National Republican., 1876-03-24
CAPITAL TOPICS.
(coatinseS from Ffra Pagr.)

was then rather prosecuted than prosecutor
were proven by the records and by various wit
nesses, but certain other parties, whose names he
gave to Mr.; Van Irump, q Dsmoetatic
| witness was not certain whether or not Van
Trump asked tie committee to summon them.
Their testimony would have been only cunula.
tive as TO the rascally transactions OF the con.
iDed by the committee had sho 1n in regard to the
route from Oroviile, California, TO POrtlaud Ore.
gop, that 1t had been frsuduently let to Altman,
| and nlega ally to Barlow. Bot behind all that
! record, It could have been ascertained from ALL
| man and Carr how It WAS that the Government
paid $4,000 more than 1t should have paid for
| Service on this route during a few months ALTMAN
could have testified that he was paid by certain
parties $40, per month not to bond on his bid
and execute his contract, the service being mean
| while performed BY Cnrr, under a temporary con-
tract from the Government, at 500 per day.
facts as they we're told him By credible authority
| Mr.. salisbury was one OF his informants. The
wtLess, in the course Of his statement mentioned
the contract through Senator Eye's influence.
Mr.. Cannon, q member Of the committee, who
that Nye's name was "Iugged in and that tbs
| witness was shopping over" Col Mckibben
resented this with severity, saging he would mot
not put his interrogatories in different form they
| would not be answered. The other members Of
ticn. and expressed their opinion that the refer.
| epce to Gov. Nye had been brought out by Mr..
| cannon own questions.
S. :. Huntley, q partner OF Mr. Barlow was
/ then examined. His testimony, as far as given
yesterday, was TO the same elect as his partners;
mcpeT ~ slthoupb " tbey bad p,,d srsat asa, OF
black.mAil to save loss and trouble in regard TO
their business and had expended large amounts
in buying of lower bidders for c Jntracts. HIS
examination will be continued TOMORROW.
In the oldsn Time.
The following is copy OF a communication on
| the subject of an Inquiry into the eIpedlency OF
| Increasing the compensation of the exs,utivs
officers Of the Government seventy seven years
age:
| JANUARY 80, 1879.
| Robert Goofloe Harper. esq:
SIR: do myself the honor of inclOsing an esti-
rate Of the expense OF supporting genteel IA m-
| Government OF the United States, smountiug to
| s2.549..5. aud another estimate in the years
l:.e-"S inclusive, in the aggregate amounting TO
From the experience have had during both
periods. am pc rsusded the estimate will on 10.
quiry, be found rather below than above the true
| sum.
| suh!oin certificate of Mr. Michael Roberts.
| which applies 10 the very expensive itam of house
rent, and two bills (ons n the year 1Tg2 ald the
other in the year 1881 for tine cost OF wood with
| q memOrsndum inclosed.
The estimate for horse keeping is in neither in
| stsnce greater than actually does arise to the
executive officers o the Government in occa asional
| visits t0tht!r friends or homes in the several
| casional eHpeuses in the hire OF carriages.
-, Ihe S item a Of mSrsssnS MAJ may appear large to
| and who have no families. for where hired ser
| wants are Indispensable the expense is greatly
| increased. and am of opinion that to Include
Variety Of articles not readily enumerated. the
estimate OF % ocnts per he ad for the first period
and % cents for the last per day ia not more
| than the actual expense Of this item. The
article OF personal expense at $40 each for the
| parents and children. osttm iting SIX to include
| the variety OF clothing tailOr's bills, doctors
| bills. EclOOling is | Daltaya
| every genteel family experiences. 1t may not
be improper to remark that the head of one OF
| the Executive Departments pays Sl,00o per
| mum rent. These estimates, therefore, may
| more correctly apply to Executive officers other
than heads OF Departments
| l beg leave TO inclose extract from the Jour
| mails OF the Senate, second session, Fifth Con.
| sress, page 49,, by which it appears that the
| not been increased since their first establish.
IneRt in lTs9. / have the honor 70 be, sir, your
| most obetient and your most humble servant,
! The following estimate referred to in the pre-.
| cedipg letter: Estimate of the expense whtcn
| family at the seat Of Government 10 the years
| l3S9, 1870 and 1871: House rent $50 per aunum;
weed, twenty five cords at 81 Slo0; horse keeping,
two horsee ~ o: marketing, estimating the fam
| lily to consist of two heads Of families, tour
children and four servants. at twenty-five cents,
en- an average, per day, S"l2. 80, including gro.
| cook. one man servant one chambermaid and Que
| child's servant, at an average of 66-l00 each
|
| Estimate OF the expense which would have at
tended the support Of genteel family at the
| elusive, on an average: House rent per auuum,
S6Oc; wood, 25 cords, at IS, 500; horse ping,
. horses, s2666o; marketing, estimating the
family to consist of 10 persons, at so cents an
| average each per day, to include groceries.
