§ MR. MACVEAGH (Down Co., S.)To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will state how many officials participated in the division of the special grant recently placed at the disposal of the Board of Customs; whether the payment of these bonuses absorbed the balance of the savings on the Customs vote; whether the recipients were the only officers not ordinarily entitled to overtime who rendered special services in connection with the sugar and coal duties; whether any officials, and if so, what officials received also increases of salary; whether the special grant referred to, and the selection of the recipients, were made on the initiative of the Treasury or the Board of Customs; and, 490 if the latter, whether the Board recommended for recognition any member or members of the Outdoor Department of Customs for services rendered in connection with the coal and sugar duties; and can he explain why, while an increase in salary was granted to the superintendent of messengers in the Indoor Department, no such recognition was obtained by any of the officials of the Outdoor Department.
(Answer.) The number of officials who participated in the special grant was eight, and seven others received increases of salary. These were the only officers who were considered to have a claim to special recognition for the services in question. The payment of the bonuses did not absorb the balance of the savings on the Customs Vote. I must respectfully decline to answer questions as to the nature of any confidential communications which may have passed between the Treasury and the Board of Customs.—(Treasury.)