The Portland daily press., 1874-03-27
WASHINGTON,
District investigation.

gineer who measured the work done by the
Board of Public Works on the Government
property, but nothing startling was ELECTED
Although the engineer on cross-examination
said $4,000 worth of tagging had been laid
around the Government reservation No. II, yet
Judge Wilson of the Committee, said from per
sonal observation no work of that nature was
done there.
Treasury Balances.
The following are the Treasury balances to-
legal tenders for redemption of certificates of
deposit 500 800 900; coin, $87, 708 049, including
coin certificates $780, 799;7O0; outstanding legal
tenders, 1885,, 100000
The Senate for Imitation.
NEW YORK, March pa Washington spec
ial says that canvass to-day in the Senate
shows small majority in favor of increasing
the volume of currency. The int1ationists are
confident that it will not be fixed lower than
four hundred million.
The Moiety and Contract System.
Sanborn testifies before the Ways and Means
Committee tomorrow. The Committee to-day
proceeded to hear the testimony of Collector
Simmons of Boston.
He (Simmons) appeared as witness on be-
half of Sanborn. He related his connection
with the latter and stated that when Sanborn
first came to his Office in Boston and told h m
of his contract and of his right to be aided in
his examinations by the internal revenue officers
he (Simmops) declined to act on that statement
and Immediately went to see Mr. Richardson,
then Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, and
who was then in Boston, and that he got verbal
instructions from Mr. Richardson. He subse-
quently got letter from Secretary Boutwell,
and still later from Secretary Richardson to
the same effect. Under these instructions he
detailed revenue detective (HOrton) to aid
Sanborn and Horton, paid official, and con-
tinued to be so while he (Simmors) remained
-. IL II
Upon being pressed by members of the Com
mittee as to his views of the propriety of turn
ing over a salaried officer of the government to
the employment of private individual, he said
his RUE was always to obey his surerior officers.
To the questions as to Sanborn's peculiar quail
fications for the business of collecting direct
taxes, he replied that Sanbnrn was known in
Massachusetts, as the "myterious man.; that he
was acquainted with every member of the Leg
islatures of Massachusetts,. Maine and New
Hampshire, and that he managed" the bust
ness of railroads, particularly the Eastern
of the third estate''
In answer to a question by Mr.. Wood, Sim
mons stated that he had no conversation with
any member OF Congress in regard to the San
born contracts as the policy of the law under
which a contract could be made. He declined
to give an opinion lest he might be supposed to
be casting reflection on members of Congress
who voted for it, but he expressed his decided
conviction that 80 per cent. of the $4,000 COL
lected in New England under the Sanborn con-
tract would never have been collected through
the regular channels.
In reference to the tax collected from Mr.
Williams of Hartford on the essence of Ja-
maica ginger, he said he consulted the Com
m :ssiOner of Internal Revenue as to the liabil
ity of that preparation to the tax on proprieto-
ry medicines, and had been instructed by let
ter which he read to the Committee that it
Ia To 70 Ha a6
inquiry did not refer specially TO the back tax
nor to Sanborn's connection with the matter.
As to the income tax unpaid by persons who
had received Credit Moblier dividends, he
stated that his attention had not been called to
the matter till after Sanborn had included those
which he proposed to recover.
F. M. Green and o. F. Presley, agents en-
ployed by Sanborn to work up the western
railroad cases were examined at length. They
beth testified that the cases they had dealt
with were not matters of record in any Of the
internal revenue offices and denied they had
ever represented themselves as agents of the
Treasury Department They admitted. how
ever, they had never announced themselves as
agents of Sanboru but had left parties to draw
their own differences from the secret service
they presented
The Committee was in session from 10
O clock till half past O'Clock. They meet to-
morrow to hear Sanborn himself.
Imports and Exports.
The report of the bureau of statistics shows
that the imports for II months ending Nov.
