Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-02-14
investigation of DOOrkceper Polk.
he TESTIFIES AS TO HIS CONNECTION WITH
THE PAVING COMPANIES

|
THE PAVING COMPANIES.
DOorkeeper Polk, in his testimony yeSter-
day, admitted that during the last Congress
| he was employed by the Neufchatel Paving
Company, not as lobbyist, but as their counsel
and advisor, to aid them in securing favorable
action upon certain measures pending before
| the House District committee. He supposed
| that he was to use what influence he had. He
| never made an argument before the commit
| tee, but introduced to Judge Buckner one eve
| Company, and Gen. Matthew Taylor, of the
| Neufchatel Paving Company. The entire mat
ter broke down, and he for the trouble under
gone by him in connection with it, was award
| ed 81 900. OF this 81. 100 was paid. and General
Taylor gave him his note for the balance; but
! he has released Gen. Taylor from any further
| for The relief of the North American Neufclla-
! tel Rock Paving Company. introduced by Mr..
! Strait: of Minnesota, during the present ses-
sion, Col Polk said he knew nothing about it.
! and was not interested i'm the matter men
| toned in it. Polk said that his original CON
tract with the Neufchatel company was for
! SlO,CG0 At the time he was interested in this
claim he was deputy sergeant alarms of the
| Louisiana investigating committee.
! TESTIMONY TO-DAY AS TO THE "DOCBlING
| Up PROCESS.
! The investigation was continued this morn
! ing. 1t was developed that the dOOrkeeper en-
! ployed man named Scott, and placed HIM
| on the roll as a laborer. He said Scott was too
employed colOred substitute named Pip,
with whom he was to divide his salary Pip
worked four days, but Scott refused to pay
| him, and subsequently Polk transferred Scott
| TO the rolls as a messenger. Polk was then
| crOsS-eXamined at length with reference to
the doubling up process, and it was developed
| thaL the practise was quite general.
ANONYMOUS CHARGES
| chairman Harrison said that he had re-
| celVed an anonymous communication. direct
ing him to ask Mr.. Polk if he was interested ia
the Texas Pacific lobby, and if he had not OBJ
tanned railroad passes Tor members of Con
gress and others. Mr.. Polk denied that he
Wasln the Pacific lobby, but admitted that as
OF two railroad passes for impecunouS
friends. Quite recently however. he had ap.
| Piled for pass and been refused.
CHANGES IN THE POST OFFICE DEPART
MENT.-In consequence of a resignation in
the bureau OF the First Assistant Postmaster
| General, Mr.. Geo. $. Bangs has been pro-
| mOled from a hrStclaSS to SecOnd-clasS clerk
| and Mr.. FrederickS. Hyde has been appointed
to the frst-claS> clerkship vacated by this pro-
! motion.
A NEW FINANCIAL MEAsURE-The House
committe on banking and currency is report
ed to have agreed practically to a bill to sub,
stitute Treasury notes for the National Bank
| circulation now outstanding The bill pro
| vides that as soon as practicable after its pas,
sage, the Secretary of the Treasury shall issue
| Treasury notes equal in amount to the out
| standing circulation of the National Banks
These notes are to be used for the purpose OF
! redeemlng and retiring the National Bank
! circulation. They are to bear no promise OF
| payment and no provision for their redemp
| ton and retirement is made.
THE COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION for promo
| tiOns in the Indian Office, conducted by Mr.
Mitchell, of the Indian Office: MI Bab,on. OF
the Patent Office, and Mr.. Howes, of the Land
once. has been completed, but its results are
! not yet known.
A CLAIM FOR WITNESS FEEs.-Col. Finley
who is charged with having spent Tildsn'
barl OF money, has addressed a letter Il
| Speaker Randall claiming $500 as witness fees
lie CLAIMS that he was summoned before one
| OF The committees of the last Congress- and
never was discharged. He has already been
| paid $50 or thereabOuts.
THE WEST POINT BILL PAssED-The House
passed the first of the regular appropriation
bills this afternoon, that for the support of the
West Point military academy.
An Open Letter to Secretary Evarts.
WASHINGTON, February l4th.
| Feeling guilty of having contributed to the
general disappointment expressed on account
of Secretary Evarts "change of venue " in re
gard TO his reception, ]. having more than
assurance that he intended to entertain al the
State Department, am moved TO address the
| following open letter to-
! Hon. WHl. VI ErdftS. Secretary or State:
Stiff you please have grievance.
You VIII observe by the enclosed slips,
marked Exhibits A, B, and D, that the col
unns OF the Journals to which l have the
open for the favorable discussion of your pro
| posed reception i'll the Department of State
On the 18th of January ult., you first hon,
| Ored me with a request to work I'D public
opinion with regard to the contemplated in
novati0n: Whereupon, l earnestly pledged
you the aid of my = facile PEN in testing the
AS a visible result of the zeal with which /
espOused your cause, you witnessed on the
evening of February 4th how herocally raj
Mr.. Charles NOrdhoff. of the New York Her,
Gld, whose letters from the south during the
Presidential canvass OF 1876 certainly assisted
| in preparing the public mind for the fayora BILE
| reception of the southern policy.
The fact that the invitations issued by your
self and Mrs. Evarts for SOirees on the litfi and
| dence and not OF your official Headquarters,
| forces upon me the mOrtifying conclusion that
you disparaged the support Mr.. NordhOf and
| myself would be able to render.
Or, was it all a jest? Am to believe that
| you, as the American Premier, 'Ev arts to con
eeal zeal art, or as you would perhaps prefer put
| ting it, drS celdre drtem?
In the text books of diplomacy we learn that
| speech was gwen us TO conceal our thoughts
proyerb OF the fader-laAd of your colleague
of The Interior Department furthermore saws:
speech is slvern.''' (See Congressional Re.
cord of current week.
Must be forced to the conclusion that Won.
| when talking with me remOnetized speech in
base alloy, which has been to you coigne of
vantage, and has put me on my mettle?
Permit me to subscribe myself most respect
| fully yours. Miss GRUMPY.
| of N. Y. Graphic, Washington STAR. and st.
Louis EreTing Post.
Exhibits enclosed are extracts from articles
| published in STAR of Jan. IT, raphic of Jan,
| 2S and Feb. II, and st. Louis Post of Feb. I'd.
|
THE SILVER QUESTION came up in the New
| York assembly yesterday on bill to author
ize towns to exchange their bonds fol others
| with interest payable in gold. An amend
% ment was proposed making the interest pay
aGe sVer III web aer con- whether gold
vote of s. to %, and the bill was passed. Dur
[ ing the discussion Mr.. Nelson, democrat, pre-
| dicted the nomination and election of Hen
| bricks in 1880, and the wiping out of the
! Tilden democracy.
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL LIES SUITs.-A
| dispatch from New Haven, Conn, February
| 18th, says: The case of Commissioner Stedmail
| against the American National Life and Trust
c0mD3Ov and Americap Nufual T ;fo T,,,,n