bad cause that Washington has ever seen. He sur
passes Mr.. Banfield, for he knows exactly what 10
forget lie be ter for his SIDE if not more jealous
than Mr., Sawyer, for he is not half so Volubie
and vain. and he surpaSses Mr.. Richardson for ne
has intellect enough to know just what to remem-
Der and what to forget. Mr.. Richardson de-
yeloped AM ability to forget everything con-
nected with the Sanborn contracts, but Mr..
Sanborn has sufficient intelligence to
know that il is not important to fail to remember
,r,ing details but of the utmost moment to forget
important and significant shortcomings. How the
Committee will ever be able to fix the iniquty at
tending he execution Of these Sanborn contracts it
is impossible to tell unless they extend the scope of
the inquiry so as to take in those from whom San
born has collected his unearned money.
The general case looks worse and worse as the IN
suirv proceeds and it is not hard to see where 1t
must end but rs long all the officers of the Gov
ernnuent testify that they do not know anything
about it, il is difficult 10 how the manner OF
doing business in the Treasury Department is to be
reformed OF here the responsibility for disobe-
dience of law must rest As for SanbOrn his forget
fulness was remarkable. He forgot who Introduced
him to Mr. Douglass, the Commissioner of Internal
Revenue; he forgot what counsel he had employed;
he forgot whether he ever consulted with Gen. But
Ter on certain points of vital consequence to him;
he forgot what amount of money hepaid bis lawyers
and what services they rendered him; he forgot
whether he was accompanied by prominent men,
Der OF Congress when he went to the Treasury De-
partment with reference to his contracts and he
forgot everything else the remembrance of which
would have4been disagTeeable to him or TO his
eminent friends, whose footprints arc seen
along the whole pathway of the investigation. AS
previously stated, Gen. Buffers name occurs often,
but Sanborn's memory to Mr.. Buffers part in the
contract business is not as clear as it might be-
Besides, there is mysterious individual who has
operated in Boston, New York, and Washington III
behalf Of Sanborn, who ought TO be discovered. de
has sometimes acted as tho bearer of notes; some
times as counsel; sometimes as a drawer OF con-
CO, HON, Iaol oil tn
ground that the man would not like TO be known as
having any connection with hun.
The further the inquiry goes the more apparent ls
the fact which is now beyond dispute that the In
ternal Revenue officers did nearly ell the work
which placed S2l3,OC0 in the pockets OF Sad
born who to-day practically confessed that
he had done little toward earning the money
he had received. The worst case in this
respect was that of the Delaware and Lackawanna
Railroad Company, which was the largest collected
by Sanborn his share of the collection having been
about $4,000. This money was III reality collected
by Supervisor Hawley of New York, and no part OF
the work was done by Sanborn The Information
that the Company was dorelict in the payment of
their taxes was purchased by Sanborn, and by hlm
given TO IIawey, whose officers made an investiga-
ton and verified the information. He then pro-
ceeded under tho directions of SanbOrn, and acting
also under instructions of the Secretary
of the Treasury, 10 collect the amount,
which was forwarded to Washington. Soon
thereafter the Secretary forwarded to Sanborn his
percentage. Hawley's zeal IN other cases was not
less marked and It appeaTssrange TO the mepbers OF
the Committee that he should be jealous unless he
had sone personalinterest in the matter Yet Sanbon
swears chat he never paid revenue officer dollar.
He had however been in certain stock speculations
with some of them and had loaned them money. In
the cases New England it was shown that all San
born had to do was to call on Simmons who always
collected the taxes and never resorted to suit be-
fore the courts except in the Credit MObier cases
IL was a very easy matter to collect the legacy and
vuecession taxes. as shown to-day. First list was
obtained from the Surrogates Office Of the cases
hkelv TO come within the law Any clerk could OBJ
tain these lists, it being work of copying only.
These lists were then placed in the hands of In
ternal Revenue officer and that was the end Of 1t
for Sanborn until the 50 per cent of
the collections came rolling into his
pockets IL was the same in the railroad cases. A
list of railroads 500 IN number was taken from the
Railroad Directory; into the hands OF the officers 1t
goes aud presently it is turned into money. 1t came
out to-day that among the railroads which Sanborn
rwore owed taxes to the Government was one which
had only been projected; not mile of track had
been laid nor bond issued, and only $1,000 had
been paid into the capital stock.
Mr. Prescott Boston operator, seemed TO bold
peculiar relations with Sanborn. This man re-
ceived S25 600 for himself and others, but Sanbon
would not remember anything about it. The fact
that Prescott had at one time been in the revenue
service suggested TO of the members of the
Committee the question as TO whether Sanborn had
not employed all the rogues that had ever been in
the internal revenue service. Kicked out of the
cd tn