The Portland daily press., 1871-01-20
PAPER CREDITS.

.
Yours truly, A CITIZEN.
PAPER CREDITS.
The Report of the Investigating C0m-
miiiee.
Our Augusta correspondent yesterday sent
us very clear summary of the famous paper
credit report; but for the satisfaction OF our
readers we print this morning fuller extracts
from that remarkable document, and as
means OF furnishing better idea of the sub.
ject than Geographic abstract can give.
The commission, consisting of the Hon
George F. Talbot, the Hon. Abram Sanborn
and Gen. Selden Conner, was appointed in
April last and commenced its sessions in May
continuing with vacation of three months
from August to November, up to the date
when the report was submitted to the Lesis
lature The report is accordingly signed only
by his associates. The appropriation for the
investigation was $4,000, of which some $20C
remain unexpended. The order of the inves.
tigation was, first, the interrogation of the
fiocers of towns which had received Irregular
credits; second, inquiries addressed to the
War and Navy Departments, which elected
very unsatisfactory replies; and third, the ex
animation of the brokers and agents who ap
peared to have disposed of these credits. This
latter branch of the inquiry has occupied the
commission since their meeting in November.
1t appears that towns were furnished
with credits of doubtful character by
Messrs. Colby & Pike. L. M. Stevens,
Charles Kimball, D. H. Brown, S. A.
Barker, Benjamin Hurd, HERMAN. Libby
& Co., II. Fl. Dinsmore, Watts & Wall. j.
H. Manley, G. M. Delany & Co., S. G..
Archer, John P. Heath. Joseph Nye, Eli
OFT Walker, John P. Deering & Co., A. B.
Farwell. Sumner Barton. A. D. Morr w.
j. W. Reed, T. Fl. Hubbard, Josiah H.
Greedy. 4. p. Cochrane, Lewis Tebbetts,
Ira d. Sturgis, - North, G. L. Bean and
Hodydon, Morris & Co. Many of these
persons. however. appeared TO be only
middle men, with or without commission,
betu cen the first hand brokers and the
towns and some as agents and statesmen of
the brokers. We have examined nearly
all of these men who were reported to be
alive, whom we could find within reach of
our process.
All the men sold classify themselves un-
der these descriptions:
l. Enlistments claimed in the United
States Navy on fictitious returns of mu-
nicipal officers OF various towns, but new
ertheless sold to such towns. principally
by G. M. Delany & Co. and others.
2. Enlistments claimed to be in the
United States Navy, numbering 60 or
more, originally at the disposal of the
State authorities, but ultimately sold by
A. B. Farwell.
3. Enlistments claimed in the United
States navy, list Of which, purpOrtng co
number 251, was ordered to be credited to
Maine by the United States Provost Mar
shall General, the property to which SEEM
ed to have been recognized as in j. Il.
Manley, land the names on which were sold
to towns by him and his consignees, J. P.
Deering & Co. and others.
4. Between three hundred and four
hundred ostensible enllstments in the Unit
ed States Marine Corps, the right of con-
troll to which seems to have been recogniz-
ed as in the hands of Messrs. Colby s. Pike.
THE HEATH LIST.
To narrate the events as near as posi-
BILE in the order of their occurrence Late
in the summer of 1864, one John P. Heath,
acting as recruiting officer and having
an Office in Portland. collected list of
several hundred names of persons claimed
to have been enlisted into the navy. This
list was brought or sent to the Adjutant
Generals office in Augusta by John 7.
Hull, Esq, of Portland, who had been ac-
lively engaged as a. recruiting agent for
the city of Portland since the commence
ment of the war. Mr.. Hull's connection
with this list seemed to be with the view of
having the names upon it credited to the
city of Portland, on the ground that the
enistments were made there, a claim that
then in session at Augusta, consisting of
the Governor and the Acting Assistant Pro-
vost Marshal General, Major Gardiner.
General Hodsdon speaks of but one list
obtained from Heath, which contained the
names of some 300 men allowed to Pore
land as in the naval service, after assign
ing which there was a balance of more
than 400 which were classed as General
Naval Credits" But as Mr.. Hull's state
ment varies from this, and, as we find the
original return of the municipal officers, of
actual residents of Portland in the navy,
nearly 300 names, we think the
Of proof is that the list first
above referred to did not contain the actu-
al residents entered in said return. The
list itself would settle all doubt about this
it ough: to be on the files of the
Generals office; General Hods-
don assured us that he would endeavor to
find IL, but in the great pressure of his PRE-
vate business he has as yet been unable to
comply with his engagement. The clerks
no knowledge of such a paper. ard both it
nd nj iisf v,hi ni,
any of the suspicious enlistments were
borne, are not known to have passed under
The inspection of the clerks tor the purpose
Of being transcribed, copied, filed or clas-
sified.
About the time this list was prepared,
Heath seems to have made an agreement
with G. NJ. Delany, or with Delany &
I ates, to sell him or them all the men
recruited by or for him for the purpose of
having them SOLD again to officers of towns.
Heath was TO have premium of $50 per
nan for his agency in the business, and
Delany claims that in addition to this pay
nent, which was actually made, he paid
Or deposited with persons to be paid, 800
Der man tor every man excepting those
already in the service whose terms of en-
istmemG had partially expired. Under
his arrangement Messrs. Delany & Yates
'old by themselves or through parties, to
whom they sold, about 200 men. In this
number however ara included a few men
old directly by Heath, and few by
Thomas M. Stevens, to whom Heath had
urned over part by the consent of
)elany. These sales were made to towns |
It prices ranging from $50 TO $500 per
nan. The sanction of the Naval COmmis. |
ion was obtained by returns filled up |
n the handwriting Of Delany or some one |
f his partners or clerks, upon blanks
furnished from the Adjutant Generals |
flee, and signed by the selectmen OF
owns to which the sales were made. in
,hich returns the men SO sold were
ertified to be persons resident or liable to
orollment in such town, who were In the
ervice in the United States Navy.
The selectmen of towns who had signed
UGH certificates-their oath was not re.
given various accounts OF
ow those certificates were obtained.
ome few have been confident that they
ever did sign or could have signed such
sturns, though they generally did not fail