Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1857-02-27
Bribery Investigation Comm,,,..

Bribery Investigation ComnIttee
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20.-The committee apro;,,.,
by the House OF Representatives some weeks sin"a
to investigate charges of bribery preferred aea;
certain members of that body, made report yss.l
day. The following is abstract of the ev;dSu et'
laid before the House by the committee: "ce
The testimony is very voluminous, and hence ~.
cludes anything like fair abstract II annd pre-
however, that the most important wit ess sumpoa,
at the commencement of the proceedings by The CNu
mlttee, was James r. Sweeney, an ex. messence. ~
the House of Representatives who, in renl1 . :"
question by MIR. Orr, said he knew of case !" !;
which member of Congress agreed 10 get hill, ~
project through the House for certain amornt or
money! book relating to Pension and Bountv ~ VI
laws, by Capt. Triplett of Washington He r. 1rmu
family answered that the name of the meubn';
Hon. William A. Gilbert, of New York He furt,s
stated that the member had said 10 him thai III
received seven square miles of land and some t,io
stock" in return for his vote and influence in ha nv"
sage of the Iowa Land bill He also stated tHst
Hon. w. w. Welch had remarked to him. that Ssn
or so might become necessary to make all right IN
connection with favorable report on private lin
of which the Committee had charge VII
Capt Trlplett was questioned as to his having Div
en- TO Sweeney an order on the Clerk of the h.
for $14 $780, in the event of the passage OF resOn
tion for the purchase of his book; which amount =
appears was to be used by Sweeney Trinle,t mn.
TONED the name of Hon. w. A. Gilbert, with vbnr.
he had conversation about the book, and said thu
Sweeney came to him generally upon the subject =
lie knew all about the matter from the irs-t6ounL.
Sweeney friend of this party, and that e
paid him, Sweeney it would be satisfactory to tho
party. The witness further stated that Mr. WoIoh
eonversed with him about the book the tenor %
which was based upon the idea of receiving mart
OF the contract and he ecollected that on one coca
sion, the member asked him, in the event of tho;
having to distribute more money than thew hal non
templated, whether he (Triplettl would not do VIII,
was right or something TO that effect
MIR WEIGH subsequently defended himself from tho
charge, stating that he reported the private hill ro
TERED to- entirely upon It's merits, utterly denying the
statements of Sweeney. AS 10 Tripletts testimony
he said he never understood from him or any Other
person, that himself or any other member of Congress
would receive any pecuniary benefit from the passage
of the book resolution. No language used by him 10
Capt. Triplett, could have justified such an implica
ton.
Mr.. Gilbert also made a statement, under oath, de-
nyIng utterly the truth of Sweeney's testimony He
never stipulated for any quantity of land or anv me-
Cuniary consideration for his vote on any bill He
would prove that he not in the habit of TALKING
freely with Sweeney and had cautioned others not to
do so.
Hon Robert T. Paine testified as to the differences
which he drew from conversation with Hon F. S,
Edwards, who, he said, named the consideration of
81 500 for his vote on the Minnesota Land Bill
The Hon. Mr.. Walk testified that Mr.. Edwards had
spoken to him on that subject saying that he or bis
would pass, and that it would be enhancing the va.
ue of land very much if that bill could have favor.
able vote. Mr. Walk informed him that he would
vote for or against the bill, he thought Just.
Mr.. Edwards, under oath, explained the matter
saying he did not, in his conversation with Mr. Paine
OTTER, or intend TO be understood Offering any sum
of money, either for himself 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 before Congress.
James S. Pike Gone of the writers of the New
York Trlbune,) testified that about the time of the
passage OF the Wisconsin bill, Hon. o. B. Matteson
made 10 him remark which led to the impression
that it was an offer which, if accepted, would have
| ed to transaction. He thought he meant some.
thing
VIM c. johnson, of Utica, New York, President
of The Des Moines Navigation and Railroad Company
of the State OF Iowa, the of the examination
alluded to a note received by him from Mr. Maueson
and which Henry A. Daniels, of Utica, another wit.
ness, subsequently produced, as follows:
Private WASHINGTON, July IS, 1856
Dear Sir 1.-THE Committee in our House, have
agreed 10 report your resolution in Iowa 100000
acres, or as you wishedt but there is much trouble
in the way. Some outsiders make mischief Are
you willing 10 let your quarter of the factory be
cut up and used to carry it through, in addition 10
what Stryker arranged. | can have some agents 10
promise outsiders some stock in a new factory lie.
me know without fail by return mail.
Truly, O.. NJ
w. C. JOHNSON, Esq
Hon. Reverdy Johnson detailed conversation he
had with Mr.. Matterson, who among other things SAID
that either twenty thirty members had associated
themselves together, and pledged each to the other
rot TO vote for any law resolution granting money
or land unless they were paid for it, Johnson told
him that he could not believe it, Matteson re-
marked, " They a set of id scoundrels, but
there they were, and nobody could get anything OF
the sort through without them that W. C. Johnson,
President of the Company, must have here 800 900
TO carry this bill
1t appears from the testimony of John Stryker of
Rome N. Y, (of the Navigation and Rail Road Com
pany,) that he made draft of $1,000 in favor of
Horace Greedy. 1t was retainer for counsel and
benefit of the Company. 1t was 10 be used entirely
in his discretion. Mr.. Greeley some weeks ago. in
formed him that he had received the money, but had
no personal interest in it..
Hon. VIM. Gilbert was summoned by Hon. w. w.
WEIGH, and said that the latter had never remarked
10 him, under any circumstances, that he (GberD
should receive any pecunary consideration other
benefit, if the resolution for the purchase of Trip
letts book should be adopted.
Hon. o. B. Matteson, on the 9th of February, sent
a communication TO the Committee, protesting against
the action of the Committee in his case The charges
affecting his character were prompted by bitter ele
mics in his district, whose maiignty had been sharp
ened by successive defeats. Anonymous and unprin-
cped nformers had combined to blast his character
and he further says, that the meanest offender has
show of justice in a criminal court while the case
with regard to the accused before the Committee is
different
THERE'S very much testimony, but want of time
prevents further notice of it, The accused in each
CASE will have the privilege and right of defending
themselves before the House, therefore, an opinion
from the above imperfect sketch should not be formed
as to their guilt or innocence.
Correspondent Richmond Enquirer.
SAVANNAH, GA, MONDAY, Feb. 16, 1857.
DEAR DEM While spending week in the forest