New-York tribune., 1874-03-16

TIE REPORTS on MODIFYING THE h0IETY LAW AND
REPEAIING THE sANBORN CONTRACT LAW EX-
PECTED THIS wEEK-PROBABH1TY THAT SAN
BORN WILL TESTIFY BEFORE TIE COMMITTED
JUDGE DAVIS TO REPLY TO THE STATEMENTS OF
MR.. BLISS.
lBI TEIEGRAPH'TO THE TRIBuNE.l
WASHINGTON March l5.-The Ways and Means
Committee is expected to report to the House some
time this week on the question of modifying the
present law providing for the seizure of books and
papers and the payment Of moetes, in order to re-
heye commerce from the expressions brought upon
it by such men as JAYNE; and also, the repeal of
the law under which the Sanborn contracts were
made. The report on the latter subject would have
been made before this, had not the Committee prom
ised to accord to SanbOm himself, hearing. As
that gentleman is now in this city. he VIII be
allowed to give his testimony early this week.
There is not the least foundation for the report
teegaphed widely over the country that
"the Hon, b. +. Butler has succeeded
in so fully substantiating the propriety Of
She collection Of tho delinquent taxes, for which
provis;on was made in the SanborD contracts, that
tits doubtful whether Mr.. Foster will press his bill
pro ding for the repeal of the act under which the
CO, lract was made" On the other hand, Mr.. Fos-
fsr has been directed by the Committee to report
the bill and would not be at liberty, under the cir
posed to IT, as he is not. He had himself done the
greater part Of the work OF the Committee necessary
70 bring this Sanborn business to light and at every
step of the inquiry he has become more and more
convinced of the niqutous nature Of the contracts
A st mp lobby is now organizing TO oppose the re-
pes, this law, and the paragraph quoted above
pro- y originated with Mr. Buffers friends, who
g. eady threatening unpleasant consequences fOT
N who shall dare to denounce the Sanborn swim
80 Tae argument TO be used against the repeal OF the
aw will be that the money collected under these
contracts could not have been obtained in any Other
way, and that il would, therefore, have been en-
entirely lost to the Government had the collection
of it not been famed out. The falsty of this state
ment has been repeatedly shown in THE TRIBUNE
and is further exposed by the fact that Commits
sioner Douglass is constantly collecting taxes on
legacies and SUGGESTIONS through the ordinary ma
chinery Of his Office During the past few months
one of his officers in New-York has collected $600(
of these taxes at cost of only 500. the sum tc
which his salary amounted Had this'money beer
collected by SanbOrn he would have commanded
the services of the same officer whose salary th'
Government would have had TO pay, and received
5000 of the money collected. The revenue officer
have less excuse for collecting legacy and succession
taxes than almost any other since all of the infOrma
ton which they need in order tO discover these take
is on file u public office in every city, and dali.
open for their inspection.
The Committee will probably hear Judge Noal
Davis Of New-York this week, in reply TO state
ments made by District-AttorDey Bliss and his ties
timony will close the preliminary inquiry touchin
She JAYNE business. The work Of the Committee
thus far can hardly be called an investigation, q
they have never asked the House for permission +
send for persons and papers or to examine witnesse
under oath. The Committee merely undertook T.
learn what they could from the voluntary state
ment Of merchants and others. a general feelinl
prevails that both the Jayne and SanbOrn affair
should be made the subjects Of special investigation
~ coon as the Ways aud Means Committee repor
upon them, in order that Congress may know al
that cal be learned in regard to them