The daily union., 1852-10-08

House OF Representatives, passed August
authorized sit during the and TO le their report
with the Clerk OF the House.
The resolution directing the investigation TO be made ls
as follows:
T.uiy- Second Congrsss-First Session
coNsREss on, rns usIrED STATES
Monday, August 2s, 1852
Whereas strong suspicion the pnbic mind INA.
fraudulent claims have been allowed by The late nefsau
claim commission with OF which il IS suspected ua
Thomas Corwn. Secretary Of the Treasury has been m
Resoivsd That committee consisting OF five members
Of this House be appointed BY s 81 be sod Thomas
Corwio the presen Secretary OF the Treasury with the
said Gardiner claim wna. iee M any ssa DC ssner wh"
interest any other than his fee interest he purchased ana
held either directly G e. aa Z 'da and s@a son s
lions OF purchase what time he ceased 10 act AS
what confederation he disposed Of his fee interest," whom
and for what consideration he disposed Of his iourh IN
Rssoiued, t4rlher, That said committee have power 10
Rsoiued frtA.r, That Mr. Andrew Johnson, Of Tonnes
see. MI. Goodrich, Of Massaohuselsi Mr. Howard. Of
Texas; Mr. Chapman, OF CONNECTICUT; and MI Pfes'on
King, Of New York, be appointed the said conmiites
JNo w FoRNEY. Clerk
The investigation ordered presents two inquiries
lst Was the claim OF George A. Gardiner, as allowed
by the board OF commissioners under the treaty OF Gauda-
lupe Hilalgo, meritorious or fraudulent
I'd What was The connexion OF the Hon. Thomas Cor.
win, the present Secretary OF the Treasury win said
claim.
The committee file with their report all the testimony
which they have taken and present the following sum
mary OF The material part of The pertinent to the
subjects OF sgaon with their conclusions thereon:
First. AS 10 The character OF the clam oil George a.
Gardiner.
damages alleged to have been sustained by him by reaScn
of his expulsion the 2lth day OF October 1896 by the
Mexican authorities from mines which he alleged he was
extensively engaged in working in the State OF San LUIS
His memorial and claim presented on the goth OF
November lsi9 TO the board of commissioners then SIT
ling in the city OF Washington ior The adjustment OF
claims appointed the 10Th of March, lS49, under the
act OF Congress approved March 3D. ls49 entitled San act
carry into effect certain Gpulations OF the treaty be-
tween the United States Of America and The republic OF
Mexico OF the second day OF February, one iGoIsanu
eight hundred and forty eight"
The committee state that, upon examination oil the evil
dence taken BY ,hem it appears from The testimony Of
Jose Antonio Barragan that he 10 well acquainted with
the place in the department OF Rio Verde, State OF San
Luis Potosi, in Mexico, where Gardiner's evidence
locates his mine that there silver mines IN the Stale
of San Luis Poos but that there IS none at that place, or
in the department Of hio Verde.
Charles w. Davis, clerk in the stste Department be.
ing sworn, testified that he the secretary OF the board
oil commissioners during the last month OF the sitting o
the board He identified certain papers as papers and dep
ositons before the board OF commissioners in the Gard
ner claim, and fsd on their final adjournment, in the
State Department.
The papers were shown to the witness. Mr.. Barragan,
who testified that The official signatures attached 10 the
paper purportng be the edeed certified copy OF
that he knows the hand writing of the persons whose Off
ca signatures they pprpo be; that he has them
write the seal OF the Stale attached IS spurous that the
official signatures six several deposllops, stating the
character and value OF the mne are fogerIes AmoRg
the papers there others which this witness
said were forged and 10 which the official sigma
tureR genuine.
This witness states that when a mine is discovered in
Mexco II is necessary, by The law, il he desires 10 take
possesson iua the diseoyerer should present specimen
OF the ore TO the mining tribunal If there is in the
IIstri III a. ulf N n
stance and possession gwen by the mining tribunal or
Judge. II 1t old mine which has been worked and
abandoned the same requisites are necessary for pos
session and by the law expert is required TO be
en,, who eeritjes that everything has been done in
accordance with ibs mining ordinance. A record is al.
ways kept OF the registry oil new Pnes and OF The de-
(claming) OF old ones, in ha proper Offices
There is found record OF mines. old or new, in The
district OF Rio Verde II is not mining district
This witness stated that in the summer or fall OF 1885,
George A. Gardiner at the city oil San Luis Potos
practising his profession OF a dentist.
Two witnesses, John Baptise Bauagan and Pantaeon
Gayan testify TO The forgery OF The documentary evidence
oil Gardiner and bo testify that they are acquainted with
the locality of Laguinllas, in the stas Of San Luis
Poos and that there is silver mine there. fhese
three witnesses Mexicans, residing in the vicinity
where Dr. GARDENERS testimony locates his mine they
are all gentlemen OF character and repeclablty their
own country. The Grst named, Jose Antonio Barragan
held from 1913 10 1915 the Office Of collector OF The
toms Rio Verde Lagunlllas belongs 10 this district
lie now holds the office OF comptroller general Of the State
OF San Luis Potos They all came TO the United States
as witnesses, under arrangement made By George
Slacum, esq, an agent OF The United States government
who went BY the direction OF Hon, X p Letcher, the
American minister 10 Mexico, 10 the State and city OF San
Luis Poos for The purpose Of investigating the character
OF the claim o George A. Gardiner aud the Mears claim
and obtaining testimony in relation TO them.
David Sayers, formerly oil New Jersey, James Wright
formerly OF New York, and John Nj Togno formerly OF
Pennsylvania all now residents OF the ciiy OF Mrxco
all know George \ Gardiner,
MIR Wfighl tesliies that be travelled with him on
steamboat Ia 1870, when Gardiner first went into Mexico
All OF iben knew DR.. Gardiner in The city OF Mexico,
where he pTacsed dentistry business During his
residence in the city OF Mexico Dr. Gardiner was
in mining at different times His mining business
failure.
Mr. Togno testihes that be saw Dr. George A. Gardiner
in the city OF Mexico in ls47, al the time the decree for
the expulsion OF American citizens was promulgated in
the city oil Mexico. He had not seen Gardiner since
1914 anti at that time lie Gardiner al the door Of
his (Togno's siore. Gardiner then said he passed
Hayanero (citzen of Havana that he going into
The interior, and requested Mr. Togno not to mention that
he was an American.
The last three witnesses are citizens OF tbe Uned
States residing IN the city OF Mexico, who the
United States witnesses the part OF the government
in the invesgst alton OF The Gardner claim They are
gentlemen whose characters require certificate at the
hands OF the committee.
Robert S Chew testified that the signature OF Thomas
W. Slemons, the American consul at Maamoras, ceTl.
lying 10 The official character OF Simon Deos Santos and
Jose Antonio Lea, attached 10 dispositions IN the Gard-
ner case, are genuine MT Chew is clerk in the con.
sular bureau OF the Stale Department and brought let
tes and seals OF The consul, Mr. Slemons, from that
office Tor comparison.
William Hunter chief clerk in the State Department,
test6es that the Signature of MIR Rosa late minister Of
Mexico 10 the United States is genuine, and also the
seal OF the legation TO Two papers SHOWN to wnessone
purporting to be the certificate OF Mr. Rosa letter OF