New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-02
WASHINGTON.
TIE SANRORN CONTRACTS.

20
= - u ,,,vr or ,syEsIIG ATIoN-sANBoRNs
r,,n, ro INTIMACY WITH THE EX-sECEEIAhi
xATIY pIsPUTED-BANFIELD CoNTRADlCIED-
MORE ABOUT ROUTINE WORK OF TIE Sh|"N
TARY OF THE TREAsURY-GEN. BUTLER hAhiN1
ANXIOUS INQUIRIES.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THs TRIBUNHJ
WASHINGTON May 1.-Senator BoutweH mace !"
statement before the Ways and Means Coihlh'.teo
.odov With reference TO his connection, while
Secretary of the Treasury, with the SahooIn con
tracts His testimony not more Satisfactory
,bop that Of twothirds of the witnesses in this re
,narkabIe investigation; for with what he did not
know and with what he did as matter OF routine
the Committee obtained very little light 1t wouid
be n great comfort to the members OF the Comhit'ec
IT, before the inquiry is closed. two witnesses cou
he found who would cOrrobOrate each other Ill
statements of facts. 1t may be SAID that IhuS
far there has been q great diversity OF testlhonS
md il the testimony of each witness could De oe
6eyed as against another there has been worId OF
perjury going on. This has been entirely uhneceS-
sary for all the testimony has been printed from DAY
,odav and little careful consideration would have
given the evidence q more trustworthy character
among Congressman.
Mr. Sanborn when he was examined desired II to
be understood that be was such friendly terms
with Mr. Boutwell, as 10 get contract without Tue
intervention of Gen. Butler or anybody else. both
were from Massachusetts, and both belonged 10 the
came marty. Sanborn's standing with the Committee
imnroved from that time But Mr.. Boutwell, Tepu-
dated it to-day; il was not true; Mr, BontWeu qua
not know Mr.. Sanborn; at least, he believed he
did know him slightly as special agent
but as a contractor never. The eX-SecretaTy salu
that the subject of the contracts never spoken
of between himself and Sanborn, and he did not
until recently know that Sanborn had contract
III, ri Rqpfpld Solicitor
whose testimony was to the contrary Mr.. Boutwell,
said that after the law was passed he had talk
with the Solicitor as to the form of contract winch
was agreed upon He presunes the contracts which he
signed were after that form but he had recollection
of signing them, in this respect resembling the pres
ent Secretary, who signs papers he knows nothing
about as a mere matter of routine" He said IN
preparing forms his mind directed to two
things one. the retention of the power to revoke
the contracts. and the other to provide that no
money should be paid into the hands OF the con-
tractor; he didn't have much faith in detectives.
s Mr. Boutwell, was greatly puzzled when, being
crossexamned as TO the revocation OF the contracts
he was asked why he retained that power. He indi-
Gated that if the contractor did not act in a proper
and legal manner, his contract could be abrogated.
He was closely pressed. but of course, the busi-
ness was so arranged that he could know nothing Of
it, ne could not revoke the contract. There was no
system of checks. If Sanborn chose TO take case
ont of the hands of Internal Revenue officer and
collect it, nobody in the Treasury would ever find
ii out although the exSecretary admitted it would
be sufficient cause TO take contract away. He said,
without a shame and without hesitation, that his
attention had been called to the subject Of the
contracts since the signing of the first contracts,
although he was in office nearly a year afterward
He thought 80 per cent too high rate but it was
the same as allowed in moiety and other cases.
The ex-Secretary, III reply to questions by MI.
Foster indicated pretty clearly that 1t was Ban
fields funeral" and not his. He felt entirely at
liberty to RELY on Banfed for the law and for pro-
ceodings under il. He thought the subject of the
contracts legltimately belonged to the solicitor.
When he said that the proper officers" referred
10 IN the law meant IN his opinlOni the
officers Of Internal revenue, he convicted
himself of inattention to the public business,
not 10 use a haTsher term; for he never con-
suited the Commissioner of Internal Revenue on
the subject Of the law and Sanborn never had any
thing 10 DO with him OF the officers of his bureau,
notwithstanding the law says the contractor shall
assist the proper officers Of the Government"
Simmons Buffers Boston manager, was smart
enough TO say he believed the proper officer" was
the Secretary Of the Treasury; Hawley OF New
York was Of the same opinion.
MI Boutwell, sand that not only had he never
spoken 10 Sanborn about the contracts but the sub
jcct 50 far as lac remembers, never mentioned
between himself and his assistant, Mr.. Richardson,
and subsequently, he said he had talked very little
with Banied about it. He considered it the duty
of Banfeld to find the limits of legal author
ity Of a Secretary. He was asked by
MI Dawes just as the examination was
closed whether he considered it proper
for the Treasury Department to insert all the rail-
roads in ADpleons Guide as persons corporations
owing taxes withheld from the Government; but
tie exSecretary did not think he ought to be asked
10 answer that question. Mr. Boutwell, has evil
IDENTIFY not recovered from his Illness and he seemed
very weak and exhausted when he had finished his
testimony.
Gen. Butler returned home this morning, and his
first act was TO hasten to the Committeeman to
learn what evidence had been elected against him
since be has been gone. If there was anything
shat reflected on him he was ready TO answer it.
MIR. Dawes informed him that 1t was hardly within
the province Of the Committee TO determine what
might reflect on him, but that il he desired to be
heard the Committee would hear him. The Com
mittee had received from the Treasury Department
some of Sanborn's accounts in which it was
shown that he frequently telegraphed to Gen. But
leI The latter made small matter of ii, as he does
Of everythinR, and said the dispatches related to
certain cases SanbOn III pursuit Of in his dis
trict. Butler said he recommended DE Kay as As
sistant DistrictAttoney. Gen. Butler did not seem
relish the fact that in every turn Of the invest
cation his coat tails visible.
A MoIRTY BILL AGREED UPON BY TIE WAYS AND
MEANS COMMuTKE-THE REPEAL OF THE SAN
BORN CONTRACT RECOMMENDED.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUHE.l
WASHINGTON, May 1.-The Committee on Ways
and Means tonight finally agreed upon moiety
IL. + h - lnrn