The New York herald., 1872-04-04
TAI FRENCH ARMS EUDDLE.
The Batteries b, Artillery-C. X Garrison Ex-
smined-Ths Mean ing of n. F.--Regular Fu-
sils. Rspubliqas Fran, ,raisc or Remington
Fils9-General Ingalls, ssrvicss-What
They Couldn't Help Knowing

| Charles H. Pond. arms DEALER who gave long &C
count or the batteries and other supplies bought for
France, In connection with which @. X. Garrison's
name has been mentioned. Mr.. Pond stated that
the batteries were
INSPECTED ny FRENCH OFFICERS
sent TO the United States for that purpose, and he
| thought the inspection took place Oh pier No. 4 In
New York or In that vicinity; these French officers
put marks on the packages; the marks were ar.
F.:' he understood these initials meant regular
fusils.
Mr. ScHURz nterposng, SAID the witness could
not make fusls apply to artillery.
| WiTNEss-The government had supplied twenty
batteries and he had purchased i've TO make up the
! complement for The contractors; MS interest was
simply in buying and selling these five batteries
In reply to question OF Senator Hamlin as 10 sales
oI arms generally. the witness said the sales were
exceedingly
/ FAVORABLE TO THE GOVERNMENT.
frequently parties had come to him TO purchase
| arms ana afterwards bought OF the government at
higher prices than those charged by dealers or mer-
chants; the arms sold by the government during
the fiscal year ending with june 1871 did not bring
| as much by one-third as those previously sold
In response TO Senator Hamlln the witness said he
knew OF no government officer who participated in
| the profits OF the sales OF arms; he no neces-
sity for employing government officers to assist in
/ buying arms any man with money in his pocket
could buy as cheaply as witness or any other per-
son couid wthout the intervention OF third party;
NO KNOWLEDGE OF ANY MILITARY RING
he knew nat Genea Dyer the secre.sry % Of
anu Colonel Crlspin consulted together and put up
government olcers were connected; he never naid
one o. them IL would be impossible 10 do so, con
A. b. sTEiN8ERdER
testified as TO having made contract IN connec lion
WIN nla, Balleatine y Billings Of London, ana "A. St.
l4ll x. WIN nat
ieries ana u, 900 stand OF sin ali arms ammunition
&c; ne attempted to I'LL the contract out found
ullcuitleS Ill tne way, owing TO Tile change Ia the
| French government.
NO GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS PAID.
In response to question by senator liamlin he
sald ne mad no knowledge OF any government
olcer having realized money by the sale Of arms
rison the latter part OF December 1870 anu IN reply
TO a question Dy senator scnurz SAID he understood
Republic OF France; the French inspectors told
/ him thus to mara the goods.
having been sworn, sent up to be read q contract
between the French Minister OF War and Ballentine
France They were to supply 10000 rifle muskets
at iorly.three francs each, and 200 Enfield carblnes
non, also ammunition, &c, all to bo delivered ut
Bordeaux France These supplies were 10 be first
INSPECTED BY FRENCH AGENTS
In this country, two having come nllher especially
for the purpose; there were certain conditions as
second contract was read, concluded January %,
,. iS7i between {; <: Garrison - ana ballentine
l NJ, ~. Il
anlee Tor the delivery OF the arms Dy these parlies
| Garrison to charter vessel to take the war mate.
| time 10 time In reimbursement OF the sums OF money
! advanced bY HIM, arrangements having been made
for the purpose; tho French government accepted
| the proposition Of the contracting parties that GAR
rlson should become security tor tGenl. Some time
after ms perhaps IN the ~ month o. December 1870
sented to him that
THE BANK or FRANCE Would PAY
MS checks ttley were at ffSt he declined
to have anything to do with them, and said II they
| would place the money IN New YORK or London and
get an extension OF the contract he would 40 what
tncy required for certain sum OF money; after
several dispatches with the French authorities had
passed 1t was finally agreed by them that they
DEPOSIT SIX MILLION FRANCS
with s. Morgan, OF LOn0on, 10 be paid on certain
conditions; the French government gave reason.
undertaken; the French government took him as
security for the parties month after the old con-
lie made a contract with the parties above named;
he chartered the ship Ontario and paid the charter
but no money paid; the batteries mad been ordered
from different places, ana e, ne pad the money as
| the 23d or January for artillery; there was
| TEN PER CENT MARGIN;
| his certified check was given Tor that amount to
| bind the bargain; 1t was bOisterous weather and
every effort was made to snip the goods; they pro-
oeeded to load the vessel with artillery as fast as
board az least treeiourths OF the pieces ana Seven.
e1hths OF all the fuses and Shells when TO his as.
u
| spatch
| It did not state what ground he thought this
! was thirty days after the contract was made with
/ him; the amount OF money advanced by him was
with SItS Bailentnc 4 Billings and ST. Laurent was
aprogated by the Frencn government; new ar.
%as Ws maze h snnnsd 1e ao y on r e
under instruction OF the French government; wit
| ness never made contract with the French govern
| ment directly or indirectly, but only
! ENTERED INTO THE GUARANTEE,
| as he had already stated.
witness SAID he never had an interview win MI.
! Trcilhard, the French Minister; he requested
| General ingalls, to see the French Minister and to
state to him the witness understanding that the
| French government mad
! ACTED IN BAD FAITH TOWARDS HIM;
! General ingalls, had no interest IN the matter OF
selling arms, nor, to his knowledge, had any other
believe any onlcer Of the United states had any
| pccuniary interest in this contract; thc cali q
ness; reauest. In the course or his testimony wit
! ness said the French government still owes him
e'iin answer to Senator schurz the witness said he
aid not know how the officers Of the ordnance Bu-
reau COULD HELP KNOWING
| the war material was bought for France; II was o
mater scIuRz 81 asked whether the witness had maze
| any attempt to influence the State Department in
his bchafi To which question he replied that he
I lie tried TO get our Minister, Mi. Washburne, to
"''p MIR. MR. wAsnBuRNE DECLINED THE REQUEST;
! the reason why he asked General ingalls, to 90 TO
! see the French Minister was that he had long been
ACQUAINTED with Ingalls,; II General Logan bad been
there he should nave asked him or any otccr Of the
army or other person TO assist him. he talked over
| the whole matter with ingalls, and any other per-
1 son whom he thought had influence; no never con-
suited with ingalls, as to wnat he could got out OF
/ ihe arsenals; he was dealing with tnIng lmeanng
4 war materlal) -
| ABOUT WHICH HE KNEW NOTHING.
witness said he made application TO the War De-
/ partment 10 have margin he had put up refunded
| 10 him: he placed his application on equitable
! grounds; the arms were never received and no
i Thought the government had been well pale Tor the
arms purchased from II, $400 coo or s500,0O having
been paid; he thought he asked General ingalls, to
4 look into that matter an might have asked Gen.
i eral ingalls, to do what he could for him..
| IN reply TO question by senator ScAurz whether
1t was understood General ingalls, shcAld his IN.
4 1uenco
! TO GET BACK THE MARGIN roR HIM,
witness replied tna he had not pade any request OF