80 last were $780, S7, 09S; same time in 1872
1854, O22, 213. Domestic exports for II months
ending Nov. 30 last were 1858, 94s, 1868, foreign
exports $32,242, 6S3; domestics for the same
time in 1872 $491, 784, 202 and foreign $23, 362,
$50.
The Haword Court.
Gen. Bullock was on the stand again to-da
in the Howard Court of inquiry. The princi-
pal portion of his testimony related to the re-
tanned or State county fund, the witness testi-
flying that vouchers therefor were presented to
the auditing officers of the treasury who re-
fused to receive them on the ground that the
money was not public fund belonging to the
government Witness fled the vouchers in
his office leaving them in his desk when he
was relieved from which time he has no knowl-
edge of their whereabouts.
Gen. Bullock was also examined in regard to
the retained fees of suspended aud unlicensed
attorneys regarding which he testified he had
kept an account book of them in his desk leav-
ing that also when he was relieved from duty
and since which time he had not seen it.
The court to-day ruled that its action was an
investigation and not a prosecution, and also
that the counsel of the accused shall have
privilege of Directing to receive any testimony,
the question to be afterwards argued and de-
cided upon by the Court.
Appropriation Committee.
The House Committee on Appropriations to-
day heard the statements of Supervising Archi-
tect Mullett in regard to deficiencies in appro-
priatons for repairs, furniture and fuel for pub
lie buildings throughout the country, and
agreed to insert in the deficiency bills amount
ing to about $4,000 for these purposes.
The committee also agreed to an item of
$40, 900 to cover the deficiencies in the appro
priation for the bureau of statistics, and $15,-
900 for Prof. Haydens geological survey of the
Yellowston region. This latter deficiency has
been caused by departure from the usual GUS
tom of selling mules, wagons, etc., at the end
of the seasons work, it having been thought
advisable to retain them for this years expedi-
ton.
Civil Service.
The House Committee on Civil Service Re
form to-day examined j. HI. Ella, 9th Auditor
of the Treasury, in regard to the allowances
made to internal revenue collectors, etc., with
a view of fixing stated salaries for such officers
instead of any and all allowances.
Mr.. Butler of Massachusetts, offered for the
consideration of the committee resolution
proposing to prohibit the employment of two
persons bearing the relations of husband and
wife, parent and child or brother and sister,
either by cOnsanguinity or marriage, in any
government department at the same time. No
action was taken.
Nominations.
The President sent the following nomina-
lions to the Senate to-day: Henry P. Rolfe, q
S. Attorney for the district of New Hamp-
shire; Moses Hallett, Chief Justice of the Su.
preme Court for the Territory of Colorado.
South Carolina Taxpayers.
The delegation of South Carolina Taxpayers
this morning held brief interview at the CAPT
tol with number of Republican Senators, who
generally expressed sympathy with their griev
ances. At three o'clock they called by appoint
ment on Secretary Fish, who received them
with much courtesy and conversed with them
about half an hour. He will present them to
morrow morning to President Grant.
Mr.. Dawes Despatch,
The following dispatch has just been sent to
Boston:
March 25, 1874 am under no pledge, ex
pressed or implied, to mortal man as to my flu
ture. l feel grieved that Mr.. -, after my
frank conversation with him, should have
doubts. never did make pledge for the
future, and have nothing in the world to Of
Ter to any one as reason why he should vot.
1or me, except what have already done. II
any man dstrusts me on my past record, can
not ask him to vote for me on any promise
that could be made him now. The office is Of
no value to me except as an approval OF my
record in Congress and in private life.
lSigned) II. L. DAWES.
Various Matters.
The President has issued an order uniting in
to one district the Sth and 9th collection dis
tricts of the State of New York, and Charlie
b. Carter is retained as Collector of said dis
trict.
The internal revenue receipts to-day wer
$247,9 $40
The customs receipts last week were as fol
lows:-New York $2,058, 654; Boston, 1921 ,0S6
Baltimore, $196. 1856; Philadelphia, SIG, l59.