New-York tribune., 1882-02-09
GENERAL CURTIS And CIVIL SERVICE.

A STATEMENT THAT he HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM
Ills POSITION EY SECRETARY FoLGER.
William POTTS. secretary of the Civil Service Re-
form Association. received letter yesterday from
the United States Strict-Attorney, asking him to
forward to his office, for his information, all papers
and documents in relation TO the charges preferred
AGAINST General Y. NJ. Curtis, Special Agent of the
Treasury Department. for alleged violation of the
civil service laws in collecting assessments from
the employees of the Custom House
Il wassald last night that these pap'rs desired
by the D.stric-A! ofn"y for the purpose of bring
ing the matter before the Grand Jury and procur-
Ing criminal indictment against General Curtis.
IT was also said that Secretary F0lgcr has deter
mined upon the removal of General Curtis from the
position he now holds but that ne will bc given till
March 70 finish the business he has on baud.
General CHrtls Is the Treasurer OF the New-lork
Republican state Committee and while acting as
snch IN the last canvass. received the contributions
oi the Custom House officials. In his answer to mo
charges he said in substance that he was not an
executive officer lr an eUpOye of the United States
within the meaning of the statute, but was simply
employed rs an expert 10 igatc certain suits
in the United STATES Courts. lie denied that he had
personally requested any cOntrbutionS. George
William Curtis, the president of the Civil Service
Reform Association was asked last night about the
matter. Mr.. Curtis said:
Il have not heard from Secretary Foger since he
sent us copy of General CurtiSS reply. to when
we returned an answer, simply saying that we
thought II insufficient and were prepared to argue
the matter If desired d do not expect to receive
ans special word from the Secretary in case the de-
clsiOn Is made. The matter was called TO the at
tentlOn of the association and we acted In behalf
of the people"
Willard Brown, n member of the association, cx-
planned III the afternoon the circumstances unGcr
which the assucIatian brought the case of General
Curtis 10 the attention of Secretary FUlgcr The
association" he said :" had received evidence that
General Curtis had addressed letter To
each of the subordinate officials of the Custom
House. requesting them to pay "A certain pro rata
political assessment niscvidcnce was transmitted
to Secretary oger, his attention being also called
to the sixth section of chapter 2S7 ol the laws OF
1876, making 1t n misdcmcanOr punishable by line
and lmpTIs nment for any cmpOye Of the Federal
Government to levy or attempt TO levy such assess
mens. When these charges were sent 10 General
Curtis he mado long reply. Ills tTst
defense was that he was not en-
ploye' of tho Government within the meaning
OF the statute: that he merely acted as counsel
for the United States IN looking up evidence III GER
tain suits in which the Government was party
In ihe second place he denied that he had levied
assessments and received money from Custom
House officials, as charged. General Curtis al,O
made strong plea rs 10 his fidelity 10 the Republl-
can party ana his unwillngncss to do anything ad
to its interests
General Curtis inquired for last night at the
Metropolitan Hotel, but he had gone out OF town
aud had not returned at Il late hour.