Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-27
WASHINGTON.
Fresh RumOrs about Secretary
Richardson.
He is to Retire to the Court of
Claims.
Delano Suggested for His Sue.
ceesor.
Report of Committee on Attor-
ney Williams Expenditures.
All tie Departments Arraigned
for Extravaganza.

| WASHINGTON, May ga report is pre-
valent around the Capitol that new Sec
retary of the Treasury will be appointed
within the next As hours.
| LATER.-The rumor in circulation to
day that the President will appoint a new
Secretary of the Treasury either to-day or
tomorrow can be traced to no official
source, though parties holding prominent
positions, say they consider it worthy Of
credit.
LATEsT.-There is no doubt that Secre-
| taTy Richardson will soon retire from office
but some of his friends say he will not do
so till definite action shall have been taken
on the subject of the Sanborn contracts.
The President leaves to Richardson the
| fixing of the time of resignation, and will
nominate him to fill the vacancy on the
bench of the Court of Claims, which he is
now prepared to accept. In view of his
intended resignation as Secretary, tho
COMMITTEE OF Ways and Means will not,
according to the present understanding, in
troduce their resolution censuring the Sec
Tetary, Assistant Secretary and Solicitor of
the Treasury.
An impression prevails in senatorial and
official circles, that Secretary Delano will
be appointed as Richardson's successor, al
though there is no positive authority fol
the statement.
The Landaulet Invest tigation.
The Committee on Expenditures in the
department of Justice report that the act
counts have been properly kept. The
amounts expended under the head
of contingencies from July l, 1870, to Jan.
1, 1874, were S75,SI4. While most of
. -
legitimately expended, yet the committee
are of opinion that a part of
said sum was improperly expended, but
they find that this department is not an ex-
ception in this regard, but that similar ex-
penditures are made in all the departments,
and all of them for many years past have
been accustomed TO make similar expendi-
lures. The committee are of opinion that
in this, as the other departments, larger
amount has been expended in fitting up
rooms than the conditioned the country viii
justify. The practice which has grown
up in all the departments of eXpending con-
siderable sums for knives and gold pens to
be given as Christmas presents TO subordi-
mates. or others, should be discontinued.
The committee are not agreed as TO the pro-
priety or legality Of the heads of depart
ments having suitable carriages and houses
10 answer their purposes of going hither
and thither upon official business, to be
kept at the expense of the Gov
ernment. Yet they are agreed
that these should not be used
in any way disconnected from official
business; that large expenditures for these
matters should not be tolerated, and the
amount to be expended for these things
should be specifically provided by appro-
pTiatiOn. The practice Of eXpending con-
siderable sums out Of the contingent fund
to purchase portraits should be diScontin-
ned, and such things should never be pur-
chased unless authorized by law. Small
as these things are, they are evidences of
an extravaganza which should not now be
tolerated when the people are so heavily
taxed, and when all Of our expenditures
should be as small as the good Of the pub
lie service viii permit. The committee are
satisfied that a considerable sum could be
saved in the Department Of Justice for sta
tiOnery and Office supplies, if the person
whose duty it is to make these purchases
would advertise for bids to furnish such ar
ticles.
Decoration Day.
An Executive order was issued to day
10 close The several departments OF the
Government on the Both inst. in order that
Government employees may participate with
the Grand Army of the Republic in deco
rating the graves Of soldiers.
The Navy Yards.
Secretary Robson appeared before the
House Committee on Appropriations to-day
on the subject OF navy yards. The COM
mittee agreed TO recommend the following
appropriations: For Pensacola navy ward,
S2j0,C00; for League Island, S30O,0O0 for
Mare Island, $3.50, ZOO; for Norfolk $4,000,
and 100000 for each of the other yards.
The District.
The testimony of Chas. 5. johnson. Sec
TetaTy Of the Board of Public Works, con-
firmed AdOlphe Cluss' statement in regard
to how the minutes Of pretended Board
meetings were made up. Assistant Engi-
neer ChaS. Z. Barney, sustained the state
ments Of his chief as TO how measurements
were made.
Frank VI. Smith was called and stated
that he bought a contract for two thousand
dollars from Patrick c. Halves, an employe
of the House of Representatives, who said
he was going to contribute the money to
the Republican campaign fund in Ne
braska.