The New York Herald Newspaper, March 25, 1874, Page 3

| } NEW YORK HERALD, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1874.—TRIPLE SHEET. WASHINGTON. The Old Democracy Opposed -to Inflation. pe Eas THE COMPROMISE CURRENCY BILL, Secretary Richardson’s Theory of Resumption of Specie. THE GENEVA AWARD. WASHINGTON, March 24, 1874, The Compromise Financial Bill Ex- Pounded by Sherman in the Senate Thurman and Ferry in a Wordy Bat- tle—Uld Democratic Principles Opposed to Inflation, In the Senate, upon the agreement to Informally lay aside the pending amendments and the main question on the tormer report of the Senate Finance Committee transferring $25,000,000 of na- onal bank circulation, Senator Sherman took the floor in explanation and advocacy of the bill ma- tured by the Finance Commitiee jor redemption and reissue of United States notes and for free | banking. Senator Sherman did his utmost as an exponent of the merits of the biil and as @ well | Versed political economist. He took up the bill, | ®ection by section, and explained its purposes, | He was frequently interrupted by from Senator Morton, which finally were feirained from, as Senator Sherman inti- Mated that they interrupted the thread of his Qrgument. Considering that Senator Sherman thas a committee who are far from bein: unani- moos, and that the same thing exists even among * those who otherwise approximate tonn agreement on the general scope of the bill, and that It may be Said that there is not only a distinction without a difference, but there 1s a large difference of opinion among the five Senators, Sherman, Morrill, of Ver- mont; Scott, Fenton and Bayard, who support the Dill, he did very well. It was evident that Sena- tor Sherman has been somewhat discouraged trom the start, and in committee he has exerted him- self to the utmost to have the whole committee stand by the bill; but from the avowais of Senator ferry in debate to-day it is plainly io be seen that he does not fcel himself at liberty tosurrender his positive convictions to the contrary, and, although ® member of the committee, cannot support the biil as reported, because he been #0 pronounced in his opinions and arguments averse co it that to sustain it would ap- pear simply like stultifying bimsel!, Though the family disagreement in the committee and the promised antagonism of Senator Ferry, of Michi- gan, was enough to dishearten a leader with only demoraiized forces behind him to rely upon, yet Sherman made as brave and thoroughly devoted a presentment of his cause as if he were assured of the overwhelming justice of it and had a belief in {ts final triumph, He acknowledged, however, that the bill was a compromise and, like all otuer compromises, unsatisiactory, and it may be ques- | tioned whether, like the famed Missouri and Le- compton compromises, it may not occasion as much troubie and unconvincing if not endless de- bate, Senator Sherman expiained the third sec- tion in favor of free banking with restrictions, so as to keep it im certain limits and 80 that the large accumulations of capital io the East and in New York should not absorb the free banks, and hence the com- | mittee fixed tt accoraing to the ailowance given to New York, so that neither it nor any other State could get an excess, to the detriment of the other States, Still ne made the sweeping acknowl- edgwent that he was willing to take free banking without restrictions, as he had always been in favor of it, He made a thorough exposé ot the ‘workings of the succeeding sections, but did not seem to ve able to get over the virtual effect of the working of the sixth clause, which provides that there shall be no merease of the public debt by the provisions of the bill, which is acknowl- edged to be a contradiction and bar to the work- Ings oO! the other sections of tle bill, At 1ts close Senator Thurman replied to the attack which Senator Ferry, of Michigan, made on him in his speech, charging tiat he had dodged the financial issue ali through the three months’ debate. The venerable Senator was very much aroused, and being generally acknowledged to be in Jine for the democratic succession as a Presidential nominee he felt severely the, alleza- tion which bad gone broadcast througHout the Country that he had appeared to shirk the respon- sivility of taking one side or the other in the finan- Clal debate. So he was forced to avow his senti- ments explicitly to-day by Senator Ferry, who af- terwards arose to a very courteous but firm rejoin- der, and in response to a direct inquiry trom that Senator, he avowed himsel! as considerably too old a democrat and as having learned too many solid lessons in that school to favor the views of the inilationists, He was in favor of specie resump- tion by a gradual process and could not vote tor the pending bill, as its measures were too harsh in’ tuat regard, making, as ne con- tended. @ return to specie payments in two years, Senator Thurman finally urged that the bill, with free banking, was a perpetuation of the national debt, and that if the public debt was paid off there wonld be an end of the business of the national banks, He closed with the usual democratic campaign argument in favor of free trade and inveighed against a protective tari. Seuaror Ferry, of Michigan, who was in the chair during thus trying philippic, came to his seat and responded in a rebuttal of Senator Thurman’s ar- raignment, closing with the pithy remark that if the Senator from Ohio gave a thrust he must ex- pect. thrusts in return. Pending this discussion, in which the blood is now commencing to mount up, the Senate went into executive session aud then adjourned, Secretary Richardson’s Financial The- ory—No Inflation, Free Banking and Gradual Resumption. There is good reason for the statement that both the President and the Secretary of the Treasury fully sympathize with the endeavors to fix the | legal tender circulation where it at present stands. The Secretary, granted a sufficient length Of time, would reduge it, as he did the excess be- fore the panic, to $356,000,000, and in the same period he wouid accumulate gold, with the view of providing for gradual resumption during the year, in an interview with an official gentieman to-day he stated, unequivocally, that between the customs and internal revenue receipts the Treasury was in ample possession of funds for all the purposes of the government. He gees no use for the additional $15,000,000 which the House has provided for, and unless some further Jegislation 1s had on the subject itis likely to be Jocked up in the Treasury vaults. The Secretary favors iree banking in all the States in which | there is an amount of capital disproportionate to that of the more thickly settied States, and re- gards the timo as close at hand when it will be wise (or every banking tnstitutton tn the country to atigment its accumulation of gold, inasmuch as the solution of the proviem of redemption, that must sooner or later be presented to the govern- ment, will invoive its financial tributaries in the game principle. He also