The sun., 1871-12-04
GRANTISM VERSUS RUSSIA
THE PERKINS CLIIM ron MUSK ETl
MEYER DETTyERED. 81 So

| Startling and almost Incredibic Fact--Tu,
tcrcst Of the state Bcpa artwest in tho
tiaim- Ban crOIt Davis, the Dribc-Taker
Letter Surrendered I'D Forgery Oou-
| lessed "A BrOthcr-In-I.aw Ono of tho
t0"nsci-Prcsid"ut Grants Letter 10 tho
| Car Endorsing tho Frand.
| Correspondence Of rne -nr.
WAsHiNGToN, Dc. 3--TuE Sun soma
time since published some Of the rtrticulsrs Of
an mpudcnt attempt made TO collect from tho
Russian Government the so-called Perkins claim,
with the facts respecting money advances made
on this claim by Mr. Huntington, well known
banker here, all in reference to varioui forts,
Official and otherwise, to disgrace AMI driyo
away Mr. Catacazy from his post as Minror o.
| Russia for his jealous opposition 10 the fraud.
The ieeis Of tkis astonishing oass haze iArnugh.
out been accurately stated in TdE Sun far aa
1t has gone, aud you are also perfectly correct ia
stating that Mr. CaAclzy has boon su.t ned by
his Government throughout his whole af ..r In.
Decd his conduct in il has had the special ap.
proval Of tie Gar, aud although hc will probably
be withdrawn from to mission when t,Ir Grand
Duke has concluded his tour in tho United
States lie will be certain TO receive upon that
occasion some satisfactory token Of the opinion
entertained at ST. Petersburg Respecting the
whole business.
a person Of underiablc character aud antcce.
dcuts, who pompoa,'y claims to be "of counsel
for Mrs. Perkins," has thought fit to dcny pub
lcly TINT J. Bancroft Davis, the Brbc.TaSer, had
ever been approached or spoken to cone ming
the Perkins clam also, that pecunary advances
lad been procured on the claim, aud that Mr..
Huntington had nuv interest IN H. The ailega.
tons Of this "couusel" are disposed Of to q
1 .. 4 T..
othcri os, for instance, when hc dcnic. tlat tho
Brbc-TAker, Davis, had ever been spoken to on
the Perkins claim. aud then ia another part Of
his communication says that Mr.. Davis, in a con,
vcrsalion with him, had referred him TO Mr..
Huntington for the original papers in the case
| According to the documents on ic in tht
| State Department tho counsel for Mrs Pcrkirt
include The somewhat celebrated firm Of Dent d
| Paige in this city, whose senior member Enjoys
the distinction of being brother.in-l4w of Presi.
dent Gront. This brothcr.in.law, however, is
not the author OF the communication Of which
have been speaking. That person is one Joseph
| b. Stewart, noted in connection with certain
Transactions in tho dcfunct Merchants National
Bank Of Washington tho Washington q "a Alex
dria Railroad tic fredericksburg Railroad, tho
Ludlow street Jail IN New York city, 4nI last
| though not least, with certain borrowing opera
tions with the gallant Col. James Fisk, it,, which
that able warrior thought eNpedient some few
years back to give TO the public through the me-
dium of tie daily press. 1t IS this Stewart who
deuic5 that Davis, the Brbc-Taker, as any
share in the claim; and Il was doubtless through
Ls agoucy that Judge Dent the Picslcutn
brother-in-law, came to be employed in the case.
This same Stewart has been for months past init
mating that not only subordinate officers of
the Government. but that even high officials,
up TO the highest, were interested in the settle
ment Of the Perkins claim, and were goiq q 10 hare
10 s,ttlei" / am unable to say whether or not
this opinion Of Stewards based upon the
fact that President Grant had caused a commu-
nication TO be addressed to the Czar, asking, a. a
special .ravor to 6ims,1E that he clailn hgy9 b
.farorabiy eonsiived but that such lcIter ww
written is q fact which know
The allegation Of the claimants is, that in JAM
uary, 1856, Mr.. Perkins entered into a contract
with Captain, now Col. Lilicnfcld, Of the Impe.
rial Russian Artillery to supply Russia with thir.
ty-fve thousand stand Of arms to be purchased.
altered, and shipped, and that this contract was
fully complied with by the CONTRACTOR Perkins
is now dead, and the claim is prosecuted in ths
name Of Anna b. Perkins, his widow, aud her
representatives maintain that the RussAn Gov
ernment now owes her in round numbers, aboua
$500 900
On the other hand it is asserted on the part OK
the Russian Government that Perkins u.Ncr had
any contract with Lilienfeld that proposition
for ono was made but never carried mo edeet
because Col Lilienfed rejected the proposal
and refused TO proceed to make a contract and
| am toli that his (Iienfeld's) letter rejecting
this proposal is now in possession Of the Russian
Legation here, the counsel for the claim having
been compelled by legal means to surrender it.
In addition to the evidence furnished to The Rus.
sian s,de By the enforced surrender Of hi. letter.
the representatives. Of the claim nave ou com,
PEELED to admit that another letter wAlch had
! been iuterpolatcd into the case aud usco to sup
/ port the claim, was a forgery.
! What has been Mr. C.taclzy's offence in this
, matter, and why have President Grant secretary
Fish, and Bancroft Davis, the Brbo Iaker.
undertaken to make war upon him, to cry him
dow through the journals they contiHl, aud to
d. compel the Imperial Government 10 recall him in
disgrace; HIS offence Is, that he resisted, Ike a
faithful public s.rya.'. tho sadllns upon his
Government Of an uul is. claim based upon fraud,
built mp upon false pv,euccs, and supported
oven by forgery while il was backed hy al tia
influence that could be cNered by the President
OF the United states. lhcSe i.cts U uc.0uut
tor The singular clldncss amounting O. tsrolr.
tcsY Xhibitcd by the President and Secretary 4
: t' toward th6 Grand Duka Acvis ol .., ion
oi l's visit here tLe o'er da'. What % .'ufmst
| tu th..r treatment of TIC Eu-Usi Prince Arthur
two years ago. Bus teen there was d. 'u'y u
H. NFft-ls.
| ..U. q