The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1872-05-07
EkiE sIOUESEANA OUTRAGE.
Painful Secrets UReaTsied by the
congress Committee
AsEY's T'Es STING Ny.
ssenH 81! Read Ii! Yes, Read HI!
WASHINGTON, April 25, 1872.

WASHINGTON, April %, 1872.
The following is the testimony of
Collector Casey, Grants brother in law
BY Chairman-State your official po-
sitonI Al am Collector of the Port !
of New Orleans.
Q-State anything you know in re-
gard 10 certain Senators of Louisiana
going en- hosrlthe revenue cutter Viii
derncss carly in January of the present
year. A.-rhc cutter IVES placed at
their disposal Ivy my order. ! am not
sure whether the order was written or
verbal. sent a message to the captain
of cutter some time during the, day on
which they cmbarked-perhaps at l
o'clock.
Q-Had you consulted with these
gentlemen before hsnd2 A-No; they
asked me if they could take a trip on
the cutter. told them yes. 1t was a
request made and granted.
Q-How many Senators went aboard ?
Al believe fourteen or fifteen. Am
not positive as to the number.
Q.-What was the object Of their CO.
ing aboard the cutter? A.-They wan
ted to he away until other Senators ar
rived whom they expected to act with
them. .
THE BRoTHER-IN LAWS CONFESSION.
| Off they should come into the
Senate they would make a quorum for
the transaction of business, and they
wished to prevent quorum until other
Senators arrived2 A-One would nat
urally suppose that was the reason.
Q-Do you not know that was the
reason? A A-They said they wanted
to take trip in the cutter if | would al
low them. said YES, as / have often
done,to parties before.
Q,-You did not design, however, that
they should take the same description of
trip that other parties have done? A
| had not the impression that their pur-
pose was merely to take pleasure trip.
Q-You knew that their purpose was
to avoid making quorum in the SEN
ate? A.-Yes, sir They kept below
most of the time to avoid being seem
Q-By whose order was the cutter
brought back to New Orleans2 A
By my order.
Mr. Speer-You are brether.in law
; of President Grant2 A.-Yes, sir.
:. Odd your deputy 90 on board Of
the cutter Wilderness with these Sena-
) tors and remain until Friday2 A
Yes, sir.
Q-Who discharged his duties as
Deputy Collector during that period
AIR. Champlin, another deputy.
KNEW HE WAS VIOLATING his DUTY,
Q-Before the Senators went or
board the cutter, had they not been Sc
. creted ia the Custom House? A
They came there to caucus sometimes
they were in the habit Of visiting The
Custom House.
Q.-Were they not concealed in tn.
Custom House the night before they
went on board tue cutterY A-Not t.
my knowledge
Q.-Was Col. Carter, at or immedi
D ately before the organization of tn,
+. Legislature the lst of January, holding
, an appointment in the Custom House
A.-~Yes, sir.
Q-You say you know for what pur
q pose these Senators wanted to escap
n from the city? A-From common re
port and from having knowledge .
what was going on, of course, l kne,
. generally what was supposed to be th
e object.
: Q-Did you not know it was violc
1 ton of your duty as sn officer of til
United States thus to prevent the OF
ganization Of State Legislature A
Perhaps l did; did not think Of it 6
the time
: Odd you not know that you wer
abusing your position as Federal off
Ger, in attempting to control the locs
, affairs of the State A-No. though
q the affairs of the State were such tina
d almost any means taken to remed,
them would be benefit to the country
U ASTOUNDING ADMISSIONS OF GRANT
T, BROTHER IN-LAw. p.
: Q-You thought the property of th
!. General Government could be used her
" y in favor of one party or faction her,
" and against the other, without any d.
reelection Of duty en- your part2 A.
'f r thought, under the circumstances,
u could.
. Q--What were the circumstance
'' that led you to justify such conduct ?
: A.-The object was to obtain full rel
e resentation of Senators here, so as
e see what could he done.
,. Q.-What business has an officer {
>, >, the Federal Government to know whetf
u er there was full representation in th
l. Senate or not? A.-rhe same rigL
:. that any citizen has. ID.
= Q-You, as a citizen, of course, hav
:, that right; but would you have the rigl
~ ~ to use the peoples property, the pee
. ple's ships, against the people, or an
10 portion of them? A.-Men often max
- mistakes.
II Q-You think, now, you did make
mistake in the course you pursued ?
l. Ali. it had not had the effect c
= bringing this committee down here t
l; 1; investigate the condition of affairs her,
~ it would not have accomplished tn
good results it has.
! Q.-The officers who were in charg
:, of the Wilderness during the time thos
ai Senators were on board were the usu:
:. officers of the Government-paid by th
Y Government A,-Yes, sir. dr
u Q.-The Senators ate at the same t.
'e BILE with the officers of the cutter? A.
70 | do not know. The custom has bee
y otherwise when private parties hay
~ ~ gone on board for a trip. They haS
1t 1t had separate mess from the officers.
~ Odd you order the provisions
u be sent to the cutter at your own e,
pense before those Senators went O
board? A-No L.
DID THE PEOPLE FOOT THE BILLS?
It Q-Were not provisions sent on ?
T. Al suppose SO. The custom hs
u been when the Collector tells the cal
tain he is going to send parties on boar