New-York tribune., 1869-03-12
REPORT OF THE SENATE COMMii COSnIl / liz 0-'
MI o-'- LEGISLATIVE CORRUPTION

prpopT OF THE SENATE COMMlIIEH ON
III '-' LEGISLATIVE CORRUPTION
Saao,s Tho Select Committee appointed
rrsrant 70 the resolution passeu ,dr,,, or rort,os
~ i,iro and ascertain Whether any pa.y u
" 4., a., s,rnort,ng or opposing any measures TO
lnIeres'ou - - ,nonies have either in person, or by
Ia'lns " l'., or indirectly, paid, or offered
agent m yoombers or members OF the Senate during
that session. any money t5er o'Hof 1oo or oc
thing n Com mittee;" and the further resolution
@ s.a m Nav l. 1868. by which sad committee was autnor
&ea 10 Session OF the Senate, respectfully report That
onr Committee entered Immediately upor the Gnues as
ed 10 them and have been engaged IN the lnyeega-
ion on which they entered at various times during the
session the recess Of the Legislature ana the pres
Your Committees attention been called, principally,
70 the great of last session between and
opponents Of what was commonly know t as t1G t
which resulted IN the passage OF the act ehuu An acG
and Harlem Railway Companies" passed April Il, 1868
Your Committee first called before them ana examined
mated as lobbyists persons in attendance the Leg
isature engaged on either aide OF the controversy
Messrs John b. butcher aud Abraham Van Nechten,
who were known rs opponents OF the bill, ana Messrs
Hugh j. Hastings jay Gould, Julian Wluams anu Dyer
ure Also the OF the Hudson River and Harlem
Railroads corporations supposed TO DC interested IN 0p
posing the bill These persons R denied any knowledge
or information, other than that derived from common ru
Of the use or offer 0 any money OF VuaDe OF SEy
promise offer OF money for the purposes Indicated IN
The attention OF your Committee was next called TO an
article in THE NEw.YoRK TRIBUNE charging that one
Senator had taken money on both sides; ad that over
100000 had been paid Influence corrpty the action OF
other Senators IN the premises They summoned before
them the writer Of this article Horace Greeley 70 ascer
of the Hon Thomas c. Fields was given by Mr.. Greeley
as that Of his informant. Your COMMITTEE accOfulngy
examined him, and also Senator Matto0n ana r Asanei
v Cole whose names were mentioned by Mr; GIeeiey'
Toward the close OF the session. senator VINO obv nhb
had atsmPed to get money IRON ouS ThS terebv secure
his vote called the attention Of your committee 10 suGn
Information; in consequence OF which ennpenhs moI S
Messrs John van vakenburgh and Lewis f. Payer was as
procured Tn facts testified 70 Dy uen tSor VII
In the subsequent part OF TINS report OtneL VIA VIA
pesses were thon called the facts developed ana
statements made 10 your Committee seemed 10 require
The evidence reported having been taken at various
1mes the presence of witnesses could De oDtaneu
negative character Your Committee therefore think
necessary IN this report TO state some o, he nT, Z
facts proved, and the bearing they nave upo le
matter OF the investigation. TIE first inquiry naturally
suggested was whether money vas ScH{ % y 5a s
used for unlawful purposes lha tresrers 0t ti9 ~ uu M
the purpose referred to- Mr Drew the treasurer OF te
he had no knowledge any money being paid out OF the
| Treasury OF that Company for the purpose ,! Gi
! Eldridcc tho President Of the Road, drew $4,000
out Of the Treasury before inc session 0l tme
which was charged on the books Of the Company to Mr.
