Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-05-23
PLEASANT'S SUCCESSOR.
JESSE III. WIMBERLY PRORA-
BIN THE MAN.

W. }. White Loses the Appointment on
Account of Suspected Sharp Practice
Comptroller Lawrence's Adverse De-
eisiOn on Georgia's Revolutionary
Claim.
w WASHINGTON, May 22.-President Ar
thur left to-day for New York before SET
tling the matter of the CollectOrship of
Internal Revenue at Savannah, 1t was
expected that the settlement would be
made and il came very near being fixed
Secretary Folger yesterday called the at
tention of the President to the matter. He
told him that it was evident that Pleas
ant could not furnish acceptable bond and
| that change should be made. To-day
he and the President considered the case
more fully. All the recommendations
and papers in regard to those who want
! to be Peasants successor were
/ looked over. The following are
! those who have papers ON
| file; Jesse II. Wimberly, $. NJ. Griffin. w.
l.. Clark, L. {. Wade, b. W. TAYLOR, W.
| j. White, James B. DeyeauX. 4. Seers.
| X. ID. Locke, Simon Gerstman. j. II. Banks
| and Charles WessOlowski. 1t was do-
veloped between the President and Sec
retary FQlger to-day that White, Wimber-
ley and Seers were the three leading can
OF Longstreet and others; White was
backed by Emory Speer, a. n. Wilson
and others; Seers had good backing.
Inc other names were not considered
very seriously. Wilson had been early
in the day to the President Secre-
tary FOlger apd the Internal Revenue
bureau. He was working for White.
Wimberly, who got here yesterday, had
also made tour in his own behalf. 1t
was decided that White, who by the way
is Pleasants chief deputy, should be given
the place. His commission was ali but
made out when the fact, fatal to him. was
developed. 1t was found that he had re-
Gently been the subject of an investiga-
ton. 1t appears that White has a very
good idea that thrift follows close appli-
cation to opportunities. He put il
forth in the shape. of newspaper adver-
tlSementS that people who had tobacco
rebate claims in the bailiwick over which
he had supervision, must make that claim
under oath before certain Justice of the
Peace. That Justice charged 81 80 for
each affidavit. The legal charge is but 80
c9ntS, and the internal revenue officers
are under law compelled to administer it
without charge. There was but one con-
clusiOn, which was that White was in a
scheme to make some money out of the
rebate claims, therefore his commission
was not issued to-day, despite the pre-
vious determination to that effect, and Mr..
Emory Speer's warm recommendation.
The President took the whole case to
New York with him, after pocketing
Whites proposed appointment. He will
not be back for some days. He will very
likely settle the matter in New York, and
that settlement, there is good authority
for saying, will be by the appointment Of
Wimberly.
Judge Lawrence, First Comptroller OF
the Treasury Department, will tomorrow
render his decision in the Georgia $50, 900
claim. As previously indicated, there is
not much doubt what his decision will
be. Mr. Lawrence will hold that
Georgia owes more than the amount
mentioned on account of the direct tax,
and that he cannot cOuntenance the paw
ment OF any sum to any State derelict in
her obligations to the government. In
this case Mr.. Lawrence overloOks pre-
cedent. Judge Porter, at present Cover
nor of Indiana, when occupying the posi-
tion now held by Mr.. Lawrence, decided
that claim COngressionally appropriated
to the State of Georgia should be paid,as
that State had never assumed the direct
tax. Mr.. Lawrence, however, holds that
the refusal to assume the direct tax does
not abrogate the obligations impaired
by it.
Captain George f. Belknap has been
ordered to command the Pensacola navy
yard June II.
The Attorney General has given an
opinion to the Secretary of the Treasury
that under the provisions of the act ap-
proved March 3, 1893 the internal reye-
nue. tax reduction bill with the tariff
amendments J, 10 tax can be collected on
the capital and deposits of the national
banks since the 1st day of last January,
and no tax capital and deposits of State
banks or private banks since the 1st day
of last December.