New-York tribune., 1869-03-12

NIe the legal maxim in pdri dec," &c. would prove
serious OBSTACLE To success In civil action Your Com
mittee think there be doubt that so large sums
must nave been intended chiefly for unlawful and cor
ui purposes Ana taking this IN connection, with the
evidence OF Mr. Drew, and the evidence Of the existence
o SO many rumors" about the unlawful Of money,
o cohNlctiOn Is forced upon the minds Of your
mtee as they think II mnst be upon those OF all who
peruse this testimony. that persons interested both
some source, with the interest for the purpose Of
coTrnptly and unlawfully influencing legislation.
we arc next led TO the inquiry whether such purpOse
was actually carried out by the payment money 20
ana Jus acceptance by any members OF the Senate This
inquiry carried on by members OF the body whose rcpu
aon is affected by the charge, is Of Of great
ueheacy ana difficulty Your Committee coud not as
Senator, that any one had been guilty They there
lore adopted the course OF examining first the editors
OF various newspapers In which charges more less
specific had been made, and then other persons
having knowledge or Information on the subject The
first editor called was Mr. Greeley. He had IN article
senator F0lger really mean to scout investigation as
needlessl Does he not know that quite number OF his
fellow Senators have sold their votes in the Drew-van
derpit quarrelsome OF them moro than once Can he
not lay his hand at the Senator who currently
side for $1,000 then to the otherfo o0usstng that
he must have g. 900 extra for hts soni Is he not morally
certain that than 100000 have been paid in
auence corrupty the action of Senators in the premsesP y
Mr.. Greeley asked TO what Senaor he alluded as
then for $4,000 and replied, Senator Matoon" aud he
gave the Hon. Thomas c. Fields as his
P SonId state O' no 0 fact relating p;n' to the sub
ject Of Inquiry in reference to any other senator
Greeley asked If ne had any other information ia
regard to Mr. MattOon, 10 which he replied, 90 not
which you have, that he agreed with the reporton ono
sde and then voted the other side" Mr. FleOs was
with Mr. Greeley said that he knew facts relating to
tho subject Of inquiry, that he told Mr. Greeley that
mention Mr. Mattoons name, or speak OF any Iaet m ss
within his own knowledge The Lansg1nrgh Ggisne L,,
toon had received 900 from Jay Gould TO sign report
SIR the editor OF tins paper who testeu tha
he knew nothing OF the transaction and did not wrto
the atI but that II was written by +. B. Hubbe
then the clerk OF committee IN the Assembly, MT Huu
bell was afterwards called and examined, and admitted
that he wrote the article. bnt testified that he had no
knowledge on the subject, and no Information oxcept
what was derived from some lorsnp Who sald ne h9I go
his information from letter published In THE NEW
YORK TBIBUNE Mr.. Mattoon himself was sworn hhu
rcctIy or Indirectly received hocu offered or promised
any monry other valuable thing to anect us 'o'o or
Your Committee, also in view Of the charges mado
against Mr. MatoOn, examined many witnesses Win iel
TO the interviews OF that Senator win te parties
interested in advocating or opposing the Lrlo olll
appears that Senator Mattoon made several VISITS
to different directors OF the Ere kallWhy COupa H'c
MS appointment upon the investigating committee, OF
which Senator Pierce was Chairman Inc attehtion o
Mr.. Could, Gen. Diyen, MI FISK MI Drew anu olieis
was called 10 th0se interviews, ana all tho witnesses 20
examined deny any knowledge OF any pay ymeut or eny
offer or promise OF any payment TO him. for any purpose
Mr.. Drew testiies that, In an interview win Din! ocIuIe
the report OF Senator Pierces Comnlttee Was nt' Pr
MattOOn ntmated as II he would aKe money II IL "a
offered 10 him." When asked to give the language u
MattOOn which he based this inference no
stated that Mr. Mattoon said We eannot 80 theTs anu
live upon what we GET and all 6at knd @ Of TAX ~ rns
offered TO him" MT Drew a,so shia llat nc uau ] ~
ground for supposng that Mr Nation wanted money
other than from the conversation that he had testified To-
The testimony Of Mr. Drew was read by tie stenogIapher
10 Mr. MattOOn, Who SAKE his version OF qs conversation
wh DsT pT5 SSDa , most S IS5 G5 ss @
hnse or auy other person. for his action IN the prem
se 6lie statement IN en-, F5 0
throw some light upon the question On he etn gay ol
March ISo5 Gen; IsrCo cbaTes had been mads In
reference the management OF the Erie Railway Com.
