The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-05-29
I II e DISPATCH.
~ AY 20. lhfi
nePort OF the TarifY Hribsrv Iny.ss.
fgating Com mmiaf~e

/ AHatin& COMMITTEE
ine select Committee appointed to inouir, int
Tue expenditure of money for the purpose Of Il
nnencing the passage Of the tariff act o, 1ss7 y
'he Ihirty-Fourth Congress, reported to the Hon.
on Thursday.
The Committee, acting upon the ha,,., A..
sne action OF the House in institutinr the i,vsst
CATION had been based mainly upon the nnh,ist /.
sseport on COMMITTEES Of the stakeholder of "a
niadlesex Mannfacturing Company, referred 1
thaf paper for Information as to the pronar stsr,
ing pointin making the investigations with whici
Lney were charged. They there ascertained ths
Richard 5, Fay, Jr, had acted Al secratar,
OF that committee, that the investteation ha.
been mainly conducted and the report prepare,
by him. p'opa'e'
After some further Introductory rema,k. n,
Committee give the following summary of N.
facts as they came within the range of their IL
quiry:
The firm ofTawrence, Stone 4 Co. was co,nno.et
OF Samuel Lawrence. W. W. Stone, Jarvis siads
o Ii. Perry and Henry Jenkins. It's nr;ncirs1
place OF business was in Boston, with branch In
New York, where large share of its bushes.
was transacted.
Boston partners, and Messrs. Stone and Jenkins
had charge of the New York house.
Ihe Middiesex Manufacturing Compapv ia a
corporation created BY the laws of Massaebnsetts
with capital OF million of dollars, engaged iu
manufacturing wooen goods The Raw STATE
Mills 10 corporation of the same kind created in
the same way. with the same amount of CAN'T.
and engaged ia the same kind of business
Samuel Lawrence was the Treasurer of both OF
these corporations, and the firm of Lawrence
Stone & Go. their selling agents.
All the goods manufactured by tha con,inan;as
went into the hands of Lawrence O. Stone K, Co.
were SOLO by them, and the proceeds accounted for
and paid to Samuel Lawrence, Treasurer
an Gt.ax -
aged by Messrs. Lawrence and SIade Mr. perry,s
business being at the mills, and not at the co1,nt
ing-house. Hence Mr. Perry seems not to have
been in any wsy connected with the matters which
the committee have been endeavoring to investi
gate.
The New Y rk house seems to have been main,v
under the control of Mr.. Stone and Mr. jenkins
and does not seem to have had any direct connec.
ton With the matters that have been brought to
the attention of the Committee
1t appears from the evidence that the mapufac-
turers OF woolen goods having for several years
past despared of obtaining any legislative protec
ton by an increase of duties on woolens have been
seeking to accomplish the same result by reducing
Inc rates on wool, dye-stnffs and other raw mate
rails that we're used by the manufacturers To
this end they have been diligently Engaged in col
lrcting and publishing such stststics aud srgu
ments as they considered proper to prepare the
public mind for that step. In this way a small
amount OF money was expented prior to the com
The evidence satisfied the Committee that Mr.
WoIcott was sent here and authorized to pledge
any amount of money, and to use suy.means
however corrupt, TO insure the success of the en-
terprise. He does not seem to have had any con-
siderable sum of money here with him. And from
all the evidence in the case the Committee are iu-
clined TO she opinion that he was ouly authorized
to promise the payment of money in the event OF
the success Of the measure.
1t Is proved that 374 900 was paid to Mr. Wolcott
ms mt nf 4 fhaI L. ~,
Congress, by LawreucP, Stone d Co, evidently for
the gurpose of fulfilling his alleged promises and
Understandings made during the session to secure
the passage of the tariff
This WAS in addition to some $500 advanced for
expenses during the session. The proofs do. not
show that be ever paid dollar of this sum for the
purpose for which IL was advanced, with the ex-
ception of 5, 900 to George Ashmun, of Msssachu-
setts.
Whether be falsely represented to Lawrence,
Stone & Co. that he had made promises which re-
quired this sum to enable him to meet or whether
he had ia fact made promises which be afterwards
failed to comply with, may be matter of controver-
~, but there is no doubt that he cheated some.
body, and appropriated pretty nearly the whole OF
this vast sum to his own
1t was all paid to him during the month Of
March, 1851
The nrst payment was by q draft drawn by
the Boston house upon the N. York house
dated March IL 1857, for............... .. S25 0nO
The next was made on the 18th of March and
4.
and q check upon the Metropolitan Bank,
and amounted 2O.o .olS
On the 4ih of March lie was paid by Ar.
