The Portland daily press., 1874-04-01
WASHING
The Sanborn Investigation.
Testim Ony of Secretary Richardson and
Commissioner Douglass.

WASHINGTON, March 31-The Committee on
Ways and Means have resumed the Sanborn
investigation
Mr. Richardson, Secretary of the Treasury
was first examined, but nothing of importance
was elected from him, except the expression of
the most positive opinion that the law under
which the Sanborn contracts were given should
he absolutely and Internationally repealed He
sal that he had never given any special con-
sideration to the law itself or to the contracts
which were given out under it, but believed all
laws of that character impelitic. He never
had been consulted by his predecessor (Mr.
BoutwelD in reference to the law as to con
tracts, but was aware that MIR. Boutwell,! al
ways had the sane aversion to the law ne nlm-
self had. He had never spoken with Sanborn
about the contracts, and had never been ap-
preached by any other person in Sanborn's be-
half. He knew absolutely nothing of tho de-
tails of the mat ter. Any papers or documents
he had signed, he had signed in the ordinary
course Of business without giving then special
attention He had no recollection of his inter-
view with Simmons in Boston, in which Sim
mons said he had been instructed to aid San
born, but didn't question the correctness of
Simmons's statement in the connection.
He was examined at some length by mem
bers of the committee, but gave little further
enlightenment On the Sanborn matter than is
embraced in the foregoing. So little did he
appear to know of the matter that one of the
committee Peck remarked in the subsequent
proceedings that he had not pressed the Secre-
tary further because he was ashamed of the
ignorance which the Secretary manifested.
Mr. Douglass, Commissioner of Internal Rev
enue, was next examined by the committee.
He stated that he had never been consulted by
the Secretary or Solicitor of the Treasury in
regard to the law or the contracts given under
it, and he knew nothing of the latter unless as
they come incidentally to his knowledge in the
course of the proceedings. He states that the
dali a hn md
cession taxes, ana the taxes on railroad dvid-
ends, &c, which are embraced in the SanbOrn
contracts, were all being collected through the
regular offices OF the Internal Revenue Bureau,
where these contracts were made and where in
structions were issued by Mr.. Banfield, Solic-
| itor of the Treasury, to Mr.. Bliss, Attorney al
| New York, and to the supervisors and collect
ors of internal revenue, directing the latter not
| to receive payment in cases embraced within
| these contracts. These instructions had not
| been issued through him, nor had they ever
| been communicated to him unless as he learned
| about them casually.
| Mr.. Douglass said there was no difficulty in
having derelect taxes collected in the regular
way, and exhibited book containing lists OF
| all legacy and succession taxes He did not
believe in the law authorizing such contracts
as those Of Sanborn's, as it intensified the
meanness OF the informer and and spy system.
He never had been consulted about it, but be-
| lieved Ben Butler had once recommended San
| born to him, but was not sure.
| Frank M. Green one of Sanborn's agents
who operated among the western railroad com
panies, was recalled by Mr. Foster, who read {
letter from j. M. King, acting collector of In
dianapolis district, stating that Green had rep
resented himself there as special agent OF th'
| Treasury Department, and denied all knowl
edoe OF the Sanborn contracts This, Greer
| again positively denied.
L. Y. Mitchell was called to prove that Greer
had at one time stated that this letter from
Secretary of the Treasury was obtained by thu
influence of Gen. Butler, but he could not re-
member any such statement.