New-York tribune., 1874-04-15
definite information NAV be obtained as to RESPONSE
bilty in the Treasury Department.
SEMI OFFICIAL REPoRT-DIsCOvERY OF coNIhACio
ANTERIOR TO sANBORN's.

SEMI OFFICIAL REPoRT-DIsCovERY OF coNIkAoio
ANTERIOR TO sANBORNs.
GENERAL PRESS DIsPArCHl
WASHINGTON, April 14.-The Committee on
Ways and Means this morning examined Mr. N. %
Odell, treasurer of the Delaware, Lackawahna' anu
Western Railroad Company, and Mr. Lucieh nav"
ley, Supervisor Of Internal heVen"o ~
the State OF New-York. MI odeii s'"
the circumstances under which his company n"u
paid t99es5 back taxes to the Government ihe
10 the payment had been caused by conhicng
of the Commissioner Internal Revenue Mr. fieas-
anton had deoded that the income for ve months
OF 1871 should be only per cent and his successor
cided that the rate should be nVe per cen''
and the question had been pending 1or oecS'on
In the courts. With that exception al 'n0 ~
due by the Company were regularly en'ercu o
It's books and were from time to time, comnui'o"
to the Assessor. Finally the question ha'ins o''n
cided, the statement was made ND py mI. ouo
and the tax was paid in conformity with It, lie hau
never heard Of Sanborn, or any OF MS AEcn,
in connection with the matter, and was co"pio'.,
surprised when he subsequently saw pY Tue pr'nso.
official documents that half OF the amount hao
been maid nv the Government to sanbOrn. His
attention was called by member OF the Committee 10
the fact that although he had sent check Tor the
amount direct TO the Secretary OF the treasury o '"o
9Th of Jannary last letter from Sanborn 70 the oecre
tary OF the Treasury dated two ddys aterward btaoS
the date amount number OF the check and that the
lars could not have ascertaned by Sanborn except
through the Treasury Department.
Mr. Hawleys statement showed that although San
horns contract the railroad taxes was dateu on 'no
7th of July 1873 he had obtained the cooperation vi
himself and his assistants at least two months
earlier. In the examination iof Mr. Ha"eS
no cave as n reason why he was astonished at the
sanborn contract that he had already been operating
in collecting derect taxes In New-York under con
| tract with Mr. VIM. p. Wood. He had collected *i'o"
| from one Henry Howard and $4,000 from man
named L. Wallace. Tho existence OF such contracts
| anterior TO sanborn's seemed to astonish the COM
! mittee very much. Mr.. Hawley gave the names OF
Messrs Alden Stone, and stiner who while In tue en-
Payment and pay of the Government mad peeh turnea
over TO aid sanborn He did not know that sanborn hao
maid them anything he did know that they had re-
ceived their pay regularly from the Government ho
| was questioned by Mr.. Roberts as follows;
O. Did sanborn give you any information IN any case
| ms TO taxes or did he simply name the casesi A. lie
never gave me any written information ne wouid hahe
| @ case and sometimes talk abontit.
O. WHAT advantage was it to you. or to the Govern
men TO have sanborn connected with the Delaware and
Lackawana Company matterf A. Merely TO call atteh-
| ton to H. and to set on foot an examination
O. Was II not your duty as Supervisor OF the District
OF NewYork 10 that the Assessors and Collectors dd
their dutyl A. The law makes 1t my duty 10 see that
all laws and instructions obeyed and carried out
Both witnesses were instructed TO furnish the Com
| mittee with copies OF certain ttltBIams
tions.
| CURRENT TOPICS AT THE CAPITAL
AMEAsURE OF ECONOMY PASSED BY THE HOUSE
| WASHINGTON, Tuesday, April IA. 1874
| Whoever tries to put a measure OF economy
| through the House has hard aud ungrateful task
before him. Not many succeed in such an under
taking, or get any sympathy when they fail. 10
day Mr. Kellogg Chairman of the Civil Service
| al n nh
Appraiser of Merchandise at more than dozen
ports where the position is a sinecure He immedi
atey found himself in about as uncomfortable
situation as a boy who throws stone into hornets
nest All the members whose appointees were to be
cut off by the bill buzzing about his ears at
once He appeared to enjoy the sport, however and
fought his bill through with an energy and pluck
that in the end secured for it the support OF the
whole House. exceptinglonly the representatives. of
the Custom-bouses affected by it, Having convinced
members that they could not snuff out his bill by re-
ferrng 1t to the Ways and Means Committee, and
that il was measure of practical reform that they
could not afford to vote down. he allowed after
another Of the members from the CustOm-hOuse dis
tricts to move and ad vocate amendments to save
their appointees from the proposed general decapta
ton. New England member attempted to create
sympathy for his appointee by speaking OF the
beauty and importance Of the town IN which ne
holds his Office This town he described, quoting no
doubt from the geography as beautifully situated
on both sides of q river, and covering over
three square miles of ground." :. 1t was of no
use. his amendment was voted down; 80 was MIR.
ParsoDs's of Cleveland and Mr.. Platts, whose Nor,
folk Custom-house collects only $4,000 year anu
costs $4,000. The bill was finally passed without
change, amid general laughter at the discontinue
| of the CustOm-hOuse members, whose forces 80
dwinded away that only three men were lett at tne
last to demand the Yeas and NAYS. The blll abol-
shes the Office of Appraiser at Providence, rltts-
| burgh, Louisville, Evansville, Milwaukee, CIeye-
| land Toledo Memphis, Mobile, Norfolk, ana Port
land Oregon; and the office of Assistant Appraiser
| at Philadelphia Baltimore. Charleston and Savan-
nah The salary of each Of these officers il S3VVo;
| 50 the SAVING effected ID SS,OOe.
THE SUBSTITUTE FOR. MR.. SUMMERS CIVIL
RIGHTS BILL.
| The substitute for Mr. Slinnefs Civil Rights Dill
reported by the Judiciary. Committee to-day pro-
vdes that all persons within the Jurisdiction OF the
United States shall be entitled to full and equal en-
| ioyment of inns public conveyances on land or
water. theaters and other places Of public amuse'
ment and also of common schools and public insti-
tutions Of learning or behevoence, supported IN
whole or in part by general taxation, and Of ceme-
teries so supported subject only TO the conditions
| and limitations established hy law and applicable
alike TO citizens Of every and color regardless
of any previous condition Of servtude. Any person
| DENYING to any citizen any privileges conferred by
the bill shall pay $500 to the person aggreved ana
| shall also be deemed guilty of misdemeanor' ana
upon conviction thereof shall be fined not less thah
$500 nor more than 81 OO0 be imprisoned not less
than thirty days nor more than one year. The Dls-
trict and Circuit Courts of the United States are
given exclusive of the courts of the several states
| cognizance of all ofenses against the DILL ana
actions may be prosecuted in any United States court