favors the granting of permission to the national banks, in cases of great emergency, to increase their note circulation to a Hmited extent by @ pledge of United States ‘bonds, bearing no interest while so pieaged, or ‘subjecting the banks to special taxation upon the Circulation notes obtained thereon and making such other terms that it wonld be theit interest to recall tne notes and redecm the bonds at the earliest possinie day after the pressure ana their necessities shall have ceased. ‘This, in his judg- aguens, would afford much flexibility and relieve the Treasury from the weight that was forced upon at during the panic. Rigid laws, applicable to all inquiites | has | the necessity ‘of amendments to the banking law which may secure more adaptability to events. The Geneva Award—Vhe Insurance Com- pantes to Receive Secondary Constdera- tion in the Distribution of the Money— The Basis of Settlement. ‘The House Judiciary Committee, at its meeting this morning, took up the Geneva Award bill, Messrs, Wiison and Jewett were absent, both being members of the District Investigating Com. ’ mittee, and Mr. Waite, of Alabama, is still under @ physician’s care, The prospect of a speedy dis- position of the billis very poor. The members present seemed to doubt whether the award should ever be taken out of the Treasury; put when the point was made that the $15,500,000 was in the hands of the Seeretary of State, drawing five per cent interest from the United States, the majority were of the opinion that it onght to be disbursed a8 soon a8 possible, So the proposition | was fairly presented, “Ought the Geneva award to | be distribuced or be held by the government +? On this question 7 voted in the aMrmative and 1 in the negative, The next proposition, “Shall the insurance companies be admitted to any | ana 6 voted in lavor of and3 against allowing | the insurance companies to present any claim whatever for the award. On the proposition to accept the list Of ciaimants recognized by the | vote was 7 for and 2 against, Another vote remains to be taken whether certain claims, amounting to $800,000, on vessels injured by Con- | federate cruisers before reaching Melbourne, and which claims were relinquished for the establish- met of an international principle, shall be con- | sidered as within the purview of the Alabama claims, should be adjudicated by @ commission or by tae United States courts the members were equally | divided—4 and 4~—and this vote | further consideration until the next meeting of the | committee, The result of to-day’s meeting shows | conclusively that the insurance companies will prac: | | tically be ruled out, Whatever their privileges may | | be, it 1s decided that they shall be subordinated, | and all personal and war risks are to have priority. | | The insurance companies have but very little pros- | pect of getting anything out of the Geneva award, | The periegtion of the bill will require several weeks | beiore it can be reported to the House. | The Transportation Bill—Its Probable Defeat in the House. | The Transportation bill, now pending in the | | House, is likely to be disposed of to-morrow, or re- committed to the Committee of Raiiroads and | Canals with a host of amendments, It is the im- | the debate that the bill, as reported, will not puss. ‘he measure is altogether novel, and is tuougit to | beimpracticable. The-repubiicans and democrats concur in the opinion that Congress ought to ve | very careful as to what measure is passed at this session, | Decision of the Georgia Contested Elec- | tion Case—The Republican Candidate Sworn in. Mr. Morgan Rawis, the democratic member from the First Georgia district, was unseated to- | day by @ Strictly party vote, and the republican | contestant, Mr. Sloane, of Savannah, declared the | legal representative, | tion contested the seats which they had iost, there is every evidence that before the close of the first session of. the Forty-third Congress the House | would be- unanimously republican, Unseating democratic members and postponing business to go on pleasure trips have been the javorite | amusements of the republican members of Con- | gress tuls session, 'The Voice of 20,000 Workingmen for the Eight Hour Law. William R. Roberts, of New York, presented to | the House to-day 4 memorial from 20,000 working- | men of New York in favor of the Eight-hour law, ; and asking ior the removal of Supervising Archi- | tect Mullett. Mr. Maynard, of Tennessce, objected to its being priuted, whereupon Roberts said | that If it came (rm a number of wealthy bankers he would not objegt$ud that ne wished it under- Stood that the respectful petition of 20,000 work- jugmen was refused a place in the Congressional | Record, All that was asked was that the memorial should be printed. | Confirmation of Nominations. | The Senate in executive session to-day con- firmed the following nominations :— David Reed, to be United States Attorney for the Western district o1 Pennsylvania; Frederick He: man Schenek, of indiana, Consul at Barceloni Gil B. Overton, Keceiver of Public Moneys at Lake City; Second Lieutenant Stephen P, > Salt Joulyn, to be first lieutenaut of the Twenty-first | regiment infantry, with rank from July 28, 1866, under the act approved Feoruary 25, 1873, to fill a vacaucy created by the death of Lieutenant Wil- liam L. sherwood, April 14, 1873. The nowination of Thomas B, Van Buren, of New Jersey, vo be C lat Kanagawa, which was confirmed a few d: ago and hung up on a motion to reconsider, was to-day Uoally confirmed, THE FINANCIAL FUTURE. | The Languid Discussion in the Senate— Personal and Sectional Views—The Duty of Congress to Adopt Definite Measures to Redeem Its Pledges at a Fixed Time—Dangers of Prolonging | the Period of Depreciated Currency. WASHINGTON, March 24, 1874, The Senate to-day resumed the consideration of the financial question, aud Mr, SHERMAN (rep.) moved the pending bill to equalize the distribution | of the national bank currency be laid aside in- | formally, and that the Senate take up the bili to provide for the redemption and reissue of United States notes and for free banking, reported \y him from the Finance Committee yesterday. Agreed to. | Ar. SHERMAN then explained the provisions of the bill at length, and said from the beginning of the session the new Finance Committee had been hard at work to perfect a vill, Over sixty proposi- | the committee, and it wasa dificult matter to agree | upon a general plan covering all the propositions, been agreed upon. Another diMceulty was ex- in opinion just as the Senate and the country is divided on the subject. First, there were those | ately; second, those who favored an expansion of the currency, and third, those who desired to see some increase in the currency to meet the demauus, | of business, but at the same time wanted steps. | taken toward a return tu specie payment. The | Finance Committee, to obtain the sense of the Senate, had brought forward a resolution de- claring it to be the dpty of Congress at the present session to adopt delinite measures to