The Portland daily press., 1876-04-08
WASHINGTON.
summons Served on GEN. se,kuap.

many OF the troopers stories by the testimony
of numerous officers Of the army of the high
est veracity. Custar testified like one spurred
by grievance
Representative Purman's Case.
The Civil Service Committee investigating
the charges against Purman, had several wit
nesses before them today.
B. f. Cowart testified that Isadore Blumen-
thai, collector of Cedar Keyes, Florida, told
him he paid Purman $500 blood money for ep
pointment as collector.
Messrs. Kindig and Bond testified to being
present when the above conversation took place,
and confirmed the state ments OF Cowart :,
George E. Fowler of Florida was recalled,
and testified that Purman said to him few
days after his election, that it had cost him over
$4,000 to get elected, and he was going to have
some OF this back before he started for wash
ington.
Purmau said, San old fellow at Monticello
(meaning Mr.. Simson) wants naval cadet
ship for his son. If he expects me to get
place for his son the old chap has got to pay for
it.''
The committee then adjourned till Tuesday.
Kiibourn's Bill of Fare.
The Sergeant alarms of the House has sent
a note to the Warden of the United States Jail
saying: s!Wg; ,,, s,.,;., MAILS =. u.,,o. K,,hor,n
now confined by order of the House of Repre-
sentatives IN the common Jail, of which you
are the warden, at cost not to exceed one dol
lar per day and charge the same to the House
of Representatives of the United States"
The Spencer Investigation Closed.
The Spencer investigation closed today. The
committee announced that the counsel would
be allowed two weeks in which to prepare writ
ten arguments.
Straw Bids-Sawyer's Books.
The House Postal Committee today continu-
ed the examination of the books and papers of
the late F. 2. Sawyer, mail contractor. Num-
erous paid notes and drafts were identified by
G. E. Clark, Sawyer's book-keeper, showing
among other things that Sawyer paid to VIM.
P. Farrow designated in the memorandum ex-
amined yestesday as one of the sharks) 5000
on the 9th of june 1872. A paid note for ST.
500 endorsed by j. j. Kinds was found ac-
companied by memorandum in Sawyer's hand
writing, stating that this was only one-half the
amount the Kinds party got from the 81 Paso
Stage Company. The party consisted OF Kinds
of Alabama, Mcdonald and Chidesder of Ar
kansas. 1t also appeared that Sawyer's checks
to the amount of $38, 800 were paid to Thomas
J. Hood.
Secretary Robeson's Reply to Questions OF
the Naval Committee.
| Secretary Robeson has formally replied to
certain interrogatores of the Representative
Bebee, chairman of the committee on expendi-
lures in the Navy Department. He says that
no time bills, drafts, check, notes acceptances
have been issued, made or given by or under
authority of the Navy Department or any of
its bureaus or officers, except such drafts as
had been given from time to time draw by the
paymasters of the navy on foreign stations to
supply themselves with funds for the purpose
of paying the expenses Of the naval service
abroad. No time bills, drafts, checks or notes
or acceptances have, to the knowledge of the
Department, been given in anticipation of or
| in advance of appropriations available to meet
| the same No drafts have been drawn upon
any officer of the Navy Department other than
| the Secretary Of the Navy since Dec. l, 1874
| except upon the Departments fiscal agents in
| London in accordance with agreement with
| them. No commission has been allowed or
paid on the drafts made by the PaymaSter Gen
eral Bradford, residing iu London, or other Off
| GERS upon the Secretary of the Navy, but drafts
drawn by the paymaSterS on foreign stations on
| fiscal agents in London are liable, under the
| agreement with them, to commission of not eX-
| Ceeding per cent, which is allowed and cred
.ited in the settlement of their accounts in the
treasury according to the contract with Selig-
,uian Brothers, which is appended to the Secre-
| Itary's letter.
