Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-05-09
dom the Pltt.hprE plspA.e

act for the Communication of the tonnage
tax upon the Pennsylvania railroad,
made their report to the Legislature
The COMMITTEE in their investigations con-
fined themselves to the means employed
to secure the passage of the act, and have
cl0ssed the testimony taken under three
heads, as follows: Tampering with the
press; the distribution of eight hundred
thousand dollars due the State by the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company among
other railroad companies; and the distri-
button of cash by Thomas A. Scott, Vice
President Of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company.
Mr.. Fuller testified to having paid the
editor of the Allentown Democrat two
thousand dollars to sustain Senator Shin
del and to publish the Tonnage Tax bill.
This money, Mr.. Fuller states, was his
own, but the Committee declare that this
is improbable The editor of the Browns
vile Clipper visited the room of Mr..
Scott, ut Coverly's Hotel, and Mr.. Scott
handed to him three or four hundred dol
lars to support the bill. The editor tes-
titles to that fact himself The Commit
tee believe that money to the amount of
thousands of dollars was thus expended.
1t was in evidence that the section Of
the Communication bill requiring the Penn
sylvania Railroad Company to assist other
railroad companies in the State, was in
serted for the purpose of inducing the
members from the counties through which
these roads passed to vote for the passage
of the bill. Mr.. Burns, q member of the
Legislature from Allegheny county, was
induced to favor the Communication bill bv
the promise of Mr.. Scott that the Pitts.
burg and Steubenville Railroad should
be completed, and Mr.. Scott entered into
written agreement to take four hun
dred thousand dollars worth of the bonds
of the Northwestern Railroad Company
mt par, when their value was only estima-
| ted Mt twenty-five cents ON the dollar
The Senators and Representatives resi-
ding ON the line of the Northwestern
Railroad consequently voted for the bill.
by such means us these, eight hundred
thousand dollars, which should have gone
into the State Treasury, was divided
among certain railroads.
| The Committee. next considered the di-
rect application OF money as means of
bribery. The individual pointed out AS
being the chief agent in the distribution of
the funds was Mr.. Thomas A. Scott. In
March last the Committee addressed a note
to Mr. Stanton, Secretary of War, desiring
/ to know at what time Mr.. Scott could visit
Harrisburg, without interfering with his
duties to the Government Mr.. Stanton
replied on the sth of March, that Mr.. Scott
| was then Mt Cairo, and would be relieved
on the 10th. A subpoena, was then left at
the house of Mr.. Scott, but he did not
come before tho Committee, and while they
were temporarily absent at Pittsburg he
! passed through Harrisburg without stop
Z Ms ~
! tee again telegraphed to Secretary Stanton
! TO ascertain where Mr.. Scott could be found.
/ The reply was that Scott would be relieved
! from duty Mt Fortress Monroe in four DAYS.
I Tue Sergeaut-at-Arms was accordingly
dispatched to Washington to subpoena Nr.
Scott, but was unable to find him, and the
Committee believe that he purposely kent
out of the way.
Mr.. Kennedy Marshall, member of the
House from Allegheny county last year.
I testified that at the close of the session he
visited the room of Mr. Scott, at Coverly's
Hotel, and was handed a package contain
ing Eve hundred dollars. Mr.. Scott re-
marked TO Mr.. Marshall that the package
had been left for him, and that he did not
know what it contained. There were 9th
! er packages lying about the room at the
! time. Mr.. Marshall further testi6ed that
he had always been in favor of the repeal
OF the Tonnage Tax, aud had voted for the
Communication bill without any expectation
of IA reward. Mr.. Marshall also testified
that he had visited the room of Speaker
Davis and saw Eve or seven thousand dol
lars lying on the bed. Mr. Davis said he
had received the money from Scott. but
subsequently denied the fact Davis ac-
comPanied Mr.. Marshall up the Allegheny
river, and gave him portion of the mon
ey to carry, remarking that he was afraid
TO carry SO much himself The Committee
has endeayOred to procure the attendance
of Mr.. Davis, bat has not succeeded MP TO
the present time.
Thomas Osterhout was member of the
Legislature from Wyoming county last
year, aud parties testified to having heard
him say that he had made good thing ont
Of the tonnage bill, and that he had paid
all his debts amounting 70 $1,000 or
$4,000. Osterhout was subpenaed. hut
having been warned by a man named
George H. BariWell, was thus enabled to
elude the Sergeant.at-Arms. This Bard
well is also believed to have been instru.
mental in inducing an important witness,
named GearheArt, to leave Harrisburg in
the night time.
John Edgar Thompson. President of the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, was sum-
mOned to appear before the Committee, hut
replied thar bad health would not permit
him to attend. A sub committee vas ap-
pointed and proceeded to philadelphia, 10
obtain the testimony of Mr.. y. E. Thorn.
son; but he refused to receive them, and a 1
certificate from ]. Pancoast, u. D., stating
that Mr.. Thomson could not be seen, was |
shown to the Committee.
Seven Directors of the Pennsylvauia
Railroad Company were examined, but tes-
ntisd that they knew nothing .abOut auJ |
bribery,