The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-27
ONE MORE IMPEACHME lent.
saCH CHANDLER ACCUSED OF a
PL1IN yIOL1TION or Law.
The Job bv which Boss shepherds Building
was Leased Tor the Pension Bureap- A
Disrcsurd Of both Dccency aud Law
The Probable Impeachment Of Chandler.

n,ent Of Zlch Chandler, Secretary of the Inte-
rnf, and Charles I. Oorham. Assistant Secretary
of the Interior. will demand the immediate at
ier,ion Of the House of Representatives when
C,ngr,4s assemblies In December The evidence
OF their hish crimes nd msdemeanors, n de.
III crate violation Of an act Il Congress in leas-
ins the shepherd building for the use Of the PEN
uon bureau. is So clear and conclusive that the
fact. can be disested by the Judiciary Commit
ter at one session. and bv the House IN a few
sour.. The Senate could dispose OF the case in
iweek, and unless the accused shou'd resign,
conviction would certainly follow n the Sena-
iors have any regard Tor their oath. The proof OF
III ir guilt is trief. being manly documenta' y
ind indisput able, Us It bears the official stamp of
Ihe Interior Department. The facts In the case
Ihow open defiance OF recent clause IN the
Legislative Appropi ton, oil and illustrates In
,he most scandaious manner the hold which
Boss Sbcpherd has upon the President, tho
members Of his Caboei and upon Republican
Senators.
The preface to the story Is that several years
tgo. boss Shepherd, having sold to the Column
omp Bank Note Compa any the building 10 which
bis sore was located agreed TO move IA soon
s h0 could build ano,hcr. On the site Of the
kirkwood House In Pennsylvania avenue he
erected six-story lre.proOf building. the
EtJund story being designed for stores. and the
dent Grant assured him 1t should he lease for
that purpose, and that he would person Nv ex.
eft hins,f to overcome obstacles the House
anlropriation Committee would sUrely nut In
The way, such Is the prejudice against shepherd.
Iue country Is familiar vita the del attend
luz he pas. age Of the Legislative APP ropriation
bill. Il being one OF The last acts signed on the
lat day OF the session For iTly seven months
property IN which there Is Invested probably a
quarter Of million dollars mas been idle. One
mortgage alone-held. 1t Is said, by The North
American Insurance Company OF Philade,pdia-
Tor tl2S,VcO, and bearing eiglt per cent. inter
EST. IL was important to Shepherd, and to Bab-
COOK too. as he Is said to have large interest in
the building, hat II should be rented as soon as
possible, even II the sum received was not In
proportion to the worth OF the structure. The
Appropriation bill, nowever, could not be forced
through Congress. aud so thcy had to biue their
time. IL will thus be seen that the purpose OF
Shepherd IN building so large ana c.s ly an edi-
nee was that he might have Z so,i-,a, ing, per
maurnt tenant in TIE Pension Bdreau. and, with
the President as his backer, II was inluattrial
lppareptly whether Con. r.ss le 4. Lated Tor or
ig.i1st IT'S occupation hy the Dvernmeut.
The legal aud legislative iiStUrN shows that
on Aug. 10, 1875, tue Interior department exc:
cuted lease, under seal OF Mess, = Semmes aud
Brdwner, owners Of tue scat II House. iOr Oc-
curAtien of that building tor he use OF the PEN
tiuu OH sc for four Years from that date, at the
annual rcnlal Of $1,000 with the covenant OF
che extension Of said terms for like period at
leases were executed by thc dep rtn.e .ent with
J mes l.. Barbour ct al. for the adjoining build
lngs Tor a similar purpose, 4 "A rate oi rental
amounting TO s4OOO per sunum, for the me
penod and WITH Ike covenant. The original
III tAplrSu on AuE. To- lctJs luC Interior De-
psrimeni, under the afOIesaid covenant, c n
inued the occupation OF the buildiDgs. on
June 5, 1870 the Senate Commit.ee On AppIo-
pfAuOns reported tue legislative bll a. II passed
Ihe House, amending the appropriation Tor the
rent of the se!ton House and adjoining build
ms 10y adding these words.
Provided that the Secretary of Tue ntcioi can pto
our nro.proof o,nl4ilg VI suiiabe accommodation
ae sbsll rcnl the ssme IN lieu Of tue seaion House
This amendment. as spuears py the ConUcs
nonil Record Of June 6, was adopted after elsbo-
30 A Waa Inn Lad th.tf q A.,
otjccs was to rent Bos- Shepherds new build
Ing 90 PennsylvaDiA avenue. Three successive
committees OF conference on the bin lied TO
agree. Finally fourth conn.ittee was at
pointed, consisting of Senators Window and
ocr.t. and REPRESENTATIVE Randall anu Nor
fison, Democrats, and s-on, Republican.
amendment. WindOm and Allison insisted on
retaining IT, Bayard aud Mlrrison. after a long
struggle land ftsr the lie SO Of the Senton House
ana communication from reliable architect
In THIS cIty, showing that that building could be
make hieproof within sln months without dis
tutbink the work oi ths c.c,hs, had teon
submitted to the House conferees), agreed
70 the senate amendment with al auenument,
wiich was uputoted 10y the President, Aug. is.
