New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-30
,fB LyONS STAND COMMENDED
REPUBLICANS PLEASED THAT He "ooLD
NOT BE IMPOSED UPON.
MIR FNRCInLD ADMITS THAT Ills COMMISSION
* OK THE "FE,UD ROLL" WHICH IS
MADE Up OF DETECTIVES SPlEo
AID INFORMERS.

AND .lNFOKMEi'S'
Tho hold stand which George w Lyon NV ~
vevor OF the Port Ia, taken In refusing I" ,n,,,
,h r,ou,bor,zcd namelcss and powerics> fa'r'nin'
~ ,', Wa commended on all sides yesterday
oxc.r, bv those who are politically In sympathy WIZ"
,be Anti-snap members OF the comml''io"' Inv
Henublicans in Til, city to man are ple"s'u ''",
the Surveyor would not allow mHN'ii !" ="
upon and 10 give information rcedt"'nE ~ =,
which as a public servant he has no righ' " t' r,
any hut legally constituted Government onc'"S' -,
Secretary Of the Treasury and the m'm"r' u ~"
o,,r,,seio, soon 10 have overlooked the iact uia,
tho surveyor OF the Port Is 4 PreSidcn'iai omo'r an"
that he Is required only to carry out Wv Jaw, "
.ructions Of the Secretary Of the Trctsnry ms uoS
not permit him to turn over t. an uhia"i"i 'o'''''
sion the records Of his department.
Charles : Fairchid the X->,crctary OF the treas
,rv and now the chairman Of the Custom House
Investigating Commls Sion admitted In carciuis '
porcd interview yesterday that the commission was
on the fraud roll" This roll Is maze up III 'i"'
dotoc,vcs and normcrs and 1t is provided FOR under
Chopt.r l.. OF the Sundry Civil bill when "c"hr "
Law, on March o. 1879 Under the provisions OF 'n''
chaptcr tho secretary Of the Treasury mas h""o'iN
to cxpcnd annually 100000 for the prevention an"
detection OF frauds on tho Government. lH'' S"i
has been used heretofore to bride iniormerS anu ''
ploy spc, and detectives to secure lhlorh''""" W
smuggling Under this section OF the law he custom
Hons. Investigating Commission only has power 10
investigate.
an oath Mr. Falrchild the only member oil '"r
commission who would discuss nj any length the r"si
az surveyor LYON 10 testify The OK secretary Vi 'c
Treasury worked himself up 10 an extremely s"'"'
pitch and prepared the following:
The conduct OF Mr. Lyon both childish and foolish
and is probably dictated by desire on no'ore'y ~ -
certain that our Commission court Of crmna Ia"
which can compel attendance and testimony upon p'" Vi
,p,iof ont and fine for contumacy. but had not sup
POSED that there existed in surveyor Lyons d'p'r'"'
ANYTHING which called for measures Of evasion ana 'o"
mcnt such A. he would naturally wish 10 use il Nv WIZ
threatened bv Of criminal lr dictoh anu SUI" ~
ho h,> now rc.ortcd OF couIsc. If there ar u"a'
lions in hi- department Of nature compelling such
course t. hide them his conduct is cNp'icaol'
III. de, that Commission is not an authorized oouy
= , weak one. Chapter Of tho Sundry ciVi biH OF
March ls-o clearly authorizes the Secretary TO eNpehd
money Tor the detection and prevention oil frauds u w
revenue according whatever method he deems mo'' W.
silablc. IL authorizes him. by Impl'au"h' " 'PP''"
such commission this II he chooses. ana by 'h'' mp
pontmcnt members of the Commission become on''.7 o.
IN. ,ovcrnmcn within the meaning a section ls3 OF hc
Treasury regulations. and Therefore 'mpo"'rd 10 aan"
>ter al oath D. q witness. But even II inc 'o""''""
were not lawful body. fact that il has been ap''h
a., such and indor-cd such 10y the Secretary h'' anu
the further fact that the SECRETARY himself has directed
Surveyor Lyon treat with IL a. su'h iecNe inc 1,'
,cv,r Of all personal responsibility Ia the mattel bu
no T. not satisfied 10 lie believed II responsibility he wants
10 gc, the eye. public fastened on him ior moment
rs conduct is a defiance of tho Secretary, ana II II
were allowed pas without proper action ""u''' III NY
Judgment necessarily tend to bring the authority OF inc
sccr,,ry into contempt and imPir III" discipline Of the
custom, service. the time have no Information
A.. In what action Wiz be- taken. can only sly ina
were head Of the Treasury and any oh,l'l r'''u
g. testify ls,orc or furnish Information to this Commits
sion ! would remove him at once
II was a surprise To many Of Mr fairchid irieni,
that H.. Womb consent to plA'" hlul'rH on, ,''
5Craud roll. along with spies. inform'rN ana DC
t.ctfv,s. Nr. Nacfarlan", at pre- Hl inc Lllhl'S
member Of the COMM -,on said yesterday '',I"""li
,,af SURVEYOR Lyons refusal 20 furnish III" h'.inn
information would not interfere Win M" lnN"'Os'
lion in the lca-i. From hi, talk u Noulh hr III
f.rra thai some subordinate could b. " induced 10
civ,. The Information wanted. M, Information J,
mainly wanted - show Tie INliii'al hNi4huois oil
,h,. mon now employed IN The department.