New-York tribune., 1869-03-19
LEGISLATIVE CORRUPTION.

The Select Committee OF the Senate appointed TO nves
gate the charges Of legislative corruption IN relation to
the railroads Of this State;
The Committee first called before them and examined
pome of those who had been by rumor, most widely de-
sRnated as lobbyists persons in attendance on the
Legislature engaged either side Of this controversy
Nessrs. John B. Butcher and Abraham Van Vechten,
who were known as opponents OF the BILL and Messrs.
Hugh Hastings Jay Gould, Julian Williams, and Dyer
-. s. Brown, who were among the advocates OF the
measure; the treasurers the Hudson River and
Harlem Railroads. corporations supposed 70 De
interested in opposing the BILL These persons all denied
any knowledge or information other than thaI nnev
from common rumor, OF the offer Of any nooy t
or valuable thing or any promise or oer 9 @ tion
tho purpose indicated In the resolution Ihe IN fHE
OF your Committee next called 10 an artole @ m had
Taksn money on JoR sdes and that over sOGooo had
been paid 10 influence corrupy the ac3n& & " them be
writer Of tbs article the Hon Greeley to 2sce
tain the evidence upon when " was Siven NV MIR
Greeley as that OF his Informant Your t0mat n1at
Zee accordingly examined nm, @ SnG Names were men
toned by Mr. Greeley. Toward the close OF the session &
believe that lobbyist had attempted TO get money from
Ihe friends the Erie b on the pretenSe tHas g
could thereby secure his vote called the at.1eV Of
your Committee such information, IN cOhse9usnC VI
which subpenas were issued ana aiter spg and
Lewis Payne procured. The facts as eslLnso "
by them. are stated In the subsequent pa5 81 asm S Kali
roads both testify that money was drawn rom the
brs% the treasurer Of the Erie Railway Company until
July 1868 that he had no nowleage Oh any
Toev hong pald ont Of the Treasury Of that Company
10 ~ Dre ~ nrocrng legislation; but testifes
that Mr. Eardge the President % 45 te 5OSu t 1w tb
Legislature, osensiby for purposes OF ugaIon; WhCn
was charged the books OF the Company TO Mr Eldl1ge
Individuality aud which had not been tor when
he retired the Office OF Treasnrerin MY
money other than that had then Deen drawn 0ut y, te
treasury pay the expenses of the Company at Albany
IL evident from the testimony that large amounts OF
money were actually paid for various purposes MT
Gould paid 5000 to Lewis f. Payne, and $4,000 TO some
person (he thinks his name was William King for MT d.
b. s. Brown Of Rochester, and something more than
$4,000 and he thinks less than S500o0 not including pay
rs GOO t9 Payne and upward of to Luther Caldwell
which was refunded to him By the Erie Railway Compa
did come nom the treasury Of the Erie Railway Com.
