The Portland daily press., 1872-02-15
XLIId CONGRESS-.SECOND SESSION


nounced that he intended to call up his resolu-
non providing for special committee to inves-
tgate into the alleged manufacture of arms for
the French in the workshops of the United
States
MIR. Conkling said they were very anxious to
have that resolution discussed and disposed of.
MIR. Sherman said the resolution would lead
TO psl1tical debate, and appealed to the Senate
not to be diverted from practical business. If
| the Senator (Mr. Sumner) has been content to
omit this long preamble and offer simple res
olutlon of inquiry, it might be passed without
| debate, but this preamble and resolution must
necessarily give rise to long political debate
MI Sumner said that the preamble, of which
MT. Sherman complained, was mainly docu-
mentory; he had heard that former resolutions
OF inquiry had no foundation, therefore he
chose to accompany the resolution with pre-
amble showing that it was founded on some
things. The facts set forth have given rise to a
grave suspicion and had already arrested the
| attention of foreign powers.
Mr.. Sherman objected to Mr.. Summers dis
cussing the merits of the resolution before it
| was taken up.
Mr.. Sumner said he was not doing so, and the
wee President decided that he was in order.
MI. Anthony objected to taking up the reso-
| ed Of
Mr. Conkling said it was not for the import
ance of the resolution that he wished it to be
taken up, but on account of its peculiar charac-
Ter which the rules would not permit him prop
erly to describe. He would, however, suppose
a case. The introduction of the resolution was
casting gross and hateful aspersions even upon
the Senate, and not as this one did upon the
American government and the American name,
and he would say to the Senator from Rhode
Island (Mr Anthony that in such case he
| would insist on the immediate consideration 81
the resolution even if a hundred appropriation
bills were waiting So he wanted this resolu-
ton disposed of Because of the imputatons and
statements accompanying it were groundless as
he believed them.
Mr.. Sherman said he was determined
that Sumner should not be allowed to lay
side OF this question before the country unac-
companied by the others. Therefore, if the
Senate would take up this resolution it must be
prepared for full discussion. The resolution
was taken up.
Mr.. Sumner addressed the Senate. The sub
lect, he said, was interesting and important in
two aspects, as it concerned ourselves and as it
| concerned foreign powers. All must unite in
| the desire to rescue our country from suspicion,
especially suspicion of moral obliquity. He
would speak not of men but of facts, and if
| anybody should be pointed at by the statement
| he was about to make, it would be their fault
and not his. He had brought forward this sub
| ject with great reluctance and after long delay.
| The main facts were brought to his knowledge
before Christmas, but he postponed bringing
| them into the Senate because he knew they had
been laid before the President and Secretary of
| War, and he had reason to believe they would
| institute an enquiry. They had not done so
however, but the Secretary of War had made
the House report upon this subject The
character of that report would appear as he
proceeded, and the Senate would judge whether
| it did not fall under some of the suspicion
| which attached to the whole transaction. In
setting forth the facts he must introduce two
| characters upon the scene.
Mr. Place, late Consul Generalof France at
| New York, and Samuel Remington of lion, n.
| Y. Place had been accused OF fraud and on a
second trial convicted mainly on the testimony
of Remington who was authenticated as wit
ness in the French Courts by certificate from
our Secretary of War.
AT the expiration of the morning hour the
| legislative appropriation bill came as unfinish-
| ed business.
Mr.. Trumbull moved to postpone it and con-
tinue the discussion of Mr.. Sumner resolution.
After frivolous debate, the Senats voted 40
to II, to continue its consideration.
| Mr.. Sumner resumed. The Senators opposed
to this resolution had professed to be afraid of
political discussion and had proceeded to dis
cuss politics They were afraid of an attack on
the administration so they had proceeded to
| defend it. One of them fearing an attack on
| Gen. Grant, had undertaken to defend him.
| He, (Mr. Sumner) was not going to make a
political speech at all. He would simply speak
of the public sevice with a,view to relieve his
| troduce the name of Gen. Grant nor make any
alusion to him. He would leave that for his
adversaries. Naughter) >.