The revision Oi law referred 10 Ia as follows:
f9f r,ni Of ouileng Tor use OF the Pens Once
s. t,rY Of The Interior procure nreproof bud.
M of suitable aceoano iation for rent not exceeding
- up hereoy 'priaed, he sh'il rent The same. 20
iaAr tAect s" so0a a, ne present ietaz can 1dHg
bu -ils. sAs De continued II the SAID NJ am. shali
pe Noe ncproof gy the owners thereof to TIE sasiac
9s-a!e of THIS act without dstarbinr the use Of he
eaef. oa % ,ne a. moSta. 5de uotee from sals ta
se,.ciaT, OF the l.teror,
Ga Aug. 2l the owners Of the Sesron House
hd tsstd to secretary Chandler a letter calling
hi. attention to the above quoted provision OF
the Jaw, and requesting information from the
d. rfment as to when IL would be conIe enlont
30 sAuw them 10 make such Inspection and
examination Of the premises as would he
n,r-- airy To enable them 10 prepare the plans
az climates for the work Of nre proonng On
huI' - secretary Chandler Individually replied,
glyh- them permission to entor tue Ouilulng Al
Tor that nurposc, thereby recognizing
ti' scope of the law. On tho following day the
, 'Iark directed Leiore leaVihg the CITY that
lease be executed by the acting Secretary,
Z aile7 /. Gurnan, with Alex. X. nepherd Tor
tn aheph, I'd building for the term of i've years.
a th 1nhual tsntel tlulvalent to sl5,uCJ per an
nuu. anu II was so executed on that day. On
the 24tn the owners OF tho Scaton House and
ldJ"Wnk buildings received notice Ia writing,
siEuel 10y Gorhan. acting Secretary, notifying
lnen tat the Interior Department would auit
possession OF aud terminate the lease II said
- 'di - on sept. TO- 1873, to which the
o"lcrr replied On the 25.h that they would
not accept the surrender Of the preInises
Un sucn notice, or consent To the ter
iaw. hey invited the attention OF the ss"retarv
g he above quoted provision II the Legislative
bill ma notified him that they should claim ali
thcs leg rights unIer the provisi ~. ~ M 81,
o. q. .GfeSs 80 wei as VI der the existing lease
Ihefri. expressly mentioned aud refefred To-,
~ initnvI M ,. lni1rmSd hlm that they mere
the hulidlngs h'e proof aud nnnoupced trrir
a. u 'nslioh iuy 70 con ply with ana utrf rm
H. u ed like COMPLIANCE with ine law on me
PR Of the hecretarY Of the Interior 10 tbi,
S1 ~ ico has ot VIII he taken by the Secr~taIy
Iuder tue terms Of tue lease Of ms S-ntpn
u .tsi and the other huildings he G0yrrn-~ent
l. bound TO restore them 70 the owner. IN 80
good condition a5 when they woro nr.l le,.es
hnd a. tho PARTITION. between many - -,
TOuiua were taken down 10 AccouiI, ndate IL
ON p, aud other changes made Ia ths bI'il,itng
L. tho same purpose, II will Trquile al c,s1
E,VO 10 lnden.niiy tue owners. In .Qditiou A.,
Ia express provision Of the Legislative Apurn.
pu4tlpn bill, requiring niue months nolice Of
tito termination Of the lease, and allowing s
months III which TO 1reprOOf the building ne
bOVeTnulent will be legally chargeable with the
rvuLof tae same, beside he rent Of the SAepherd
hull iiug Tor period Of O teen months, equal 10
tibll Beside The $3.50 above referred 10,
tina a least $1,000 iOf removing to and htting
~ tue nine Ludings, the whole cost would ue
l. lhe Government ABOUT $4,000
Iuirr the common law OF the District a
di1rd has the rlcht 10 at least thirty days no.
nee ahu ; required to give thirty days to his
ttha II " he wishes him to vdcate, but GOrham
w"uld allow only three weeks, showing the de-
L rMiuatiOn 10 give Shepherd the earliest bene-
d. u tue dpprJprlatiOn.
Tue owners OF the Scaton House and AdjOin-
lhR huldlnR, under the leases referred to and
uhlrr the express provision OF law already
t"l' nave vested rgnt to tho rent thereof
'w ne government until such time as those
u 'sr- -uaI be legally terminated. For the In
'-e' IL pl mat right thus occurred thsy could