Eldridge individually aud which had h9T oee I
last and that no money other than that had then been
drawn out Of 5as # g EVIDENT S from the testimony
tbat e amounts Of money actually paid for vari-
and 81 l 10 some person tie thinks his name was William
Kng) for Mr. D. ID. 5. Brown OF Rochester, ana some
thing than $4,000, and he thinks less tan % soDUv
not including payments by draft to consel ana agens
Mr. Thompson paid 5000 TO Payne ana upward OF SOoo
to TUther Caldwell which refunded 10 MN Dy inc
Eric Raw6y company II is clear therefore that large
sums Of money did cone from we uSasuS " 'r' & iG
Railway Company when were eAPenG1,u P1s ios Seo, ~,
purpose in Albany for which no vouSners seem rh c
nSiects Of the expenditure cannot be learned from
the books Of the Company. Tue testimony OF MT Drew
the creation large fund as that ptrhsed 10 MT
Eldridge in this instance the eApcnGt9le oi MAon "
left entirely TO the discretion Of single INDIVIDUAL ana
for which vouchers or accounts arc ieqltu is s9a
with railroad companies your commtto orc nov 4. y,
formed IL question OF more immediate interest 70
stockholders Of these companies Mr Llaflnge, p,lig
citizen OF and In another state ms d''I ~ .%SS W.
by letter to appear and testify, D3t tne GI t ~ fS
minds pf yonr committee that large Of money were
i'm fact furnished with the intent that lhey shouH pe
used for the purpose OF influencing legislation undWiay
In the only cases respecting which your committee nave
been able TO obtain any direct evidence, tie moneys SO
furnished not In fact used for the purpose intended
but went TO enrich members OF the lobby -, -
The case Of Lewis T. Payne furnishes remarkable e1
ample Of credulty the part OF the parties eAptn
ing money and OF mpudence aud dupicty on the llrl
Of the person receiyng Payne was @ ll
$50 pe month He had never been in the employ OF
railroad company bad no profession nor any eHsoS,ES M
general acquaintance or influence sun nc vas laiu tnt
sum Of $4,000 he proends for Few Gays services W
him s5o60 in NewY6rk and Mr.. Could though he did
not take much stock" in him, MS he says not haynl
ae25S moo3 Gf b dPTef vii not be credited a
amounts were paid him simply for services They were
, ! obtained by him. can doubt from Tcaulnl
i the evidence, tho pretense that win snch .
sum- he could secure Senator's vote. The testimony OF
Van Valkenburgh with that Of Thompson and Of Senator
Palmer are conclusive upon this point and II was Only
on asceTtaung that the Senator referred 10 was opposed
10 tie bin and that his character integrity and honor
was so high as TO render any effort at producing change
On Dny % nses ISi but G ABSURD tGa the attempt made
get back the money from Payne wHG gave rise TO INC
led to bringing the matter TO the knowledge OF the sena
tor whose surprise and indignation at tho discovery OF 50
base attempt to make merchandise Of his good name
which enabled them TO discover the facts.
The case Of Lutler Caldwell is still more Extraordinary.
Mr. CaldWells first mentioned In the testimony
before your Committee by Mr. Greeley, who test
fed that Mr.. A. N. Cole had stated that 100000 was
Hicks 70 influence legislation Mr. Cole was then called,
and, while he did not profess to have actual knowl
edge the subject gave Information which led your
Committee TO call Senator Neks witness He test
fed that III conversation with Caldwell IN explanation
OF the fact that ho had suddenly left Albany pending the
Erie contest" Mr. G. had told him Senator Ncks) that
the party known the Vanderbilt party, the oppos
him leave Albany, aud that lie Lad Informed Mr.. Gould
Of the proposition they had made him. and that he told
BIr Gould that they (e Vanderbilt party proposed 20
give him S7OOOO II he would leave Albany that they did
and he went away hat he mad before received from
the Eric side very liberal compensation for his scry
fees that they wanted him 10 take his pay In Central
Ealfoad stock but that he refused this aud demanded
that hq did not cay by whom this money paid.
but referred 20 the vanderbilt party" they" and
that somewhere IN that connection the name OF John h.
butcher vas mentioned. On Gen. Owens examination,
he asked II he had any knowledge OF money being
PLACED in the hands % OF Lge Has He He s was them them
asked II he had any Information that subject derived
that he had been told by Henry Thompson director OF
the Company that Caldwell had received large sum OF
money something like 100000 just befOrea day or 80
before the vote was taken aud that he had kept aud
left the city Mr.. Caldwell HIMSELF after several nnsc-
your Committee on the day preceding the commencement
Of present session OF the Senate 10 reply 10 ques