The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-25
SUB-TREASURY SNRMISHING.
CHARLESTON DOING HER BEST TO
DOWN SAVANNAH.

A Formal Protest Entered Against
Locating the New Treasury Agency
I'm This City-A Weak Attack on the
Standing of This city us "A Cotton
POrt-The Fight May BE a Factor
in Defeating the Establishment Of
New Sub-Trensury Anywhere In
This Vicinity.
Washington. Jan. 9L-Unless a compro-
mise can be arranged between Savannah
and Charleston, on the subject OF locat-
ing the proposed sub-treasury. the indi-
cations are that neither city will be Sc
lected. Charleston has entered a formal
protest against locating the sub-treasury
at Savannah and a delegation OF promi-
nent business men, representing the for
mer city. had a hearing before the ways
and means committee to-day. The dele
gation was composed Of Joseph s MUIR
doch. Postmaster Mawry. James w. Seig-
nious, w. II. Welch, Ignatius z. O'Neiu
and w. H. Murphy.
They were introduced to Chairman Ding
ley and the members OF the committee by
Representative Elliott OF the Charleston
district after which Mr.. Seig-
nious read to the committee
prepared statement showing the
amount Of business transacted In Charles
ton, as compared with that of Savannah
lie also showed that Charleston was the
headquarters of the Sixth lighthouse dis
trict. and went on to state that more
government money is paid out at Charles
ton than at any OF the southern cities be-
tween Baltimore and New Orleans
lie met the statement made by the Sa-
vannah delegation recently that that city
IS the great cotton shipping port OF the
United "a Fu hRf oil g1.a.
ton of Georgia is shipped from Savannah
while there are three other ports In South
Carolina to divide the cotton trade with
Charleston.
Representative Turner. whose homo Is at
Qmtman, challenged this remark, and
added that he knew considerable portion
OF the cotton went to sea from the port
Of Brunswick.
Representative Deliver of Iowa, a re-
publican member Of the committee asked
numerous questions the purport of which
was that a sub-treasury located at Sa-
Vannah would be Of the same business ad-
vantage to Charleston as would result
from the establishment of a sub-treasury
at Charleston.
Mr., Seignious was not willing to make
that admission. but insisted that Charles
ton should be selected because of her
great banking interests. and because she
formerly had a sub-treasury
Representative Tawney of Minnesota
said that according to the Gentlemans
contention there should be "A sub-treasury
in every city.
Representative Dalzell of Pennsylvania
asked why the government repositories i'm
Savannah and Charleston do not obviate
the necessity for a sub-treasury In those
cities. AIR Seignious explained that in
Charleston these repositories do not cash
government checks at par
Chairman Dingley at that point read a
telegram he received from the officers of
the Merchants National Bank OF SaVan-
nah, which was published In the Morning
News Wednesday, denying the statement
OF Mr.. Hayne of Augusta that the govern
ment depository at Savannah declined to
cash such checks at par. There was
quite a discussion on that point, several
members of the committee expressing
their astonishment that such a condition
of affairs should exist.
The hearing closed without any intima-
tion from the committee as to what course
they intend to pursue In the matter. One
OF the committee stated that the whole
question will probably be referred to Sec
retary Carlisle, who is not favorably dis
posed TO the establishment of a sub-treas-
ury at either Charleston or Savannah
He vetoed a proposition to establish a
sub-treasury at Atlanta during the last
congress. and 1t is feared that he NAV
make the contention between Charleston
and Savannah the pretext for vetoing
Col. Testers bill
Ex-Speaker Crisp Of the ways and means
committee says several members of that
committee are very favorably impressed
with the claims of Savannah, but In view
OF the rivalry between the two cities
neither may succeed.