The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1872-09-19
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Ccnvsn;ion. Delivered aug. sS lS5a :
There Is another thing that I want
to call your attention to. The Cincin-
natl platform says:
I'll. We are opposed to all further
grants of land to railroads or other
corporations. The public domain
should be held sacred to actual set
tiers"
Judge Hoadly then referred to an
official document of the Thirty fourth
Congress, dated Feb. 5, 1857, in rela.
ton to certain charges against Oras-
mus B. Matteson, Of the improper use
Of money, in obtaining the passage of a
land grant Of 600 acres to the Des
Moines River Navigation Company.
He would read . passage from the
testimony ola director Of the company,
Mr.. John Stryker.
Witness-All that l did was this {:
made draft in favor of Horace
Greeley for t1,000 which RENTED In
letter addressed to him, stating that
If tho report of the committee should
be made, and it should become neces.
sary 30 obtain any further aid for the
passage Of the bill through the House,
he was to use it. I had never convers.
ed with Mr.. Greeley upon the subject
myself, but he was Intimately AcQuaint-
cd with some Of the stock-holde and
as understood, had taken q strong
interest in the passage Of this rosolu.
ton. Having made the draft, and re-
ceived the sanction of the Executive
Committee for 80 doing. have had
no further connection with the mat.
ter.
"By Mr.. Orr-What was that &,lOO(
for7o
"Witness-H was . retainer for coun.
sci and advice, to aid in procuring the
passage Of tie bill.D
aBy Mr.. Or-Wss It merely 70,
counsel fees 2"
HWitness-The letter wrote ex.
planned It. II was to be used entirely
in his discretion to aid in the passage
of this bill-If the bill passed The
House, we were willing to pay thif
$1,000"
aBy Mr.. Orr--To whom -
"Witness-To Mr. Greeley. If the
bill passed the House, we considered
it as passed by Congress. II was nee.
essary to have some one to attend tc
It. could stay here no longer, and
left it entirely with him to make suct
arrangements rs he saw proper.
1By the Chairman-Thcn this 81, OOC
sent him was to employ persons t.
come here to attend to tho passage o,
tho bills in tho House 2"
"Witness-No sir: not to come here
left it entirely to his discretion, to BIZ
used as he thought best. supposed
that he was 80 connected with Mr.
Hunt, our treasurer, aud with Other
members Of the company, that he wa.
safe man to leave the matter with.
by the Chairman-Was not Mr.
Rcverdy johnson employed as NJ
agent Of the company
"He was relied upon by the compa
ny as counsel, but 1 thought he did no
pay the matter sufficient attention.
did not see him while he was here. TIL,
President of the company who lives Ii
the city . part Of the time, was no
here. / had no one to advise with, am
as Mr.. Greeley had been ,astssf0hl
friend ofthe measlre, ! left the matte
~ MS chargc. The money was not I,
be paid unless the bill passed tn
House, and l had very little expecta
ton of paying anything whatever.
/ "By Mr.. Orr--Did you give any in
structions not to dispose Of this 81,
coo? :,
"Witness-No, sir. only gave in
structions not to use it except in tn
event of the passage of the bill through
the House.
"By Mr. Warner-At whose rcques
did you draw this DRAFT in favor Of MI
4 Greeley2
"Witness--At the request Of n,
one.
| by Mr.. Ritchie-Do you know wha
disposition was made of it?
"Witness--l did not know that /
had been used until four months after
ward. do not know what became O
it; only have my suspicious.
"Ry Mr.. Orr-You say that whe,
you were here, yon could not get q ia
/ vorable hearing from the COMMITTEE
ON Public Lands7
"Witness-I did not in the four o.
five days was here.
"By Mr.. Orr-You learned that Their
were difficulties in the way of its be
ing reported?
| Witness-Yes, sir; they wanted Il
modify the bill. The question was, il
the first place, whether the grant ex
tended into Minnesota territory at all
and then there was question in com
mittee as to the two prongs Of the riv
er-the eastern and the western branch
Tho Government had applied thu
grant to one branch, and the othe
would have been shorter. There WEI,
several difficulties. learned of OBJ
stacles after ! went away which / dix
not know when was here. I Learned
of opposition which could not trac,
at all. Isupposed that it was very
plain matter; that we were acting un
der the authority Of the State of Iowa
that the State had the grant; and W,
We're very much embarrassed at tn,
delay.
| Il learned then for the fret time
that this draft had been paid. hay,
not seen Mr.. Matteson more thar
twice since that time, and then not tt
speak on this matter, but ! met Mr.
Greeley some three weeks ago in New
York. He told me that he had receiv.
| ed the money, but that he had no pcr
sonal interest in it. He did not vol
unteer to tell where the money haG
| gone. did not like to ask him, be.
cause l thought could ascertain in
some other way. ! thought the treas.
urer of our company would know blu,
when / saw him afterward he did moi
know. Mr.. Greeley stated that he had
carried the draft for some time, ex.
pecting to see the parties to deliver i,
| up that ii went to Mr. Hunt, the treas.
urer of our company. The matter had
been brought efFectually before our
| Executive Committee, and the money
paid before my arrival. If l had been
present, the money would not have
been paid without me knowing some.
thing more about it."
His hearers would recollect that the
Horace Greeley spoken Of here was
the candidate of party opposed to
land grants, who got this draft, of ST.
600 and did not comply with the terms
IS the money was not to be paid unless