New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-06-05

L
| M wood-It had. uplsss it can be shown tat {
bas direo. bearing ulo1 the MISTER nox und y IL
vestgaton.
The CbsImsr-It is my purpose in putting tlis
| question TO connect the tao hsnsactioss.
Ntness-1, is investigating another matter Win the
Committee have nothing to do.
Mr.. Wood If the Chairman will show r. that this
question viii lead to something touching this inves1-
| CATION, Think II Is proper question
Mr.. Hall shsl have no objection 70 the question,
If ! krevit bad some connection with TINS nvestga-
| ton.
The Claimant do not intend to go into the details
OF ne NevBedford ransaction; but this Ia an import
question, in ny judgment directly bearing upon the
facts ard Circumstances connected with ale aBc
purchase of the property at Wlkins's Point.
Wtness-I shall Be very much surprised If the Com
mittee decide tho. the question must be answered
Mr.. Wood ! suppose that tiss Committee are aware
that many Guest;ors have been asked and answered
By witnesses that really had no connection WITH the
subject aud we have that they had not as the
Investigation proceedt1: witness Is pound 70 an'
swe1 ar stste everything he knew relating to the
ae,e and purchase Of this Wilkins Poiut property by
TIE Government; but when he L. asked questions like
the one to which he Obects and answers that ne
knows nothing, showing q connection between the
question and the matter under investigation, think
| the Committee Ought to proceed with caution.
| The Chaiiman-1he witness does not say he knows
nothing in regard to it, but raises an objection to the
question, and refuses to answer It. Dothe Committee
ovenule the question
After consultation il was decided that the question
should be waived for the present.
Ouestiou by Mr.. Hsll-Dd Mr. Schell advance
money to you others for the purchase of any other
property for the Government which you have reason
TO believe came from the proceeds Of hi sale !
NJ: Florence-Which ne knows; be has no reason
to believe al thing.
Witness-ln answer to that question, no, Sir.
Question by Mr. Florence-Dd you directly or ndi-
recily advance any money from the purchase OF this
property to buy any other
A. No Sir; not TO my knowledge.
Question by the Charmsn-Did be advance you
any money after July to purchase from any party
property to eel to the Government!
A. think not
o. Did be not after the 9th CT July, advsrce you
money to go towards the payment Of property at
New. Bedford which was subsequently sold to the
Witnese-I decline answering anything connected
with any facts which you have no cognizance.
Mr.. Floience-You have answered - No to ques-
ton which pTecedes this and it, and why de-
cline now You say answer TO The other question
No that be cid rot advance any money for that pur
pose and would not decline TO al swer this question
now which you can answer negatively when there Is
10 good 10 result from il.
Nitness-Mr Haskin does not ask that question
with any design to connect any body with this fort he
is sfer another fort in the question
The Cheiymhn-lou have no right to state what my
design is because have Dot informed you OF IT, and
you cannot enter Into the reasons which govern Inc in
asking the question. submit to the Committee, that
witness who, from his own statement, was con
rected with the Government as its officer in rela-
ton to the disposition Of Fort Ripley, has no right
to get Up biz judgment here over and above that
Of the Committee when question Is asked him. l
prcroSed question growing out of the question put
fron the gentleman from Massachusetts, mr.. Hail.
The witness had already answered one Similar In pur
port and the gentleman from Pennsylvania Mr. Flor
erce very properly suggested to HIM that having so
ansy ereo tteIe was liz bis opinion, no fropety IN
Dis with holorg TO this but he still refuses
Say that as az officer Of the Government he should
have hesitation in answering any question bearing
even remotely upon this transaction which msy be
sEaC Va all lnyestlOatOQ
this kind where, perhaps, there has been conbina-
ton Of Individuals TO swinde the Government-,
WnreS-You must lot use that language before
ne.
The Chsirman-Where there has been combina-
ton Of individuals to swipde the Government, those
persons come hare with design OF evad.ng and
avoiding questiOns and therefore greater iautude
allowable in their examination to elicit the Nhole
truth. 1 submit TO the Commute that an answer to
this question should be required.
WtnessIn the fret place, in regard to the allusion
M FloIence-I DO not how you can take that
remark of the Chairman TO yourself for you have tes-
titled tina. you had nothing to DO with 1t, aud he dd
not merton your name.
WitIess-In the first place, 1 deny that am
officer of tie Government. | was appointed for
specific object. was sent cut TO examine IN
condition of Fort Ripley, tie number OF s9gstter,
upon il, &c. to report to the Secretary OF war.
had nothing to do with selling il; when made my
report, l declined having anything farther to do
with it
tee who desired answer to the following question
witch had been put to him before by the Chairman,
but then waived because he objected TO H..
Q. lack you whether Richard Schen did or did not
advance money to YOU or others on account OF the
purchase Of the property at NewBedford, after the
9th day of July 1851 which property was sold subSe-
quertly to tho United States
Witness-I Will answer lie did not. l am not
going to answer for others say, he did not to me-
O. (3y the Charman) Did he not advance to otn-
ers for and at your request, written or otherwise "a
WItDess-I decline answering that unless the Com
mi,tee decide shall.
MI FIorence-I do not gee that il is pertinent.
MI Wood think We had better pass the question
MI Hall-Ifthe question was amended 30 as 10 cen
meet partic Usrly with the matter we are investigating
should be in favor Of il; but IN its present shape
90 net thirk we insist upon an answer the wit
ness declines. -
The question was overruled-the Chairman in favor
of H. Messrs. Hall, Florence, and Wood against IT,
O. In the month of April, 1851, were you at the
Wsr Department!
A. DO GO. know whether was ST not.
o. Dc you recollec: ng Gov. Floyd iathe month
of HpiIi
A. | do rot remember
O. Did you see Latham in that month
A. do not remember.
Q. Were you in Washington at that time
A. do not remember. $3.50
q. Were you here in the month of Msy, 1851
a. | do not reccllect whether was or not.
o. Did you see X. W. Latham during that month
q. DID you see Prosper NJ. Wetnore during that
mouth
a. Very likely 90 not remsmber. saw him &C.
ca..onaly during the year. ,oo
q. Were YOU here during the month of June 1857
a. cannot tell here whether | was or mott very
likely ,uL,
A. Possibly.
Q. Did you have any communication with him in re-
lsto to tie sale and purchase OF the Wilkins Point
properly curing June, 1871
a. have state to you all the conversations l had
with him. 49,
Q. Ia.k you whether, in the month of June, 1857,
Won had any rsatiOn WITH Gov. FlOyd IN relation