Year: 1874

| CURRENT TOPICS AT THE CAPITAL.
| RESPONSIBILITY FOR REVENUE ABUSES.
| WASHINGTON. Wednesday. May 90 1874
In the course of the general debate on the Post
Office Appropriation bill to-day Fernando Wood en-
deavored to fix the responsibility of the moiety sys
| TEN and all the recent denominations that have
| sprung from il upon the Republican party. Mr.. E
H. Roberts, IN reply, insisted that the system was
almost as old as the Government and claimed credit
| for his party for making an effort to reform Its
| abuses. He was right as to the antiquity OF the
system, but was apparently forgetful OF the fact
that the efforts to abolish it, with all Its tram OK
bribery, espionage, corruption, and extortion, did
not originate in the present Congress- but for
many years defeated by the action Of the Republi-
can majority in either the House or Senate. Mr..
Roberts subsequently attempted to deny the respon-
sbity Of his party for the Sanborn contract
frauds but was less successful than in his
reply to Mr. Wood. The record of the action
of the House on the amendment to an
appropriation bill which authorized the making OF
the contracts was paraded by Mr.. Randall, VINO
made it substantate his assertion that the Demo-
Gratis as a body opposed the amendment, and that 1t
was carried on a Conference Report by Republican
votes including that of Mr.. Roberts himself. This
discussion as to whether the Republican party is
fairly chargeable with the odium of the Sanborn
and Jayne business was somewhat premature the
action of the Senate on the House bills abolshing
the moiety system and repeating the Sanborn Con-
tract law will settle the question. II Senator Conk-
ling and his friends are permitted TO put their feet
these measures, as they have done on all measures
for Custom-house reform in the past, there VIII be
no further question as TO the responsibility OF the
dominant party in the premises. III on the contrary
the bills should pass without delay and without ad-
verse amendments, the public viii no doubt be so
delighted that it will be disposed to drop the cur:
tain the past history of systems and schemes of
punder and oppression of which the country will at
last be forever nd.


SECRETARY RICHARDSON CENsuRED BY THE


WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE.


The Committee on Ways and Means today
authorized Mr. Foster to report resolution censur-
ing the Secretary of the Treasury the Assistant Sec
retary Of the Treasury. and Solicitor Bamfeld for
the lax and careless administration of the law in the
Sanborn contract AS soon as the House got
ready for business this morning, Mr. Foster took the
floor TO call up the Sanbom Contract Report and
BILL and was about to begin speech when Mr.
Dawes had letter from Gen. Butler read request
ing postponement for one day. and stating that he
was i'll and in bed and was desrous of speaking on
the BILL The letter closed with the pious and
somewhat pathetic remark that: "The issues of
life and health are not in hands" The House
was delighted to hear that Gen. Butler really IN
tended to make speech on the subject, and antci-
patng a lively time from his promised tussle with
the whole force of the Ways and Means Committee,
was quite ready to grant bis request Tor day de-
Law. Ii is reported that Gen. Butler has got pos
session of certain private letters written by Messrs
Foster and Beck in which they express goOd deal
of delight at the prospect of proving hls connection
with the Sanborn frauds, and that he intends to
have these letters read II he does lie Will be asked
how he his detectives manage to steal the private
correspondence of members.


THE CURRENCY BILL.


The Banking and Currency Committee made
some progress in the consideration OF the Senate
Currency bill to-day, but will require at least
another session to complete it. They agreed to
strike out the clause requiring the banks to reserve
IN their vaults one-fourth of the coin received as
interest on their bonds and amended the section
relating to the retirement of greenbacks in place OF
the additional National bank circulation issued, by
changing the amount from 2j 10 40 per cent. The
decisions of the Committee will not, judging by
past experience, have q controlling influence over
the action of the House. and are chiefly interesting
as showing the conclusions reached by a majority
of IL gent emen, who represent nearly al the vare
ties of opinion the currency question 10 be found
in Congress. 1t is by no means certain thad the
House will pass the bill as II comes from the Com
NO INCREASE OF THE TARIFF.


The Committee Of Ways and Means to-day by a
vote of against q expressed themselves opposed 10
the restoration of the 10 per cent taken of the rate
of duty on certain articles in the second section OF
the Tariff act of June 6, 1872 These articles are
manufactures of cotton, WOOL iron and steel, metals
and manufactures of metals, excepting percussion
caps, watches, jewelry, and other articles OF
ornament, paper and manufactures OF paper,
excepting uDsized printing paper, books
and other printed matter not specifically
provided for manufactures of India-rubber,
gutta percha, or straw oil cloths, all descrp-
tions of glass and glassware leather all manufac-
lures of SKINS bone, ivory horn and leather, except
gloves and mittens. The Committee are opposed TO
increasing the duty the above articles The res
toration of the 10 per cent would increase the
enue about Ss 00o 600 annually.