New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-23
WASHINGTON.

THE TROUBLES IN THE TREASURY DEPART
NENT.
CONFLICTING VIEWS OF REPUBLICAN CoNGREssMEN
AS TO TIRE PROPERTY OF CENsURlSG MtsSi'H'
RICHARDSON, SAWYER AND BANF1EID-UNsUC-
cEssr,rI. EFFORTS TO SECURE A SUCCESSOR TO
Mr.. RICHARDSON.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuNE.l
WASHINGTON, May 22.-The resolutions OF cenSure
against Secretary Richardson Assistant Secretary
Sawyer and Solicitor Banfeld of the Treasury De-
partnent will be reported to the House by the avs
and Means Committee soon as the bill repeating
the Sanborn Contract law shall have been disposed
Of This action of the Committee has occaSioneu
much comment, and opinions are divided on the
question as IL whether the resolutions will pass
good deal of feeling is shown within the Admins
tration party, and two cliques are at work-one TO
defeat the resolutions and the other to adopt them
Few here believe that Mr. Richardson has been
guilty of intentional improperly of conduct, while
the Same cannot he said of Mr.. Sawyer and Mr. Ban
field AGAINST whom the most serious suspicious are
entertained. Mr.. Sawyer was on the floor OF the
House to-day personally impOrtuning members ana
complaining of the action of the Ways and Means
Committee. 1t was regarded as an unbecoming and
undignifed proceeding, of which only the smallest
politician would be guilty.
The members who are opposing the adoption OF
The ways ana Means tOnlmlttees TtsOlutloHS "O
doing So confessedly not because they do not think
that the three gentlemen deserve ceDsure, but be-
cause il would be injurious to the Republican party
to censure one of the Presidents Cabinet officers
and his two chief assistants The other side, which
includes the members of the Ways and Means Com
mittee. hold that if public officer has been guilty
of improper conduct in office he ought TO be CEN
sured without regard to the sect or party to which
he belongs; that it is simply question as TO
whether his acts deserve censure Those opposed
TO censure say that if the gentlemen named are de-
serving of censure, they are deserving OF
Impeachment; that if they have acted
dishonesty or uulawfuly they ought to be pun
shed but they say that such officers entitled to
be heard in their defense. In the absence of that
the strict Administration apoogists say that the
Committee ought TO present the case to the Pres-
dent and ask for their removal. If the President
should snub them as is his custom when advised by
persons as to his course the proposed
are left for Congress to impose. Such views do not
take into consideration the fact that the President
is already familiar with the proceedings OF the
Treasury officials in the Sanbom case, as developed
by the Investigation of the Ways and Means Com
mtee and in their report, and has caused it to be
made known that Mr.. Richardson would not be dis
placed while he is the subject of attack i'll the news
papers and IN Congress.
The PrcSldents friends IN Congress say IL Is hou
for this reason that change has not been made
but because of the difficulty of finding successor
MI WaShburne the Minister to France, has declined
pressing offer of the place, and even Mr.. Delano
who has always sought the office, has lately ind-
Gated that it is no longer desirable Therefore, if
Mr.. Richardson and his suspicious followers are re-
tanned, it will not be for any love of HIM or them
but because of the difficulty of choosing accept
able successor with sufficient recklessness to accept
the office on the terms of subserviency Oh which
alone places in this Cabinet held.