National Republican., 1874-05-20

before you began taking these eontractsi A..
d. You held no Office under the boardi A.
No, sir.
q. Had you been contractor prior. to the
time you commenced this businessi A. Yes,
sir. ar
OIL see your contract, which have IN my
hand, states that you shall be paid in cash or
the equivalent of cash In bonds or certificates
of the Board Of Public Works, as the said party
of the first part may elect; that is TO say, as
the Board OF Public Works may elect. Have
they issued certificates to the amount OF the
work done under this contract, counting the
certificates at par value-at their face valuef
A.. Twenty-Five thousand dollars they have
issued to me-. n. nsa-a4a- a-1sf. = p
Q. Is that what the work amounted tot A.
Yes, sir, about that; 1t is fraction over it;
very close to 1t.
| Q. And your claim, then, is that they owe
you the difference between the face value and
the actual market value Of the certificates A.
Yes, sir; that Is 1t. A portion Of these certih-
Gates were taken with. the tressurer's accept
ances, payable two months after date.
| Q. What has become of those aeceptancesl
A. am carrying portion of them and pay
ing large interest upon them. They have not
been paid.
Q. The board has not paid them oyou' A.
3. Are they duet A. Oh, yes; past due long
ago.
Q. You were the successor Of Emmert &
Smith in this strect-sweeping businessa A.
| Yes, sir. 80 --'
Q. Were you sent for by the Board of Public
Works with reference to the payment of this
ST. 900 order that you had given in favor Of
these workmena A. was sent for to give my
consent to withdraw it. 49, -, 90 =
Q. Was It withdrawn do you, knowf A. do
not know; / think not, however; think it re-
mains there yet. ' --. ,-.-.. F.
Q. At the time that order was given by you,
If understand you, the board owed you that
amount of money! A. Yes, sir.
Q. And they have not since paid youi A.
No, sir.
.. And If the board is able or willing to pay,
you have no objection to these men being paidl
A. Not at ali. \
Q. suppose you prefer that they werea A.
should very much prefer it, sir, can assure
you.
Q. What amount of certificates was put into
that property that was purchased A. think
s., 900. ...a- -.. - ..--...'
| Q. Have you put any other certificates into
real estatei A. No, sir. Understand, did
not do that for myself; no money Of that came
out of my business whatever. .-- .. 81
The committee here adjourned to 10 o'clock
tomorrow morning.
| WASHINGTON, May 10, 1874. ?
Committee met pursuant to adjournment.
The proceedings of yesterday were read, and
approved. -.--. ..- ~.
TESTIMONY OF W. W. CoRCoRAN.
W. W. Corcoran sworn.
By Mr.. Thurman: Q. VIII you please state
to the committee anything you know Of the
payment of taxes in this District In certificates,
or Of any offers made to you in that respectl
A. know nothing about how they were paid.
1 only know there was an application made To
me to pay early in November last, and an
abatement was offered to me of 16 per cent,
instead of that allowed to all other citizens
six per cent.
Q. There is six per cent. allowed by the law7
A. Yes, sir. i had between $4,000 and S23,.
600 taxes to pay, which INTENDED to pay be-
fore the first of January, to enable them to pay
the semiannual interest on the public debt
on the corporation debt. --
| @. That was last Noyemberi A.. Early in
November.
Q. Who was that party that made that offer
to youl A. Mr.. James Harlan, former sena-
| tor.
Q. Do you know of any other certificates, or
were any other certificates offered to you at
any other timea A. never saw certificate
in my life.
.. Did anybody from New York ever call
upon youi A. Never. A cashier from New
York called upon Mr.. Riggs.
Q. You were not present. A. No, sir; Mr..
Riggs told me. s- - 49, =.
o. State the whole transaction as It occurred
between you and Mr.. Harlan7 A. Mr.. Harlan
stated to me that the District was indebted to
him for more than s2O, 900, and that he could
use that Indebtedness in paying taxes; If
would give him my tax-bills, he would pay
| them and bring them to me receipted. / then
told him that the corporation allowed the dis
count of six per cent. He said he would make
1t ten per cent. in addition to that. He said he
would get my bills, have them restated, and
ask me for no money until he returned the
bills to me receipted by the collector. / in
tended to do It at the time. intended to give
him some money; but, On consultation with a
friend, he said l had better pay my taxes as all
other citizens were bound to pay, and not take
this abatement; that had better go and pay
the collector myself, which did short time
afterwards.
@. Did you understand this was debt due
to Mr.. Harlan individually, or to the Chroniels
Officer A.. To the Chronicle Office. He go
stated, think.
Q. You paid your taxes them A. Yes, sir;
on the 29th of November.
Q. Without any other abatement than the
law provided-the six per cent? A. That is
all. Handing witness memorandum
Q. This Is the amount: November 90, 1873.
Soth Of June, 1874, s2i, ,5li.8s." That is cor
recti A. Six per cent. less.
| @. That was the amount of the taxesl A.
o. You paid It less 8 per cent. discount al
lowed by the lawl A. Yes, sir; that was the
! memorandum made by my clerk.
TESTIMONY OF JAMES HARLAN.
| James Hsrl an sworn and examined.
| By the Chairman: @. State TO the committee
the circumstances attending this affair with
Nr. Corcoran. How came you to make 1t, and
an you know In relation toit? A. The "Chron-
icle Publishing Company" had some claims
| against the District government for printing
dope for the different executive Offices, for
which appropriation had been made by the
Legislature at its preceding session. They
were not presented formally for payment, and
when sent forward, the company was informed
that they had no money TO pay them with
that the money was all exhausted. This re-
port was brought to me, and made some in
duiry In relation to It, and was informed that
| If we could find any persons who had not paid
their taxes who would pay In their taxes, we
could draw the money to the extent Of the ap-
preparation which had been made by the Legis-
4 iaturc on our bills. made some inquiry, and
learned of several persons who were still in
debt for taxes, among them Mr.. Coreoran.
attempted to see these parties, and did see Mr.
| Corcorap, and related to him the circumstances.
told him that the company needed the money,
and could draw Il on these claims for which
appropriation had been made If the money
were paid in, and that learned he had some
taxes that had not been paid. If he was pre-
pared to pay them, tnd would do so, IL would
be an accommodation to us, for we would then
be able to draw the money. ! told him ] did
not wish him to discommode himself to oblige
US without any proper consideration, as bust
ness transaction. He inquired whether the
taxes that could be paid were general taxes OF
special taxes. was unable to answer that
4 question OF that time, but told him would
make the inquiry and would let him know. He
requested me 70 do so, and said IL II were gen.
eral taxes he thought he-could make an Or
rangement. On inquiry learned II was gen.
erai taxes that could be applied in that way on
the payment Of the different executive Offices
| of the District. He first observed to me, "Bu,
you have not said what you WIN allow me fol-
doing thisy' told him We would allow
him what was o fair. rate, and asked
him what he z would be willing tc
do 10 for. "No,n said he, nyou state your
proposition, what you are willing to give.''