New-York tribune., 1874-04-01

they had any idea of withheld taxes nobody else
had power to collect them. The Commissioner
efectualy disposed of the plea set up by MIR. But
Ter and other friends of Sanbon that if 1T had not
been for the contracts nine-tenths OF the collec-
tons would have failed. He brought with
him large book containing rec
ords. DC, and showed that assessors
and assistants took records of deaths, and that all
the information necessary to collect legacy and sue
cession taxes is in their own hands. Coughlln one
of SsnbOrns detectives had access 10 one OF these
records while Assistant Assessor. and might have
obtained the information that subsequently made
him so valuable TO Sanborn.
In further proof of the character which Banfeld
and Richardson gave to the detective, Green, 1t was
stated by Mr. Douglass that he supposed that Green
officer of the Department, and not the detec-
tive of private citizen, and that he was led to be-
lieve 80 bv the treatment Of him by Ban
field, and Banfeds letter to him Douglass)
In answer to question of Mr.. Beck, the Conmis-
sioner said that if the Sanborn contracts were carried
ont, as they had been started 1t would take from
the internal Revenue Office, the collection OF the
legacy and succession taxes and the railroad tax.
1t was shown that the names of railroads in the
Sanborn lists had been taken from some directory
OF some other source, and that the lists embraced
not only street cars but Also projected roads. The
same association between Richardson, Banfeld, and
Sawyer, which has been observed from the first
grows more and more apparent. They seem TO have
been close corporation. Mr. Douglass never
knew anything about the contracts for months after
they were made, when he sent to the Solicitor
for figures 10 put in the last report He got
nothing as he said, but as soon the subject of
contracts began to be discussed here the entire list
of collections &c, sent to him. He said he
hell hat rio ha of
work, and that he always viewed the system as
demoralizing to bis officers.
Green was recalled to-day, but denied the charge
in Collector Kings letter from indianapolis that he
(Green) had represented himself as special agent
of the Treasury Department in that city. King will
be summoned. Assistlnt-Secretary Sawyer will be
examined tomorrow. 1t is probable that he knows
as much about the. .Sanborn contracts anybody in
the Treasury, except. perhaps, Banfeld.
GENERAL PREss DISPATCH
The Committee on Ways and Means resumed this
morning the Sanbon investigation. Mr. Richard
son. Secretary of the Treasury, was first examined
but nothing of importance was elected from him,
except the express en- of most positive opinion that
the law under which the Sanborn contracts were
given should be absolutely and Internationally
repealed. lie said he had never given any special
consideration to the law ITSELF OF to the contracts
that all laws of that character were impolitic. he
had never been consulted by his predecessor,
Mr. Boutwell,, in reference to the law, or to
the contracts but he was aware that Mr.. Boutwell,
had always had the same aversion TO the law as he
himself had. He had never spoken with SanbOrn
about his contracts and had never been approached
by any other person in Sanboms behalf. He
knew absolutely nothing of the details of
| the matter. Any paper documents which
be had signed he had signed in the ordinary routine
of business without giving them special attention
| He had no recollection Of this interview with
| Simmons in Boston, in which Simmons said
he had been instructed to aid SanborD but he did
not question the correctness Of Simmonss statement
So little did be appear to know of the matter that
one of the members Of the Committee tMr. Beck re-
marked in the subsequent proceedings, that he had
not pressed the Secretary further because he was
| ashamed of the Ignorance which he manifested.
Mr. Douglass, Commissioner of Internal Revenue,
was next examined by the Committee He stated
that be had never been consulted by the Secretary
or the Solicitor of the Treasury in regard to the law
or the contracts gwen under it, and knew nothing of
the latter unless as they came incidentally to his
| knowledge. He stated that the delinquent income
taxes and the legacy and succession taxes and the
| taxes on railroad dividends, &c, which are en-
hraced in tho Sanbon contracts all being col
lected through the regular offices Of the Internal
Revenue Bureau when these contracts were made,
and when the instructions were issued by
| Mr.. Banield Solicitor Of the Treasury
| 10 Mr.. Bliss, United States District-Attorney at
New-York and to the Supervisors and Collectors of
Internal Revenue, directing the latter not to receive
| payment in the cases embraced within those con-
tracts. Those instructions had not been issued
through him, nor had they ever been communi-
Gated to HIM, unless as he learned about
them casually. He had then, GU the 1st of October
lS3 written letter to the Secretary of the Treasury
in regard to these instructions That letter was re-
| ferred by the Secretary to the Solicitor
Of the Treasury, and had never been
answered by the latter. The Solicitor had
told hmlsubsequently that the letter had got into
some pigeonhole OF had been misaid or referred 70
some subordinate, so that he the solicitor had not
attended to it, and had not answered it, and that he
did not know how to answer it,
| Mr.. Douglas also stated that according 70 his
view of the law, no suits could be brought for re-
covery of internal revenue taxes except by his
authority. He did not consider that the Solicitor
| of the Treasury had any right to instruct Mr.
| B}iss to bring suits he had DONE
| In regard to matters under the Sanborn
| contract. He CIR. Douglass had never given
such authority and had no knowledge of suits hay-
| ing been begun until this investigation had deyel-
/ oped the fa1t lie was very positive in the
| belief that there no difficulty in hav-
ing all these derelict taxes collected in the
regular course Of business, and as to ascertain
ing the unpaid legacy and succession taxes, he
exhibited to the Committee book in which asses
were required to keep records of all estates of
deceased persons that were liable to taxation He
had never been consulted about or asked to recon-
mend the passage of such law, although he had