The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-08-06
GENERAL WASHINGTON DISPATCHES

WASHINGTON, August s, 1874
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE DEPART
MRNT OF JUsTICE-MR. DAvxNpoR1's
THIR1Y-ToUR THOUSAND DOLLARS APPRo-
PR1ArIoN yoR ELECTION PURPOSES COM
SECRET SERVICE YuND-rHE MINORITY Re-
PORT.
The Committee on Expenditures in the Department
of Justice say in their report made to-day :-.rho con-
tngcnt expenses in this department year re-
duced to $l5 SAL, and they recommend that they be
redused to about slO,0O0 They also reported to the
Committee on Appropriations O recommc ndxtion cut
ting of all carriages and vehicles attached the
torney Generals Department which done with
the exception Of ono wagon, which LETT for tho
purpose oil conveying books and material to and from
different departments. They also recommended re-
duction Of the Judiciary Fund to the amount OF
$500, 0o0 believing an appropriation Of s. 500 900
amply sufficient instead Of So 600 O00 heretofore ap
propratsd, making total deduction In the Department
OF Justice OF $525, O00
The committee say that charges made against
certain marshas on account OF their having failed to
settle their accounts required by law; they
mended the institution OF suits against them by the
Attorney General! Certain other marshas dig
missed after the committee mmenced tho invostga
ton of their conduct They have taken considerable
evidence to q too common custom OF marshals IN
taking blank receipts from their deputies In many
instances they tAkc receipts from their deputies for
threeQuarers OF the amount o: their gross earnings
but do not pay them half OF tho amount stated In
the receipt
The committee examined at great length the amounts
of money paid to John l. Davenport for registration
and say that is difficult perceive how the govern
got tho benefit Of tho money gwen to Davenport
aid him In preparing these books when the govern
ment afterward charged IN Davenports accounts
Chief Supervisor OF Elections tor the very work which
Davenport's employees did upon these books. Dsven-
port attempts for tho expenditure OF the
$4,000 by putting N receipts from hts workmen for
their daily labor upon those books when his
In the Treasury Department Chief Supervisor
shows that he charged the every particle
OF work done by those very employee Davenport ned
in his testimony largo number OF receipts, mostly
Of employees vouchers for the expenditure Of that
sum, the nrst series bearing date Of May,
1871, several months before he received any
Of tho $4,000, and the OF them two
years after no received the last instalment Of
So, 900 IN November, 1873 1t was in evidence that
many Of these receipts obtained by and furnished
to Davenport after the investigation began and during
the period in which Davenport's testimony taken.
1t Was also IN evidence that many OF the receipts fur
ture OF this fund were given for money paid for work
done for the Committee OF Seventy u purely election
committee, at Nos 80 and 81 Union square, New YORK.
The committee therefore report that S34 900
accounted for by Davenport.
The committee further report that they found other
evdeaces OF improper OF the Secret Service fund
of the government for political social and other pur
poses 1t evident from the testimony OF whitley
the former chief and Cunz, the former Secretary of
the Secret Service Division in New York, as well
what they tell from they evade that tina. fund
used to influence elections in Now York city The
the part of any officers Of the government misap
preparation Of money to uses no, contemplated by
law, but alter a full and careful consideration
Of tho facts developed by the testimony and
OF tho laws under which tho judiciary iund Is
appropriated, aud the law appropriating the "Ku
Klux Fund" from which Davenport got his money,
tncy ec compelled to report that the President and
the Attorney Generals-Messrs Alderman and WILL
iams-who supplied Davenport with the s34, 900 from
the latter fund, diverted IRON It's proper purpose
entirely foreign to tho objects Of the law Tho
committee make the following Recommendations
Fyrst-In OF tho many extraordinary abuses 10
which mo election laws OF Congress are prostltuted
ana the opportunities for corruption and oppression
which the, Afford IN IN: amusement Of bad men, and
OF their doubtful consttu'lonalty, your committee
recommend the abolition Of supervisors OF election,
and the entire repeal oil said laws.
Second Your committee recommends If said laws
be not repealed, that esther the appropriation OF
$50 900 Department OF Justice herein stcd
as the s.Ku klux Fund" shall longer be made or II
made that IL shall be specifically provided thut NO DOR
ton shaII be used directly indirectly in
or about machinery Of the elections and that
disbursement shall ts rigdly accounted for
zAwd-Your committee recommend that no faad Of