, 1860-05-28
THE COyDDE INVESTIGATION.
More Corruption Observation-Disclosures
an, EEcDia min. $lldelf md teudef.
bilt ItnltlicAtcd.

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WASHINGTON, MAY -, l56l.-Elwood Fisher
anpearct before tic .Cuvode Cnuimlttee this
,uorn,n.. md testified substantially as foilows:
Was o1,r nf tue trustees who bad the manage
1uent OF ihe mail steam line from New York to
New 0r]erns, and IRON New 1ork to Asp'n-
walt
Qu<stion-Do you know anything abont the
pas me1t Of anr moneys by the steAm mail line
IL Vanderbilt, and ii 70 for what purpose:
-dns.--Ycs, sir; there was paid to Vanderbilt,
out Of the .rus: funds o! The mai! iIne from New
York in New Orieaus md Aer'inwali, tn fhou-
s.na dollars per month. is stated ~ ny COL
leagues, 1toh. rts and Clark, to induce him, not
10 run Il line in competition it'll rs they also
raid thut the Pacitic Hail Steamship line agreed
IN pay him thirty tho"sanf per month more 10
prevent competition on their side; this arrange
inent lasted about three tears; 1t was 70 cease
the moment uny competition appeared, hence it
BECAME 1hr interest Of Vanderbilt to suppress
uls conpetision, and tie Influence Of his name
aud cap,aa was reiie3 upon tn do it. 1objecsed
and protested, from first TO last. ugasnst this ar
ransemcnt. Under this black mail arrangement
lie rec-;ved about one million i've hundred thon-
sand dollars.
4ues,ion-Do you know apything about the
interference Of this government with the Te-
huuntepec contract ard route:
Aux.-Yes, I know a good deal about it.
Question-Hel1, state what you know about
Ans-Iu the spring of 1851 the contract with
Mexico was held by con,pnny in New Orleans,
of which Sloo nwned majority Of stock. In
June .yas informed tfias the administration
had trk.n up the Tehauusepec question. Sur
pri4ed ut Ills, caied GU The President. lie
prof.ss.d 10 lie anxions for the speedy open.
ing Of tt,at route, Anl complained OF every
tltius tia, had been done and Of everything
thut hasl not been done uuder that contract-
/ told him that great difficulties aud several
yaipwrccks had intcrfercd with that contract.
but that the sriri. Of it had been observed, and
1hut the Mex,can government had not COIN
planned: that the wink was going on
upon the lsthmua. md that I had just
icxpa.ched myself a steamer TO na.igate the
Cautxacoulcos river, 10 pursnancs With the con-
trac* with Mexico. The President, however,
would not te sasisied. and the result was that
he soon after sent II dispatch By Senator Dcpja-
min mud Mr. J.eserc to onr Minister in Me1ico,
written, as understand. by himself, but signed
by General Cass, instructine him to have the
contract With Sioo ahrogated and another Gus
in place Of it granted 10 certain parties, with
whom uarxous, Lasere aud DtAidnsin, and, ds
subsequently learned, Senator .Sli6efI, were as
sociated. The thing was done; but the Hoo
treaty, which authorized the United States gov-
+rnrasnt ~ interfere for its protection, and The
President, seeinE this, instructed our Minister
in Mexico. Mr.. Forsyth, 10 ncgutiate a new
trcs1s. which would protect this new grant
The Mexican government, Eeetng the anxiety o{
our government, agreed to abrugate the Sloo
grant, and authorize the new one, but on terms
much l<ss .fdporaIe to tAas country; and when
our Minister presented tile draft OF the newly
prepared treaty, it was rejected. the Mexican
government refusing to alio@ the government
Of the United S,ates to intervene At I'll for the
protection of the new gruut. The principal
prelext ol The President VIA. that the Sloo pnr.
~ waa not abls to comply with thei,
contract with Mexico, although he was ssspret
by me that they we're in the actual prosecution
OF the work, thst Sloo had devoted several hun,
dred thousand dollars OF his own means for tbt
not complained, but, on the contrary, had re
Gently Recognized The validity Of: the con
tract; ret after the new contract hid bee,
made, and before ANYTHING Of conseaucne,
had been done on The route, and befor'
It Was in order :or the, transmission Of unai1s,
eontraes wa. made. in violation Of 1aw, by th'
Post Office Department for The transportation
Of ,nuils by ahx1 ruute fo- two hundred aud fi't,
Thousand dollars PR annuu, which vna pail
them; but the route not being in ofter bu
hnln nail matter Was sent BY it;-and the post
agea received frrln it did not exceed fire thou
sand dollars. Thus Sezc the diplomatic farc
ttnns OF This government abroad and the Pos
Oaice department ut home, prosiisuttd fpr I'll,
purpose Of wrestling valuable contract {fou
one Aet OF American citizens TO gire it to anu
ther. who we're tAsorites 6f the ADMINISTRATION
Qaessson-Nhere il 1he erideuce that tues
Instructions u our Minister in Mexico wcr
given!
Answer-A resolution of inquiry iuto th
trausac'icn was adapted IN 1877 and '5s IN 1h
Senate. It was responded to, hut not Until
was too la:c to hare the CORE ,pondepce ;3rinte
In time 10 hare The Sepate sci upon it 8, ths
session. Tint response lex. Doc, frat ae.sio
Thirty tltb Cong'c~s, Senate No. 7a) contain
the correspondence which e,nbodiea .aho i,
6t1uctionk-