The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-05-08

Grant will not be entertained seri.
ously by any one"
The old controversy between the
District Commissioners and United
States Treasurer Gilfillan, as to his
powers as treasurer of the District
sinking fund, has been reopened.
Mr.. Gilfillan has been confined to
he'd of sickness for some time, and
was therefore unable to reply to the
propositions advanced by the com.
missiOners as to Assistant Treasurer
Wyman's duties while acting for the
treasurer until yesterday. In his
letter he quotes the law, which EN-.
powers the assistant treasurer "to act
in the place and discharge any or all
the duties of the Treasurer of the
United States" and adds that the
assistant treasurer can. under the
law, exercise the duties of the treas.
urer relative to- the sinking fund as
fully and as legally as can the treas
ursr himself; and the position is
utterly untenable that the illness or
disability of the treasurer must bring
to a standstill the performance of the
functions of the Office, including the
transfer of bonds, payment of inter-
est, and all necessary acts connected
Herewith. He denies that the Dis.
trict Commissioners are trustees for
him. but claims the right conferred
upon him by law, and exercised
without question for seven years by
the commissioners of the sinking
fund and himself, as their successor.
to have special assessments collected
by his own agent and under his own
direction. Neither the Commission.
ers of the District nor any OF their
subordinates have any authority in
their collection, except that which is
derived from the commissioners of
the sinking fund, to whom they are
irrevocably pledged by law. The
commissioners may not be bound TO
permit one of their clerks to act az
the treasurer's agent; but, so long al
they do permit him to act in that
capacity, they are bound by every
consideration of official duty and
courtesy not to interfere between
him and the officer, who is in this
relation his principal. In conclusion.
he emphatically disclaims any pur.
pose 10 intermeddle with the duties
of the District Commissioners or to
pass upon the legality of their acts,
except when these acts interfere with
the execution of the trust dev0ulvsd
upon him or to force upon them any
issue other than that which has
sprung from such attempted inter.
ference. The position of treasurer of
the sinking fund has been assigned TO
him without his solicitation ,er re-
muneration, and, until the srder of
his appointment is revoked, he must
continue to perform his duty, as he
understands it. Another addition
to this tiresome correspondence is ex-
pected from the District Commits.
sioners very shortly.
There have been several consuta-
tons of late among some of the Re.
publican members of the House with
she view of attemnting to exert cons
blned influence to prevent the NOM
inatisn of General Grant. The move
had its origin among members who
have always been friendly to Grant,
and who would like to see him nom
mated now if they believed he could
be elected. The conviction of good
many members that he cannot be has
been the result of general converse.
ton ON the floor and in the cloak
rooms, which has developed the fact
that advices which reach members
from all sections, through their
private correspond ,nce, are uniform
In their references to- existence of Il
strong anti-third-term feeling. This
feature of the situation has finally
alarmed good many members, and
hence consultations alluded to have
been held for the purpose of devising
the best means of using their influ-
ence to prevent the nomination of
Grant. The arguments which they
use are in the interest of any other
candidate, but are based solely on
the good of the party and the neces-
sity of selecting candidate who
would not ALLEVIATE a considerable
proportion of the Republican vote.
There is hardly member of the
Ohio delegation who believe Grant
cam carry the State, and there is only
one Grant man in the Indiana dele.
cation.
Senator Beck is Of the opinion that
Congress can get away from here by
the LIST of June. The appropriation
bills still Enacted on. he says, will all
be In by May, goth and. there need
be no difficulty in passing all of them
by the list of June. Senator Beck,
when asked whether he believed the
President would sign the Army and
the Deficiency bills. reDIied that he