The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-01-26
[FRoM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

WASHINGTON, Jan. Is, 1859.
The SHERMAN Committee of Investigation is al
ready hard at work, and officers have been des-
patched northward to summon witnesses to SUBJ
stantate the charges of corruption and mafeasance
upon which it was ordered. Rumor says that the
Committee have struck the right track and are like
ly to expose variety of transactions not calculated
to exat the character of public officials. Unfortu-
natey, the SPEAKER in appointing the Committee, Sc
lected as one of its members gentleman whose time
is already fully occupied with the IRWIN Impeach-
ment case before the Committee on the Judiciary,
ofwhich also he is member The effect of this ex-
traordinary appointment must be to cripple to con-
siderable extent the operations ofthe SHERMAN Com
mittee. The time between this and adjournment at
BEST is very short in which to athom the pool of cor
ruption charged and the various expedients to which
friends OF the accused may resort embarrass the
investigation and prevent its efficiency will be ma
terially aided and abetted by anything which re-
strcts the sessions of the Committee to an hour or
two day, instead of the ten hours which
ought to be devoted to the subject. Col.
ORR should have been more conside-
rate, and taken that his action in selecting the
Committee did not thus indirectly operate so as to
screen the accused. Cd.
The evidence in the IRWIN case is progressing.
Mr. HAYS, formerly United States Marshal for the
Western District of Pennsylvania has testified to
the TACT that, by arrangement between Judge
IRWIN and the son of the latter, he paid to the
Judge, out of fees due to the son as Clerk of the
Court, quarterly instalments at the rate of $1,000
per annum. After paying three of these install
ments the CLERK broke up the arrangement de-
claring that his father did not leave him enough of
the fees OF the office to live upon decenlly
Another witness, Mr.. SELDEN, a LAWYER of Pitts
burg, testifes that after the charges against the
Judge had been preferred to Congress in 1850, the
Judge came to witness and placed his resignation
in his hands, addressed to the PRESIDENT author
zing said witness to mail it upon condition that he
could first induce the compliments to abandon the
proceedings against him before Congress. The
proceedings were abandoned accordingly, the wit
testifes, and he did mail the letter of resigna
ton as agreed upon; but subsequent to its mailing
Mr.. BLACK the Judges son-in-law, went to the Post
Office and withdrew it.
Among the gentlemen in our city, urging
upon Congress the necessity of providing govern
ment and law for Arizona, is Mr. SILAs Sr JoUN
the only American saryiy0r of most desperate ep-
counter which occurred at Dragon Springs, in
September last, and was at the time subject of
some comment. He is Young man. twenty wears
OF age, OF medium height heavily built exceedingly
cool and quiet in his manner, but with face and
air clearly denoting resolution ans bravery equal
to his excessive modesty The facts of the affair at
Dragon Springs are worth narrating Mr. ST.
JOHN was in charge of one of the stations of the
overland mail stage company, at the Springs about
eighty miles east of Tucson, in the GApsDEy pur-
chase. The station consisted of corral enclosed
by stone wall eight feet high. Within these walls
were the storehouse and sleeping apartment of the
station-keeper, the remainder Of the space being
used for the safe keeping of the mules belonging to
the line, during the night time. The entrance is
by heavy gateway, with timber doors. As this
station is distant from any military post, it was
found necessary to have it guarded well against the
attacks of hostile Indians. Mr.. ST. JoHN's guards
and assistants consisted of three Americans, named
JAMES Bum, of Watertown, New York; PEsroN
GUNNINaHAM, of California, and JAMES LANG, of
kentucky, and three Mexicans named GUADALUPE,
boTiFAcIo and PABLO. On the night of the difficult
cans occupied the store-room, Communicated bv
an open door with ST.. JoHN's room 1t appears
that the treacherous Mexicans had planned to muir
der their comrades in order that they might steal