Pany which were expended Tor sone RufP%@Se @ ~ a. @ ~
the company. The objects OF the expenditure can
Testimony Of Mr.. Drew shows where these funds may
have come from. Whether the creation OF so large
expenditure of which left entirely TO the discretion OF
single individual and for which no vouchers or SS
counts are required, is usual win IaliSau S com
paues, your Committee arc not lhIoInea. N rs
stockSolders of these companies Mr.. Edridge
being citizen Of and IN another state MS attendance
invited TS SsSoned td The testimony leaves no Doubt in
fbe minds OF your Committee that large OF money
were fact furnished with The intent that they should
fully In the only in which your Committee have
been able obtain any direct evidence the moneys 30
fnrnished were not I'm fact used purpose intended
bnt went to enrich members Of the lobby The case OF
Lewis r. Payne furnishes TemaTka9ie pc example & o,
Of mpudence aud dupcy on the part OF the person re-
Payne was harhOr master in New-York, and as such
receiving he testites, some $50 per MONTH lie lad
never been in the employ OF railroad cOmpany-had no
profession any extensive general acquaintance OK IN
inence Still he paid $4,000, as ne pretends Tor
iii Mr. THOMPSON paid him 5000 in New-York and
Mr. Could though he did not take much stock III him,
as 6e saws mot having heard Of ThOmpsOn's payment,
gave him 5000 here smooth him over 1t VIII not be
credited that these amounts were PAID nun simply for
services. They obtained by him, as no one can
doubt from reading the evidence on the pretense
that with @ 5aeh ,amobT sp a e Van with tha Of
Mr. Thompson and Senator Palmer is conclusive upon
FOR reYerod TO was opposed to the BILL and his
acteT for integrity ana honor was so gh as 20 render
any effort at producing change IN his views or action
Sy pecunary inducements not only useless bat absurd
thai the attempt made 20 get back the money from
Payne, which gave rise to the angry controversy sworn
20 by Van Valkenburgh, which led 10 bringing the
matter to the knowledge OF the senator whose
and indignation at the discovery Oh 80 Dase an 10
make merchandise Of his good name caused Nun 10 give
discover these facts The OF Luther Caldwell is still
more extraordinary. Mr.. Cldwel's name was first
bV Mr. GREELEY, who testified that Mr. A. n. Cole had
stated that 100000 was placed ii the namds o. Lnner
Mr. Cole was then called and while he did not profess TO
have any actual knowledge on the subject gave informa
Tion which led your Committee 10 call Senator Hicks as
witness He testified that, In acOnyersatOn win Cald
VEL f5s 5 Te I9S contest s Mr. 9 had to m
(senaor Hicks that the party known as the Vanderbilt
lion to him to have leave Albany, and that he had
Informed Mr. Gould Of the RGPS'moR m Insg eg mao maze
that they (the Vanderbilt pary) proposed 10 give HIM
y ay tat he had before received from the Ere
side very liberal compensation for his services that
sek Smt that he refused this and demanded the money
which was paid him in all kinds Of bills That he did
mot ay by whom this money paid but referred 10 the
@yapder6it party" they '-and that somewhere in
that connection the name OF JOhn b. Duchef was meh-
toned. .,- ,.,., q, -.
any knowledge Of money being placed IN the hands OF
s%er was no." He was then asked If lie had any iu
AGENT Of the Company He replied that ne had been
that Caldwell had received large sum OF money some
thing IKE 100000 just before day or So bei2fe.the
Mr. Caldwell himself after several unsuccessful efforts
20 procure his attendance appeared before your SC
day preceding tho commencement OF the
present SESSION Of the Senate In reply 70 question
whether he received any money ron aig O1oef 81 the
OF the bill he answered In the negative question
whether he received money from sncn source Ior any
In his mind" He also declined to answer " TIL he had
time for rejection" The question whether ne knew OF
the bin 10 any one for the purpose Of securing
the vote Of any Senator, and whether nc received
ssid he could decide whether he would answer these
questions by the next morning, and the Commttee sG
portJnity for reflection" Your Committee were IN at
tendance the next day at the appointed hour and place
bat Mr Caldwell did not appear nor has he since Deen
before them, and inquiry your Committee have been
informed that he spending the season IN some OF tho
sOuthern States. Mr. Russell F. Hicks whose name
appears in the testimony In connection with
Mr. Caldwelrs, was subrenaed but did not
NJ Henry Thompson has since testified, That he paid
Caldwell at one time, $4,000, aud aterward upward OF
10000 which was refunded 20 him By the Erie Railway
Company and which for DO specific purpose, unless
70 influence public opinion through the press. Mr. H. NJ
Madden swears, that be was told by Mr.. Gould that
Caldwell had been TO him get money, pretended,
for Senator and Member Of Assembly, which he Could
Caldwell told him just before be left Albany that he had
seen OK Senator butcher on the Harlem Railroad che day
The first editor called WA Mr. Oreelev He had IN