New-York tribune., 1874-02-11
WASHINGTON.
, TREASURY EVASION.

an INTEREST OF ASSISTANT Sf''''' COM
NJ THE MArTER-THE WAYS AM
AITTEE DISSATISFIED .,.,,,Ypl
fay TELEGRAPH TO Tue rh'Honl"l ..,oi
uy,s,,NGroN Feb. 10.-An amusing .i''.' ,I,a G..
ma ,,orformed today over the ie'tei "' H.
,,tarv Of the Treasury transmitting 'oP'o .fo,,,
sorborn contracts The document was i"'" -
,,o House by the Speaker, together WIZ - .,
ovoctive communications, but contrary u
the custom with such papers, he ulu noe os ~ no
1-o,,;nted This awakened the suspicious u 'l'1
" -. .,,rosrcn5ents in the gallery anu
noy kent a sharp watch ON INC
"a. - had lain on tho Clerks u'9N
Ia, s.mnel Hooper came mp, handieu " very
,-o,ly aud took if TO Mr.. Beck, and ai'ef Co'9'i'
',',,gitb him brought il back. Then the Clo'N y,
,to Wavs and Means Committee was sent lor anu
-, ,,,ord over il at the desk while 1t was Jour
,o,igod The document ought TO have gone at once
,ooo of the offices of the Clerk of tho House To DC
entered on the book where list Of Executive g9lu-
,npnications is kept, but instead the cierN VINO
,oLoo tbis list vas summoned 10 the desk to take
it of tho indorsement on the letter, and 1t was
tb,, caDtllrei by the Ways and Means Cloik ana
tolen first 70 Mr. Dawes and then 10 the Committee
room As q communication addressed to tine speaker
Of The House in reply TO resolution lt was puOhc
aocument. and this apparent attempt 10 Keep il
FINN the press had an exceedingly suspicious look
number of correspondents Immediately wanted on
Mr. Dawes and asked the meaning OF the perform
nanee MI Dawes said that his Committee had
aetormined TO examine the document before allow
inc IT tl be made public in order to see If the Sec
rotary had complied with the resolution OF the
House an explanation chat was rot at all salts
factory Later in the day alter a subcommittee
lad got together and looked at the document, 1t
was sent out TO the Office whcro 1t should have
zone at irst and the srepTes natiyes of the press
had an opportunity Of sCeingIt
So far as the documents themselves are concerned,
they amount to little, for they arc not what the
House called for. They are copies, nc doubt, OF GER
tain portions Of the contracts called for by the House
resolution but they are garbed that their exact
import is lost. They five in number, two Of them
having been abandoned by the original contracting
parties The one with Sanbom, which is the most
important, involving Us ii does collections TO the
amount Of over S)O00OO, is signed by Mr. Richard
son as Acting Secretary yet this gentleman,
not week ago, said he was opposed TO the
contracts, and would stop the whole sys-
tenn if he could. IN this case he contracts with
Mr. Sanborn in a matter involving over $6OOOOO and
agrees to paw rate of 80 per cent for collecGona
rate probably never equaled in business matters
between individuals certainly never in a case where
such large sum was possible of collection with so
email an amount Of trouble, The contracts merely
show that tbtre is reason for believing that certain
persons and corporations have not paid the amount
of revenue taxes justly due the Government and the
contracting parties stipnlaJc to collect it. In the
papers sent TO the House only The amount is given,
and no mention is mado Of the names of the persons
regarding whom tine contracts made nor is there
any data 10 show the amount of money Mr.. SanboIn
and his associates have collected
II has been AGAIN and again predicted by THE
TRIBUNE, that the Treasury. Department would
eyade the House resolution, and when il was said
that Mr. Sawyer, the Assistant Secretary, had en-
deayOred to obtain modification Of the resolution
from the WAYS and Means Committee long after it
had passed the House and wholly beyond tho con-
troll of the Committee, that gentleman in public
conversation denied that he had been before the
Committee and that all the Department wanted
was TO know exactly what the House
required. Yet in the letter sent to the House to-
day the Secretary says that it IS deemed advisable
20 avoid any unnecessary publicity. Members Of the
Committee however cay that the resolution was
drawn for the purpose Of covering all the documents
that would throw any light upon this unprecedented
proceeding. No doubt was expressed that it was
broad enough, but it seems that the department
.
TO have been furnished il one even now furnishes
only mutilated copy Of them. and declines to sup
ply more information except by additional direction
Of the House.
What strange influences are at work in the Treas
my Department in this matter it is impossible low
TO point ont. One thing is regarded as somewhat
singular and that is the interest Of Nh Sawyer in
the contracts all the way through. In the first
place 1t is not denied that lac was the author of the
section authorizing the making OF the contracts.
tic Is next seen, while still member of the Senate.
@ttostng the signatures Of the contracting parties
OF one OF the contracts Subsequently, as Assistant
Secretary Of the Treasury, he suggested to members
oi the Ways aud Means Committee that il would Lo
improper to allow certain portions Of the Contracts
10 Dc made public. In addition, it is said that
he has had charge Of the preparation of the
papers aud that 1t was through his influence M:t
Inc principal points in the contracts were ,o,,it+od
rbo o"n 70 ~ ry.,,: !. ." Tue su,@cc::.
a;1.a,,,r """ .aeans Committee are very much
med with the manner IN which their Tesolu
tOn has been treated and 1t is by means improb-
able that investigation VIII be ordered into the
whole subject One thing is certain, the Treasury
Department Is by law required to furnish inforna-
alton at the call of Congress- and the Committee are
determined that the schedules, etc, containing the
names Of ibe alleged defraudiug persons and Other
information OF like character shall be furnished.
TO TINS end, Mr.. Randall Of Pennsylvania just be-
lofe The adjournment introduced aresolution calling
lor the names of Ihe persons referred to- together
WIN The schedules il the cases and correspondence
"leh has passed on the subject, and which is in the
hahus OF the Secretary. This resolution was re-
'e'red 10 the Ways aud Means Committee
oh""IIANf RICHARDSON'S LITTER AcoNpANYING
THE CONTRACTS
lGENKRAL PRESS DrsPATCHl
"AshlSOION, Feb. l0.-The following &c Secre-