Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-04

Treasury Department, showing letter Q
credentials to Mr.. Hogote, the Collector
which letter, however, the witness had no
read. Mr.. Green stated or convened tn,
idea that he had been sent by the Commis
sioner of Internal Revenue to collect th,
back tax on dividends, from the Indianap
oils and st. Louis Railroad Company. an,
he went to the companies Office next da,
and collected the tax. There had been nc
question of the liability of the company Il
the tax, and its secretary had called sever
al times at the collectors Office, and ha(
been referred to the assessor, who had some
difficulty in his own mind as to whethel
the rate Of taxation should be 5 per cent
or % per cent. The railroad company had
entered upon its books the tax due to the
| government. and had always been ready tc
pay it and anxious to pay it.
Witness was specially inquired of as tc
Mr.. Green's representations to him. Mr.
Green positively denied before the commit
tee that he had represented himself as a
special agent of the Treasury Department,
and witness was equally positive in assert
ing that Mr.. Green had so represented him
self. He added that as the newspaper dis
patches OF the day contained exposures OF
NA-~ s-t@-AttAAA NOAAt4 oAto
Green's name i'm connection with them.
witness called them to Mr.. Green's at
tention, and Mr. Green denied the truth of
the telegraphic statements and denied that
any such contracts had been made. He was
the Mr.. Green alluded to in she dispatches.
District GOugery.
At the morning session of the District
Investigation Committee, Col. Wright
Rives testified in relation to the improve
ment of the Bladensburg road, and ex-
pressed the opinion that portions of the
work were defective, though the charge for
the work was excessive. The original es-
innate of its cost, submitted to the Legisla-
ture, was S23,0O0. The actual cost was
$4,000. The road was actually impassa-
ole at times, and witness had petitioned the
Board to have it put in order. There was
heavy grading and filling done and they
paid too much for excavation. They paid
60 cents yard for grading and hauling.
Witness also spoke Ofthe cost of improve
mentS, of the assessments at the interSec-
tion of Third and Z streets near the City
Hal, and stated that too much had been
charged to L street. The Boards had
charged for more curb, wood pavement and
sidewalk on Z street than the measure,
taking the line from New jersey avenue to
North street west. Col. Rives stated that
he had measured Louisiana avenue from
Ninth to Tenth streets west, and that the
Board had charged the United States Gov
er1Iment for 1000 yards more grading than
they should have charged.
Gov. Shepherd stated that with reference
to Louisiana avenue referred to by Col.
Riyes that charge contained an amount of
grading done by the corporation, which
they had never been previously paid for
and which was to reimburse the Board for
what they had done.
Archibald, resident in the country on
Seventh street road. stated that material
was put into the improvement on that road
which had been condemned as unfit. They
charged witnesses for one hundred feet
front more than his property measures on
the Seventh street road. The road was
better for a width of twenty-four feet be-
fore it was improved than it is Row.
5. L. Richards, late Auditor of the dis
irict government, testified that If was his
official duty to act on all accounts present
ed AGAINST the district government. He did
50, and about a yearago he received state
ment and batch Cf bills from the Board
been done by the Board in carry
ing out the corporation laws. The
claims were not as reported to witness.
many Of them were for work when original
contracts We're aunulled or changed. The
auditing commission had, as witness sup
posed, acted previously upon al such
claims and had those claims under consid- !
aTatiOn severaI weeks. He did not think
that class Of bills should be paid out of the
sinking fund, in view Of the fact that it had |
never been authorized by the old corpora |
lion. Witness approved bills to the extent |
Of $4,000, some $4,000 less tlIan the |
amount presented.
A Decade on the Lakes.
The Treasury Department has prepared |
IS complete list as possible of casualties |
D1 the great lakes of this country within |
he last ten years, from which it appears |
hat in that period the number of vessels |
ost was 4.j27, the loss of life amounted TO |
7.341 persons, and the loss of property az
,regated S57,370,062.
Mennonite.
The Senate Committee on Public Lands |
o-day heard a delegation of three MennO- |
liteS from Pennsylvania and two from |
Russia who asked that legislative arrange
nentS be made for the settlement IN this /
county of some 10000 MennOties now liv- |
ng in Russia, who are obliged 10 emigrate
rom that country prior to the year 1881, or
.lse perform military service which the
enets Of their religion forbid. The Com
nittee authorized Senator Window to pre-
lare and report to the Senate bill author
Zing the Secretary Of the Interior to with
lraw from public sale such large tracts of
and as they desire to occupy within the
leXt two years by homestead or pre-emp-
ion entry.
The committee also heard the delegation
rom Wisconsin advocating the extension
f the st. Croix railway grant which has
apSed in consequence of noncompliance
With the conditions relating to the time of
The Alabama Award.
The House Judiciary Committee this
morning postponed the further cOnsidera-
ion Of various propositions for the distri-
ution Of the Geneva award until Monday
he 18th inst, when it is their intention to
axe final action in the matter.
Deficits.
The House Committee on Appropriations
7ere again occupied in the preparation of
be deficiency bill. Ii considered without
ctiOn the request of the commissioner of
Internal revenue to be authorized TO trans
II certain balances of appropriations in Or
eT 10 be able to adjust the accounts of the
ureau and also discussed the propriety of
the deficiency appropriation
$4,000 to make good the loss sustained |
Y the trustees of the reform school of the
district of Columbia by the failure Of Jay
oOke x Co. Objection is made to this
lastYear's appropriation for this
should have been drawn from
he United States Treasury only as actually
eeded and should have not been drawn
1t for deposit elsewhere.
Another Railroad Subsidy.
Congressman Nesmith, Of Oregon, made
gument this morning before the House
Omrittee on RAILWAYS and Canals upon