redeem the pledge made in the act of March 16, 1869, for THE EARLIRST PRACTICAL REDEMPTION of United States notes in coin, upon which a lengthy discussion followed, Then the bill to equalize the distrioution of the currency was re- ported and the discussion prolonged. The viil reporred yesterday, and just taken up, was not a satisfactory one, as tt was in the nature of a com- promise, and wiile it had the strength of a com- promise it also had the weakness of such a meas- ure. there was @ necessity for those on each side to yield their views to some extent to others, and unless they should go yield no bill could be passed. ‘rhere must be some aiuddle ground agreed upon to make the bill satisfactory to all, It only re- Mmatned for the Senate now to say tf this was a fair compromise; Whether {t would improve our curreucy and Daa the relief demanded, He then had the bill read by sections and ex- plained the provisions of each section, ‘A DEPRECIATED CURRENCY, He sald che United States notes at this moment are unconvertible, irredeemable and de- preciated at the rate of twelve per cent, They had depreciated ever since their issue, at one time being Worth onty forty cents in gold, and were now worth only ninety cents, The committee had re- ported in favor of fixing the amount of United States notes at $482,000,000, tugt being the amount DoW outstanding; but he hoped it would soon be practicable to get back to the $366,000,000, antl recover the ground lost by the panic. The $342,000,000 had been fixed upon, not because it was the best amount, but because ft was the amount now in circulation. The time must come When these notes must be reaeemd in coin, and something must be done look- ing to thatend. He quoved the annuat production Of precious metals in this country, the coinage, &c., and eaid he was hot prepared 10 ‘say that any day could be fixed upon now for the redemption of United States notes in coin, bt the time had come when some action should be taken to give these notes a specie standard, One pian suggested for banks, seasons and place® alike antagonistic toeco- nomic principles, often prove an@mbarrassment 2pan injury when thelr intention is just, Hence this was to allow tnem to be RECEIVED FOR CUSTOMS DUTIRS, and another to allow them to be converted into bonds, He thought it would be @ good plan to al- | privileges as claimants? caused a lively debate, | | Geneva Tribunal a8 the basis of settlement the | On the question as to whether the claims | checked | | Pression of those who have watched the course of | Had ali the defeated re- | | publican candidates at the 1ast Congressional elec- | | tions, in the shape of bills and petitions, were before | It was not until a iew days ago that such a bill had | perienced by the committee finding itself divided | who favored a return to specie payment immedi- | ‘low them to be received for customs duties; but the pledge in the act of 1802 that those duties ghould be collected iu com was tu the way. That Provision Was a Wise one when adopted. But for Le fact that customs duties were collected in gold durtug the war we could not have paid ghe imver- est they would have sunk If this bill did hot meet the views of the Senate let another be adopted, But he hoped this Congress would not adjourn with increased currency without any plan of redemption, I such course be pursued the country would be dishonored, The United States was rich enough to advance its notes to par in gold With 18 40,000,000 of the most prosperous people in the world, We flaunt the Star-Spangled Banner in the face of the world and point to ourselves a8 the model Reoublic, and he hoped we would not expose our inability to pay our broken promises, ‘the panic had peen made the reason for a great many extravagant ideas, If the senate thought the operations of this bill too rapid towards return to specie payment it could change | the time fixed, It wus true the Secretary | Of the Treasury haa some discretion under | Uhis bil, but nove to authorize him to issue irre- | deemavie paper currency, ‘The increase of the | Dauional bank capital under the bill would be about | $10,000,000, He did not think tt would be any vio- lation Oo! confidence to state that the Secretary of | the Treasuary wisted to retire an equal amount of greenbacks a8 national bank notes were issued, | thas not been the design of the Finance Commit- tee to enter upon any serious moditication of the National Banking act. [n conclusion, he said this Was not a party or sectional struggle, but a ques- ) thom invoiving | THX PAITH AND HONOR OF THE COUNTRY, | and Congress must provide a nattonal currency, well distributed, and one gradually approaching redem, tion in gold, |. Mr. Tuukman (dem.) said he had never made a | personal explanation, bur he was foreed to do so | now by what had been said by the Senator trom | Michigan (Mr, Ferry) in one of his lace speeches, ‘That senator nad arraigned him because he kept | quiet through this discussion, agit it Was nut & merit not to speak. He (Mr. Thurman) thoaght that to delay legis.ation by speaking was almost & | crime, The Senator (Mr. Ferry) had intimated | that he was slirinxing trom an expression of his opinion, and read irom newspapers to support his argument, Belore a Senator made charges against another Senator he shouid be assured oi the truth | whereof he spoke. He (Mr. fhurman) denied that he had ever said THE PANIC | was the result of an attempt of the creditors of ; | the Bast to force the debtors of the South and | West iuto specie resumption, He had never made sUCD a ridicujous assertion in his lic. On the cou trary, he bad always said that the panic was the Tesuit of overtrading ahd Congressional legisia- |, tion embarking in Dew enterprises, and especially dn the Northern /’periic Railroad scheme, He never uttered a word in Javor o/ inflation, but nad ex- pressed the opinion that he was opposed to any violent or sudden measures tor | specie resumption, He was too much of an | Old-fashioned democrat to favor emoarking on | | any career of inflation which m no resumption at all, Lhe Senator (Mr. Ferry) bad | charged him with beg absent irom the senate | when votes were taken on several amendmeuts. | | Ifhe had taken the .troubie to inquire be would | have ascertained that at that time he (Mr. Tuur- | Man) Was ona sick bed and unabie to be in the | Senate. Had he been present he would have voted against all amendments and jor the motion to recommit, as he believed the committee was | | the place im which to periect the biil, and not the | | Senate. | WONDERFUL! A SENATOR WITHOUT A FINANCIAL P LAN. Mr. FERRY, (rep.) of Mich., said he had com- Mented on the action of the Senator as expressed by one of the leading papers in Cincinnau. Li ne had offended the journalist had offended. He (Mr. Perry) Was still at a loss lo know where the Sena- | tor stood to-day, as he had submitied no proposi- | tion, no plan, ie inquired of the gentleman (Mr, Thurman) i) he wasin favor of the bill just re- ported by the Finance Committee ? Mr. THURMAN said his present belief was