A GREAT SWINDLE.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1785, 25 April 1874, Page 2

A GREAT SWINDLE.

The Neio York Tribune, of March 2, > gives the history of the Sanborn coh-v>'-tracts, which it calls the biggest conspiracy of the age. It alleges that this- J conspiracy involves George S. Boutwell, W. E. C. Banfield, William A. Richard-' sou, and Frederick A. Sawyer, of the Treasury department ; General Butler, •■-. John D. Sanborn, and George Bliss, jun., United States district attorney for this district. It is shown that the whole • scheme was planned years ago; that a 3pecial law was smuggled through Con- • gress to cover the swindle; and that, to' carry it out the whole force of supervisors , and collectors of internal revenue, and the! United States courts mnchinery have been ' used by Sanborn and his confederates. ; The special act was attached to the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Appro- - priation Bill of May, 1872, as an amendment in tha Senate, being introduced by Senator Sawyer, arid hurried ! through the House by Butler, although Farns worth, of Illinois, denounced it as a f corrupt measure, contemplating grea£ J frauds on the revenue. It authorised the employment of three persons to assist revenue officials in discovering and collecting taxes due to the Government.. .Sanborn, John Clarke, and Malcolm. Campbell were employed, but Sanford got a monopoly of the business, and instead of assisting the revenue officers to discover taxes due, Sanborn soon began using the, revenue officers to assist him, and this was done under an order from Boutwell : :* in his own handwriting. This remarkable * letter, which places all the assessors' and ' collectors' books in the country at Sanbom's disposal, was written by Boutweli^ and signed by him in person. It does not appear in the report. Not' only revenue officers, but , United v States courts were loaned to ' Sanborn to aid him in making collections. He used the revenue cooks to discover what taxes . were due, and he used the courts to compel obstinate delinquents. ~ to settle up. The report contains two ■'■■ letters from Solicitor Banfield to Attorney Bliss, of New York, and Wm. M'Michael, of Philadelphia, directing them to bring ' suit against any pewon Sanborn named as delinquent, and to notify all collectors not to collect taxes of persons named in Sanborn's contract. Thus, it will be seen '' that Sanborn could inspect the books of ' assessors, and pick out the largest claims , against persons or corporations, prevent the collector in that district from taking the' money if the tax-payers offered to pay it,, and that wheuever anyone offered to pay Simborn, the district attorney applied the squeezing process as the suits' were called. The statement alleges that' j the amount involved in Sanborn's contract is not lessj^ than ten millions, and that, consequently, • if cou tracts are not rescinded, the share of Sanborn and partners will not be less than five millions.