New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-02-20

Member Of Co1gres woud receive any pecaniary
benefit from 1t whstevex No language used BY me to
Mr. TYio,ett could have Justly implied such thing
xbs,eyer construction be might put upon it, for 70
pest, DO spod thing wse In my Mid. hsd several
Conversations with him upon the subject of bis book,
and DO doubt expressed what lelte desire thss he
might be rtnunerAted for hs labor and that his BOOK
might be purcbased for distribution; but nothing WA
further hOn my mind than any corrupt bargain or uu-
dersanding with respect to IT,"
The Hon. W. A. Gilbert also appeared before Tue
Committee on the same day, and submitted Hs s
ment under oath, in the couIse OF when DC ssys w
agreement was made with me by mf' !rPe"'
Sweeney or any other person, whereby was 10 hsVe
or did expect to have, sDy beneu' poIi 'ue
the book resolution. never kne" VI, y, n'u 'u nI-
hottest idea Of the existence OF tp ne Cnmm ~ 0'u'
fIn regard TO the conversation alleged to have oc-
crrrad betueep Mr. Sweeney and myself In reference
10 nv vote On the Iowa Land bi nave 70 sly NAV
have not tie slightest recolectisn OF ever having hsd
conyers.,ion with him upon that subject, and know
tbst never told him that was TO have seven square
miies or any other quantity OF land for my vote
never stipulated for any quantity OF land, or any
peeuniary confederation, for my vote on toa' or any
other bill have voted upon all measures before Con-
Dress since have been a member, according to the
dictates OF ny own judgment, and not rom motives OF
Soon after the organization of the present House
of Representatives to wit the fore part OF February,
",
New.Yoxk; that while at home, was informed tina;
Sweene2was a communicative ard misunderstanding
man, ard that would fod him 30; after that had no
confidence whatever in him. and that my reservedness
in his presence was noticed and spoken OF by more
than one who boarded at the same house with me- aad
were occasionally in my room; can prove that was
not in the habit of talking with bun freely aud eau
toned Others Lot to do 30, etc.
The Hon Robert T. Paine, eworn-Said in answer
10 an nteop atory that he did know of an effort to pro
cure vote for the passage of bill pending before the
House. by holding out consideration for the support
of the bill Such consideration was ned out by Inc
Hon. Francis l.. Edwards, Representative from the
State OF NewYor to him, and the consideration Rame1
was 81 500 He then proceeds to detail the conversa-
ton between Them and thst the answers 10 me inter-
rogatory were differences which he drew. From the
conversation they were such as were Impressed upon
his mind.
The Hon. w. Walk, sworp-Said that perhaps ten
days from the commencement of the present Sessoo OF
Congress Judge Edwards asked him how he felt to-
wsro the Minnesota Land bill, to which Mr.. Walk re-
Piled that he felt hostile to the principle Of the bill as
near he could recollect, Juoge Edwards sad he or
his brother he could not say which, owned considerable
land near where the road would pass and that IT would
be enhancing the value Of those lands very much II the
bill could have a favorable vote Mr.. Walk replied to
him that he would look into the merits of the bill, but
that be should give no consideration except upon its
intrinsic merits that he should vote for or against IT.
as he thought Just
The Hon Francis S. Edwards made statement under
osh in the course of which he says that he had stated
TO MI. Paine that he owned lands at La Crosse aud
near La Crosse in correction with his brother which
would be materially enhanced in value If this bill
passed. that he had friends living in that Territory who
felt deep interest in it's passage who had written
TO him upon the subject and that, in this explanation
might seem improper that be should feel so much
anxiety about this BILL but that he had no interest 10
it other than the general principle such as he had
stated. He did not, i'll his conversation with Mr.
Paine Offer or intend to be understood as offering, any
sum Of money, either for himself or for any other
person or persons, for his vote in favor OF any bill
whatever No person ever solicited him TO offer or
procure any consideration dependent upon the passage
of this or any other bill now before Congress.
James Pike sworn-Said he was one OF the writer's
of THE NEw.YORK TRIBUNE; and among other ques-
tons, MIR. Or propounded the following:
viii you now state any hint or innuendo that may
have been thrown out to you by any Member of Con-
gress in which you concluded it was his purpose to
tubsidze your penl
Wi,ness-To come directly to the point, the only To-
stance in which remember anything of the sort was
case when one of these railroad bills was before Con-
gress at the last seesoD-s gentleman said to me- You
and Harvey Harvey is our regular correspondent;
am rather an amateur, / 90 and come when plesse,
and few of you clever fellows must have a section of
land" we'll l rather smiled at the suggestion, and
mace no reply; "Wel," said lie, "sooe Of these Sec
ons pretty valuable, worth as much as ten dollars
an acre; il was done in tsunting manner, and Inc
thing passed by; had occasion very soon aferward
TO comment on heee bills, aud expressed my opinion,
which was that they were plunderlng schemes, and
ought not to pass; / do not know OF anything mat
comes nearer to the point than that
In reply to question, whether it his impression
that it was an offer which, if accepted would hsve led
to transaction the witness said his impression was
it meant something. -
mnst tell the name of the member, and he named Or
samus b. Matteeon.
He thought this was about the time OF the passage of
the Wisconsin bill, but he did not know whether Mr.
Matteson had any interest in that bill. Mr. Mat:eson
Al mot anna INV ma ri location.
THE testimony so volumnous that the reporter only
glance at II.
VIM. C. johnson of Utica, n. Y, sworn-Siid he
was the President of the Des Moines Navigation and
Railroad Company Of the State of Iowa; he gave a
long account of the history of the Company, and re-
piled that he had heard rumors but had no knowledge
that any agreement an ange nent had been entered
into by himself or any other member Of t,e Company,
with any member of Congress or with any other person.
directly or indirectly for the benefit Of any member of
Congress by which such members OF Congress were to
receive any valuable consideration for their aid in
ryng through bill for the benefit of the Company.
Question BY Mr.. Orr-Have you received any CON-
municaiion from any member or members of Congress,
or any communication written, they allege, by the
authority or sanction Of any member or members oil
Congress- with reference to the passage of this bill!
The witness replied One only, from Orsamus b. NJ at
eson; it was signed 90. B. NJ" il was the hand writ
ing of Mr. Mntteson and not denied by him; it was
frsnked by Mr. Matteson 30 the witness; after the
existence Of the letter became public, the witness says
he avoided as much as possible having interviews
with him.
Henry A. Daniels, swon-Says that he resides 10
Utica New-York ard produced the following copy OF
the paper referred to- ,o-,
"lPiiyate WAsHINGroN July -, 1856.
"DEAR SIR: The Committee in House hsve
agreed to report your resolutsn in Minnesota to
~ 600 acre. or as you wished it, but there is much
trouble in the way. Some outsiders make mischief.
Are you willing to let your of the factory be cut up
and used 10 carry il through, in addition to what
Stryker arranged l can have some agent promise
outsiders tteck in new factory. Let HE know with
out fail by return mail. Truly.
:. q. ID NJ