The Portland daily press., 1874-04-16
WASHINGTON.
The SanbOrn Investigatrou.

WASHINGTON, April 15.-Assistant Secretary
sawyer appeared before the Ways and Means
committee to day and testified that there was
some discrepancy between Solicitor Banfield's 9
recent statement and his own.
Mr. Sawyer then made long statement. He
sald ne did not have any ASSOCIATION with Mr..
i6 15anheld relative to the letter to DR. Presbery
Inc ietter is simply request, but yet request
winch he would not have made if it had been
eXPialned that Presbery was simply agent
OF oanborn instead of an agent for the govern
me4t, as he lSawyer) knew Presbery had been
an internal Revenue Supervisor. All the let
ters OF introduction given by Boutwell, aud
~ nioHaIoson pear evidence OF being written in
never gave the opinion that the act of 1870
eouid Dear the construction authorizing such
contract as Kelsey obtained and never asked
banheld to give such a construction He
I4fther reported the position of the Solicitor.
de said that the impression conyeyeI by Ban
teld that the office of solicitor was sinely
clerical was wrong. He was considered as a
competent, sagacious lawyer. conversant with
the provisions of the law, able to advise and
dlrect in the administration of the law. The
secretary Is held responsible for the admins
traeloh OF the law and for every document he
sslgns. In the case of these contracts the So
ncitor IN the division of pensions is required to
draw them up, and the general management of
tue work under than is committed to his
charge and whatever he has done has been sup
aone with his eyes open to the responsibility,
tne Secretary would assume by the adoption of
nls acts He (Sawyer) considered the compen-
satlon to Sanborn too liberal
supervisor Fulton of Maryland testified that
Aeisey Clarke and others showed him author
llty from the Treasury department to collect
legacy and succession taxes although he (Ful-
Office. '''
Treasury Balances.
= foil
day;CCurrency, 2,578, ,666; special deposit of
legal tenders for redemption of certificates of
deposit S53, ,635 ,000 coin, S8S e24 588, including
coin certificates $35, GIG, 500; outstanding legal
tenders, $3S2, ,000, 900.
Internal revenue receipts to-day S13S, ,475.
The District Investigation.
The District investigation Committee exam
ined Mr.. jenkins relative to the Crittepden
letter, but he declined making statements as to
their contents as they were destroyed last Feb
ruary.
Mr.. Gibson, correspondent of the New
parties alleged as interested in contracts, ac-
cording to letters and the Committee retired
for consultation.
After reassembling Senator Thurman stated
to Mr.. Gibson that he must answer the ques-
tions as to who informed him that A, C. Ho-
mer was interested in contracts with the
board of public works. Mr.. Gibson requested
time to consult his informant and he was al
lowed till Friday as the extreme limit.
Homer testified he was never interested in
any contract in the District
DR.. Filbert testified that he and Z. C. Le-
fance, II. KilDarn, j. G. Evans, and Mr.. Ball
were the Metropolitan Paving Company, but it
is not now in existence. They had contracts
amounting to some 100000 and received $780,
0O0 In money, the remainder in bouds, etc.
The Naval Bill.
Mr. Cragin's bill introduced in the Senate to-
dnx dot xy.,ff I'll n-Al
for the better government of the navy pro-
yides that petty officers and seamen shall be
sent home to some port on the Atlantic and
Pacific coast on whichever they enlisted on
the expiration of their terms of enlistment,
unless detained by the requirements of the
public service, in which case they shall be sub
ject to all the laws and regulations of the navy,
but shall be allowed the 4th additional pay
A Islander Refuted.
An article recently appeared in the news
papers TO the effect that Haines, Commissioner
of Customs, knew of facts SO damaging to
Secretary Richardson and Sawyer as would
cause their removal. Mr., Haines authorizes
the announcement that this statement, made
without his knowledge OF consent, was totally
and is entirely untrue.
The Merr;mon Bill.
The Finance bill, having received the sigma
ture of the President pro tenn of the Senate,
and of the Speaker of the House of Represen-
tatiVeS, VIII De presented 10 Tile FfeSldent TO-
morrow for his approval. There are no indca-
tons that he will within Id it,
Various Matters.
The House Committee on Territories to-day
agreed to report a bill for the admission of
New Mexico into the Union as State.
The House Committee ON Commerce to-day
having under consideration the removal of OBJ
structions from He'll Gate, decided to recon-
mend an appropriation of $3.50
The Senate Committee on Territories as a
result of prolonged investigation of charges
brought by delegate Chaffee against General
Edward McCook, decided to recommend the
confirmation of McCook's nomination to be
Governor of Colorado Territory in place of ii.
B. Elber, to be removed.