Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-03-29
ITO the Associated Press.
STEAMSHIP SUBSIDY.

The senate post Office committee this morning
agreed to move an amendment to the post office
appropriation bill, when it comes up, author
izing a semi-monthly mail between California
and China, and increasing the subsidy OF the
China mail line to one million dollars per an
mum.
THE ARMS INVESTIGATION.
The marquis OF Chambrun was examined to-
day before the senate arms committee. 1t ap-
peared from his testimony that he is not con-
nected with the French legation in any dip To-
matte capacity, but acts as its counsel and is
also engaged in prosecuting the claims OF French
citizens. He gave an account of the trans
actions of NJ. Place in New York, who had been
advised by him at the instance of the French
legation not to buy any arms but keen guiet:
after Place was tried in France and acquitted
he wrote to the marquis showing the worthless
ness of the testimony against him and enclosing
a copy of the letter of Remington TO Lecesne
Chambrun, owing to press of business, had this
letter in his possession six weeks before he read
it carefully; Chambrun had declined TO be at
torney for Place, but wished to procure such in
formation of the war department as would tend
to leave the case on its own merits. The mar
quis detailed the circumstances of his interview
with the secretary of war, who, he said, read
aloud to him, in the presence of three or four
others, the letter he wrote in reply to one from
the secretary of state, and then let him read it
for himself; when, several days after this, the
letter was sent to Bellonet, charge daffaires the
latter said to Chambrun he could not consider
the communication official, because it could not
be received as such by him, for, according to
French law letters belong to two parties-the
one who writes and the one who receives; there
fore, as Chambrun received the contents inter
mediately it belonged to him; it is the same
that appears in the preamble to Mr. Summers
resolution.
Chambrun said he never belonged to any
secret service, nor was he either French ennis
sary or spy, as had been charged in the senate
If the party who made the charge were here he
would answer him. On January IS, 1871, he
received note from NJ. Place stating that an in
diYidual well acquainted with the arsenals of
the United States informed him that the invoice
of artillery made at that fine by Remington
was exceedingly bad, and the quality inferior.
Meantime information came to the legation of
such nature as to arrest his attention. and he
said to senator Patterson, chairman of the com
mittee on retrenchment that he had received adj
vices, some OF them of a vague character, con-
necting-not high officers, but other-offcers of
this government with improper transactions in
the purchase of arms The marquis said there
was some discrepancy between the war and
treasury department accounts, and asked Mr..
Patterson whether he, as chairman of that COM
mittee, would not see the records and explain to
him how the matter stood. The French govern
ment had suffered loss of 81 800 900 in the pur
chase of the arms.
Meantime, the marquis read an article in the
the New York Sun relative to Consul General
Place, in which there was part of the truth and
some mistake. He learned that Charles A.
Dana prepared a statement to the effect that a
ring had been formed in the United States for
selling arms to the French government, COM
posed of the consul general, his commissioner,
Chambrun, and other parties, some American
officials being part of it aud cooperating to-
gether. Belonet consulted him as to whether
the consul general should not sue the Sun for
libel, when Chambrun advised against the action,
and gave his view on the subject. Chambrun
afterwards saw Dana, who gave him the name
OF John Hoey as being connected with the mat
ter All the marquis knew was that Hoey lives
at Long Branch. lie never thought Of making
any inquiry concerning him.
Senator Hamlin said he had received tel
egram from Hoey, dated st. Louis, yesterday, in
which he said he had noticed his name had been
connected with the sale OF arms to the French;
but he never had anything to do in that connec-
ton. Hamlin said Hoey had been summoned
to appear before the committee, on the ground
that the marquis had given Hoey's name to Sen
ator Patterson.
Chambrun remarked that he did mention
Hoey's name to Patterson, but remarked that
the name had been mentioned to him in connec-
ton with transactions about which he knew
nothing. At his interview with the secretary Of
war, the secretary said if anything was wrong
he desired Chambrun to prefer charges in writ
ing, when the marquis said he could not do so,
not being an American citizen; but he would
help him to make an investigation to find out
the truth regarding the fraudulent transactions
in the sale of arms. The secretary did not APP
pear to be exceedingly struck with his argu-
ment but said, of you prefer charges, will
make short work with those fellows" The
marquis repeated that he could not make such
charges, for the reason given; adding, "The
government of France has no desire to interfere
with this case at ALL" The marquis was not
pleased with the result Of his interview.
OBLIGATION FROM TEXAS,
Headed by Senator Hamilton, waited upon the
president this morning, in relation TO the MeXi-
can depredations on the frontier. The delega-
ton represented that on recent date a party
of forty regular Mexican troops, in uniform
crossed the Rio Grande at a point above Browns
vile, arrested a United States customs inspec-
tor, and number of citizens, and held them
until they had crossed into Mexico with Il drove
of five or six hundred stolen cattle. II was
further represented that the depredations on
stock alone by raiders from Mexico into Texas
in the last six years, will reach towards $40 000
900 in value, and the system Of brands prevail
ing in Texas will enable the sufferers to estab-
fish legitimate claim az ainst Mexico from va.
rious county records.
The president replied that he was familiar
with that section, as he served in the Mexican
war as lieutenant. He exhibited a thorough
acquaintance with the condition of the Mexican
frontier, and stated that il had been the subject
of frequent communications to the Mexican
government, which would no doubt willingly az
ford relief, but seemed powerless while internal
revolutions con tinued in the northern states Of
Mexico The commercial phases of the question
were also discussed, and 1t was suggested that
the order of the secretary of the treasury, pro.
hibitlng the clearance Of vessels from points
above Brownsville, was a virtuaIbloclade oflthe
Rio Grande, and therefore illegal The presi-
dent took notes of the conversation, ard prom
ised to bring all the questions before the cabi.
net.
The delegation subsequently called upon the
secretary of the treasury, on the commercial
questions involved. The secretary admitted that
the order prohibiting trade above Brownsville