Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-10-09
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
REPORT OF THE CONGRESSIONAL INvEsTIG ATING
COMMITTEE In THE GARDINER CASE.

iat' Doaru Oh commissioners under the Mexlca
Treaty, have brought their labors to close, an
made unanimous report by all the members of tn
Committee present in this city, viz Hon. Presto
KING, of New York, Hon, VoLNEY f. HOWARD
of Texas, and Hon. CHARLES CHAPMAN, of Con
necticut the Hon. ANDREW JOHNSON, of Tennessee
settss being absent.
From the Report of the Committee, of which W,
obtained copy at a late hour last evening, We
make the following extract, which is all that re
lates to Mr.. CoRwIN's connexion with the Gardiner
claim
in relation to the second branch of the inquiry the
connection of the Hon. Thomas CoRwIN, the present Sc
crssay of the Treasury with the said Gardiner claim,
k following appear from the testimony upon the
points directed by the resolution to be investigated
I'm May 1S49 the Hon. THOMAS CoRwIN then mem
Der pf the United States Senate, employed coun-
Sc, in the Gardiner claim by Hon. WADDY THOMPSON the
original counsel of Gardiner, upon agreement that
MI CoKwIS should have for his fee five per cent, on
whatever sam should be awarded to Gardiner by the
Commissioners. In February, 1885, THOMAS CoRwrs, in
company with RoBERr G. CoRwIs purchased one-fourth
lsrt of the claim of Gardiner and this fourth part Of
aid claim assigned on the 18th of that month W.
". CoRcoRAS Esq, who loaned money to the Messrs
Carwn to purchase it and held the claim for Messrs
Ekomas and Robert G. Corwn in equal shares oollate-
RAJ security for the payment of the loan The Messrs
Ccrwn paid $4,000, and renqushed their fees on the
fourth part of the claim purchased by them, and paid
art of Edward Curtiss feeswhat amount does not ap
pear-as the consideration for the purchase.
The Hon. THOMAS CoRwIS resigned his seat in the
Senate, and accepted the appointment of Secretary of
the Treasury in the month of July, 1850. In the same
month and previous to his going into the Cabinet of Pre-
sident FILLMORE Secretary Of the Treasury sale of
fec interest in and also of his half Of the fourth
part of the Gardiner claim, negotiated through the
Intervention of Gov. JOHN YoUNG, of New York. to
GEORGE LAW, ESQ., of New York. From this time the
said Thomas Corwn refused TO counsel consult
with the other counsel who had been associated with him
In relation to the same, and took further part in the
prosecution Of the said Gardiner claim The assignment
of his fee interest and his interest," in the fourth part
Of the Gardiner claim and all his interest in all other
claims before the Board of Commissioners hirtyseven
In number) was executed by Thomas Corwin to Jacob
Ls,le, of New York. in November 1850 and the money
for the purchase then paid by George Law whom
the assignment Jacob Little that time transferred
THE money for the sale, S60,3 was received by
Thomas Corwin and the 23d of November was depo-
sted by him TO his credit with Messrs. Corcoran and
Riggs No testimony has been adduced before the
ttec proving tending oprove that the Hon Thomas
Corwin had any knowledge that the claim of said Gar
ner was fraudulent or that false testimony or forged
papers had been be- procured to sustain the
same"
1t will be seen that the result of the investi- !
CATION, so far as it relates to Mr. CoRwIN, is pre-
cisely what the friends of that gentleman have
never for moment doubted it would be-a com
plete and triumphant refutation of the malicious
SANDERS which have been SO industriously and
widely spread, for sinister motives only and it
must be the gratifying to him and his friends
that the present decision has been made by a COM
mittee composed of majority of his political oppo
nents. Two of the three members who signed the
report (Messrs KING and HowARD) are Democrats,
and one CHR. CHAPMAN Wing. OF the two
absent members, one Mr.. Johnson is Democrat
and the other (Mr. GooDRIoH) Wing.
The whole case lies within the compass Of a nut
she'll. so far as Mr.. CoRwIN was concerned. He
sod out all the contingent interest he had in this
claim, and also that in nearly forty other cases, in
which he was engaged as counsel before the same
Board Of Commissioners, aud the purchase money
was actually paid for his contingent fees, &c in all
these cases, (Gardner's included,) and mutual ac-
auittances exchanged, Ten months before he agards
rpere made; and he in no way subsequently inter-
Tered in their management, not to consult with
the other counsel who continued to manage them.
After this sale, Mr. CoRwIN had no direct or indi-
rect interest in this or the other claims and the
suit would have been the same to him whether
double the amount which was awarded had been
given to the claimants, or whether the claims were
all totally rejected No portion Of the money paid
from the Treasury went into his hands, but to the
party who purchased from him, and upon whom re
NAMED the whole risk Of the decision, so far as the
amount concerned
If there was any suspicion Of fraud in the Gar
diner claim it certainly did not exist whilst MIR
CoRwIN acting as counsel nor was the charg'
even made until after the decision by the Commits
sioners and the payment Of the money. Perhaps
no previous instance has occurred in the history o
our country where such charge has been made
and such an outcry raised, upon 50 miserable ant
shallow a foundation. 1t was truly "a mountain il
labor, which brought forth ridiculous mouse"
A large portion Of the Report is devoted to tn
merits Of DR.. GARDENERS claim, Of which the Con
mittee express their decided conviction that it W;
fraudulent. In our opinion, however, the merits
this claim, and whether it was fraudulent or othe
wise. were not involved in the duty assignt
by the House to the Committee Its duty W
n O.