Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1832-05-02
WHOLE NO. 100.
Correspondence ofth Providence Journal,
WASHINGTON, April FL, 1882.

The House has been engaged to-day
in the trial of General Houston. The
affidavit Of Mr.. Blake, the Indian agent,
has opened the door to the admission Of
a great deal oftestilnony, which was not
originally corsside'o~,-vI~r I~ ~. an Mt fnAhe r
maiter pending, which is simply breach
OF privilege. l send you copy OF the
affidavit of MIR. Blake, on the other side.
This testimony has been produced in
consequence of an error, which was COM
milted by the counsel for General Hous-
ton, in putting ii question to Mr.. Stan
berry, as to his intention to impute fraud
to Gen. Houston, which commenced with
an assumption of the fact Mr.. Sianber-
ry replied that in his remarks, he had not
imputed fraud to General Houston, but
that he now believed that there was a
participation on the part Of Gen. Hous-
ton, in the attempt to commit fraud
There has been nothing elected to-day
of any great importance; but if the trial
should be permitted to go on much far
ther, think that strong presumptive evi-
dence may be produced Of character
fully to sustain, not only the charges Of
intended fraud made against Gen. Ea-
ton and the President, but also to bear
out the opinion, that General Jackson
himself was cOgnizant of, and gave his
appreciation TO, the outrage committed by
Gen. Houston, as branch of his "red
ink" tactics. There are strange reports
Of this nature in circulation, which it is
scarcely proper at this time to notice be-
cause they may be made the ground Of a
public procedure. Should they come
before the world in that shape, they may
be productive of a prodigious effect in the
public mind, unless it is hermetically seal
ed up against the admission of truth
The attempt of General Houston is just
ly regarded, not merely as personal
assault OH MIR. Stanberry; but, so long as
he was prevented by its effects from at
tending to his duties in the House, as a
novel distranchisement of the 10000 citi-
zens Of Ohio, of whom he is the repre-
sentative. The attack was made on
them, their rights and privileges, through
him and his; and if any important vote
had been taken, during his necessary alb
sence, to which his person would have
given different result, the consequent
ces of the assault might have been ma
tional
The interest Of the trial appears to
have abatcd, more than it is in fact,
where every question is to be submitted
to writing, and read, first informally, and
then formally from the chair, and every
answer is to be written out by the repor-
ter before it is read, where various, long
and frequent discussions arise, and the
long process Of calling the ayes and noes
is resorted to SO often, the proceedings
must appear wearisome to those who arc
mere spectators, and who enter into none
Of the feelings Of the parties. But tho
members of the House do not relax in
any visible degree in their attention 10
the business. The Counsel for the ac-
cused closed his questions to Mr.. STAN
berry to day about l2 past one o'clock,
and the Members Of the House began to
put their questions which may be an al
most interminable business.
AFFIDAVIT OF MR.. BLAKE.
81, Luther Blake, of Arkansas Terri
tory, being duly sworn, do depose and
ou thS lSt VI ooOD
as ] was coming out of the War Office,
in Washington, Governor Samuel Hous-
ton accosted me, and alluded to certain
bids that had been made to supply the
government with rations to the Emigrant-
ing Indians, of which bids, had then
put in the lowest. Governor Houston
having apparently made himself acquaint-
ed with the amount Of the different bids,
informed me that he had not put in bid
in his own name, but had entered seve
raj in the names Of other persons OF
which he had the control My bid was
at eight cents per ration, and he, the
said Houston, proposed to me that 1
should withdraw my bids, and by up those
Of William Prentiss and David Butler,
jun.-and that ! should then join with
him and his friend, (whom he did not
name,) who was concerned with him in
a Contract, which might be procured at
a much higher rate than either mine,
Premises, or Buffers, and that thereby
we might secure an independent fortune.
And until the Oath March, 1880, each
day successfully inquired of me TO know
if had succeeded in procuring the bids
Of Prentiss and Butler.
(Signed) LUTHER BLAKE.
Subscribed and sworn to before
ID. A. HALL. ]. Po