that he | wonid oppose it, though he had not examined it | | Caretuily, a8 he had not time to do so. His lmpres- | sion was that ne would vote agatust it. Mr. FERRY said he would vote to make the vol- ume ol legal tenders $400,000,000 and Jor iree | banking. Mr. THURMAN said this bill fixed the amount of | DACKS At $32,000,000, and only increased tie | nal bank circulation to the extent of $10,000,000. Free banking meant wd extension of the national bank circuisuon to many millions of doilurs, ‘he ouly lupit would be the amount of government bouds which could be procured to | | put up as securities, It meant an iudefisite ex- | tension of irredeemable paper currency and a PERPRTUATION OF THE NATIONAL INDEBTEDNESS. i national banking was Lo ve perpetuated the nae tlonal indebtedness must be, and with tue endur- ance of this tigh debt, high taxation and bigh tariif would continue. ‘The perpetual pauonal | banking system meant that the people of Onio | must pay ¥3 or $4 more per thousand Jor ther lumber from Michigan than they would have to | pay if they could get it (rom Canada, It meant DEATH TO FKEB TRADE, | and if the Senator (Mr. Ferry) was in favor of ex- tending the system Of national banks he was im tavor of extending national mndeviedness He de- hied that the bul just reported made currency | elastic, On the contrary, it fixed the amount by | Just ag arbitrary a rule as that of the present day, | Thougi he felt adverse to the bill now, he thougut it induitely better than mation. the second section of the bul, and said he could not Support it because it Was too severe in its pro- visions. Pending the discussion the Senate, on motion of | Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN (ep) Went into executive session, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. The Investigation Lagging, with Mea | gre Developments=Frauds in Con structing Pavements. WASHINGTON, Marcn 24, 1874. The District Investigation Committee tus morn: | ing examined Thornton Smith, one of the uusuccess- 4ul bidders for concrete paving contracts, and he | testified that the pavement laid by C. E, Evans,at the corner of Pennsylvania avenue and Madison place, was inferior to that in (rout of the Arlington House, the latter being the required standard, althougn paid for at the same rate. Franklin Mace, of Maryland, testified that Evans & Co. had not paid him the royalty clamed by him ag the owner of the Scharf pavement patent, and that the pavement laid by that company was com- posed o1 inferior material. Louis Clephane was examined by ccunsel for the memorialists, with the view of showing that he | went On Various contractors’ bonds for amounts | larger than the total value of his property at the time; he testified that be was worth not to ex- | | ceed $56,000, and that he supposed ne nad signed | | bonds amouniing to $150,000 in the aggregate. ‘The committee took a recess, On the reassembling of the committee, counsel for the memorialsts offered in evidence extracts | from the published report of the assets of Jay | being cvnfined exclusively to the asc He quoted roi | beipg ned would be adverted to by the counsel for the rd at the earhest practicable moment. Mr. Abrahams, called by the memoriailats, testi- fied as to his relations to John 0, Evans :—Was his foreman in the latter part of 1671; superintend the Pennsylvania avenue work west of Filteen street, done by Mr. Evans; the majority of the base was broken cobbie-stunes, and the Witness did not think it was @ proper base for the pavement; wit- ness was in Mr. Evans’ employ about three months; the asphalt used was of inferior qualit formerly superintended the work of the Sel Pavement Company in New York; witness several times discussed the quailty of the materials used in tue Pennsylvania avenue pavement, but Mr. Evans ‘did not take witness’ advicé in the matter; witness subse- quently was in the employ of 0, E. Evans and also of Thomas Lewis; the work done vy 4. 0. Evaus since the Pennsylvania avenue work was done 13 generally very good; Connecticut avenue was paved by ©. E. Evans; tt is a pad pavement and witness thinks the Board did not favor the prop- erty owners much in that locality by giving them that pavement; Jou 0, Evans’ pavement com- pares well Cdciees with the best of the concrete pavements jaid in this ctty; witness has seen the Pavement laid in the Agricultural Grounds, and it wou.d not Stand anything; witness could not lay a concrete pavement for seventy-ilve cents a yard. At a quarter to five o'clock P. M. an adjournment took place. THE SANBORN MONSTROSITY. Mr. Coughlin’s Testimony—The Secretary of the Treasury Rejects a Bid for the Collecting Contract Thirty-five per Cent Lower than the One Accepted— Sources of Information. WASHINGTON, March 24, 1874, The Committee of Ways und Means held a ses- Ston skis morning to give a hearing in the Sanborn, contract matter. Mr. Sanborn himself was present, attended by Mr. Woodbridge, an ex-Representative for Vermont, ascounsel. On being notitied that the committee ‘was prepared to hear whatever he had to submit, Mr. Sanborn suggested that he had two witnesses present who could not remain another day in Washington, and whom he requested that the com- mittee would first hear, The committee acceded to this request and gave @ hearing to Mr. Jon D, Coughlin, of New York, a member of the New York Legislature, who had enue in the city of New York, and is now acting under an agreement with Mr. Sanborn, Mr. Coughlin related minutely all the details of the work of collecting the legacy and succession tax, which was lis specialty, and in regard to which he claimed to be an expert. It was he who called on Mr. W. W. Phelps and made the final collection of about $15,000 as the tax on the personal property of Mr. John J. Phelps, deceased, and he gave it as his belief that that tax never would have been paid through the regular course, because Mr. Phelps seemed to be under the impression that the law repealing the Jegacy and succession tax applied to his case, Wille On Lhe contrary the law only applied to the Juture and not to the past. NO RECORD OF UNPAID TAXES KEPT. He stated that there was no record kept in the Internal Revenue Department of taxes due, but only of taxes paid, and that it was only through the efforts of an expert like himseil, who, by com- covered unver the Sanborn coniracts he at first. declined to give the iniormation. But, Mr. Woodbridge having intimated the wiilingness of his client to have tue intormation given, Cough- lin said he had an agre nt with Sauborn under whic he received twelve and a half per cent of the gross amount collected, He demed that le had imparted to Sanborn any = information stated that Sanvorn ad filed in the District Attorney's Ofice a list of persous irom whom taxes were to be collected veiore he (Coughlin) had anything to do wich him, tus share ot business tainment of the amounts due lor legacy and succession xes. He was questioned by Mr. Foster as follows:— TOUCHING INNOCENCE. Mr. Foster—Has anybody paid you anything as hush money? brought up iu that