New-York tribune., 1874-02-10
WASHINGTON.
uur sANRnRN CONTRACTs.

THE ShNBORN CONlhAClo'
NV IN PRODUCING NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. w
-pEIsuRY OFFICIALS IN FURNISHING iNo""A
.,oN--AN INVESTIGATION TAXED or
Try TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBuSkl
.r.sorNcToN. Feb. 9.-The Treasury Department.
"a,;., = rcnntation at the Capitol for beng ex-
i,'olr deliberate IN its compliance with the re-
,..,onts Of Congress in the matter OF furnishing
q1s,;or called for The notorious Sanborn con-
..r,o,e not sent 10 the House to-day, although
:. 80 yesterday reported that they would DC reau
" ~. morning hour No reason is gwen for the ad-
sonal delay nor has any reason been gwen ior any
s.lar for these documents could have been copieo
~ one dav and more than two weeks nave "iio"u9
slapsed since they were called ior' IN Tic mean
time there is good deal of anxiety 1ei' III various
high quarters with reference TO the eHpeeteu uo
osures and there is also growing lear Oh 'ne P"iV
ttbose who believe the interests of the Goverhmen'
have been trified with. that only portion Oh tne
,aners called for will be furnished. proposition
mr an investigation by committee OF congress
already being discussed .-. :.
The delberation of the Treasury Dep"''nien' 10
shown in another extraordinary manner "mcn sug-
scsts suspicious as to any mere aceiueht VI ioiseF
fpInoss on the part of the officials. 1t has
ionc heen charged in Congress and in the
rress that the Custom-honses In New-Iork
Rostop and elsewhere were OveTrun with
useless and workless employees paid not because
,teir services were required, but because OF their
oan,citv as ward politicians and that in some cases
tl,erc wore names of persons upon the rolls who
never pretended 10 do any duty but to draw their
nav The WAYS aud Means Committee in their ell
forts to reduce the expenditures so that the Govern
meut expenses might not continue To exceed It's
income attempted, in the Sanborn matter, to 90
tam information. 1t called on the Secretary OF the
Treasury to furnish 10 the Committee list OF the
employfs in the Custom-houses of New-York and
Boston with certain facts as 10 salaries, etc. Ihs
information was called for last December, and yet
not a word has been heard from the Secretary IN
reply Some of the members Of the Committee are
losing their tempers al the manner in which they
aIe treated.
THE RAILROAD REGULATION QUESTION.
A DECIDED VICTORY FOR THE GRANGERs IN THE
HoUsK-THE POWER OF CONGRESS TO REGULATE
INTERSTATE COMMERCE UNEQUNOCALLY AS
SERTED.
lBr 1EIEGRArH 10 rHB TR1BUNR.l
WAsHINGTON, Feb. 9.-Ihe Grangers fought their
first battle in the House to-day, and won decided
victory The entiEy Republican party, with the ex-
oepton Of few stTagglers, rallied under their ban
ner and passed resolution asserting, in positive
and uneQuvocal language, the constitutional power
of Congress 10 regulate railroads running from
State into another. The resolution was offered by
Mr Smith of Ohio and was prefaced by preamble
recitng the provision Of the Constitution empower
ing Congress TO Eegulate commerce between the
States and stating that this provision imposed
powers and duties Of high importance to the citi
sens OF the several States The resolution then as
serted as the judgment of the House, that Congress
has the constitutional power so 10 regulate COM
merce between the States as to protect the people
against all unjust or oppressive tolls taxation,
Instructions. whether by railroad companies or
other carriers and that the present condition and
magnitude Of tins commerce demand the prompt
and wise exercise of this power. The Democrats
did not like to be forced to 60 upon the record on so
important proposition as this without any previous
notice. To gain time to consult they interposed
motion to adjourn When this had been put and
lost and the roll was called on Mr. Smiths resolu-
ton, there bad been a hasty consultation among
them and with very few exceptions the whole body
voted in the negative. The vote on adopting the
resolution was 10 TO c.
The position assumed by the Republicans in sup-
porting the resolution although never before taken
by them as party in the House, has long been
maintained by prominent individual members, and
the party may be said 10 have been steadily drifting
toward it since the beginning Of the war. During the
war Secretary Stanton fixed the rate TO be paid the
railroads for transporting troops, and they nearly all
Aoquiesced in his decision. In 1866 Gen. Garfield in
tIoduced a National Railway law, which, however,
lever reached a vote, During the XXXlXth Con-
gress, the House passed the New-York and Washing
mgton Air Line Railroad bill mainly by Republican
votes, the purpose of which was to strike at the
Camden and Amboy monopoly. This bill asserted
very broadly the power of Congress to charter and
regulate line of road crossing States. The ques-
ton is, therefore, not a new one, although new TO
most of the members Of the present House The
vote to-day appears TO make the way clear for the
Passage Of Mr.. McCrarys Transportation BILL which
comes up on Feb. 25.