IiQuore, &C., 81 s2G: wages of servants. at 81 so
per week average, including washing, sSl2; per
sonal expenses, including doctors bills, school
ing clothing, persons, at Sleo each, $3.50; total,
|
| closed to the Secretary of the Treasury for his
| consideration in the following letter:
JANUARY so, 1879.
SIE: do myself the honor OF inciosiug a letter,
| addressed to the Hon. Robert GoodlOe Har per-
| esq. covering estimates which he rsqueS Ted
might be made ey me, for the purpose OF aiding
the compensation OF the executive officers of
| Government in the late reference to the Com
| with some difidence, and now beg leave to sub.
NIT them to your con nsideration previous to their
| delivery.
| have the honor, Nc, IosErH NornsE.
| The Hon. Olircr HOicJf, esq.
Post Traders Investigation.
| {. X. Peck was recalled aud testified before
| the Committee on Expenditures In the War De-
| partment yesterday that post traders were as
sessed for polite al purposes, and that during
| last Presidential canvas no paid from six to
eight thousand dollars. He thought he remitted
| the money to the chairman Of the committee at
| Washington. He presumed they were asked to
| subscribe because they held the post stradership
under the Administration. He did not consider
they were ooliged to pay, but were notified that
contributions would be acceptable. He and his
partner. Durfee, held four military posts and six
for the military posts by military officers and OBJ.
tsined the license OF Indian traders under a la W
Of otCcnsress, having complied with It's require
IRON the military posts was designated In pro.
portion TO the number OF troops there.
| j. J. Fisher was recalled and testified that the
| firm of Evans Co., post traders, contributed
| money Tor political purposes, In pursuance Of q
request contained IN printed circular. He did
| but he thought It was the safer way to pay the
money. apart from political considerations.
| Mr.. Evans was recalled, and, having been asked
whether he contributed money during the last
Presidential canvass. said that ne, In compliance
SI.a a doa1s fa tSe Rs11bfIssn sciv snres nun
mlttee in Washington. and he had paid one hun.
dred and nifty dollars 10 the same committee
within the last six months. The witness said he
had voted for Lincoln as President against Nc.
| CleliaD, but was not now mixed up In politics.
been called to do so. lie sent the check for the
money to Postmaster Edmunds.
| L. &. Leonard of Cincinnati, testified hs was
| In the hardware business with the late Mr..
Bower. The estate OF the deceased was from
| twenty eight to thirty thousand dollars, fifteen
thousand being for lie insurance; The money
| paid 10 George II. Pendleton, 0 mutual friend OF
both parties, and who was attorney for Mrs.
Bower. The witness never heard what invest
mcnt was made of the money. He knew q. r.
Marsh, who at that time was IN Cincinnati, but
| had no connection with the trsusactiOr. Marsh
said he was glad to hear that the widow came out
| SO nicely In her business
| John Fletcher OF indianapolis, formerly oil
Kansas, testified that in ISL he made application
Iur the post tradership at Fort Dodge, being 10.
doIsed by Hen. Sidney Clarke. He went to Sec
retary Belknap and asked for the place, when
the Secretary told him It had been promised to
another person. From the conversation he had
with MIR. Reynolds, of the firm Of Lee * Rey
nolds he got tho impression that 1t was necessary
| to pay money to procure appointments. The wit
/ ness asked Reynolds whether the report was true
that he paid ten thousand dollars to procure hi!
| appointment. Reynolds replied that It cost
| enough, and that Iowa was running the posts
| In his interview with Secretary Belknap the
| latter did not intimate in any way that money
| could secure the appointment.
Lieut.. Colonel McCook testified, among othsl
| things. that he had heretofore stated his belle
IL could be proven that post.tradershlps had beeI
| sold. He did not know that such sales could b,
| traced to the Secretary OF War, but believed tha
. | he or some middle man had been selling them
This was a matter Of common conversation at thi
Western posts, and he stated several circumstance
| which led TO this belief.
In response 10 q question, the witness said hi
| conviction was that there should be a return &
the old stem in the appointment of post traders
~. .-E--