is a word that I do not clearly understand. If you will explain the precise meaning of it I will answer your question. Mr. Foster—I do not think it worti while to ex- platy to aNew York expert the meaning of the word. Mr. Conghlin—If es will explain to me exactly what hush money i will teli you all 1 know about it. Mr. Foster—You cannot tell without an expla- | nation? Mr. Coughlin—No, sir, I cannot. Mr. Foster—Have you received any money from not reported? Mr. Coughlin—No, sir. Mr. Foster—Has anybody proposed any such thing to you? Mr. Coughlin—No, sir; I never received a dollar at all outside the Sanborn contract. - Mr. Foster—but you kuow you could have re- ceived money as bush mouey ? Mr. Coughlin—Probably | could; but, to the credit of the people who dealt with me, they never offered it, Mr. Foster—Did you pay Mr. Bliss, the District Attorney, out of your twelve and a-nalt per cent? Mr, Cougulin—No, sir. 1 paid Mr. Bliss nothing, | Inever had any money dealings with tin, FIFTEEN PER CENT REFU: IV: In reply to questions by Mr. Beck Coughlin stated } that in March, 1578, some moutas before the date oi the Sanborn contracts, he had written to the Sesretary of the Treasury proposinz to collect the delinquent legacy and succession taxes in the county of New York at a commission of filteen per cent, although tue same work was alverwards given to Sanborn at @ commission of flity per cent. Mr. Beck—And you really did ail the work 10 vhese legacy and succession matters? Mr. Coughlin—Yes, Mr. BeckK—sanborn did not work up anything in person? AND FIFTY PER CENT |" Me. Coughlin—No, although he had lodged the information bejorehand, Mr. Beck—He got that information, did he not, from somebody wao had Once been 1 the Internal Revenue OMce? Mr. Cougilin—I do not know whether he had been or not. Mr. beckK—Give us his name, Mr, Coughlin—lis uame is Waddell. know his first aame. Mr, Sanvorn—His name is Willlam Wadden; he never Was in the Internal Revenue Departmen’ HOW THE REVENUE 18 COLLECTED IN PHILADEL- I ao not | Cooke & Co., showing the extent of tae interest of | that firm in the Maryiand Freestone and Mmug Company. | Jonu 0, Evans was then examined in reference | } to tue transactions of tue vahious paving assoc! ons with which he has been counected. He pro- | duced his books and explained. ther contents to | the cominittee, and gave at considerable length a | history of his partuersip operauons in the paving business in this city. The capital with which tie | witness’ partnership operated was partly fur- Dished by the Witness and partly raised on the | | joint notes of the partuers; tere has been no div- | idend of partnership profits, the major part of Which is due the firm trom the Board of Public | Works; witness is an old contractor; has been a | long time in that business; there was never any | | Secret or other arrangement between the wit- | | ness and the Board of Public Works by which he or his partners were to obtain contracts; lie said, “The old material used by us, taken out of Pennsylvania svenue, was of no material use to us. the board had to take up the cobble stone pave | ment, and they gave it to us for removing it, aud | we broke it up to form tne base of the concrete pavement; witness had no interest whatever in the passage of the sewer act by the Legislature nor any interest in any realestate operation of Kilbourne and Latta; there was no truth in the statement that witness was ever favored over other | contractors by the Board; when the contracts were first let the Board used unprepared wood; aiter a time they decided to have the wood blocks burnettized, and tue price of paving was increased so as to cover the cost of burnettizing; Witness was interested in the Portland Stone Company and wouid like to | give away his stock in that company. Evans ex- Plained in full the process of laying his concrete Davement and its cost, showing its character ior durability. There 1s five times the travel over the concrete pavement on Pennsylvanta avenue that there i over that in iront of the Ariington House; | witness did not know anything about the pave- ment laid by Thoruton Smith in the Agricuivaral Grounds; the pavement on Pennsyivania avenue cost about $260 per yard and the witness recetved $3 per yard, subject to the cost of bo a J tt in repair for three years; the profits of similar work done by witness oa New York avenue were avout twelve anda lialf per cent; the relative percentage of profits on this work is from fifteen to twenty cents per yard; witness furnished asphalt for the work on Pennsylvania avenue, west of Fifteenth Street; a portion Oi the asphait was from Trinidad and @ portion was Cuban asphalt, irom Taylor & Co., of New York; witness never paid nor ed to pay any member of the Board of Public Works any money to secure & contract; never divided or proposed to divide profits with any of them; wit- hess has no interest in the contracts of C.K. Evans & Co., and 0, E. Evans is no relation of witness, ‘The witness was interrogated by Mr. Wiison at length relative to tne work done by the Board around government property, and called the at- tention of counsel for the Board to the appropria- tions made by Congress to reimburse tne Board ior this class of work; also to the fact that within a Jew days after the passage of such appropriation the major part thereof was paid out by the Board Om account of other and entirely different work, Huntington ted that this matter wi Susceptible of ap easy and satisfactory explan: ‘ rHIA. John F, Belsterling, of Philadelphia, was also ex- amined. He staied that, having been a special as Philadelphia sor neariy two years, and having be- come jamiliar with tie records in the ofice of the Register of Wills, he was employed aiter leaving that office by Mr. Barrows, as the agent ol wr. Sanborn, to procure information as to unpaid legacy and succession taxes, The tniormation, he said, Was obtained only by a great deal of hard lavor and without collusion of any kind or degree with any tuternal revenue or otver government | officer and without paying a penny to any such | person. Information as to three ox four estates was submitted to District Attorney McMichael, but no coilecttons had been made up to this tite, because of @ difference with the Supervisor, Mr. Fuiton, a8 to wilat constitutes a recordin such | cases, In answer to a question by Mr. Foster Mr. Bel- | sterling said that ne did not consider Mr. Fulton vigilant in the interest of the government, and thoaght that if Supervisors Hawley and Simmons, in New York and New England, nad done as Mr. Fulton did in Philadelphia, the Sanvorn collections in their districts could not have been made, THE MISSOURI OUTLAWS: Message of Governor Woodson to the Legislature. St. Lovrs, March 2, 1874. Governor Woodson sent a message to the Legislature yesterday, calling attention to the fact that @ band of outlaws exists in this State who rob and murder with impunity; that he has no adequate power or means to bring the desper: does to justice, and asking that the proper iegis- lation be had at