, 1864-04-26
FROM WASHINGTON,


4AS !u14o"AAs A4e Dlk fpG%Aa! AlhpAtCueA Vi 6uQ.
dxy night, delayed By tlisat1an:sment Of the
wires:
Especial Dispatch to tho Chicago Tribunal
WASHINGTON, April 70. 1854
RkronT oF'rHE 8IA1n INVESTIGATING co4H1r1Er.
The following is the full report Of the Blair In.
vessiEating Committee presented yesterday:
Tie ,underslgned, the special committee ap-
pointed under the resolution Of tic House, Of The
IS thc Hon. j. y. NeGlasE, 1nenbcs Of 1'the the
House from the State OF Missouri, against The
lion. I. Blair, j. also member of The House
Of an alleged liquor speculation, and to inquire
into the truth1lness ialseness Of the order for
the purchase Of liquor dated June 3D. 1881 it IL TO-
30 dcnaed to them under Investigation ION
IN early day after their appointment, and
hare giFe1 full opportunity to both parties
70 95nf 9fo hG en- I'D hsSe
derosiilons or the Witnesses they hare examined,
are herewith submitted 10 the House. It appeared
Ss IS IN 6soT the
Major General In the army Of the United States,
1n ac1ual SERVICE near Vlekabusc, in the State OF
Mtssiaeippl, together With eight members oi bis
Nichaels Powers, representing himself to be an
agent oithe Treasury Department. and who had
TOBACCO end cEa1s, the cost Of which, acco1dingto
one of the Witnesses. Captain M MM:gairs: eertai91y
as It appeared before The " Committee 'as was
slte!ed after it, WAS delivered to Powers, by
adding and changing figures. and alEo By
to such an extent that tho invoice on The pur:
chase OF the articles in St. Louis, and The per
nit granted BY, The Collector amounted TO
lie reteHsd to-that as to brandy. The original
order Was for Eve GALLONS. By inserting the figure
o( before the five. and adding the word leach"
for two hundred aud twenty -1ye gallons. The al
teratious which the Committee belieye, from the
testimony, to hase been made In the order, will hs
which contains 8 copy Of the existing order: i
statement At the foot thereof contains The articles
named in the original order as nearly as can be de-
the question By whom these alterations were made,
the COMMITTEES refer particularly to de7osItiona of
Powers and Howard, which are among thosc here
sey were probably nas ief ths he pnipose Of
realizing profitable speculation That they were
made BY Powers, there cannot, from the testimony,
was delivered to Powers, there was no law prohib-
opinion, agd do report that no violation oi law IN
,Ss ona ofae asea nd sd eI
had pateed hon his possession and control In the
manner heretofore noted
The undersigned, Chairman Of the Committee
for himself deems 1t proper to state the replies OF
III. Bair In the House, to the charges Of Ar. nc.
ClurG, al Of which hare been under Investigation
before the Committee, are n9t sastausd ! ey tue ey,
In the liquor speculation and Of the scnuneness u
the order in question. In this statement the other
memher from Kentucky for The reason that hia con-
clueions from the testimony arc the opposite to
those Of the Chairman asd the mcinbera from New
York, Who were abEent while most OF this part OF
the evidence Was taken, for reason he does not
consider embraced In the resolution appointing
the Committee. and that they are not IN his tuds
ment, called On to express any opinion In regard
1t, The Committee having thus completed the d.
ttz assigned them, respectfully ask 10 be lschatC
ed from the further consideration Of the snbiect.
iSigned) WH- H1aAEE, Chairman.
BRurCs ]. CLAT,
::JoHS vi. PRUIs."
BLA1R's EPEECn,
This report fully satisfies neither party. It does
not exonerote Blair, shows that the charges he
made 10 to the completely Of Chase and his agents
in the matter, arc unfounded, and Otherwise cen-
sures him, but on the other hand 1t relieves him
from the responsibility OF the big liquor order, by
admitting the testimony OF Michael Powers, which
NcClurg says could have been easiy impeachcd,
although the Committee did not feel at liberty to
undertake 1t. Blair'a speech on tho question Of
printing this report excites no feeling but 1ndEns
ton among the supporters Of the Administration.
1t was al once the coarsest most vitnparative and
most reckless nsssult upon the leading member Of
the Administration, which he still processes to sup
mort, that has been made eincc the VIII broke out
lie began by gross personal abuse Of Col. McC1urg,
speaking Of l1s vulgar mind, brutality and malis.
nifty.
The Speaker here called him to order, and made
him take his seat, The House gave him leave to
proceed and be wcnt into TRADE against Secretary
Chase, and was called to order again by number
Of members. From Hr. Chase he turned to Cen
Fremont, and WIS called to order again By the
Speaker, after attacking Thad. Stevens, and being
brought up with round turn By the old veteran,
and runn1ng muck at the Committee On the Con-
duct Of The War, he cane bsek again to NJ. Chase,
and was again called to order BY several members,
and finally the Speaker once more ordered him to
take his seat, and submitted the case to the House
as one Of Eross disregard Of the rules Of the Honso
The chairman Of the Investigating Committee.
Mr. Hisbce, was among those who repeatedly call.
ed Blair to order for neing papers which were the
property Of the Committee and violating Its conr.
teey, and charged Blair with assuming III tesr1mo-
ny what Hag proven before the committee to ba
fxlse, to Wit: the assertion that agents Of tho
Treasury Department were concerned In the alter
at!cn OF the order. The testimony before the
committee distinctly proves (sald Ar. Hlebee) that
the entire trausaction was performed Ro,elg by the
personal and political friends Of the gentleman
charged with the speculation.
The House finally, eecing the hour nearly up,
permitted Blair to 60 to the end Of bis tether urin'
tc1upfed- He reyeled for about twenty minutes
longer In The gEosscst personal abuse Of Secretary
Chaee. the Union members mostly leaving their
eeats IN disenst, and the 1copperheads gathering
around him IN animated groups; but for his plea
that he ~as about to leave for the atny. he would
not bare been permitted to 60 on. The staple