Stone ,hs further .um IL 9s!
On the 10Th or 18th OF March he was paid w
Mr. Sisde in l6e0C
Making in the sggregats...... ......... "A Oot
The further sum OF s., 600 was paid through MIR
Ezra Lincoln TO Thurlow Weed, Of Albany, N. Y
and IS, III o6 was paid Sy the New York house u
various persons 10 comparatively small sums.
This makes an aggregate of fS7, III Go, which i.
the whole amount found in the books of Lawrence
Stone 4 Co., charged to the expenses incurred in
the passage OF the tariff of 1857.
OF the s8,ll7O6 disbureed by the New York
house, there was paid TO ID. NJ. Stone, editor
OF inc Jsuf S3, ,s0l
A. L. Corbin. Washing iG7,
500
The balance of the 200 was paid for travelling
expenses, newspapers. pamphlets, &c, &c.
In addition to this it appears from the testimony
Of Mr.. Ssde, that Lawrence, Stone l. Co. receivel
from other persons engaged or interested In wool
en- manufactures, some $i2,0O0 or $4,000. which
was disbursed by them in addition TO she $S7 ,00G
which appeared upon their books,
MIR. Shades testimony was taken on the Sd o
May at Philadelphia. when he could have no acces,
to the books and papers of the fri, aud be coulC
therefore give no account of the disbursements 0
this sum.
1t is due to Mr.. Slade to say that he testified
with entire frankness and candor, and that th,
committee consider his statements entitled to full
credit.
Az this was the first iutimation the committe,
had from any quarter that there was any expen
diture beyond the SST 000 they have since beer
able to ind any clue to the disbursements OF thi
additistal sum. Aud the brief time allowed tn
committee before they will be disorganized by th
adjournment Of Congress, leave no opporIunit,
for further enquiry.
The evidence also shows that the manufacturer
sought TO propitiate aud ccnciIiate leading men il
all the political parties of the country TO fave
their scheme Thus, s., 500 was paid to Mr. Stone
editor of an influential iree.trade paper whci
supported both the ont going aud Incoming adm
nstraIions ''ior collecting and publishing stats
ties" And $1,000 is paid TO MIR Weed for collect
ing statistics Aud usiug Arguments with member
ia favor Of the measure. And $500 10 paid to Mr.
N. Reynolds, President of the American Coun
ellis Of New York city, for getting up resolutions
etc, etc. 1t 10 proper for to say, that at tn
time Mr.. Weed was not the publisher of news
paper, that he held ONCE, and that his exertion
and influence alone were sought for and obtained
But It is also true. that perhaps no man in tn
country exerted larger or more controlling inf1u
ence over the Republican party than Mr.. Need.
There Is not particle OF evidence that any par
of the anm expended by Lawrence, Stone 4 Co. I,
influence the passage of the tariff of 1857 eve
vent into the hand. of any member OF Congress
And If any reliance could be placed in the eyidenc,
Of Mr.. Nolcott it shows sdhrmatiyely that no por
tion OF II ever did. But the committee must b.
permitted to say that they have not one partici
of confidence in the evidence which MIR. Woleot
saw proper to give before the Committee. He tes
tifes that he received no money to be sed In in
1uencing the passage of the tariff of 1857. All th
evidence In the case fatly coptradicts the state
ment He says he paid no money to AIRY person
to Influence the passage Of the tariff. Geo. Ash
nun testifes that Mr.. Woleott paid him S4,o00 TO
that purpose, and no other. His evidence is be
yond all controversy, wilfnly and corruptly false
The facts disclosed by the investigation do no
SEEM In the opinion OF the Com mittee, to call 70
any action on the part of the House. The onl.
perssn subject to the control Of the House, who i
shown TO have been criminsiiy connected will
the transaction, 10 Mr.. Corbin, who resigned hi
position as clerk OF the Committee on Claims
about the time this Committee Was appointed
The Committee therefore recommend the follow
ing resolution:
Resolved, That the Committee be discharges
from the further consideration of the subject, an
that the report and accompanying evidence
printed.
RAILRoAp WAR IN EsIs.-Tas TRACK Torn Up
4 T. fnak tn~sr .haR