The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-03-05

authorized to engage; The improvement of the
commercial relations between our respective
countries is important and desirable and cannot
1all to strengthen the bonds which unite us.
will heartily cooperate in so desirable an
| object. Your kind wishes for me personally,
gentlemen, are cordially reciprocated l trust
That your abode with us may be agreeable to
| You and may contribute to a more intimate
| qualntauce and intercourse between our respec-
tive peoples.
The utmost interest was manifested by the
large company present in these exercises. -ar.
GENERAL PORTER ON THE GENERAL ORDER
1 BUSINESS.
WASHINGTON March 4.-The Committee on
the New York Custom House investigation
commenced their examinations to-day. Gen.
Horace Porter was examined. He said he had
endeavored to dissuade Leet from obtaining
Office in the New York Custom House and had
so informed him, adding that he knew that
such also was the Presidents opinion. With
regard to the mess in Washington Porter said
that instead of thousands paid by Leet, the
largest amount he paid in any one month was
POS 40 The mess never received any interest,
whatever from Leet's general order business,
put those he had given authority for the
declaration had disavowed the same and thus
Porter says Mudgetts was. left a slanderer.
Porter said he never received cent. nor had he
asked any favor of Leet to entitle him to his
gratitude s.trrssst
letter from Collector Grinnell to Gen. Por-
vas lcCtiscu, bearing uate OF May loIU:-
know that you are in no way interested in
any contract given out here, and neither you
nor any other person about the Executive Man
sion has ever intimated a desire to be so inter
ested."i elUtl HlHl -FEIl7T
Gen. Porter, in a letter of Nav 4, 1870. to
Leet, says:-"The President remarked to him
on trip to West Point on the 18th of April
that he had heard so much about corruption in
custom House jobs and influence brought to
bear in getting positions &C., that he would
never anDOint who had hnan
MIN to a position in Custom House, no matter
what his qualifications. In speaking about you
lLeet) he said Il don't know who told him of
the Office. That you ought to accept Dan
Cameron's proposition, for though he believes
you as pure as any one, yet he would never con-
sent to have you go to a Custom House. He
SAID the attacks would be constant and injure
both you and him. He feels just as have al
ways felt about such matters. You can now
Judge of the situation and act accordingly
Gen. Porter, in a letter of July 49, 1870, to
Collector Murphy, says:A''You are about to
enter upon the duties of Collector of Customs
may use the Presidents name or mine In urg-
ing their claims. wish to state to you dis
tinctly at the outset that no one is authorized
to do so. Many friends of mine whom should
be very glad to oblige have importuned me to
write to you letters in their behalf. have per-
sistently refused to add to your present embar-
rassment by so doing. You will never hear
from me on the subject of office. MY only de-
sire is to seeyou so distribute the patronage of
your Office to render the most efficient service
to the country and the cause of the admins |
tration." *
In another letter to Collector Murphy, Oct.
81, 1870, Gen. Porter says:-"T am directed by
the President to forward you the marked por-
ton of enclosed newspaper articles. While the
President does not for moment suppose that
you ever uttered the language it imputes to you,
he deems it well to take this opportunity to say
that if any persons have been employed in the
are his particular friends or favorites, he hopes
that they may be discharged, and that if any
persons ever apply for positions under you upon
such a Pretence he requests they may not be
employed" fHHl
In reply to question as to what office he
(Gen. Porter) held, the General said, Secretary
to the President. 1t was an office partially
civil and partially military. He was still an
officer in the army; was Col. with the breyett |
rank of Brigader General He is assigned to
duty at the Executive Mansion His pay is of
his army rank only. He has no other pay or
emolument. f1- laiaaiis 1..-c...t. 5f "a |
AS to the letter given by the President TO
Leet addressed to Grinnell, Porter said that
Leet stepped cut of the Presidents room and
showed it to him. 1t was understood some DAYS
before that >Grinnel was to be Collector of
New York Leet gave him the impression that
he was going into the warehous business and
wanted Grinnell to send government stores to
him. He did not know the precise terms but it
must have had reference to the general order
business.
Having been asked whether in the summer of
1871, he had an interview between A. T.
Stewart and the President at the Fifth Avenue
Hotel, Porter replied that he recollect it,
Stewart complained of the alleged abuses of
the general order system He supposed that
the President had the same knowledge of the
affair as he Porter had but did not know with
certainty. He had conversation with Stew
art on the same subject but could not say
whether it was before or after Stewards CONVEX
sation with the President.
Gen. Porter having been Intercepted as to
the correspondence between Leet and Lindsay
touching the acquisition of San Domingo and
the speeulations Herewith, said he had no
knowledge of such speculations. He had never
had social intercourse with Lindsay.
Gen. Porter was under examination more
than five hours. The committee adjourned till
tomorrow.