New-York tribune., 1874-06-01
WASHINGTON.

CHANGES IN THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
srcRErARY RICuA uARDsoN FINDS HIS sECRETARYsIIIP
NO LONGER CONGENAL-GEN. BRIsTow OF KEN
TUCKY HIs PROBABLE sUCCEssOR-MR. sAwYERs
TENURE OF OFFICE TO BIZ BRIEF-TuE STATE OF
TIE CASE WITH MR. BAEFIEID-MR. RICHARDSON
TO GO TO THE COURT OF CLAIMS, If THE SENATE
APPROVES.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THR TRIBUNK.1
WAsHINGToN MAY 31.-Secretary Richardson has
at last acknowledged that he is going out of Office
Although his retirement determined many
months ago on the part of the President, something
occurred to defer it. The causes have been many.
Severe criticism of Mr.. Richardson in the news
papers the money pancs and the difficulty of finding
suitable successor have been the principal Ones
Gen. Grant always hestates at the removal OF an
officer who is assaed either in Congress or through
the newspapers and as Mr. Richardson has rarely
been free of censure he has been kept in office much
longer than the President desired. But during all
this time and within three days of the present ne
Mr.. Richardson has declared his purpose OF remain
ing in the Department, adding that the President
desired him to stay. Now however, he has informed
some of bis friends that he proposes to resign the
sccretaryship, the Office not being congenial to him.
The President has never mentioned to his Cabinet
the fact that there was to be a change nor has ne
consulted the members as to the succession. He
sonal to himself that he need not take any advice
or suggestion regarding it from any one. 1t is
probable that the resignation will occur tomorrow
the day following, when the name of Gen. Brls-
tow of Kentucky will be sent to the Senate. The
latter gentleman has been here for several days. but
declines to talk upon the subject
1t is settled that the name of Mr. Richardson will
be sent to the Senate for the vacant iudgeship on
the bench of the Court of CLAIMS, an office for
which Mr. Richardson is better fitted both by char
acter and training than for a member of the Cabl-
net. What is troubling him is the doubt OF his
confirmation. The Judiciary Committee of the Sem
ate is very rigid and will probably not act with
undue haste. 1t is said that it is proposed by
the Secretary that his name be sent to the Senate
for the judgeshp before his successor is named for
the Treasury, the object probably being that the
Senate will quickly confirm him for Judge in order
to get nd of him as Secretary. But the President
would hardly trife with the Senate in that way,
and the Senate would hardly submit to such sug-
geston. SO it is thought that the names of Brstow
and Richardson will 60 in together perhaps to-
morrow. but certainly within three days.
With the retiring Secretary, soon following
him viii go Mr. Assistant Secretary Sawyer, who from
his conduct is beginning to have unfavOrable an
opinion of himself that entertained by the public
at large. Mr.. Banfeld, the Solicitor, who knows
more of the Assistant Secretary then he to tell
at present. will also retire. He has been made the
packhOrse in the Sanborn business by both Richard
son and Sawyer, and they have now no use for
him. While he has not been directly requested to
resign he has received intmations that his resigna
ton would not be disapproved. If Mr.. Bristow ac-
cepts the Treasury Department, Mr.. Sawyer will not
long compose part of it. He may desire to remain
long enough to be "vindicated," but he will not
care to stay long enough to fan into the hands OF
the Ways and Means Committee on other than the
SanboIn subjects.