Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-05-19
HOW DID IT GET oUT7
How the Treaty was DIyuIged-Ths lnyss.
tigatIOR by the SsRsts Gommlitss--
The Witnesses Examinsa-Ths
Evidence.

From the Washington Chronicle OF Tues
day.l
The committee to investigate the
prOmulgatiOu Of the treaty at Wash
ingtOn met last night at the room of
the Senate Committee on Revision Of
Laws.
Subpenas had been issued for Mr..
White, chief Of the New York Tribune
Bureau; George W. Adams, of the
New York World, Finley Anderson,
of the New York Herald. II. J. Rams
dell and Don Piatt, Of the Cincinnati
Commercial; Mr.. Morris, Of the
Chronicle; J. @. B. Davis, Assistant
Secretary of State; Mr.. Flagg, princi-
pal Legislative Clerk of the Senate,
and Mr.. Tinker, Of the Western Union
Telegraph.
Mr.. Davis is said to have been quite
indignant at the summons, declaring
that it was an insult to suppose that
the treaty could have been obtained
at the State Department. At all
events, he did not obey the summons.
All others summoned appeared,
Senators Carpenter, Sumner and
Trumbull were present at the ap-
pointed hour, and the investigation
promptly began. The witnesses sat
with the sergeant-at arms in the hall,
chStted and COmp9red notes. They
were summoned one at a time.
Mr.. White was first called. He re-
fused to reveal the name Of the per-
son with whom he negotiated, or
whether he paid anything for the
treaty. In answer to questions as to
whether he obtained the treaty from
any member or officer of the Senate,
he answered explicitly that he did
not. He further stated that he re
Ceived the copy OF the treaty by or
before ten O'Clock, at which time the
treaty was in press and unfinished at
the Government Printing Office. Mr..
White further stated that tn copy Of
the treaty which he had was not in
the form of a Senate document, but
printed with narrow margin, indi-
eating the precise form in which the
slips Of the State department were
printed.
This confirms the general, and in
our judgment conclusive, opinion that
the copy used was one Of those printed
for the use of the State Department.
Whether it was obtained from that
Department or trom some one trusted
with copy by the Department, is yet
to be seen.-ED.
At this point the committee, con-
WINGED on this point, paused to con-
slider the question whether the Senate
had authority to carry the inve7tiga-
ton beyond the Senate documents and
the infringement of the Senate rules.
1t was agreed that it had not.
Mr.. Ramsdell was then called. He
refused to answer any questions at all,
further than to say that he did not
obtain his copy from any member or
officer, or, so far as he knew, from any
emplOye of the Senate.
Both gentlemen based their refusal
to answer on the ground Of profess
siOnal honor in keeping pledges with
those who furnish them information.
Mr.. Adams testified that a copy of
the treaty had been offered to him by
one Mark, but that he had refused to
pay the price asked-S1500. He knew
nothing Of the transaction with Mr..
White, or any of the names Of those
concerned. Messrs. Norris and Flsgg
testified that they knew no person en-
gagged ia the transaction with Mr..
White,
Mr.. Conkling at this point arrived.
After considerable consultation,
Messrs. White ard Ramsdell were
again separately called and informed
that they must answer or be held In
of the Senate, and 80 re-
ported to that body. They still cOur-
teOusly but firmly refused to answer.
The witnesses were then dismissed
for the night, and the committee ad-
j0urned. Messrs. Tinker, Pratt and
Anderson were not examined.