1t also appears that they allow interest at the
Irate of per cent. per annum for all moneys
land balances of the Department so long as the
Same shall remain in their hands, and the De-
Ipartment agrees to pay interest at per cen.
| tum on all amounts for which the firm are at
| any time in advance to rbe Department by rea.
| son of payment of its bills and drafts so long
| and to the extent that they shall remain in ad-
| vance,
Another Lie Nailed.
| The Attorney General gives an explicit denial
to statement that he, in 1866, effected the sale
| of two steamers belonging to Marshall o. Rob-
| erts, to the government. He never heard of
| the negotiation or sale until some time subse-
quently, when he was employed ss counsel to
| get the purchase money remaining unpaid, for
which he received very moderate fee
The Charge Against Gen. Reynolds.
The Secretary of War has reported to the
House of Representatives for the information
of the Committee on Expenditule es in the Wal
| Col Reynolds and Mckenzie about corn con.
| tracts at Fort Richardson, Texas, in 1871, and
subsequent charges against Col Mckenzie by
Col Reynolds were forwarded to the Wal
| Department by Gen. Sheridan Dec. Is, 1871
! returned to the headquarters of the military
| division of Mississippi in January, 1872, but
| cannot now be found The papers transmitted
| by the Secretary included Gen. McCooks re
the South, made 10 November, 1871, and dated
| San Antonio, Texas. He said his attention
| had been repeatedly called to the general de-
| moralization that existed in the administration
| of the Quartermaster's Department, and thai
| there was system in vogue called "greasing, u
which means no less than that the quarter
masters Or their employees must either have ar
| interest in the contracts made, or they must be
rewarded by presents of greater or less value tC
| favor the recipients of contracts or act unjust
1
same of some favorte who would consent tl
resort to such corruptirg and dishonorabie
/ practices. He stated among other things that
Wiecher & Adams, the largest contractors in
the state, presented to Mrs. Reynolds, the wife
| of Gen. R., a house and lot in San Antonio
| Gen. McCook said it would be interesting to
know now many carriages and bouses were
| given to army officers as presents by citizens
| engaged in furnishing armyl supplies, AMI he
| condemned such practices as calculated to have
1 do uip inHu ON hot hrop opob
| of the service 1t appears from the documents
that Gen. Reynolds, in December, 1871, denied
to the War Department the truth of the
charges that the public interests in Texas have
been sacrificed to those of contractors. The
| Secretary declined, as Gen. Reynolds requested,
to give the reason why Gen. Reynolds was
relieved of his command in Texas, as informa.
| tion in such cases was unusual.
| The Deficiency Bill.
| The House committee on appropriations
further considered the deficiency estimates to.
| day. The estimate of $4,000 tor the expenses
| A large number of deficiencies asked for by the
Indian bureau were reported back to the House
| with the recommendation that theysbe referred
| to the committee on claims, the committee con-
| sidering them as coming under the head of
private claims including 1921, 900 deficiency for
| the post office in New York, and called upon
| the department for further information.
| Various Matters.
| The COMMITTEES on Foreign Affairs have not
| yet decided whether they will admit further
| evidence as asked by Mr.. Schenck. Mr.. Hew-
lit, as the selected organ of the committee, ex-
| amined Park, whose testimony tended tc show
| that the value of the Emma mine exceeded the
| representations of the venders
| A Washington despatch to the Sun says that
| Bristow has gone to Kentucky, and it is doubt.
| full it he returns to Washington.
Notwithstanding the seeming indisposition of
| Great Britain to surrender of the forger Wins
low, under the extraditIon treaty, the State
| Department has made a formal demand for the
extradition of Gray, the New York forger The
British government will undoubtedly make the
same answer respecting this application.
The President has approved the act of Con-
gress to supply the deficiency in appropriations
for certain Indians; also an order to supply the
deficiency in the appropriation for manufacture
of postal cards; also JOINT resolution for relief
OF the Turtle Mountain band of Chippewa In-
diaus.
The House Committee on Indians have noti-
| fed Ralf Meeker that he must answer the
question propounded by Mr.. Page or his testi-
mony will be stricken from the records as trf-
ing and frivolous.
ii. D. Morton, disbursing clerk in the Post
office Department testified before the commit
tee on expenditures yesterday that he was paid
$3.50 per month out of the special appropriation
for repairing the department building under an