The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-02-21
REPORTS OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON CON.
GRESSIONAL CORRUPTION.
GENERAL REpoRr.


Mr. KELSEY from the select committee made the follow
ing report:
on Of the House of the 9th of January last investigate
certain charges referred TO in the preamble of the said
ution and report the evidence taen and what action
their Judgment necessary the part of the House. beg
leave respectfully submit the following general report
That the committee has executed the order of the House
as contained in said resolution far time would per-
nit and that the testimony taken by the committee is here
Considerable delay has been caused by circumstances
over which the committee had control Witnesses who
we're for at the request of OF the members mpc
ted could not be produced before the committee until We'd
neday the 18th instant in consequence of the nterup
ton Of travel caused by the freshets at the North
In conducting the proceedings the committee adopted
the rule that where testimony taken tending to mp
cate any member of the House, copy of such testimony
should be furnished to such member and opportunity
given him to explain contradict ii by other evidence
or if the member desired to do So by bis statement
under oath not under oath, he might think proper
This regarded BY the committee liberal
towards the members whose conduct might be called in
question than to pursue the practice in former
Of merely reading the testimony to them And every
Der who is in any degree implicated by the testimony
taken informed that il he desired it the witness or
witnesses by whom he implicated would be recalled by
the committee for examination. But of these
bers have fit to avail themselves of the opportunity
cross-examine any of the witnesses. hi.
The committee encountered serious difficulty in prOcur
ing reliable information to where they should look for
testimony having relation to said "corrupt combinations
ent Congress- The editor of the paper which published
the charge upon which this investigation in part
dered was called the first witness but upon examine
on it appeared that his information was founded on
moral convictions" only for he unable to furnish
the committee with the Of any witness whose tes
mony if taken would in his Judgment 10 convict any
body of the charge.
The committee did not feel at liberty to notice in any
the numerous anonymous communications received
by hem and proceeding or inquiry has been instituted
upon any such communication But in every where
responsible person has suggested inquiry pointed
witness who could probably prove material fact the
investigation has been made as full and thorough as IT was
in the power OF the committee to make it.
The examination of the witnesses produced
ducted at the request of the chairman mainly by the other
members Of the committee Every member of the committee
was requested to put such questions as would in his udg
ment tend to draw every material and pertinent fact
within the knowledge of the witness When objection
was made to question, when witness declined to
swer for reasons assigned the committee carefully con-
dered the question thus presented for their consideration
and in every instance where they could discover any
grounds whatever for regarding the question propounded
as Objectionable 1t was modified withdrawn and it is
gratifying to be able to state that in every instance the
decisions of the committee upon questions of this char
acte have been unanimous In some cases witnesses have
declined to questions that legally objec
tonabe for which they assigned to the commit
tee. Mr.. Simonton declined to question of this
character solely upon the ground that to do 50 would
be violation OF confidence that he had pledged to the
sons by whom corrupt proposition bad been made to
him. The House has already passed upon that and 1t
is probable that such will again offered to
committee of either branch of Congress for refusing to
answer proper question.
The committee do say that no such general combinations
have been charged proved exist -Four have
come to their kno Wedge in which individual members are
implicated. Each of these is made the subject Of
special report and il is therefore unnecessary notice
them here. HaG a &aa #a M q
No other member of the House is in the slightest degree
implicated by any of the testimony that has been taken by
the committee
gress has been often made but with drecness
and certainty than during the present session Prominent
amongst those engaged in making this charge was James
w Simonton, the regular Washington correspondent OF
the New York Times The committee summoned Mr.. 81
monon witness and he examined several times
to his knowledge this subject Its unnecessary here
to state the circumstances of his refusal TO ques
ton proponnded by the committee and his confinement in
custody by the House for contempt
but 1t proper to state the that induced the
mtee to aove for his discharge from the custody Of the
SergeantatA Arms In his testimony given the 10Th day
of January, Mr. Simonton says:
Members of Congress- more than one have to me
and asked private interview, stating that they had
thing ct Importance to say to They have asked
whether they could talk to with perfect reliance upon
my good faith, and whether l would agree under no cir
cumsances to reveal the In my profession, such
questions put to almost every dayI do not know
whether the party approaching desires to communicate
public documents Of interest to me-and always,
unless have special for supposing that the
particular individual has improper proposal to make
accept their confidence and give my unqualified promise
not to reveal their Having thus entered into the
interview with them members of Congress have requested
procure for them interests in particular measures
named by them pending before the House. stating the
which they desired to receive for such aid they
should be able to give have in every case, quietly
dropped the matter, with the suggestion that 1t would
not DO for me to be mixed up in anything Of the sor.
By Mr. Orr. You stated that certain members had ap-
preached you and desired to know through you, If they
could notprocure for their votes upon certain bills
will you state who these members were
Witness / cannot without violation of confidence,
than do which would rather suffer anything.
+ /. L,
By Mr. Warner. Will you state how many members Of
Congress have made these confidential communications to
You, whose you do not feel prepared to reveal
Witness Two have made them direct others have ind-
Gated to desire talk with upon these subjects
and have warded it off, not giving them opportunity
to make an explicit proposition.
BY Mr. Warner. What do understand you to mean
when you say these communications were made direct
Witness. mean that after having obt lined my promise
of secrecy in regard to them they have said to me that
certain pending before Congress ought to pay
that the parties interested in them had the means to
that they individually needed money and desired me pe
cihcaly arrange the matter in such way that II the
passed. they should receive pecuniary compensa
ton E
By Mr. Davis. In the confidence you promised these
men, did you promise them make reference to the
matter to which the confidence related
Witness No. SIR
By Mr. Davis. Did you promise then, you would not
mention the names?
cumstance would mention their in connection with
the subect-matter before in other terms that
would permit them be in any way held RESPONSE
BILE for anything that should pass between US.
The to these questions were revised by the wit
ness after being written out
On the Goth of January Mr. Smonton recalled, and
the following question was propounded to him;
BY Mr.. Orr. The committee have determined, by q