New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-04-25
- OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF TIE STATS OF Lou,sAnA.
NEW ORLEANS THURSDAY, APRIL 25 1872
THE NEW ORLEANS INVESTIGATION.

Why the Committees Report is Kept
Dack-The Public Printer Exoner-
ated-Wh0 Is to Blamee
We copy the subjoined special to the New
York Tribune:
WASHINGTON, April 19.-The New Or;
leans investigating committee has not yet
reported. Whenever the members Of that
committee have been asked, during the past
month, why the testimony taken in Louis
lana, at great expense, has been suppressed,
their uniform feply has been that the re-
port was written within few days after
the return of the committee, but that it
was impossible for them to get the testi-
mony from the government printing office,
type. Some members of the committee
have even gone further than this, and inti-
mated that some mysterious influence
emanating from the Senate had something
to do with this delay in the printing office.
Every member of the committee, who
has been spoken to on the subject, has laid
the blame on the public printer, and on
him alone. Investigation at the govern
ment printing Office proves that the excuse
delaying its report is wholly without
foundation, and very unjust. The fault lies
entirely with the committee itself, who have
held back the testimony. furnishing to the
printer, thus far, only about 'One-quarter of
it. Every line Of copy sent to the printing
office has been promptly put into type,
although there has been no order given by
the House to print it. Mr.. Clapp, as mat
ter of courtesy, treated this committee as
he does every other, and put into type for
their use as much Of the testimony as they
sent, in anticipation of the order Of the
House. An explanation from the commit
tee, it is suggested, will now be in order.
Mean while. some interesting rumors are
floating about the capitol, and some of them
are in such definite shape as to be almost
susceptible Of positive proof. There is no
doubt that some of the testimony taken, and
so far suppressed, is very damaging to Col
lector Casey, the Presidents brother-in-law.
Everybody, friends or enemies of the adj
ministratiOn, who has seen or heard the
contents of the testimony, admits this.
Casey himself is reported to have called on
the chairman of the committee, and to have
asked his advice as to appearing and an
swering the charges made against him.
The reply he is said to have received was
that if he was innocent, he could do nothing
wiser but, if there was any truth i'll
the charges, there were sharp lawyers
on the committee who would be likely
to handle him roughly, and leave him
in q worse position than that in which he
then stood. Having received this advice,
Casey did not request the committee to ex-
anime him. Another report, the truth of
which has not been questioned, ls that, on
the return of the committee from New Or
leans, the Republican members of it called
on the President, and told him that some of
the testimony was very damaging to Casey,
and recommending a speedy change in the
Office of collector Of the port of New Or
leans. Shortly after, the President was
furnished with full copy of the testimony
concerning Casey, SO that it can no longer
be said that he is ignorant of what has
taken place, or by any excuse throw off the
responsibility of retaining Casey in office.
The Tribune says editorially:
1t turns out that the blame has been un-
| fairly laid upon the public printing estab-
| iishment, for the unexplained delay in the
| publication of the report of the House
committee who investigated the New Or
| leans complication. The superintendent of
| puplic printing claims that he has put into
| type portion of the report which has been
| sent to him, but only about One-fourth OF
! that document has yet reached his hands.
| The investigating committee returned from
| New Orleans oyer two months ago. Their
report was shown to the President; it was
damaging to the Presidents brother-in-law,
Collector Casey: it has not been submitted
to the House; it has not been printed.
Now, then, who is budding out of sight this
report, which is suspected of being unta-
vOrable to an administration (which courts
investigation ~