Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-04-08


frcm the city for two or three days, returned
this morning.
THE REPORT that Mr. Leggett, Commissioner
Of Patents, has rendered his resignation of that
ofice, is without the slightest foundation in
fact.
The HOUSE Appropriations Committee to
day discussed but took no aston on the propo
siti0n to insert in the deficiency bill al apprO-
pTistiOn to pay claims for carrying mails in the
southern states before the war. The am)unt
Of such claims which have been audited is
S344 eco, but it is believed the aggregate will
reach 81 ,0O0, 600.
NAVAL ORDERs.-COmmsnder Austin Pen
dergrsst, ordered to command the receiving
ship Potomac; Chief Engineer Thos. j. Jones,
TO the Swatara; Rear Admiral Thornton A.
jenkins, having reported his return from the
command of the Asiatic station, has been
placed on waiting orders; Lieutenant Com
mander B. III. McCalla has been detached from
the Wachusett and placed on sick leave.
DIR. BLISS and Mr.. Langston, representing
the Board of Health, and the sub committee
of the House District Committee, consisting of
Messrs. Lofiand, Eldredge and Harmer, we're
before the House Committee on Appropri atoms
this morning to urge deficiency appropriation
of S3i COO. caused by the extraordinary expenses
incurred in caring for smallpox patients last
winter. The committee being pressed with
other matters could not accord them q hearing.
IL is understood that the sub committee of the
House District Committee are in favor OF the
proposed appropriation.
TIE DISTRICT INvEsTIGATIoN.-The Dis
trict investigation drags its slow length along
without showing anything of consequence
against the corporate authorities; at least any
thing to Justify the hue and cry they have 81
industriously set up. Their most important
witnesses have been COMPOUNDED by their own
tergiversati0ns and the fat contr adictions OF
better men. The effect is decidedly depressing
To the prosecutors, and cheering TO the friends
Of Improvement and progress. Thus far Gov.
Shepherd has been fully and emphaticslly win.
dIcsted, much TO the chagrin of the dead beats
who have assailed him. The people begin to saw
it is time this thing was stopped. 1t is one big
hGmbug.-Phild. City ITEM.
THE House Committee on Patents to-day
agreed to report adversely Mr.. Chipman's bill
appropriating 81 900 GOO to be dsbursed by the
Commissioner OF Patents, Secretary of the
Smithsonian Institution, the Commissioner OF
Agriculture, the Chief Engineers of the army
and navy, and the Surgeon General to inven-
tors OF discoveries of new and useful arts, ma
chimes, &c, hereafter patented. The commit
fingers bill for the encouragement and relief
of inventors and pstentees, and which author
ICES the Commissioner Of Patents to extend
patents after they have run fourteen years
The committee heard ex-Commissioner of
Patents, Edward Burke, in opposition to the
extension of the patent on the Wickersha am wax
thread sewing machine.
TIE SOUTH CAROLINA TAX DISCUSSION
The subcommittee of the House Judiciary
Committee - consisting OF Messrs. Tremain,
White and dridge-this morning heard the
committee appointed by the republican state
central committee of South Carolina in opposi
ton to the delegation from the Taxpayers con-
vention OF that state, which was heard day or
Columbia Union, first addressed the sub-com.
mittee, saying that the state constitution guar
antees equal justice to all, both white and
black, and protesting against any interference
by the general government. The system of
taxation and representation which prevails in
South Carolina is precisely the same which pre-
walls in every other state in the great American
republic. IL is not true, as has been alleged,
that those who pay the taxes have no hand in
levying them; but it Is true, az can be shown
from the records, that many Of those
who talk the loudest about oppressive taxation
pay no taxes at all, not even O poll tax and
whose names do not even appear upon the tax
lists. Speeches Of the same tenor were made
by Messrs. Whittemore, johnson, Neagle and
Ina and the delegation from the TAXPAYERS >
convention were present.
The Sanborn Contracts Inyestigatiou.
INTERESTING PROCEEDINGS TO-DAY.
The Ways and Means Committee to-day ex-
amined Mr.. Waddell, of Westchester county,
y. T., in reference to the Sanborn contracts
The witness testified that he is a member of the
bar, and that for years before the passage of
the act under which the Secretary Of the Ire:
sury made the contract with Sanborn, he wit
ness had been engaged in investigating the
special subject Of collecting legacy and success
sion taxes. HIS attention was fret called to the
matter by report OF Special Commissioner
David A. Wells, in which it was stated that the
oyernme MT lost at least OIL 900 900 per year of
he taxes referred TO. He made 8 list OF these
rnpad taxes in the surrogate's Office and from
the books OF the assessors in the Brooklyn dis
q nd oflh Ifzt 80 A.
latter made his contract with the government
Tor 10 per cent. OF the taxes collected, which
mounted to about 50 900. Believed the law
Under which Sanborn acted a wise one, but
would have been willing to take the contract OF
olie6 ting the legacy and succession taxes in
Brooklyn at 10 per cent. Never stated that he
would be willing to do this to any officer of the
son Of Mr.. wadden was examined. He
testified that he was engaged with his father in
making the list of unpaid legacy and success
sion taxes for Sanborn, and that The latter did
| lot fulfill his contract by giving ten per cent.
| They got but about IS 600, which was consider
bly, less than ten per cent. of the total amount
Of taxes collected from the persons whose names
v ere on the list furnished by his father and
Himself. He estimated the total amount OF I'M
ey He in
could not possibly be collected except under
ONE such law as the present one
GEN. BUTLRR's REQUEST.
Gen. Butler, who was present, stated that he
understood that the committee had recently
been investigating his private affairs. He
| would request, II the committee desired to 90
into that branch of the subject, that he be al
lowed to be present TO cross examine witnesses.
He read from the Tribune that the investigation
had developed the fact that Sanborn had con-
tributed money to secure his (Butler's) cleo
ton. He was not at all averse to going into an
investigation on this point, but he simply re-
quested the courtesy OF being notified when it
commences.
Mr.. Dawes said it was certainly not the in
tention Of the committee to go into any inquiry
In this direction; Gen. Buffers name had been
mentioned incidentally by witness as simply
introducing Sanborn to Commissioner Doug
Lass.
MI Niblack remarked that he supposed Gen.
Butler was aware that his (B's) name occupied
good deal OF public attention Just now.
Gen Butler, bowling swell, IL il does not 1t
Is certainly not the fault Of this committed"
lLaughter.l
On motion Of Mr.. Roberts, II was agreed TO
submit 70 Gen. Butler any evidence waich NAV
hereafter be taken in which his name Is men,
toned, in order that he may decide for himself
whether he will or will not come before the
committee 70 cross-examine witnesses
Mr.. Niblack said some way or another San.
born was frequently called Cutters msn )" and
the impression seems TO be that he secured his
contract through his B's) influence.
o. nr.NIa aid hav L. 49, q.