once. Detective Alicea, of Cat- cago, Who was Wounded near Monegan Springs BY the Younger brothers, is not dead, as reported. but 1s now expected to recover, His wife arrived at Roscoe a day or two since, and ts nursing him. ARRIVAL OF THE VIOB PRESIDENT OF THE CUBAN REPUBLIO, Upwards of two months ago Mr. F. V. Aguilera, the Vice President of the Cuban Republic, in com- pany with Mr. Hilario Cisneros and Colonel Juan Louis Pacheco, one of the heroes of the Cuban struggle for liberty, left this city to visit Philadel- phia, Baltimore, New Orleans, Key West and other places, where @ large number of Cubans reside, to collect subscriptions for the purpose ol carrying on the e@xisti revolution and to make arrange: ments. about further expeditions. Mr. Aguilera, itis reported, was received everywhere With great enthusiasm, The party has now returned to this city and report that their mission has been a most successiul one. GENERAL FUNK. ALBANY, March 24, 1874, Governor Dix has not approved the finding of the Court censuring General Funk, a8 reported, He still bas the matter under consideration. Jormerly been Assistant Assessor of Internal Rev- | which he had acquired as Assistant Assessor, aud | Mr. Cougiilin—In the sphere that I have been | any one in settiemeut of matiers wnich you have | CONGREGAT I ONALISM Opening of the Council on Ply- mouth Church Discipline. LAST NIGHT'S SCENES AND INCIDENTS, Brother Beecher and His Deacons Invited. All classes of Brooklynites—old and young, rich and poor, plain or fashionable, respectable or not, male or female—seem to be about equaily toter- ested in the present Congregational Coyncil, Con- versations between people on the streets, the fer- ries, the horse cars or in their own houses sooner or later glide to and linger over this all-absorbing subject, “We live in an an age of religious councils,” gaid one gentleman to another in a De Kalb avenue car, in the hearing of @ HERALD representative. ‘The Catholics held theirs some time ago, Then there came the Evangelical Alliance and its meetings, Now comes this Congregational Council.” “Yes,” was the reply; “but in this last case, this Congretional Council at the Clinton avenue church, there is @ great principle involved, the principle of REPUBLICANISM IN RELIGION, the right of a church to govern its own matters in its own way. This is all they want or the church wants, and this is just what Storrs, Budington, | &c., don’t want,” said this gentleman, who was | evidently a Beecherite. “Pshaw!” said his companion, who was as evi- dently on the Storrs-Budington side of the con- troversy, “tt 18 a mere question of govern- ment against anarchy, of order against chaos, All the Council wishes is to settle the question whether @ man, after having become a member of @ church, has got tree right to do just as he chouses afterwards, aud to make as much fuss ag he chooses, and then to leave the Church without notifying anybody, and then escape all responsi- bility simply on the ground that he is no longer a member."” Another group conversing on the subject were overheard by the HERALD representative to present Still another phase of this many-sided matter. “MODERN PURITANISM 1s on its trial,”’ said one of this group. “The quea- tion now to be decided is, whether the traditions | derived trom the Pilgrim Fathers are still binding on those who proiess to be the descendants, or whether the modern Pilgrims of Plymouth church are above all discipline, and can do as they choose,” The HERALD representative also found by the | only infallible way of “getting at” public opinion— paring the information to be derivea irom the Sur- | 4, @, mixing with the crowd and noting rogaie’s Oflice with the record o taxes paid in the Collectors vies, ascertamed where tho dein. | al the samples of opinion therein ex- quencies existed, that such delinquent taxes could | pressed—that there was a large portion ever be recovered, on being questioned a8 | of the community m Brooklyn who looked to his personal share in the sums re | } upon the whole Council and the various events | which had led up to it as simply attempts, direct | aud indirect, to unearth wuat has been for some time known to journalists and other parties ag | “the Beecher-Tilton Scandal.” *‘Tney want to hurt | Menry Ward Beecher,” said one enthusiastic ndi- vidual, standing with others near the door ot the | Clinton avenue church; “and so they have called | together this one-sided Council, which 18 to pe or- | ganized dead against Beecher, It is not Congre- | pationalism on trial, but Henry Ward Beecher, stabbed in the dark by his professed frtends. | “Well,’? replied some one in the group, | Jorty-eight answered | question o1 the rigut Beecher or Mr. anybody else has done any wrong, | has not the Church got a right to inquire into 10 7"? “Yes,” was tbe reply. “But let the church, then, | inquire into the matter openly—not make pre- tences and b round the bush as if it was afraid, Besides, the church has no right to make any in. quiry into anybody or anything until somebody has made certain’ specific charges of something | | against somevouy, And nobody has accused Mr. Beecher of anything openty yet—nor ever will. | | He's too popular and too good @ man,” with much | more of the same sort. Another party in the group additionally stated that, “50 far as Mr. Tilron’s dropping bis member- slip of Plymouth church is concerned, there could be no special point made on that, for it was very wellknown that ali the Congregational churches for many years had been IN THB HABIT OF DROPPING MEMBERS from the church rolls every year, so that there must be some other reason than merely Mr. Tilton lor the present Councii.¥ “Yes, and that other reason is Henry Wara Beecher,” said a bystander. This latter opimion seemed to be that of | the conductor of the be Kalb avenne car, which carried the HERALD representative to the Cimton avenue church; for on reaching that | avenue the conductor calied out, “Here you are, | to the Clinton avenue church; TRIAL OF HENRY WARD BEECHER! | @sentence which calied forth the endorsement of | the passengers, j THE BIG CHURCH AT TUE CORNER— which is probably destined to become as locally lamous as “the Little Church Round the Corner,” if uot in verse, at least in prose, and if not in the history of the human heart, at least in the history | of church polemics—is located at the junction of Latayette and Clinton avenues, fronting | on the latter thoroughiare, | Villas and gardens, Jor Clinton avenue 1s one of the paradises of the weaithy Brook- lynite, and is @ spired stone pile of more than ordinary pretensions to architectural beauty. it was weil lighted on Tuesday eveaing and pri | sented quite a brilliant appearance. Jt was su rounded irom an early hour by @ curious throng, | Who, a8 svon as the church was opened, pressed } eagerly Jor admittance within the sacred editc | Ingress, however, was devied to all saving tnose | who held tickets, which were regarded as precious by all holders, and the possesion of which seemed to constitute an undeniable claim to Brooklynite | envy. Considerabte ill leeling seemed to be gen- | erated between those who held and those who did not hold these precious slips of paper, which were very plain, white, and simply wmarked:—“Con- gregational Council, Clinton ‘avenue chureh,— Admit the vearer to all sessions.” Sev- It stands among | | nese-like looking, neat!y dressed, evidently a mart of the world a8 weil asa man ofthe chureh, He speaks clearly, fluently, with an untinpassioned aeliv Re’ Storrs is a man With grayish beard and darkish hair, with a broad face. a keen eye and a harsh voice, He seems to be the suggesiive man of the clerical duo, Dr. Budington being the ex- ecutive thereot, Among the other prominent men connected witn the present Council are the following gentlemen ;— THE PROMINENT MEN OF THE COUNCIL, President Sterns of Amherst College, who waa appointed the temporary chairman of the firss stages of the Council, is an elderly, gray-haired, bent, student-looking personage, Who acted with great moderation, deliberation and dignity. ‘The Rey. Mr. Quint, who Was appointed the tem- orary scribe of the Cuuucil, is a biack-halred, Vilkie Collins looking sort of raopage, stout and comlortable-seeming, With a bushy beard and a general business look. v. Dr, Bacon, “The Nestor of congregation. "ig a fine, living specimen of wel.-preserved learning, witn gray hair and whiskers, partly bald, roa alzed, With @ grave manner and a solemn ce. Judge Charles J. Walker, of Detroit, has a harsh, Unpleasant voice and a very dry legal manner, but is Impressive in his arguments, Proiessor £. C. SuayUie, of Andover Theological Seminary, who made tinsel! very promment throughout the early stages of the council, ts & stooping, spectacied, ol! gentieman, with iron- ray hair, with a hurd, dry, every-day look about him, and gifted with a Voice of possibilities —a& voice Which, though kept ander suodued control, would seem capabte of ntorian exertions, Rey. Mr. Rankin, of Wasnington, 18 a wellformed gentieman, with iuglish sive whiskers and with more than the usual ministerial quantity of dark hair. He has a cor ta), genial, hearty manner and a clear, ringing, sympatuetic voice, Dr. Martyn bas alawy manner and a more than usual amouut of is quanities’—fan of Yankee persistency—a geauiue down Easter im his general appearance. Mr, N, 4. Burton, of Hartiord, is a midale-aged man, with a rich Voice aud a mauner almost boy- ish in its earnestness. F Rev. Mr. Kingsley, of Providence, isa nervous, rapid speaker, abounding in ‘"ords” and seldom pausing to take breach; Very earnest and declama- tory in manner. Like most of the members of the Council, he bas grayish hair and grayish beard and 18 quite bald. Rev, Mr. Browa, of Newark, is a tall, carnest, dark complexioned mau, iresher than the majority of the Council. Mr, John Fiske, of Bath, Me., 13 an impressive speuker, because most (horoughly in earnest, Judge Crosby, of Lowell, ls likewise painfully in earnest, fe his a thoulttul face, a deep earnest eye and an impressive aelivery, Rev, Dr. Henry M. Storrs 18 a thin, wiry and tall, spectacied gentiem with a nervous delivery. H. ©. Kingsley, usurer Ol Yale College, 1goks, for all the world, lik A RELIGIOUS JAY GOULD, being of the exact size and Shape of that veneras ble litthe-great finance With @ gray instead of a dark beard, Whiie the Rev, Dr, Boardman, of Chicago, is tn di- rect contrast to the iast, betug of Fiskian propor- ous, The Proceedings. At half-past seven o’clock, Dr. Budington,, pastor of the church in which the Council is sittiig, called the body to order, He welcomed the delegates to Brooklyn and to his church. “We have invited you here,” he said, ‘to give ut advice on a matter of vital importance to us and to Congregationalism. | am glad to know that this is au impartial Council, We tad intended to invite you to a mutual council, but we found this impossibie. We ask you (o put yourselves in our place and to give us ‘the best advice and counsel you can under the circumstances, And may Hn Who reigns and rales in tue hearts of his peopig, guide and govern your hearts and preside over your deliberations.” Dr, Budington then sug- gested that the Council should elect temporary oillcers, On motion, therelore, of Dr. Dexter, of Boston, Rev. Dr, Stearns, President of Amherst College, wus elected temporary Chairman, The Rey. Dr. Quint, of New Bediord, was chosen temporary Secretary. THE ROLL OF CHURCHES invited was theu read by the Secretary, when hy their delegates, ‘The number called together was seveuty-nine, Tie absentees are expec'ed here to-day. The caureh tn Orange Vatiey sent two lay dele- gates instead of its pastor (woo is travelilog im the Pacific) aud a layman, This called up the aciureh to send two lay- mat action being taken thereon, the delegates were, by mutual consent, admitted to seats, The deiezates landed in their names on slips of paper, and thus a temporury Toll was made ou PERMA) Nominations for permanent officers were then made. Dr. Leonard Bacon, ol New Haven; Presi- dent Fairchild, of Oberiing Lafayette Foster, of Connecticut; Bradiord R. Wood, of Albany, and ©. |, Walker, of Detroit, were placed im nomination, To settle the sectional feelings of delegates Dr. Dexter remarkea that tie duties of Moderator would be very arduous, and he therefore moved that two Moderators be chosen—one from the East and one from the West. This motion was adopted, The delegates then balloted. The resuic was:— Number of votes cast... Necessary to a choice: Of which Dr. Bacou receive . -A second ballot was then takeu for the other Moderator, with tue following result:— Number of votes cast C. 1. Walker received.... He was therefore clected, Dr. Quint was elected Sribe by the uplitted hand and the Key. J. ©. Miserve, of Brooklyn, his assist- ant. Dr. Bacon, in his mangural address, remarked that if he wanted to sWay this body by personal in- fluence or by speech he would ask them to reheve hin oer. from this position, But as this is, and 1s to be, men, but, Wichoue ai AN IMPARTIAL COUNCIL, nee oe its action aud thanked it for its de- cision, The calling of the roll of delegates and the reada- ing of the letter missive and statement of the churches calling: this Council was dispensed with. The Moderator then offered prayer, alter which, on motion of Mr. Dixon, of Jersey City, the letter mis- sive—the charter ot the Councu, as the Moderator Styled it—was read. Aremark made by the Mod- erator that he had never known @ deliberative body refuse to hear its own charter read called out applause, which he rebuked, ‘The Councii being now ready for work, Professor Smythe, of Andover, said they had come up here | from different parts of the country, and they fnd | eral members of the Clinton avenue chureh con- | | gregation seemed to think that tuey should nave | been admitted at all hazards, even though they | held no tickets; but this claim was persistently | | ignored by the gentlemen at the Clinton avenue | doors, who discharged their unpleasaat duties witha mixture of the suaviter in modo and tae } Sistant assessor ol legacy and