pany; that TIE general mah"Bgucnt VI w g ~
Their positions 10 deprecate and destroy the value OF e
stock OF the Company aud that tno 6 m % @ and
a larger amount OF stock than was a9"eu pg y" W. ,, "
| providing for the appointment OF VnmAc
Of three Senators TO hyesugato suSn Sn1b'1; o ts
| preamble ana resolution were hioplet;; gu W, t,,o
following day. Senator Mattoon moved that the Commit
tee consist OF 1--WE uscad OF three Senator's II was 40
| ordered, and Senators Pierce Clapmanl humphrey
Mattoon and Bradley were appointed such Committee;
on tho lat day OF March the Committee thus appointed
commenced US investigations IN the Clty 0i heM-lork
On ta day. or the gsi2re Sa \ Rgn s E lSRss Has iaat
senator MItooh called ~ tue 9ilee ol tie El,o ~
IN NcwYOrk aud saw several directors ana among 9n,t
things stated what lie regarded rs the object ana ur
pose Of moving for the Committee and what hs motive
for moving for the increase OF ne ,onnillcc au
10 procure himself % be placed upon IL that tue oact
Of moving for the Committee was hierceuaty hhu hAt
ne senator Mattoou intended such use should be
made of Tic examination AMI he had procured his con to
be made Assistant Sergeant3tArms; that he was 20
serve without cost 70 the st1te thal 10 uGt & I
examination should cost tho state any yihnG hnc ne
/ AZ tD
X"tisatIon senator Matto6n had several interviews w9
different directors OF h6 Erie Railway CompanL some ia
New-YOrk aud III Jersey CITY ~ one ntenleW Mr.
E5ud tC,ii8cs ho told him that the majority or the
Committee had found the thing was Iight ana Is.l
bauy in Justice 10 the Committee" On Sunday Mon
day and Tuesday, March -, 20, aud 81 Senators Cha
! man, Humphrey, and Mattoon weTo IN consultation IN
nrn,rine report 20 come exlgnt favorable tOwhat was
nudersO6d to be the Erie or Drew side OF Tie question
draft ~ prGposcd report 20 Senators Humphrey and
Matoou which he understood them both 10 approve ana
day ali inc members OF tho Committee met Senators
Pierce aud Bradley signed tbor report se9tors Chap,
moi sign either but expressed the opinion that both were
! "pretiy strong" and be wanted TO think OF H.
| Pierce and bradley in making a report sustaining TO
the fullest extent the charges referred TO In to original
dlseraceiu;" expressing tho belief that Eldhdge Fisk
Gould "werc concerned and probably nteested with
acts were ghout authority Of law" nnd hat the /.
rectors named had taken advantage OF their position
mcnt and rceonimehing additional icgislaon to en-.
force Increased penalties for such oGensrs The same
port read the preceding day by Senator Chapman. as
above stated signed by themselves alone Hs minority
tOnded when heard that Senator Matooh had signed
this report On the 18Th day OF April lsGs the Act In
and Harlem Railway COmpauies" announced for It's
third reading, and passed the Senate by II affirm
aye votes, one OF which given by Senator MattOOn
IN the suppy Bill for 1868 ScsslOn Laws, D. 1851 ind
item "for H. Mattoon for services aud expenses as
the Senate, appointed 10 investigate tho affairs Of the
Erie Railway Company, ono hundred dollars" The
of senator MdttOOn while upon an investigating
committee In repeatedly paying private visits 20 the per
SONS who the subject Of investigation for The purpose
comforting with them 10 matters bCfOfe the Com
ndtee cannot bo justified and has not been excused
But the evidence taken before your Committee,
fun examination OF all persons who sworn have
made charges against him. and all who had been named
as parties with whom he had had improper trans
actions does not prove tho charge that lao
was paid "any money or other valuable thing 20
influence his vote action Ia Senate or Committee
No evidence has been given any charge made
affecting any other Senator, except that Mr. Drew
fcstlaed 10 conversation with Senator Graham from
which he drew Inference" that that Senator wanted