New-York tribune., 1877-11-09
WASHINGTON.
NOMINATIONS. FINANCE, BUSINESS.

made upon this appointment, the particulars
of which are given in an interesting dispatch
below. A favorable report has been made
upon Mr. Wesh's nomination to England,
and Senator Cameron asked the Senate that it
he confirmed. The Democrats in the Sen
ate will vote TO confirm the NCwIorl
Custom House appointments Senator Mat
.thews denies that he ever said that the
President would sign the Silver Bill. ltisthought
the Senate may pass the bill, but Mr.. Randall
will bring the manner III which 1t came to he
passed to the attention of the House. bill
for a new cable to Europe will be presented
in Congress next week. The COnsuls are very
active in replying to Secretary EvartS's trade
circular. Justice Strong defends his action III
the Electoral Commission.
MR.. SAM, RDS QUALIFICATIONS.
THE SINGULAR ACCUSATIONS MADE AGuNer MIR.
SANFORD, AND WHAT HIS FRIENDS SAY IN
REPLY.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSHl
WAsHINGToN Nov. S.--Mr Henry 5. Sanford was
nominated by the President to-day TO be United
States Minister to Belgium. This appointment has
been contemplated by the Administration ever since
last March or April and has probably been discussed
by the President and Secretary Evarts more than
any other that has been made. When it was first
reported last Spring that Mr.. Sanford would be Of
fered the Belgium Mission some very serious accusa-
tions were made against him, to which the IreSl-
dent AT the time, gave very careful CONSIDERATION
The appointment is not understood TO be which
the President himself desired. which, indeed, he
has on the whole thought to be an especially wise
one; but it has been asked for by Secretary Eyarts
and Assistant-Secretary Seward both Of whom be-
will
states very credtaby at Brussels, and whose faith
in his integrity has not been shaken by anything
which they have heard.
As the same accusations are certain to be repealed
N the Committee on Foreign Relations OF the Sen
ate and possibly TO he discussed in the House bllcl
recapitulation of them, with summary OF the de-
fence which has been made by Mr.. Sanford'S friends,
will be very interesting at this time. The first ana
probabv the most serious Of these reports impeach-
ing Mr. Sanford's character seems TO come from
General Smith, of Pennsylvania. This gentleman
during the first year of the war served as special
agent of the United States in Europe for the purchase
of arms and other material The substance ol MS
story is understood to be that while engaged III this
mission Mr Sanford, then United States Minister to
BELGIUM. proposed to him the purchase of a great
quantity Of Shoddy army cloth which had been
manufactured for the Confederate Govern
count of ITS poor quality by the Rebel
inspectors. Mr.. Sanford, it is alleged, proposed
to have the cloth, which was gray coloredi blue /;
TO dispose of it to the United States Government
at price greatly in advance of It's actual value; and
10 share the profits of the transaction, which were
! TO be great with Mr. Smith. 1t has also been as
serted that, after Mr. Sanford failed to induce Mr.
| Smith to enter into any arrangement with him, he
undertook TO make contract for the purchase OF
! the cloth himself. acting agent for the United
States but il is not very clear whether he did this or
| was prevented by the representations which Mr..
Smith made to the Department here in Washington.
! When Mr.. Sanford renOminated by President
Johnson 10 be Minister to Belgium, it is
said his name was reported favOrably by Mr.. Sum-
ner from the Committee Foreign Relations. and
his appointment would undoubtedly have been CON
frmed except for the fact that Senator Cowan
then of Pennsylvania produced letter IN Mr.. San
fori's own handwriting, addressed to Mr.
Smith making corrupt propositions to him in
regard to the purchase Of this cloth. When ii was
read. the Senate without debate rejected the nom
nation This occurred on the 18th of March, 1867.
Subsequently, on the ODD of April, 1869, lie was
nominated bv General Grant to he Minister TO Spain
but failed to he confirmed when the facts which
had previously been laid before the SEN
ate were again referred to. This letter Mr..
Smith promised to obtain if possible and
send TO the President. He wrote last Spring to
eX- Senator Cowan. and received a reply that the
ex-Seuator's son had searched for two days among
his private papers for the letter hut unable TO
find it, and that it was his impression that it might
be found upon the private files oflthe Senate.
In reply to this Mr.. Sanford's friends deny
that the cloth in question was ever made for
the Confederate Government, OF was inspected
by its agents. They say that it was gem
uine article Of superior army CLOTH which
the Confederate agents were eudeayOring to
purchase and that Mr. Sanford in securing it for the
United States right out from under the eyes of
the Confederate agents, seriously crippled the
Rebo Government by depriving it of necessary
clothing They further assert that QuartermasteT-
| General MeiCgs when his attention was called to
this accusation last Summer said that the purchase
Of the cloth by Mr.. Sanford was patriotic and hon
orable transaction. Mr.. Sanfords friends also indi-
rcctly at least attack Mr. Smith. They say that he
was sent to Europe as the special friend and
agent of Simon Cameron, then Secretary Of War.
before he was disgraced in that position. and that
his relations to Mr. Cameron of themselves We're Of
A suspicious character They call attention to the
fact that. while Mr.. Smith pretended to have had
possession Of letter written by Mr. Sanford to him
self. proposing to divide the profits that might arise
from the cloth contract, he has been wholly unable
to produce il, and has informed the President
that be neither has the original nor the
copy, and that the original, which he gave
10 SenatoTiCowan was left upon the atter's desk
and seems 10 be lost. At all events, Mr.. Sanfords
friends say Mr. Smith was not able to make it ap-
pear clear to the President where the letter was, if
it ever had any existence at all or what was the
act language Of its contents and that the President,
after an interview with Mr. Smith, did not obtain