The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-02-21
The Report Of the Investigating Commit
tee in COugress.


OF the House had made . report The first repor,
was Especial one, relating to Hon. William A.
Gilbert, of New York Mr.. Davis, of Maryland,
re ad the report concluded with the following
resolutions:
OF the HouAe from the State of New York, did
agree with +. F. G. Triplett to procure the pas
sage OF resolution or bill through the present
Congress for the purchase by Congress of certain
copies of book containing the pension and
bounty land laws. In consideration that he was to
receive from Mr. Triplett a certain sum of mo.
ney out of the appropriation for the purchase OF
the book.
9. That the Hon. " liam A Gilbert did cast
his vote for the Iowa land bill for corrupt consid
era'iop consisting Of seven square miles ouand and
9 ONE stock
3. Resolped. That the Hon. VIM. A. Gilbert q
member ST this House, be forthwith expelled from
this House
The report il signed by Messrs Davis, Orr,
Warner and Ritchie
Three other special reports were submitted,
which recommended the expulsion of Francis S
Edwards, erasmus B. Matteson and w. W.
Welch. A correspondent of the Baltimore Sun
says that this sutec. will occupy the remainder of
the session-oniy ten days, The agent of the AS
sociatsd Press sends the following evidence given
before the committee:
The testimony is very voluminous, and hence
precudes any thing like fair abstract 1t ap-
pears, however, that the most important witness
Summoned at the commencement of the proceed
ings by the Committee was James r. Sweeney
an ex-messepger Of the House of Representatives;
who in reply to question by Mr.. Orr, said he
knew CT a case in which a member of Congress
agreed to get bill or project through the House
for q certain amount Of money! book relating
to Pension and Bounty Lands by Capt Trip.
lett, Of Washington. He reluctantly answered
that the name of the member is Hon William A
Gilbert, CT New York He further stated that the
same member had said to him that he received
Seven square miles Of land and some little stock"
in return for his vote and uence in the passage
of the Iowa Land bill He also stated that Hon
w. w. Welch had remarked to him that $50 or 80
might become necessary to make all right in con,
nection with favorable report ON q private bill
of which the Committee had charge
Capt. Tripiett was questioned as to his having
given to Sweeney an order on the Clerk OF the
House, for Sl4 500 in the event CT the passage of
a resolution, for the purchase of his book; which
amount it appears " as to be used by Sweeney -
Triplett mentioned the name of Hon w. A. Gil.
bert, with whom he had couversa alton about the
book, and said that Sweeney came to him general
ly upon the subject. He knew II about the mat
ter from the first "-~'t Sweeney was a friend
of this party, and ttat If he paid hin, (SweeneyO
1t would be satisfactory the party. The witness
further stated that MIR. WEIGH conversed with him
about the book, the tenor of which was based
upon the idea of receiving part Of the contract,
and he recollected that on one occasion, the mem.
ber asked him, in the event of tier having to dis.
tribute more money than they had contemplated,
whether he rripletD would not do what was
right, or someth g to that effect,
Mr.. Welch subssq Iently defended himself from
the charge, stating that he reported the private
Till referred to, entirely upon its merits, utterly
denying the statements Of Sweeney. AS to Trip.
letts tt smony. he said he never under tood him or
any other perst n, that himself any other member
of Congress would receive any pecuniary benefit
from the passage of the book resolution. No lam
guage US sd by him TO Capt. Triplstt could have
justified such an implication.
Mr.. Gilbert also made a statement, under oath
denying utterly the truth of Sweeney testimony
He never stipulated for any quantity of land, or
any pecunisry consideration for his vote on auy
bill. He would prove that he was not in the ha-
bit of talking freely with Sweeney, and had eau.
toned others not to do so.
Hon. Robert T. Paine testified as to the infer,
ences which he drew from a conversation with
Hon. +. 5 Edwards who, he said, named the CON
of $500 for his vote on the Minnesota
Land Bill.
The Hon. Mr.. Walk testified that Mr.. Eda ards
had spoken to him on that subject, saying that he
or his brother owned considerable land near where
the road would pass and that it would be en-
HANGING the value If land very much if that bill
could have a favorable vote. Mr. Walk informed
him that he would vote for against the bill as he
thought just.
Mr. Edwards, under oath, explained the matter,
saying, he did not in his conversation with Mr.
Paine, ofer, or intend to be understood Offering
any sum of money, either for himself or 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 any other bill before Congress
James s. Pike, Zone of the writers for the New
York Tribune) testified that about the time of the
passage of the Wisconsin bill. Hon o. B. Matte.
son made to him a remark which LED to the impress
sion that it was an Offer which, If accepted would
have led to airansacion He thought he meant
VIM G johnson, of Utica, New York, President
of the Des Moiues Navigation and Railroad Com
pany of the State If Iowa. in the course Of the ex-
animation, alluded to a note received by him from
MIR. Matseson, and which Henry A. Daniels, of
ica another Witness subsequently, produced, a.
follows:
IPrvste.l WtsH!NGToN, July I5 1856
DEAR Sic Tho Comm'tteeS in our House have
agreed to report yoar resoluton lows 272 oc0 acre
way. Some outsiders make mischief Are you will
ling to let your cnequarter Of the fa,.ory be cut
and used to- carry 1t through, in addition to what
Stryker arranged. can have some agent to pronis,
outsiders stock in a new factory. Let ne know
without fail by return mail. Truly, o. M.
VIC JOHNSON, ESQ.
he had with Mr.. Matteson, who. amorg other
things, said that either twenty or thirty members
had associated themselves together, and pledged
each to the other not to vote tor any law or reso
luton granting money or lands unless they were
paid for it. johnson told him that he could not
believe it. Matteson remarked, "Thsy are q set
of id scoundrels, but there they were and 10
body could get nything OF the sort through with
out them; that W. G. Johnson, President of the
Company, must have here 100000 to carry this
bilI.>
1t appears from the testimony of John Stryker,
Of Rome n. Y, (of the Navigation and Railroad
COMPANY testified that he made q draft of $1,000
in favor of Horace Greeley. 1t was retainer for
sci aud advice in procuring the passage of the
bill for the benefit of the Company. II was to be
used entirely in his discretion Mr.. Greeley, some
weeks ago, Informed him that he had received the
money, but had no personal interest in it
Hon. VIM. Gilbert was summoned by Hon w
w. Weich; and said that the latter had never re-
marked to him, under any circumstances, that be
(Gi bert) should receive any pecunisry eonsidera-
lop, other benefit if the resolution for the pur-
cha. .e of Triplett's book should be adopted
MHop. o. b Matteson, on the 9th of February,
scot q communicate to the Committee protesting
agaips. the action of the Committee In his case
The charges affecting his character were prompt>
ed by bitter enemies In his district, whose malig-
nifty had been sharpened by successive defeats.
Anony nous and unprincipied informers had COM
that the meanest offender has show Of juhtiee In
criminal court, while the with regard 10 the
accused before the Committee IL different.
There 10 very much testimony, but want of time
prevents further notice Of IL. The accused, in
n