The Portland daily press., 1867-12-03
Additional: rcs.in,ssy before 'i'e .sa.sie'

Coneress last week did not embrace the testi- |
,nonv of several witnesses who were examined |
only few days before Congress assembled. |
This testimony is now made public. The first |
item OF interest is in regard to the pardon of
West Virg,nia3 deseiters for the purpose o
gaining their support for the Presidents poll
cy The following is letter addressed by John
sons private secretary to Il. w. AndreMs.
Democratic candidate for Congress from West
Virginia, who had forwarded list of several
hundred deserters to be made into Democrat
ic voters.
-, EXECUTIVE MANsIoN, Oct. u, 1866
Sir: The President directs lia 20 achuow-
ledge the receipt OF your letter CT the 10th
instant, and to inform you tiat ti.1 i's.' ti.no
mitted Herewith have been feleIreu I" 'nn
Secretary of War, with this Endorsement: All
pains and penalties attached TO these meD on
account of of charges OF desertion are remitted
AMI tba charge will he removed from the rolls"
~--r'r-T I am very ttully yours.
-.... ....-..-... WM. G.. MOOR.
Ex-Detectiye Baker testified that one Mrs.
Harris has in her possession letters written by
President johnson 10 JEFF. Davis in 1864 show
ing sympathy for the rebellion. Mrs Harris
makes the modest demand Of $4,000 for the
letters.
The following is an account OF part of the
examination of Congressman Ashley of Ohio:
Question. Have you not stated to members
of Congress that You had evidence duplicating
the President in Mr.. Lincoln's assassination?
A. No; not evidence in my possession, I
may have said that had statements made in
writing and otherwise, by this man and that,
which induced me to believe it. l may have
said that.
z. Have you ever brought the evidence, on
which you believe it, before this committae?-
| A. No, sir, / have spoken to members OF the
| committee about it, have had no
evidence which regard as valid. 1t was an
| isolated statement, here and there, and was
not sufficiently strong to warrant me in pre-
sentipg it. Ta
Q. Then you say you had TO evidence
| against Mr.. johnson which you considered
| valid? A, Yes; had no evidence which
! regarded as sufficient before jury to convict
| a criminal. . .s,.
! (By Mr.. Elddrege)-I repeat the question
Whether you have told members of the House
| OF Representatives that you had evidence in
your possession which satisfied you that Mr..
johnson had taken part, or was implicated in
the assassination of MIR. Lincoln? ,a3.4is b
| "A. l have SAID that believed from all
! was able to gather during its Investigation,
that Mr.. johnson had a guilty knowledge OF
| the assassination. -....il %.
Q. You have said that before. repeat the
| question as put it before, and want an an
4 swer TO it specifically. iet af...4
L
Mr.. Eldredge No, sir, think not; L repeat
| the question. .+ i ~ ,,-.E ..l : .Is
Mr.. Ashley--I had not that kind of evidence
which wonld satisfy the great mass OF men, es-
| in my theory about it,. have always believed
that Presidents Harrison, Taylor and Buchan-
an Were poisoned for the express purpose of
| putting Vice Presidents into the Presidential
4 office. In the first two instances it was sue
cessful. II was attempted with Mr.. Buchan-
an and failed. 1t succeeded with Taylor and
Harrison. Then Mr.. Lincoln was assassinat-
ed, and from my standpoint could come TO a
conclusion which impartial men holding differ
4 ent yisws could not come. 1t would not
amount to begal evidence. ia7
MFR. Ashley then proceeded to testify that he
meyer submitted any evidence, nor had he
made any charge that Mr.. Johnson was impli
Gated with the assinatipn plot
| Hon. ROBERT j. WALKER, former Secretary
] of the Treasury lis preparing, at the request
of his friends, an elaborate letter upon the ma
tional finances. 1t will he remembered that
Mr.. Walker advocated Secretary Chases ma
tional banking and financial system in 1868
| and after that became law he went to Eu-
rope, by request of Mr. Lincoln and Mr.. Chase
as the financial agent of the Government and
caused our loans to be taken, mainly in Ger
! many, to the extent off several hundred millions
! of dollars. The letter is said to embrace the
following points: GIN '-t b
/ n l.. The Immediate resumption of specie pay
ments to be effected by foreign loan as propos-
ed by him in December, 1864 This, he believes
can be obtained at par in gold at six per cent
This would make all our greenbacks equal &c
| gold, as also our national bank currency, and
! all deposits in the national banks and put our
whole bonded debt of $2000,OOO,O at par in
| hof i,,lzo or,1A aud Of "a
least 81 ,000000 600 to the active wealth of the
country as represented by currency and nego-
table credit, and prevent collapse Govern
i o. Walker is opposed alike to paper. .expan-
sion and contraction, as both necessarily lead
ing in his judgment to reputation. lH
/ z. An immediate restoration of the Union
and the reduction of our expenditures to q
peace basis. These expenditures thus reduc-
ed, lncluding the payment of interest Oh, the
public debt and very small and gradual re-
| duction OF the principal he thinks ought not
to exceed 500, GOO, ,00O year in gold. The pay
ment OF the Government expenditures in gold,
i instead OF paper, would be equivalent at once
to 30 per cent. reduction of those expenses -
Thus, Immediately 1esuming specie payments
and reducing the expendi ures to a sum not
exceeding S290 00G0 goo year, be thinks that a
tariff or revenue would bring at least $500, 600, :
600 year, increasing every year with our aug
mented wealth and population.
D. The immediate abolition of our whole
internal system of taxation, including the in
come tax, the tax on sales, stamp tax, and all
! other internal taxes, except the excise on
wines, fermented and spirituous liquors. and
! tobacco. Without reducing the taxes on these
! articles, or suffendering their proceeds to
fraud and rascality he believes that at least
! 120000000 year could be realized. This
would make the total revenue $500, 100000 in
! gold per annum, which would leave very
large. margin, far more than he thinks is re-
quired. Should it yield much more than is
wanted, he would still further reduce the tax
alton by taking off the duties on sugar, tea and
coffee. Should there still be a large surplus
he is in favor of still further reducing or re-
pealing all duties on the necessaries OF life not
| produced in this country Should there still
I remain surplus he favOrs devoting it to great
/ national works OF internal improvement. He
I thinks, as he always has, that the raw material
. OF domestic manufactures should be duty free,
/ and exempt from excise or taxation. 3 .
| 4. The, national banking system should be
| sustained and improved upon, repeating the
monopoly clause and leaving all perfectly free
to establish banks who will comply with the
/ laws of Congress. thus giving all sections of
i the country as large an amount of substantial
! circulating medium as their interests require.