The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-03-08
WASHINGTON.
THE ARMS SALES.
Committees of Roth Houses i'm
Session. rers
SENATE COMMITTEE OF THE SALE OF

| SENATE COMMITTEE OF THE SALE OF ARMS.
| WASHINGTON, March THE Senate select
committee on the sale of arms commenced an
examination to-day. The first witness was Sec
rotary Belknap, who said he did not know OF
any sale made in violation of law. On the 18th
or october, 1870, having received telegram
which gave him reason to believe that Reming-
ton was an agent of the French Government,
ne Immediately m gave orders that no arms be
sold 10 hm He had never spoken to Reming-
ton, nor did he know until afterwards that
Richardson was an agent. On reply to the
question whether any precaution could have
prevented the French from receiving those
arms, he replied, "Not after they were sold y
He presumed the purchasers sold to whom they
thought proper. Official orders, however. were
given to the Ordnance Bureau not to sell to the
agents of the French or Prussian Governments
The War Department sold arms unsuitable for
our service, being engaged in providing better
ones. He only knew from newspapers and
general rumor that arms were sent to France
Whether they were purchased previously from
this Government or manufactured by private
nrms he had no means of knowing. He was
asked whether Baron Gerolt made comDlaint
that arms were sold to the French Government.
and to the question he replied:-"On the 18th
of October, 1870, Baron Gerolt called to REQUEST
that the sale of arms be postponed till the next
week. Witness informed him that our Gov
e e, would sell no arms either to agents of
the French or Prussian Governments Gerolt
said that they were not agents that wanted to
buy but friends, when witness said they Would
have time to put in bids by next week. To this
baron Gerolt said they first wished to consult
the Prussian Governments The sale however
was not postponed beyond the next week"
Witness was interrogated on other points here
tofore noticed in the report of his testimony he
fore the House committee =
Tomorrow the committee will examine Gen;
Dyer, Chef OF Ordnance, at his house, he be-
ing unwelE
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON SALES OF ARMS.
The House Committee on the Expenditures
OF the War Department held a meeting this
morning in the matter of the sales of arms and
ordnance stores, and examined at great length
Major 5. T. Bennett, of the Ordnance Depart
unit, who explain in detail the naodus operandi
OF making sales and accounting for the pro-
purchase OF arms on behalf of either France or
russia, but admitted the war between those
powers stimulated demand for arms in this
country on speculation. He testified that the
minimum quantity of arms to which the stores
of the Government had been reduced during
the year was about 100000 stand of suituable
arms and 450, 900 of unsuitable 4@ I Fl
He remembered Baron Gerolt came to the
once and spoke in regard to having sale
postponed two or three days in order to allow
some German houses to bid. That is all the
connection with any foreign government that
the witness knew of. He knew no protest of
the German government against the sale of
arms. He should have known it had it been
made. The sale of 5000 Springfield arms 10
Remington & Co. were made BY himself at a
private sale at S. each; no cartridges were
made for Remington & Co.; if any were fur
nlshed to them they were from the many mil
lions left over from the war The sale to Rem
iington was made Dec, 18th, 1870. Do not
know much about the sale to Thomas Richard
son or even having heard his name till it was
mentioned publicly recently Gen DYER wrote
witness letter from New York, saying the
arms OF the model of 1868 should be issued and
those of 1866 withdrawn and directed him to
consult with the Secretary of war as to the pro-
priety OF selling the latter and manufacturing
cartridges for them If necessary. The Secreta.
ry approved the plan and the sales was ordered
ana made In New York. The correspondence
does not mention Richardson's name. They
were sold at S21.60 which was within few
cents of the original cost to the United States
although they had not been in use
. senator Schurz was present by invitation at
the Senate arms investigation and asked Sec
retary belknap many questions.
PUNISHMENT OF KU KLUx.
The Attorney General has received official in
huntsville. Ala, charged with being Ku Klux.
three OF them were sentenced to twenty years
Imprisonment in the Albany penitentiary
A SURPLUS OF TEACHERS.
There were about fifty applications received
by the Secretary of the Japanese Embassy to-
gay III answer to an advertisement for two more
ladies' to teach the English and French lam
guages. A selection was made.
RECOMMENDATION OF THE FOREIGN COMMITTEE
The House Committee ON Foreign Affairs
have agreed to report a bill authorizing the
President to take steps to continue the old COM
mission or appoint a new one to adjust or settle
Venezuela claims, excluding such as are par
TALLY paid. -.
The committee alse decided to ask the House
that the bill reported from the Commerce Com
mittee, providing for the payment Of q bounty
on sEipbuilding. be amended so as to include
vessels for the fishing trade.
The committee decided to report bill author
izlng the President to appoint two commissions
to attend the exposition at Vienna in 1873, pro-
yiding it does not entail any expense on the
Government - -