New-York tribune., 1874-04-01


taTys office you will find cases pending there now
awaiting decision TO who is the real nformer such
matters ere very annoying and EMBARRASSING III the
administration of the law
having the question decided by instead of
ing TO the Secretary OF the Treasury, whose nuarous
duties make IL impossible for him to give 1t proper at
Mr DAWSON course II you impose THAT duty on the
courts they will be bound TO perform It, but II VIII be an
embarrassing and unpleasant duty for the courts.
THE AsroR HOUSE CONFERENCE AGAIN.
Mr. BECK-I have fairly got to understand what
YOU meant by that meeting at the Astor House on the
night before the Slst of December Something was
agreed on there before Mr. Bliss met at your office.
I do not think you have yet stated-but you were at
the Astor House-what was agreed upon therei
Mr. DAvIs-I am glad you refer to it, because. on re-
faction find that did not name gentleman who
was there am very anxious To be distinctly under
stood as what occurred there stated ana now re-
state H. that on day sent for by messenger
from Mr. JAYNE, requesting me to come 10 MS rooms AZ
the Astor House He lived IN rooms tnefe WIN MS lam an
and found Mr.. Jayne there, and MI Knox ana MT
wakenan who were the counsel i3r f1ep p1ISe
tion of compromise in the Phelps Dodge Co case by
the of Dnt whGn a then aid to
me that they had sent for me Tor the purpose Oh
closed up without any further proceedings, meaning OF
course without the necessity OF sending the proposition
y; settlement 10 Washington for approval before its ae-
centance; To which replied that the Collector would
probably not approve OF anything they di9 unless ~
aS"n,cd beforeas basis OF action IN such cases. and
then said TO them that heretofore in some cases the
pracce had been adopted Of selecting some invoice OF
invoices abnnt equal to the which was offered ana
directing suit for that amount 10 Dc eonencdt @ 10Y Wy
the ana on his commencing SUIT ior
that amount demanding that sum, on the party coming
into Offering that sum, IN the nature OF
cognovit Judgment, judgment could DO lmnedlAtey
taken that aud the matter disposed o Win
out delay Mr. Jayno remarked that he recoected lhree
cases in which that had been done The other course
was TO select from the invoices the tainted items,
may so describe them and order suit Tor tnelr Value
and after the suit commenced Tor tne parry "
appear aud give consent 10 cognOVlt. Ihese tso
courses suggested had been adopted on scVeraI occa
sOns by collectors Therenpon Mr Jayne was fequesteu
mot by me, but by the counsel for Phelps Dodge 20
10 ascertain The amount Of those items that were 9eged
10 he affected He down and cured up the amount
recolect nowjn conformity to his recollection
he told me Yesterday that had fallen into ltle error
tbere that the invoices not all present, but he
went through the mass Of Invoices that were pres
eut The other gcutleDcn went Into another rV0ul
and sat there looking through the newspapers WINE
Mr. JAYNE was examining the figures. He went through
ue pacrs tnat no had there aud then announced that
he had not all OF there, but that the result was
e.tiluatug tuat those not present would pr0duce SUD