Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-02
WASHINGTON.
SanbOrn Going Halves with
Uncle Sam.
Assistant Secretary OF the Treasury
On the Stand.

4 ASS1SttnI SeCEetaEy " INC EEc1SurY
On the Stand.
| WASHINGTON, April Frederick A.
Sawyer, Assistant Secretary of the TreasII-
~, made his statement this morning before
the Committee of Ways and Means. He
gave his recollection of the manner in
which the provision authorizing the San
born contracts was embodied in the legis-
lative appropriation bill last year. He was
then member of the Senate Appropriation
Committee, but had no personal connection
with the offering of that amendment. In
the committee he believed he voted for it,
as he also did afterwards in the conference
committee. He denied with some feeling
the newspaper assertion that the provision
had been smuggled into the bill. On the
contrary, the same proposition had been
made at previous sessions, and was openly
discussed i'm the conference committee, in
| the Senate and in the House. He declined
to give any opinion as to whether the San
born contract was OF was not in compliance
with the terms of the law. That was
technical legal question. The Secretary of
the Treasury was the proper officer to frame
| these contracts, and he presumed it had
been done with proper care and attention.
He had no personal knowledge of Sanborn,
Presberry, or any of the persons connected
with the contracts, and all his official acts
in reference to them were merely formal,
and done in the regular course of business.
= lie gave an explanation of the manner of
| doing business in the Treasury Department,
corresponding generally with that given
| yesterday by the Secretary; that is, that
| papers were brought to them for their sig
nature. and that where these papers were
| checked by the subordinate having charge
| of that particular branch of business, they
were signed without being read. He de-
Tended the department against imputations
of having withheld important papers from
the committee. and maintained his per-
Sonal recollection and account Of the inter-
view with Beck and Foster, of the commit
tee, in regard to the papers, against the re-
collection and account given of il by these
| gentlemen. The point at issue, however,
was not a very important one, and was
merely a question of difference in under
standing what the agreement between them
| was. He declined 10 give an opinion as to
the propriety Of repeating the amendment
or continuing the law as it is, on the ground
that that was legislative question which
was to be decided by the committee and by
Congress.
District Developments.
| During the morning session of the Dis
trict of Columbia investigation to-day,
some half dozen witnesses were examined
with reference to the special assessments
J for Improvements. The burden of teSti-
mony being that property owners were
assessed for more work than could be shown
to have been done. Testimony was also
| given showing that the railways were not
required to pay any tax for the portions of
carriage way improved by the Board and
used for their tracks.
| PhiIOzOOtic.
House Committee on Agriculture to-day
agreed to recommend tie passage of bin
! for the prevention of cruelty to animals in
/ transportation by railroads, with an amend
ment providing that animals shall not be
| kept on the cars without food and water
! longer than twenty-four hours instead of
the period of twenty-eight hours, as named
in the original bill.
The outstanding legal tenders are $751;
OOO, 1000.
Public Works.
The House Committee on Public Build
ings and Grounds, will report a substitute
\ for Mr.. Garfeld's bill covering into the
| Treasury all appropriations for public build
ings not vet commenced. The substitute
will provide that all past or prospective ap-
| prOpriatiOns for public buildings shall re-
main available until the completion Of the
work for which they are appropriated, but
Will authorize the Secretary OF the Treasury
| TO exercise his discretion as TO the time of
| commencing OF prosecuting any such work
| for the best interests Of the public service.
! Robert Christy, one of counsel for the
memOralists, called attention of the conf
Inittee to statutes at large containing a
law appropTiating $4,000. provided that the
! corporation OF the District Of Columbia
/ would appropriate an equal amount to re-
pair and cObble the pavement on Pennsyl-
vania avenue, west of Fifteenth street, after
which he called S. d. Castleman whoteSti-
fed that the Board of Public Works decided
to act and put down the new pavement on
that avenue at a cost largely greater than
the $50, 1000 contemplated under the az of
Congress referred to.
/ Fowler stated that he was interested in
the National Paving Co. in 1871; that it
was thought best TO consolidate this COM
pany with the Metropolis Paving Co. and
with the Ballard Co. in which witness was
interested: that in August, 1871, he called
on \. X. Shepherd, who was interested in
the Metropolis CO., in company with seve-
raj others. talked the matter over to see
what could he done to bring about that OBJ
ject; saw Shepherd in his office, and after a
preliminary conversation Shepherd took
witness aside and stated, in view of the re-
latiOn he expected to bear TO the new Dis
trict Government, he did not want to be
known as having any interest in pavlngcOm
panies; that witness could see III. kllbaum
and whatever arrangement witness and
Kilbaum could make would be all right fOr
him (Shepherd). Witness understood by
that that Shepherd was willing to have I
secret interest in paving contracts; that he
proposed to have that interest represented
; through Kilbaum; witness knows that Kill
baum saw Shepherd in relation to the mat
ter. The Consolidation was not accom-
plished. however. This took place about
the time (Aug. 1ST1), when Pennsylvania
avenue from First to Fifteenth streets, wal
to be paved under Mayor Emery and the
proposal had reference to a combination L
DO that work; the object in trying to get
a consolidation of the then existing paving
companies was to circumvent the commit
tee on proposals for that work. Witnes:
got none of the work. The Metropolis
COMPANY. in which Shepherd was inter
: ested, did get portion Of it.
The Governor testified that he sold ou
all interest in paving companies when ht
became member of the Board. Fowlel
might have called on him some time o.
other in relation to the consolidation he re
| ferTed to, but he could not recOllect any
, thing of it. He called the attention of th'
, committee to the fact that Fowler teStifiet
this took place in August, 1871, while in
fact the pavement which Fowler said h'
wanted to lay through his proposed combi
nation had actually been laid down sl'
months Gov. Shepherd said, in addition
that he had never held an interest will
? Hallet Kilbourn in any paving or any othe
contract. nor had Kilbourn ever held an,