The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-29
TIE FRENCH Arms FOLLY.
cHAMBRUN ON THE STAND.
The Emissary Who is an Attorney in tho Claim
Businesa-Ihe Trials of Place How He Got
Rsmington's Leiter-Bslknap Does Not
Please the Marquls-Who u
Eosy what the Attorneys
Uncle Says Privately.


Uncle Says Privately.
WASHINGTON. March %. 1872
The Senate Arms COMMITTEE to-day examined the
Marquis de ChamDrun.
Having been sworn, he stated ne arrived In the
United States the 1Stn OF January, 1885, ana
came to Washington en- the 10th OF February OF
the same year, since which time he HAD resided
here. pt.} tf..
HIS FIRST FRENCH COMMISSION.
The first commission no received IRON the French
government dated Paris, August 10, 1896. The
business related TO the tariG. Many seizures had
been made Of wines and Drandes and the import
ers suffered very much In consequence Accord.
ingly, he made proper representations to the
Finance Committee ana secured such provisions
of law died the defects which
had given rise 10 the dinculties. He had
never been connected with the French
Legation diplomatic capacity, but as an attor-
ney; had had charge oil four live hundred private
French anu DINER Claims against the government
and citizens OF the Unllcd states. He had these
papers In charge at MS own house. lie ala not as
counsel for the French Legation generally act with
out consulting Its head. lie could not argue cases
before the Courts because he could not take the re-
CURED oath Of an attorney without compromising
his status citizen OF France. His best legal
practice was from American citizens. He was q
solicitor, and Uaieo cushing and others argued Tor
him before the Courts He received the appoint
ment OF legal adviser 10 The Legation March 1871.
His position IN respect 10 the French Legation was
similar to that OF Mr. Carlisle towards The Spanish
Leaatlon lie never belonged to any secret service.
nor was he either r.a5
A FRENCH EMIssARY OR A SPY,
as had been charged against HIM Ia the senate. II
the party who made the charge were here he
would answer MIN. the witness then proceeded TO
stale wnen he lrst made the discovery that in
clned him to suppose there was fraud In the PR.
chase OF the the French government. He had
been acquainted WI the family oil NJ. Place In France.
He dld not conslder MS appointment Consul
General at New York a good one. In 1870 NJ. Place
wrote 10 Hmm. de Cnambrun-who thanked him,
as he had brought TO him little box from France.
lie did not see NJ. Place till september OF that
Being az Long Branch ne went to New FORK. ,ninx-
ing ~ impoiiucto stay away; he caled upon nun,
0ut ala not speak OIL business. Meantime NJ. Place
DIsTAsTEFur TO SECRETARY FISH,
owing to nls conduct ABOUT certain French vessels
In the port of New YorA. Witness received a note
from the french Minister, Bertnemy, asking aim to
call on Place and beg nnl,
FOR GODS SAKE. TO KEEP QUIET.
Witness requested MN lot 10 buy ar rs Ia the Con.
sula'e. From that time 10 JULY 1871, he never saw
M. Place more tnan eight times lie remembered.
had received from Tours ana the answer he had
sent 10 ;lle committee attacKing Remington; ana
he saw the answer which Place received from
Lecesne. NJ. de Cnamorun. the witness, SAID TO
1ced the end"
The Legation kept itself entirely aloor On
January IL, 1871, ne received note from M.
Place stating that an individual well acquainted
with the Grsenals of Tie United states inlorIed him
that the invoice Of artillery made that time by
Remington exceedingly bad and the quality
Inferior. Meantime Information came to the Lega-
he SAID TO Senator Patterson, chairman OF the COM
mtee on Retrenchment and Reform, that he had
SOME THEM OF VAGUE CHARACTER,
connecting. not nign officers. but other officers OF
purchase arms. The Marquis saiu there was
some discrepancy between the War and treasury
whether ne, as Chairman OF that committee, would
not see the records ana explain 10 him how the
matter stood. Meantime
NJ. PLACE WAS REMOVED M
as Consul General ana the Consul at Charles
derstood that he should accompany the Consul 70
New YORK and Put the Consulate into his hanas. NJ.
Place had lost two OF his children and was himself
SICK at the time This decided Chambrun not TO see
him, as he had an unpleasant duty to perform.
In the consulate. ana made himself acquainted with
the whole case Meantime Bertnemy retired as
The latter stopped at New ork. saw the Consul,
and afterwards exhibited TO Chambrun the draft OF
a report showing great foresight. His statement
that several invoices OF arms had been to
France In the Consul Generals own name. Tney
should be received or refused. NJ. Place
LIABLE TO CIVIL SUIT
for anything wrong that he had DONE AS to tho
commission OF two per cent the only ground on
which he could be tried and convicted, he declared
he would be ready to pay It back to the govern
ernment mad suffered
OF ONE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND
DOLLARS
In the purchase OF arms. Meantime the Marquis
read an article IN the New York relative Con.
truth and som mistakes. He earacd that Charles
A. Dana prepared the statement 10 the effect that
RING" HAD BEEN FORMED
In the United States for selling arms to the French
government, composed OF the Consul General, his
some American officials being part Of 1t and CO.
operating together. ID. Beilonet consulted INN as
sun for uDei wnen Cnambrun ADVISED against the
action ard gave his views on the SUBJECT Cham
brun afterwards saw Dana, VINO gave hun
THE NAME OF JOHN HoEY
as being connected with the matter. All the Mar
gus knew that Hoey lived at Long Branch.
lie never thought OF making inquiry concerning
him.
from Mt. H0ey dated at ST. Louis yesterday, IN
which he says he noticed that his name had been
connected with the sale OF arms 10 the French, but
he never had anything do in that connection.
Mr. HamlIn said Hoey mad been summoned TO APP
pear before the committee on tue ground that the
Marquis mad given Hoeys name to Senator Pattcr.
sou.
ton hoey,s name TO Patterson but remarked that
the name had been mentioned to him In connection
with Transactions about winch he knew nothing.
A,ter this time M. Place left New York for France,
where he was
SUMMONED BEFORE THE COMMITTEE OF THE ASSEM-.
account for his acts me Marquis read the test-
FS 10 anything seoas Alter that q Place.
was tried. HIS family wanted Chambrun
10 ACT Tor Place, and sent MIN u retain
Ing fee, which he returned. lie wanted
TO remain free in this matter. Place was
,ried and acquitted. Chambrun never saw sucn a
failure Remington could not make good his
charges anu Lecesne was III the situation. THAT
was Ia OctoDe. last. The following day NJ. Place
wrote 10 Tue Marquis showing MIN the character OF
the evidence anu
ENCLOSING THE LETTER or REMINGTON
to Lecesne, preierrlag charges against ann. Being
much engaged ne Ut aside tnls to read az ms
leisure. lie had had III ais possession mora Than
SIX Weeks before he read II, III connection with otner
matters AZ the request OF IA. BeloneL TINS was
In October last year; ~ was NOT until