He was about to consider a practical question
j
action of his but by events at home and abroad.
| He then related and commented upon the facts
and allegations set forth in the preamble
He then spoke of the alleged discrepancy be-
tween the sum paid by the French government
and the amount received by the United States
government
| Mr. Morton inquired whether meant to
state that our government sold the arms to
Remington, knowing him to be an agent of the
French government. .---.-.-
Mr. Sumner stated that he made no such
statement. t-E sT
Mr. Morton-What is there in this discrepan-
| cy unless the Senator mems to have it under
| stood that our government sold the arms di-
| rectly to French government through their
known agent? If the French government pur-
chased of Remington or other private parties,
those parties undoubtedly made their profit
over and above the price they paid our govern
ment and therefore the statement of the differ
ence between the amount paid by the French
| government and that received by ours was no
importance unless the Senator means to have it
that our government sold the arms directly to
the French government and then failed to ac-
count for So, 900, 900 received for them. Does
the Senator mean to make that impression? -
Mr.. Sumner.-Have not stated again and
again, that 1 make no allegation, merely state
| the fact which has given rise to the suspicion.
Mr. Morton.-I understand the Senator to
say that the circumstances he states, amount
merely to suspicion. Now desire to know
whether mere suspicion is sufficient to warrant
| an elaborate speech IN ADVANCE OF any proof as
to facts which even the suspicion itself is to
| IL created.
Mr. Sumner.-The Senator is trying to drive
me into making an allegation against some
person but he shall not. 1 have merely stated
facts which even the Senator himself must ac-
knowledge and furnish ground for enquiry The
name of the United States must not be permit
ted to be fly blown abroad. We cannot be ar
raigned at the bar of other nations without en-
quiry and an attempt to relieve ourselves from
| crc / ac I'm x for ON rlru /
tent myself with standing on the facts as they
are in the evidence, facts which cannot be ques-
| toned and whatever may be the result, will
justify an enquiry. tyA
Mr. Sumner then discussed at length the
question of the allegations of neutrals. o.
! Mr.. Frelinghuysen read from the preamble
the paragraph which states that it appeared
from communications previously mentioned,
that one Thomas Richardson was known as the
| attorney of Remington & Son, and asked Mr..
Sumner wherein those communications that
fact appeared. -r
Mr. Summer said he understood that it was
well known fact that Mr.. Richardson was their
agent but he did not know what it appeared in
the communications referred to.
Mr.. Frelinghuysen.-The the preamble is
erroneous as to that fact and think it is the
most important fact stated the premable.
Mr.. Sumner.-I understood that in point of
| fact, Richardson was and IL attorney of Rem
| ington and is now acting for him in France
Mr. Sumner in conclusion, argued that it was
| the duty of our government to have made care
full inquiry who the persons were to whom they
| sold arms so as not to run the risk of violating
our obligations as neutral power. =.
+ Mr.. Wilson as Chairman of the Committee
on Military Affairs, felt called upon by sense
| of duty to the War Department to make brief
| explanation He was now as he had always
! been in favor of the fullest investigation and if
any wrong was committed in the matter he
wished it exposed and punished At the close
of the war our government had arms, amuni-
ton and other war material on hand to the
| value of millions of dollars which Congress
authorized the Secretary of War to dispose OF.
| The sales commenced in 1865 and continued I'M
| til 1871. The arms, etc. sold by the govern
ment from the Asst of April, 1865 to the Both of
June, 1871 amounted to $151, 026, 1921, every
cent of which has been faithfully accounted
for and paid into the Treasury. AS to the al
| legged sale of arms to the French government
he was authorized to say that our government
had never sold dollars worth to that govern
ment or to any man whom they knew to be its
| agent. The government at the time of the sale
to Richardson had no knowledge that he was
the agent, counsel or attorney OF, or In any way
contested with Remington & Son. AS to the
suspicious the French Assembly expressed it
should be remembered that these purchases
were made mostly by the Gambetta govern
ment and that the existing French government
was hostile to those men trying to cast imputa-
tons upon them.
Mr.. Harlan made similar statement and
said the government had no reason to suspect
Remington & Son to be acting for the French
| government
Mr. Conklino confirmed this SAVING that