The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-11-03

Report Of the Special Committee or the House
Of Representatives. in the Gardiner Inrcst,-
gaton
The committee appointed under the resolution
Of the House Of Representatives., passed
August, %, 80, were authorized to sit during
the recess, and 10 file their report with the Clerk
ofthe House
The resolution directing the investigation to
be made is as follows
Thirty Second Congrcss-Ftrst Session.
CoseRnss OF THE United STATES,
In the House Of Representatives.
Monday, August, "a, 1852.
Whereas, strong suspicion rests upon t
public mind that fraudulent claims have been
allowed by the late Mexican claim comm sion,
with one Of which tits suspected that Thomas
Corwin, Secretary fthe Treasury, has been
improperly connected Therefore
Rcsoircd, That a committee, consisting Of
FIVE members of this llouse, be appointed by
the Speaker to investigate all the facts touch
ing the connection of tho said Thomas Corwin,
| the present Secretary Of the Treasury, with
| the said Gardiner claim; what fee, it any he
| was to receivefor his services as ayentor counsel
| for said Gardiner; what interest, he purchased
| and held either directly or indirectly in said
claim, and the mount paid or stipulated to be
paid thc refor, and conditions of such purchase;
ut what time he ceased to net as the counsel or
agent Of said Gardiner; to whom and for villa,
consideration he disposed of his fec interest;
| TO whom and for what consideration he dispos-
ed of his fourth interest in said claim.
| RcSoired, further, That SAID comm ttee have
power to send Tor person and papers.
| Resolved, further, That Mr. Andrew John
on of Tennessee; Mr.. Goodrich Of Massachusetts,
Mr. Howard, OF Texas; MIR, Chapman of Con
nec,icu'; aud Preston King, Of New Yo.k, be
appoint the said committee.
JNO. w. FORNEY, Clerk
The investigation ordered presents two in
lst Was the claim of George A. Gardiner,
| as allowed by the Board Commissioners under
the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, meri;urious
or fraudulent.
| Id. What was the connection Of Hon Tho
mas Corwin, the present Secretary oithe Treas
ury. with said claim.
The committee file with their report all the
testimony which they have taken, and present
the following summary of,he material part Of
] same pertinent to the subject OF investigation,
with their conclusions thereon.
First. AS to the character Of the claim Of
George A Gardiner.
The claim Of George A Gardiner was claim
for damages alleged to have been sustained by
reason of his expulsion the 9Th day Of DC.
tober lS4G, BY the Mexican authorities from
mines which he alleged he was extensively en-
ga ged in working in the State Of San Luis Po-
| tosi in Mexico. z.r t
His memorial and claim were presented on
the Sd of November, $40, to the board com.
misionsrs, then sitting in the city Of Washing.
ton, for the adjustment of claims, appointed on
the 10Th of March, lSi9, under the act of Con.
yress approved March Sd, i849, entitled "an
Act to carry into effect certain stipnlaions of
the treaty between the United States Of Ameri.
ca and the republic Of Mexico, Of the second day
Of Febrnary, one thousand eight hundred and
forty eight"
The committee state that, upon examination
OF the evidence taken by them, it appears ffon,
the testimony of jesse Antona Barragan, that
he is we'll &C qlainted with the place in the de-
partnent of Rio Verde, State of San Luis Pc.
tosi, in Me xicc, where Gardiners evidence 10.
Gates his mine; that there is none at that place
or in the department of Rio Verde.
Charles w, Davis. a clerk in the State De-
partment, being sworn testified that he was
crctary OF commissioners during the last
mon Of the sitting ofthe board He identified
certain papers as papers and dispositions before
the board of commissioners in the Gardiner
CLAIM, and fled on adjournment, in the State
Department.
The papers were shown to the Witness Mr.
Barragan, who testified that the official sigma.
lures attached to the paper pnrportng to be the
title deed or certified copy Of the record Of Gar
diners title to a mine forgeries; that he
knows the hand writing Of the persons whose
official signatures they purport to b.; that he
has seen them write; The seal Of the State at
tached is spurious; that the official signatures
TO six several depnsi,ions, stating the character
and value of the mine, forseries Among
| th.,p thar wa ofb uh oh 4 a
witness said were forged, and some I, which
the Official signatures were genuine.
This witness states, that when mine is dis
covered in Mexico, it is necessary, by the law
if he desires to take possession, that the dscav-
erer should present specimen of the ore to the
mining tribunal, if there is one in the district
and, il there is not, to the judge Of the first in
stance, and possession is e ven by the III: n n 9
, tribunal or Judge. II it is an old mine VIII eli
has been worked and abandoned, the lie
quisites are cessary for possession; and, by
The law, an expert is required to be present, VIII,
cerilies that everything has been done in nc
G cordasce wi the mining ordinance. re cord
is always KEEP. of the registry OF new mines, and
of the announcement (clainIng) of I'D ones, In
the proper Offices. There is found no record Of
mines, old or new, IN the district OF Rio Verde
1t g not a mining district.
This witness stated, that in the summer or fal
of 1916, George A. Gardiner was at The city Of
Sa Luis Potosi, prac,icing his profession as a
d, ntst
Two witnes es, John Baptiste Barragan and
Pa.anleon Galvan, testify to the forgery of the
!, documentary evid, nee Of Gardiner, and both
'es.ify that they acquainted with the localt
ty of Lagnin Has, in the State of San Luis Pc
tosi, and that there is no silver mine there
These three witnesses are Mexicans, residing ia
the vicinity w e Dr.. GARDENERS testimony 10
! Gates his mine; they all gentlemen Of char
acter and responsibility in their own country
The first named, Jose Antoine Barragan, held
from ls43, to 1916, the office Of collector of the
customs at Rio Verde. / agunilIas belongs to
this district. lie now holds the office of comp
troller general Of the State of San Luis Po:osi
They all came to the United States as witness
es, under an arrangement made by George w
'ocum, Esq, an agent Of the United States go
vernment, who went by the direction CT Hon
r. p. I.etcher, the American minister in Next
CO, to the State and city of San Luis Potos, foi
the purpose ofinvesigating the character of the
claim of George A. Gardiner, and the Mears
claim, and obtaining testimony in relation to
them
David Sayers, formerly of New Jersey, Jas
+ Wright, formerly Of New York, and John M
Togno, formerly of Pennsylvania, all now resi-
dents of the city of Mexico, all know George
H. Gardner
MIR. Wright testifes that he travelled with
him on steamboat. in 1910, when Gard mel
first went into Mexico. All Of them knew DR.
Gardiner in the city Of Mexico, where he prac-
iced dentistry as business. During his resi-
dencc in the city of Mexico, DR.. Gardiner wa,
engaged in mining at different times. His
mining business was failure
Mr.. Togno tcstfes that he saw DR.. George
A. Gardiner in the city If Mexico in lS47, al
the time the decree for the expulsion of Ameri.
can citizens was promulgated in the city Of
Mexico. He had mt seen Gardiner since 1874
until at that time. He saw Gardiner at the
door of his (Togno's) store. Gardiner then
said he passed as Havanero, Citizen of Ha-
yana } that he was going into the interior, and
requested Mr. Togno not to mention that he
| was an American.
/ The last three witnesses are citizens of the
United States residing in the city of Mexico,
who came to the United States witnesses on the
part of the government in the investigation of
the Gardiner claim. They are gentlemen whose
characters require no certifcatien at the hands
| of the committee.
Robert S Chew testified that the signature