The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-02-09
Washington Matters.


plicity in the Beatty bounty frauds began
Wednesday, the evidence against him Deihs
yery strong. 1t is understood that no eAeou-
tive mitigation of the sentence can pe ca
pected
The House special committee on civil service
g, ,,oda another Intellectual effort Wednes-
dav morning to obtain quorum ohiy three
members were present.
The newspaper attempt to whltewash Sena-
tor Clayton is severely condemned, even by his
friends. The committee has voted that all their
proceedings should be secret. Two of the four
witnesses whose testimony is published to ex-
climate CLAYTON are accused of completely in
crimes and of participation in the spoils.
Senator Chambers resolution of inquiry in
to the acts of his associates is supposed to be
aimed at Senators Trumbull and Carpenter,
who it is alleged have received large fees for
prosecuting cases in the United States Courts.
In Chandler's own words he is "going for these
civil service shouters."
The Herald Washington despatch states that
Gen. Butler said Wednesday that our Govern
ment presented case in the Alabama claims
which we agreed not to present; that although our
claim for consequential damages was strong,
one of our members of the High Commission
frittered away our right to present 1t. We have
no legal right to present such a case as we nave
prepared. We cannot withdraw or modify now
What England will do remains to be seen. MI.
Sumner saws that the idea of asking with
drawal of the case of this country is q novel
one and can never be thought of. 1t would be
bartering American honor and dignity Ii we
have weak case the place to show it is only
before the Geneva tribunal. Mr.. sumner con-
siders the question OF consequential damages
by no means weak one,
The Secretary of State denies that any letter
of his to Schenck has been published.
The Secretary of the Treasury appeared be-
fore the House Committee Thursday and read
bill expressive Of his views, providing aid for
| the maritime interests of the United States
1t gives bounties for five years on each iron
steamship for the foreign trade and also to sail
ing vessels engaged for not more than three
| months in the coasting trade and the remainder
of their trade in foreign trade, the cod and
mackerel fisheries interests to receive 30 ton
annually for five years and all supplies of stores
and outfits to be obtained from bonded ware
houses free of duay.
| POLITICAL RECoMMENDATIoN.-On the re
commentator of Senator Pomeroy, and others,
it is said, James E. Legate, Kansas politician
was dppOlltcu OONcIHOr VI w uSNihSEOn tCtit
tory The character of Mr.. Legate becoming
known to the President he asked the Senate to
reconsider It's confirmation that he might can.
| Gel the nomination. A despatch says that a
memorial asking Legate's appointment signed
by the Governor, Lieutenant-Governor,a all OF
tile other State officers, the Judges of the SUI
preme Court of the State all the Republican
State Senate, and IS members OF the State
House of Representatives, was presented. Mr..
Pomeroy then explained his personal relations
with Legate. He said that Legate had report
| ed during, or after the impeachment trial, that
his (Pomeroys) vote could be bought for $40,
| 900, and that Legate had exhibited a letter
which he claimed to have been written by the
Senator, but which had been proved to be a
forgery Legate had testified that Pomeroy' s
| clerk had written the letter, and the clerk had
denied it; but the Senator believing that his
clerk was guilty of the forgery, dismissed him
| ON the next day. The Senator has not been on
amicable terms with Legate, or any of the Kan
sas anti-impeachment copspirators since then,
| and this gave a queer look to his endorsement
of Legate which he tried to explain by saying
| Legate had acquired considerable influence in
the Republican party OF Kansas, and, as his ap-
poin.ment was SO strongly urged by Kansas Of
fcials, he did not desire that his personal quar-
| rel should interfere with the confirmation.
Senator Thurman called upon Gen. Logan, who
was member of the Honse Investigating Com
| mttee to say if Legate's testimony bore out the
charges made against him in the report Lo-
| gan replied that 1t did entirely; that Legate
testified, and his evidence was sustained by that
of other witnesses, that he came to Washing
ton during the impeachment trial and entered
into conspiracy with Perry Fuller, Edmund
Cooper and Taylor, to secure the vote of Sena.
tor Pomeroy for $40, 900 against impeachment, in
order to shield, from public indignation, Sena-
tor Ross, who had already agreed to vote as they
| desired. That for this purpose he bargained
with a relative of Senator Pomeroy by former
marriage, and they were to get their pay from
the proceeds of VIII skey seizures in Brook
| lyn. Then Mr.. Thurman argued that the Sen
ate, as it priced its own honor, ought to hesitate
before it confirmed such man, since his con-
firmation would be in effect an announcement
to the country that any one could, with impu-
nity enter into an arrangement to corrupt Sen
atOrs, and that man who had done this was
fit to be appointed to high office in the civil ser.
| vice.