succession taxes IN | rorciter in re as rare as it Was delighttul. A notice- on feature of the occasion was the number of adies — YOUNG, UNMARRIED LADIES— | who sought admission; sought it clamorously, | eagerly, justasa New York Waiden would see | admission to @ Charity ball oracrush mightat the | Academy. | ladies than old among the groups who were ud- mitted into the galleries of the church. As jor the members of the Council and the members of the press, these were adinitted by tickets at the Lalayette avenue door of the church. Having | passed the gauntlet of several ticket imspectors, | they were shown intoa large room adjoining the church, with piain red carpet and plain brown walls, inscribed with the legend, ‘The Word of our Go | endureth forever." Here all standing were found | gathered togetier the concentrated learning and | piety of the Congregational Church, at jeast so far | as this was represeuted by the invitations issued | by the getters up ol the Counctl, The first tact that would strike @ stranger entering this ante- | room was the prevailing unge of the nair of the Members, it being an iron gray—uot white, not Venerable, but thoughtful looking hair, as 11 were. | The majority of the delegation were past the | prime of lite and presented a most clerical, ortho- dox and stern, While at the same time eminenly iutellectual, appearance. ‘The New England ele- ment—the Puritan clement—seemed to predomi- nate, and there was one other fact noticeable— there were no heads of the Henry Ward Beecher stripe, physically speaking, preseiit, NO LARGE LIBERAL HEADS, no langhing eyes, no smiling faces, no conn- tenances that conveyed the idea that their owners enjoyed life as Beecher's lace so eminently does. There was plenty ot intellect—abundance of justice ) Fepresented; but what Mr. Beecher himself would have called “the emotional element” was almost entirely omitted, After a certain time spent in social intercourse and in the distribution of cer- tain printed cards, which were to introduce the holders to the hospitalities of certain Brooklyn Jamilies during the sessions of the Council, the delegates aud the press were ushered into the body of the church, which ts very large, very plain and very imposing, almost utterly destitute of ornament, very lofty, rather dingy and withal quite comfortable, the prevailing colors bein light brown, dark brown and light red. ‘The organ is considerably more prominent ana { gecuples considerably more space than the chancel, Nothing could be more unostentatious and busi- hess Uke than the modus operandi of the organi- wation of the council, There were no formal re- Ugious services at the opening, and everything ‘Was done with an eye to busimess, as will appear trom the full report of the proceedings given velow. Prominent among the members of the Council, in fact, its heads and fronts, and conse- quently sitting of standing near the chan. | cel, and almost always seen together, stood | THR TWO CLERICAL BRETHRRN, | who have become [pea age! through the pres- | ent controversy—Rev. Drs, Budington and Rev, Dr. Storrs—both of whom require tn this place a passing description, Rev. Dr. Budington is a tall, urbane, white haired gentieman, pleasant voiced. straight, busi- | In tact, there seemed to be more young | that one party to the coutroversy that has catied them together is not here. ihe letter missive has been read, It is, asthe Moderator has happily styled it, the charter of this Council, ana, being as- sembled here as a council, we should express our own HEARTY FEELINGS TOWARD PLYMOUTH CHURCH stor as we have toward the brethren and churches that have called us together, and our de- sire aiso, above all things, to be magnanimous irom the beginning to the eud. We are to be governed by the letter missive. Now, we might freely, under that letter, invite Plymouth Church to attend = this —Guuneil. While we are not called to advise them as we should be 1 this was a mutual council, We are here to ad- vise one of the parties to this controversy and not the other, He thereiore offered @ resolution :— “that Plymouth Churcn (with tue consent of the comaiittee) be invited to present its views be- fore the Counugil by its pastor and such com- mittee as it may appoint, anu by the same com- mittee to turntsh suct information on this question as the Council may request or the committee may desire to give.’ ‘This was THE TOUCHSTONE OF SUBSEQUENT PROCEEDINGS, and various amendments were offered and lost. Motions were made and unmade, points of order raised and answered, iuformation asked and given—all to postpone action on this resolution. All of them, however, jailed, and @ general desire, was Manifested that Plymouth churcn should be present on the same terms as the other churches were represenied. Dr. Martin, of Portsmouth, wanted the point settled, frat of all, whether Plymouth church had been invited to a mutual council. Dr. Smythe wanted all parties here on the same footing. Mr. Rankin, of Boston, wanted Plymouth churcn and pastor to come, and promised them aii the rights and privileges of original callers of this Council, Ho wanted aise a committee of five ap- pointed to watt on Plymouth church, and that the Counc! adjourn to eleven A, M. to-day to hear the Teport of the committee. “WE CAN'T HURT PLYMOUTH CHURCH or its pastor by any adverse action oF ours,” he remarked, This resolution was vpposed by Mr. Dixon, of Jersey City, and others, and was withdrawn, Dr. Storrs took the stand to explain the Church Committee's understanding of the status of this Council, They understood there were four Kinds of councils—mutual, es parte, eocle- Siastical and advisory, The first Was called by both parties to @ controversy; the second by one party, but the same questions are submitted to both; the third to ordain ministers, &c., aud the fourth to give advice on any matter that may be laid before it, Now, he insisted that this Was neither & mutual, an ex parve nor an ec- clesiastical council, It was purely advisory. The churches calling the Council telt the need of advice, and they ask it. If the Council shall find that they require more light on certain points they have the right to seek it and get it if they can, but if the; cannot they need not advise. But they must no! change the character of the Council from am ad- visory to something else, ; Several attempts were made to strike out the word “orally? trom Dr. Smythe’s resoluiion, The brethren were evidently afraid of THE INFLUENCE OF Mi, BEECHER’S ORATORY on the Council, while it wos evident that the ma- jority wanted to hear him, A delegate thought tnat the dest thing to do was to appoint a@comunittee and send word to Plymouth church to say :—‘‘Gentiemen, we are ready to hear anything you have to say on this question.” He did not like the Council to put itseif in a ,osition sed Faw ee) oy ae ayat ki church. at deal of parliamentary 9) Dr. Smythe's, resolution was dopted. ndhe wn, the seribe, Dr. Quint, were aj nted @ committee to notily Plymouth church ot this action. The Counc! then adjourned to half-past nine Ar A.