Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-02-15

made by f. Mix. This second uohu 10 siB"eu
by E Mix as contractor, and Samuel Cooper
and James Oakley, as sureiies-and Is aate-aa'-
ed to sth Of August, .sl8-but no cer'ihca'e'
in regard to the sufficiency OF tine sureues, was
attached to this instrument, lhe Comm''ee
have been unable 10 ascertain when this second
bond was received al the Engineer Depart
menI though the impression OF General owlit
is that it was received before he lets the ofhce,
which was on the illh Of November, 1918
Major Handkerchief also expresses his beiiei,
thai it was delivered during the fall OF 1913
How far his testimony conflicts, ii al all, with
his letter 10 Mix, dated 18th OF October, 1920,
in which he urges upon the latter 10 attehu 20
the sc bond" the Committee will not undertake
TO determine.
The attention Of Gen. Swift was particularly
directed, before the Committee, to the discre-
pancies in the bonds, and also to the two let
tiers from the Engineer Department, in which
the contract is alluded TO. The explanation
which he gives will be found in his testimony,
to which the Committee refer
Daring an investigation relative TO this con.
tract, by Committee Of the House oil Repre-
senla,ives, in 1922, copy Of the bond was re-
ques,ed by thai Committee. In answer TO
which, the Engineer Department furnished
copy of the second bond, which had been sub
slitaled for The one first given-but, as there
was no certificate Of the Recorder OF New-Yn OK,
approving the sureties on the second bond,
copy Of the certificate annexed to the cancel
led bond, was made, and attached to the copy
Of the bond furnished. Capt. Smith, oil the
Engineer Department, who attested these CO.
pies, has explained the cause OF his certifying
to this inaccuracy, and to his testimony, In that
particular, the Committee here refer.
The question still remains, who was the Sc
cret partner? But the Committee being entire
ly satisfied that the secret partner was not the
Vice Pre- Sident, which was the main question
10 be decided, will leave the conflicting tes,i-
mony on the other point with the House, with
out attempting TO decide upon It's relative
weight
On the 9th January, 1927, the Committee
closed the examination Of wi,nesse- on their
part, except as 10 one or two, who had been
summoned, but had not attended. On that
day, the friend and representative OF the Vice
President was advised that The Committee had
SO closed their examinations; and he was also
informed by member Of the Committee, in its
presence, that the Committee were unanimous
ly Of opinion that the Vice-President was inno-
cent of the charge of having participated in
any manner in any contract made with the War
Department, while he was Secretary OF War.
The same day, at the instance OF Mr.. MDuthe,
subpGnas were issued for witnesses to appear
and testify OH behalf of the Vice-PresideDt.-
On The goth of January, the Committee receiv-
ed from the friend and representative OF the
Vice-President, paper protesting against the
previous proceedings Of the Committee Con-
sidering This paper as prepared and presented
under the sanction Of the high officer, in whose
behalf it protests, the Committee have deemed
it their duty 10 transmit it to the House, but
they forbear all comment on its contents.
The COMMITTEE submit herewith all the tes-
timony they have received during the examina-
ton
The Report having been read
Mr. FLOYD then rose and made some remarks
on the report, which he presumed would be
considered as the report of the ommittee, in
asmuch as il was the report OF the majority Of
those who composed it. The Committee had
been forty days engaged in dellberation on this
snbjrcI and as far as he had been able to un.
derstand the various testimony which had been
produced, he himself had prepared a report
which, however. did not appear 10 conform TO
the views Of the Committee. The report which
ter which he did not think the correct one
He would therefore present to the consideration
Of the House the report which he had prepared
While he had the floor, and, as it was proba-
bly, the last time this session that he would adj
dress the House, he would take occasion to say
one word more. He went into the invesuga-
ton Of this subject with view to do justice TO
all parties. During the investigation, however,
The character Of a man who stood IN two-fold
situalion-he alluded to Mix-had been so de-
veloped as to display greater degree Of afro
city than had ever marked any individual since
the days Of Tius Oates. He would say one
word more. During those days when he him
self had 10 bear his share Of censure with O.
Tiers, who were called ruthless radicals, he
though, at that time as he thought now: that he
disapproved Of Yellow Stone expeditions and Of
the system Of Notifications which was carrying
on, as unnecessary expenditures: but, in justice
to the officer who was at the head of the De-
partment, he would say that he had been OF as
much use to that Department as any man in the
United States could have been. Before he
came into it, the Department was in state Of
chaotic confusion: by the regulations ne intro
duced, and the enforcing of the responsibility
of officers, he had given to the Department