The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-04-20

claims fraudulent The Secretary communicated
his action Congress In letter written In December
last This subject came before the House CON-
mittss on Appropriation. who to-day heard
the conclusion OF the argument OF ex-Soh-
citor Of the Treasury Jordan, commenced
yesterday in behalf Of certain New York merchants
who claim refunds on duties and charges commls-
siona He cited letter from District Attorney Wood
lord written 10 the Solicitor Of the Treasury
OF tho payment OF ihe claims. He contended
that, even admitting that some i'm proper acts had
been committed By persons seeking to collect
the amounts OF the claims that ought not
10 prejudice the rights OF the merchants said the
parties whom he represents desired no appropriation
except for those claims which we're shown TO be just
and proper. Special Agent Curtis then that
appeared before the committee by direction OF the
Secretary OF the Treasury gave account OF the
investigation no had made into the origin OF somo OF
these claims He showed, BY reference tho statutes
and regulations OF the Treasury Department, that e
was necessary AZ q condition precedent to the
covery Of money que on customs claims againss tho
government that certain form Of protest should De
died Dy the claimant a. the time OF paying the
duty; but said that IN some Of the where
. refund had been paid the proper protest
not filed at the time OF the payment OF tho duty,
but iraudulsnty supplied anerwara In making
this statement Mr.. Curtis discaimsd any imputation
upon the merchants in whose favor the claims were
made. The most Of these fraudulent protests were
the work OF lawyer named Alfred Douglass, Jr., now
dead, who had gone about among merchants having
such claims and obtained authority from Thorn to col
lect whatever might DO found due them
from tho government account OF claims
OF this character. Ho to receive Atty
per cent OF the amounts recovered as his
compensation. Having secured such agreement he
TO work TO supply protests In where they
had hoav Hlnna hw No. Al
some cases by obtaining the real signatures OF his
clients TO such papers, upon the pre.ex that the sig
natures required the Of the legal pro-
ceediDgs and in other cases by obtaining genuine sig
from other documents and appending them to
the protests prepared BY himself, aud then having
the whole Autographed and attached to the
original entries 10 the Custom House. In
1t appeared that the parties purportiug to have
signed the protests not In the United at
the date OF the papers, and In protest
apparently signed by foreign member OF
firm who had never been In this coun-
try. In support of these charges Mr. Curtis
read the mmittce the aldavits OF three iour
New York merchants whose signatures appeared IN
the fraudulent protests the substance Of this. testt
mony being that the signatures were obtained uoder
false pretences.
The cases embraced in Mr., Curtis statement 80 far.
are those which large payments were made The
firms involved are:-sampson Baldwin, who were
paid $50 900, $4,000 OF which 10 alleged
was frauduiently obtained by Douglass; Strong
Smith, VINO were paid about "a. 600; B. Cod
diogton 3 Co.. $4,000; Wilson b Brown, 81, 900;
Acker Harris, 81, 600; Chamberlain, Phelps l. 90,
$4,000 Other which have been made up and
forwarded to the department for payment, but
which have not been paid are follows :-WiIiiam 4.
Dodge Co., $l7,49s; NJ. Mitchell. $7.744; James
Isier, $685. A. friedman, LIS With regard to the
last three Mr. Curtis has made special reports
TO United States District Attorney Woodford which he
read TO tho committee. In reply 70 Mr.. Jor-
dams citation of Mr.. Woodiord's letter, addressed
to the Solicitor Of the Treasury, Mr. Curtis said that
It written before the fraudulent origin Of the
claims discovered, and no authorized by
N. Woodiord to say that In his opinion. Congress
ought not TO appropriate dollar for the pay
OF the claims TO which Mr.. Curtis had called the at
his statement tomorrow and deal with the claims for
which an appropriation 10 now asked.
PRACT1CABILITY OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
OF NEW YORK BANKERS
The House Committee on Banking and Currency
haa very interesting conference tins morning with
Mr. John A. Stewart Of tho United States Trust Com.
pany Of New York, and Mr. J. d. vermiiye, OF tho
Merchants Bank, New York The question OF
the prActicabiEty OF maintaining resumption
pressed upon these gentlemen by Mr..
Ewing but they held ipfexibly the position that re-
sumption be safely entered upon the LIST OF Jan
uarv, 1872 and that with the present favorable
look oil good crops and the balance OF trade In
favor OF this country resumption can be
maintained. They expressed n belief. however,
that the maintenance Of specie payments would not
be assured unless portion Of tho currency circu'a-
tion retired foreign exchanges continue 10 be
In favor Mr. vermilye thought that 600 or
$3.50 600 900 OF the outstanding United States notes
should be retired IN order to make specie resumption
entirely safe.
COURSE OF REPUBLICANS IN REGARD TO
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES MEMBERS OF A JOINT
COMMITTEE WITH THE SENATE APPOINTED.
Representative Eugene Hale. chairman OF tho Re.
publican Congressional Committee, has named tne
following gentlemen members Of the com.
mitlee provided Tor by tho republican eau.
ton motion OF Mr.. Price, OF Iowa),
70 confcr with senate committee upon
tho course to DO pursued by the republicans in mat
coming before the present session or Congress-
Hiram Price. Of lowa; J. A. Garfield, OF Ohio; O. d.
Conger. OF Michigan; M. II. Dunncll, OF M,snssota;
William r. Frye. OF Maius; G L. Fort. Of Illinois; j.
"a. rhorubUrgh, OF Tennessee; William Clanin, OF
Massachusetts; j. W. Dwight. Of Now York; Russell
Erretl Of Pennsylvania, and Horace Davis Of Cali.
forniA
THE PROPOSED TREATY WITH coREA-A BID
FOB THE GOOD OFFICES OF JAPAN.
Tho Japanese Minister regards with much anxiety
tho resolution recently offered by Senator Sargent
having In view a treaty Of amity ana commerce
with Corea, in Northeastern ASA, with popu.
laton OF about twelve Millions Although Cor,a
is tributary 10 China and Japan some time ago recog-
nized her independence. The trade OF Cora almost
wholly with japan. Intimate friendly relations exist
between these natons Therefore the good Offices Of
Japan could DO in,erposed TO elect sucn treaty
Senator Sargent coniemplates. As a preliminary to
such proceedings and TO induce japan to take a
greater interest In the subject efforts will be
have returned to Japan 81 800 ooo In the un,od
states Treasury, known the Japanese Indemnity
funa, retaining small only to compensate tor
tual to American citizens resulting disturb
ances years ago IN that country.