The Portland daily press., 1870-11-24

covery.
kaThis is one OF the most remarkable fights
tnat has ever occurred, even among the law
less adventurers of the borders. 1t sounds
ike romance, but the source OF the informa-
tlOn Will not admit of doubt OF its truth.
--
Letter from Washingien.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 81, 1870.
THE McGARRAHAN CLAIM
1t is not very crejitable to the judgment
and motives of many papers and persons who
shot suddenly into denunciation of the Presi-
dent on the matter of his refusal to allow a
patent to he issued to the New Idria mining
company. Brief investigation would have
satisfied fair-minded man that he did right.
The McGarrahan claim is no new thing TO
the President. Like every other person who
resided on the Pacific coast some twenty
years ago, the name of the "Panoche Grande"
grant must have been familiar to him as a
matter OF public notoriety. / am informed
on the best authority that within five months
OF his entering upon the Presidency, before
his brother-in-law became one of McGarra-
hans counsel, the President stated to various
persons that he was so convinced of the cor
rupt influences or charges at least, that exist
ed on both sides, that finding Congress was to
consider the matter, he had directed that in
no case should his secretary for signing land
warrants, put his name to a patent until after
Congress had finally acted. 1t appears fur
ther that this decision the President after
wards stated to Secretary Cox in cabinet
meeting. Thus it appears that the Secretary
OF the Interior directly acted in contravention
of the Presidents views.
A good deal has been said about the cor
ruption of the McGarrahan management. IA
slight examination might show more on the
other side. In the first place McGarrahan is
one person neither learned nor rich, nor at all
Brahmin or millionaire. l have no opin-
ion on the merits or otherwise of his claims.
know however, that he is fighting single-hand-
ed the most insolent of all mere capitalistic in
fuences that exists in this county. The
property-or at least the Quicksilver work,
alone-is estimated as worth six million dol
lars. The New Idria mining company is COM
posed, as to its managers &C., of the same
men or their direct relatives, who run the
Bank of California. The Pacific coast is a
bond slave in the hands of that institution
They control all the mining companies, and
have taken into partnership the Central Pa
cfic railroad and the Pacific Mail Steamship
company. As witness their greed, see the
fight against A1olph Surio of the Comstock
Lode Tunnel fame. The history Of
this corporation is one long detail! of corrupt
and insolent autocracy.
As for lawyers they own every one of ipromi-
nence on the "coast." No man comes to Sem
ate or House who is not their servant, unless
by accident. Steward of Nevada has for years
been leading attorney for these corporations.
Nye is counsel for the New Idria Company.
Casserly is also engaged in it, or has been.--
Cole is the only man who fights shy of the
crowd. Williams of Oregon joins in the de-
nuuciation. These are all honorable men
but it would not be an Improbable task to
know how long and how often they have
teen retained by the parties interested-in
other cases, of course. So complete is the
thaldom of the Pacific bar to these corpora.
tions, that parties who have been injured by
the Spanish land claims system, many Of
which, there is every reason to believe are
forgeries, have solicited several lawyers,
among them being George W. Julian, to take
up their abodes in California, and act as at
torneys for the people, opposed to and fight
ing the corporations. Judges ard Attornies
of the U. S. have all been employed by the
Bank Or the Mining Corporations. They are
all said to be branded. So it is not improba-
BILE that some of these influences reach here.
The opinion of Attorney General Hoar is re-
lied on in favor of Secretary Cox. 1t may be
as well to remember.that Judge Hoar was stop
ping at the residence of his cousin, Hon. E. w.
Evarts, himself the leading Attorney orfthe
New Idria Company. This mention is not
designed as reflection upon Hoar, but as
tribute TO the sagacity that employed Evarts.
and the ability with which he served his cli-
ents.
1t is dirty job all through, especially that
which Donn Piatt, of the Cincinnati Com
mercial has undertaken. 1t is good thing
to have thick cuticle, morally as we'll as
physically. Piatt may be fairly assumed to
be "hide bound" in both respects. The ex-
Secretary alluded in his letter to the Presi-
dent to bribe offered by McGarrahan's
counsel of $4,000 worth OF stock, to some
one who could it was supposed influence Cox
not to issue the New Idria Patent. Recently
Dom Piatt published, or the editor for him,
letter from one Clinton Rice, which refers to
c,,oh y,ropncifion Rioa ba hao
"Billy McGarrahan" and then g,es on to say
he (Mc) would be willing to give such an
amount of stock, if he was sure that the thing
desired would be accomplished. Now it Is
denied that Rice was ever attorney in the
case, and McGarrahan declares he never
agreed to any such proposition; as to that
know nothing. only desire to call attention
to the position Dom Piatt has voluntarily as
sumed.
As is well known here, Rice and Piats with
their families, have been ON most intimate
terms for years past. As the matter stands
Piatt must accept before the public one or
the other horn of this dilemma.
Either he and Rice set 'job" upon NC
Garrahan to obtain the amount OF stock re-
quired under the pretence Of influencing the
Secretary or in the interest of the New ldria
Company they sought to draw McGarrahan
into transaction they would, as Piatt has
done. use against him. If he don't like that
horn, he may take the other, which is, that
Piatt used his friendly relations with Clinton
Rice, who had some sort Of indirect connec-
tion with McGarrahan, to geteither money or
damaging commitment, and then to serve
others, went and betrayed his friend. Now
there may be other things behind this, but
they have not been given to the public. The
Presidents character is indirectly libelled
by the efforts Of individuals who, like Piatt,
voluntarily place themselves in what it seems
justto say, is an exceedingly discreditable po-
sition, especially to one who pretended to oe
reformer and is exceedingly proiinc Oh
charges of corruption. opEcrAToh'
THE CAMBRIA.-The two fishermen, be-
LONGING to Ipuistrahull, who state that they
have discovered where the steamship Casa-
bra is sunk, will not give any information ez-
cant on conditions. They found out q por-
tion of the wreck whilst fishing Their line3
caught at the bottom, and as they knew thers
were no rocks about the place they lowered ,
line with stone attached, and commenced