The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-09
THE sANB0RN SCANDAL.
Testimony Touching the veraSity Of the Score
tary and Asistant Secretary Of the Treas
ury-sclieitor BanAsld's Convicting Evil
dence-ChsAper Offers Of Farming the
Revenue Reiectsd-General Butler
in the Role of Outraged Virtue.

Revenue Reiected-General Butler
in the Role of Outraged Virtue.
WASHINGTON, April s, 1874.
To the unpleasant evidence OF corruption In the
management Of the Treasury Department afforded
by the removal OF Commissioner Haines, and which
IL to be fully investigated by the Committee on
Ways and Means, was added to-day the circum-
stantial evidence OF Z. O. Baneld Solicitor OF the
Treasury department, who most explicitly contra
dicted Secretary Richardson and Assistant Secre-
tary Sawyer in regard 70 the giving out OF the
Sanborn contracts. question OF veracity has
been raised between the Solicitor and the Secre-
tary and has assistant, with all the evidence thus
far taken, in the opinion OF the committee. In favor
OF the SOLICITOR. In substance Mr.. Richardson
swore that he new nothing about the contracts,
that he signed the papers "a mere routine bust
ness, and thcdptre responsibility rested upon the
Solicitor. MK lawyers ignorance was regarded
by the commtttce as that Of method and not Of
nfrmlty and, % Mr.. Bannelo had been made
the scapeg0at, he was anxious to show in
this Christian era that the old method Of bearing
anothers sins could not be imposed on him. He
gave the most definite account OF the manage
ment and authority vested in the Solicitors ONCE.
and drew distinctly the line dividing him as an
of1cer OF the Department OF Justice from that OF
advisory law oficer Of the Treasury Department.
Having established all this, he then proceeded to
show that throughout the pending OF the Sanborn
contracts IN the Treasury Department, the whole
matter was entirely in the hands or the Secretary,
and that he never did and never could have drawn
up single paper or prepared single document
without first receiving the sanction OF the Secre-
tary that In this particular matter both Secretary
Richardson and Assistant Secretary SAWYER fre-
quenty consulted; that there was the fullest al.
rection given IN the matter, and that when the
papers were examined by the Assistant Secretary
and signed by the Secretary 1t was the cul-
mination OF previous instructions. It was
true he gave Messrs Presbury and Green their
commissions, as he had perfect right to do, with
out consulting the Secretary. The law gave him
the right but in the other matter now engaging
the attention OF the committee he wanted it un-
mistakably understood that either verbal or writ
ten orders guided him In all he did for the Office OF
the Secretary. All this was exceedingly interest
ing to members OF the committee. who had begun
to think poor memories or inability were requisite
for Treasury Official. To make the evidence
more interesting and that MIR. Sawyer might have
no reason 70 complain Of inability in the Solicit
or's arraignment OF the Secretary, Mr.. Banfeld
informed the committee not only was the Assist
any, secretary not ignorant OF the San6orn con.
about to Accommodate those thirsting for the
money Of delinquent taxpayers. put tnat prior to
contracts were given two gentlemen called at hts
once to convince him that an act passed In 1870
OF so constituting the law as to include the very
corporauons ana parties provided ior Dy subse-
scope 70 the act and facirate &c pusness woner
fully Mr.. Banheld took the matter under con-
sideratlon, and, finally positively refused to favor
Secretary Of the Treasury, the then senator saw.
swore he did not have anything to do with the
business, and thai II was all news to him. Said
distinguisned republican Senator, upon hearing OF
animation today sIn . department. where ability,
integrity and honesty are supposed to exist In
departments, it would seem almost certain that
not one OF these requisite virtues can be found"
ne oi Ways and Means N sSs
session tod My,e examined arss under , oath
related merely to their connection with Sanoorn,
they having originally procured the Information in
which Information was afterwards worked up by
Mr. Coua-.isn and the collection made through the
Mr.. Waddell was to receive TWENTY-FIVE per cent
OF the sums collected, but that rate was reduced
10 per sns sot %s
and his son denied all knowledge OF any connec-
tion with the matter Of any member Of Congress
applied to the Treasury Department Tor contract
under the law, but had received no answer to his
OF Compensation, but he informed the committee
that he would willingly have contracted with the
e. s Tss
on the I ground al that extraordinary Inducements
activity in the collection OF taxes.
Mr.. Butler, Of Massachusetts,, came before the
BEEN eSamined IN reierence to his pVsss aalrs
and that he had not been notified to be present to
hear the testimony and. II he deemed It proper, to
cr0ss-examine the witnesses. He had had much
experience In committees, and It had been his
uniform practice whenever o witness made
suspend the examination and to send for the
member. y he simply asked Tor that measure Of
The chairman, Mr.. Dawes, replied that the
illusions to Mr.. Buffers name IN the testimony
had been only incidental, and that when wit
tee could not know In advance that their answers
would refer to member Of Congress- He as
mittee was to let him see any part Of the testi-
mony which he might regard as In any way
renecting upon him and to give him the fullest OPP
nesses. After long colloquy on the subject Mr..
Beck notified Mr.. Butler that the examination OF
that 1t was very probable that some inquiries
might be directed into the business and operations
Commission unSer General Buer then in conn.,
maud at Fortress Monroe.
Mr.. Butler said that he could not be present to-
morrow, and the only government position held by
Mr. Sanborn was that OF provost messenger, to
keep order on . boat running between Baltimore
and Fortress Monroe.
Solicitor Banfeld also made an additional state
ment to the committee, defending his official acts
in the matter OF the Sanborn contracts against re-
nections upon him, which he supposed we're made
by Secretary Richardson ana Assistant Secretary
sawyer.
The point OF Mr.. Bandeld's statement was that
his duties in regard to the Sanborn contracts were
not original. but merely advisory. That he was
not responsible for initiating the system; but that
he was prepared to share with the other officials
OF the Department. the RESPONSIBILITY Of having con-
after consultation with him, by Secretary
Boutwell, and the then Assistant Secretary
Mr.. Richardson. He stated that with the ex-
cepton or issuing the secret service credentials to
Messrs. Green and Presbery, Mr.. Sanb0rn's agents.
which was o matter wholly In his discretion as
solicitor, he had written nor signed no paper and
done no act connected with the Sanborn contract
from beginning to end, except by the direction of
the Secretary or the Assistant Secretary. He