New-York tribune., 1874-05-20

fry TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
w.suScros. Nav 19-The prompt passage by
t.e House of the Roberts MOiety bill to-day with-
sut any show of opposition, is an evidence OF tne
senstiveness of members to public OPINION, as wen
ss a complete Endorsement of the action OF the ways
and Means Committee in exposing the odious ana
.,pressve operations of the horde of spies and in
formers who have made the New-fork custom
house appear like den Of robbers to the merchants
Of that city. Although the whole day was occupied
bv debate upon the bill, there was not single
speech made against il; even Gen. Butler held his
peace seeing how useless it would be to try to stem
the current. Mr. Robertss speech was an admirably
clear statement of the evils of the moety system ana
Of the effect Of the reform proposed by the pending
bill. Summarizing its provisions. he SAID that the
bill swept away arbitrary processes for the seizure
of books aud papers, abolished the moIety SYSTEM
and substituted for ii moderate rewards. PROVIDED
instead of q forfeiture of the entire involce In the
case of undervaluaiOn, forfeiture only OF the ar
tcle undervaued and fine of not exceeding SoooV'
and in case of the omission of any charges going to
make up the value of an article penalty OF double
the value of the article The object of the measure
m brief was, he said to make all penalties so mod
crate as to be certain and to make their collection
the result of law and not dependent upon the favor
OF vengeance of any officer.
Mr.. Beck speaking as a Democrat, was naturally
more severe than Mr.. Roberts upon Jayne and his
tribe. With the materials furnished by the testi-
mony taken by the Committee he drew striking
sketch of Jayne sitting in his dismal little den,
where the gas-lght burned all day, setting forth the
terrors of the law while dangling pair OF hand
cuffs before the victim who had fallen into his
clutches, and occasionally trying them upon his
wrists to increase the terror of the poor merchant
nntl he had frightened him into complying with
his demands. Another sketch was equally grapmc
and effectve he pictured Mr. Wm +. Dodge ap-
pearng before Jayne and the Custom-house chiefs,
all assembled, with Batter as their counsel and
Senator COnklng seated at Laflin's elbow expound-
ing the statutes and declaring that the whole
invoice was forfeited, but advising his
friends to take less than the penalty of S5OO,OOo
upon (which they were insisting. Messrs. Roberts
and KasSOn declared that the testimony of Mr.
Dodge did not warrant the statement that Mr..
Conkling was acting the counsel Of the Custom
house officials; Mr. Beck had part Of the testimony
read where Mr.. Dodge applied the term counsel very
explicitly to the Senator. In reply, Mr.. KassOn
produced Mr.. Dodge's last testimony, in which the
witness stated his belief that Mr. Conklng was
present by accident, and had no pecuniary interest
IN the case. Finally, Mr. Dawes came up apparently
as a Reinforcement to the Senator's defenders, with
an extract from Judge Davis's testimony, which,
when read, proved to be more damaging than help
full to their cause for it showed that Mr. Conklings
Interpretation of the law was all against Phelps,
Dodge & Co, and in favor of JAYNE.
Speeches followed by Messrs. Kasson Wood,
Niback and Burchard and at the close of the de-
bate Mr. Dawes took the flOof and created something
of a sensation by attacking the corruphons of the
Custom house, and giving the Administration few
Of his dexterous and peculiar back-handed slaps.
Some of the Administration party were good deal
nritated at this speech, they generally are when
MI Dawes frees his mind on the abuses connected
with the Government, which he has an uncomfort-
able habit of doing once or twice year.
Mr. Beck withdrew his amendment prohibiting
Congress men from acting counsel in revenue
eases, not wishing, he explained, that it should en-
danger the passage of the bill. The third section,
which gave the Dstrct-Attorney power to compel
the production of books and papers in court was
then stricken out after it had been materially modi
fed by an amendment offered by Mr. Poland and
the bin was then passed without division.
The passage of this bill, especially with the Omis
SION Of the third section, is great triumph for the
importing merchants of the Atlantic seaboard.
Their representatives in Washington find fault
with the bill it stands III only one important
particular they fear that under inefficient
rupt management of the Treasury Department, the
informing business may be developed by future San
II
a. the recent Sanborn contracts but there is less
danger of this where the merchants books and pa
pers are held sacred as they will be if this bill be-
comes law and with honest administration of the
DEPARTMENT there could be very little abuse The
friends of this bill very fearful that it will yet
fail in the Senate, the members of which not
sensitive TO popular opinion as the members of the
House. There are several ways in which this can
be doue--by impeding its passage through the Com
mttec to which il may be referred; by aDtagOnZing
with other bills and not putting il upon the order
Of business TO be attended TO before adjournment,
and by amending it and sending it back to the
House too late for agreement between the two
Houses. Some Of the ablest representatives of the
New-York and Boston merchants are expected here
the week early next to urge upon the Senate
prompt action on the bill.
TIRE LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATION BILL.
TIE sENATE-CHIEFs OF DNIsIoN-THE USE OF
GOVERNMENT PROPERTY FOR PRIVATE PUR-
POSES,
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.l
WASHINGTON, May 19-The Senate, in amending
the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Appropria-
ton bill which was passed to-day, upset some of
the most important reforms incorporated in
the bill by the House. Ono of these amend
ments continues an almost useless body of
ten officers in the Treasury Department not known
before the present Administration and denominated
chiefs of divisions. Under the old system, when a
communication was received by the Secretary of
the Treasury which related to the business of any
of the bureaus of the Department, clerk, after
making record Of it, sent it to the proper bureau
Now all such letters go TO the chief