Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-04-18
THE ARMS INVESTIGATION.
TESTIMONY OF SECRETARY OF WAR
I,e Enl,sn,sn- .he COMMITTEES.

On tuesday Secretary Bsiknap appeared BE-
t,,e tbe senate Committee on the investigates
of Arms. Hls evidence was as follows;
BY ths Chairman @ Had you any knowledge
Of tho exchange Of the 0htling guns, made
tnroufh w moi mstisr brought to your atten.
toni A. II was brought TO my attention by
'e op Had yeu any knowledge or suspicion that
Franklin was negotiating lot the Remlhgtons'
" o, / asked you week ago, Mr.. Secretary, g
DC Chambrun carefully In relation TO your IN
ieryieWs with him. Have you done sol A. Yes,
d. Now, in your own way, proceed to give
the committee your version q those lnterviewsf
A. have hero memorandum o. me nIst VI
view had with the Marquis do on he
nth day Of December, 1sil, or portion OF w
but mai memorandum states some preliminary
facts which show how ! happened 70 nave thAi
Interview. I will read portion ~ hnow sna
DUN was made on tho 9Th day Of December,
ISL, and on the bottom OF 10 written In pencil,
in my own hand, on that day, The Marlul. Dc
. o'clock y December q, 1s1ll "and left Of about
iilS for General Dyer's once, with note from
me. Immediately on bis leaving ! repeated
barnard, phonOgrapher, and the above Is the |
stated the preliminary Aets 20 Mr. Barnard,
=
believe Uhristmas was Monday; that must have |
been tho I'D Of December -"SenatoT Patterson |
called upon me In reference to sales Of arms
by the ordnance department, and asked |
that would SEQ the Marquis dc Uhambrun l |
told him that would be very glad TO do 90, but |
dseired 70 know for what purpose no wished me |
TO have an Interview with the Marquis. lie
aid that the French Government charged that
n large amount Of money had disappeared be-
tween France and the Government Of the Uni.
ted States which had been paid for arms, and
thai had mado n u0nl of
money. told him our Government had sold
no arms to the French Government, but always
10 private Individuals, and that this Depart.
statement ofthe whole matter from beginning to
end, being perfectly satisfied with Its own 70.
sS T ss Se names SS ana N.
figures, and hon wrote a note 20 Senator Pat
teraon after no had lett, telling him that
would see the MARQUIS de Ohambrun on any
and after considerable conversAtlon with him on
the general subject, | asked him privately"
Se, VIII come 20 that private conversation,
our private conversation. ION the nth Of Dc.
osmberr-on this dAy--"boforo wo went into the
private room, and had this private eonyersa.
letter from the French charge = which
believe has been produced In the testimony
here. He told mo that a large amount o.
bought arms hero and tho Government OF
France; that an investigation was going on 10
France In reference 70 TINS matteI, ADJ mat ne
wanted Information from the Department In
reference TO the subject l told him that had
already directed the chief Of ordnance, Gen.
Dyer, 70 prepare lisl o. the sales q arms i9r
resied Gen. Dyer 10 put as large . force on this
list IS possible in order TO have II out soon
posSiblei that ! had no objection 70 ms seeing
note 10 Cen Dyer telling him that desired the
Marquis de Chambrun TO sec that list or
wordl TO that eneet. did give him note. !
not seen IL since. / presume he delivered 1t
there. He intimAted 70 me and said, IN pretty
plain terms, that frauds had existedi that par
tereSted in these sales Of arms. Icannot rsmem.
Dor the preese Language, told him Wasyory
much surprised 70 hear III that doubted those
had BEEN watched very closely; that as soon as
had aacertAlnod anu DeleFod We hAd suppo.
,ition that Remlngton vas ne agent q nc
Snen SSingson ~ snasn taid hin ihSt
senator Patterson had given me a copy Of
Remington's letter 20 LeUesnei that the contents
like At alli that Remingten had no reason 70
letter % LsoS,he The MARQUIS said that had
which was doing great injury. 1 said yes, had
given 70 Remington a s1tsment made by Gen.
pyet, IN IeIoisnoo " heuilnk ton sehAIses ~.
during our war here a. . patriotic man, and also
some inhtters an teiaN"n W puronaSes VI arms
here. -,
loH ms' ~ nVw n nne ,p,d Nv SVa
~; TRANSLATION o. a trRnslation has gone into
the case. 4 ptoPo.e IN isN nihntes 70 p,s,ent
me EnEnsh vtlg so ~, tht hs -.
Klyen ths Iet.oI p WIN tnose sIe msnts w.
at the tine gave him that letter hal known
o. the existence o. tnose s.npsmenS " hltnS,eIi,
which seemed 70 intimate thal ne naa pee,ailar
havs given him that letter, and i would I hsTs
used lAnguase 70 nun nnicn W wouil nav, ~