The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-17
PROCEEDINGS OF WILSON'S COM.
MITTEE.

DIR. Durant Continues His Tale OF
s'Credit'-Two 81, 200 Checks Forw arded
to Harlan for General Political Pur-
poses Only, Not to Influence the Sena-
tors Election.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 1873.
The Wilson Credit Mobilier Investigating Com
mittee met this morning at eleven o'clock. The
examination OF I. c. Durant was resumed. He
said the Boomer contract was $27,5O0 per mile Of
railroad. The Union Pacific board OF directors
passed a resolution extending the Hoxie
contract over these fifty-eight miles at
$4,000 q mile. This resolution was not carried
into effect, the witness having protested and
Judge Barnard having granted an injunction The
Board afterwards expunged his protest from the
ton had been carried into effect the difference be-
tween S275OO and $4,000 would have gone
into nso Gred Me Y Wsrs in
order and had been accepted by the government.
Witness was examined as TO the Williams pro.
posed contract, which was accepted by the Board
OF Directors of the Union Pacific Company March,
1867, for building 267 miles OF railroad. Witness
also sued out an Injunction in this case the
tract covered part Of the road already cOstructed
under previous contract
A GENERAL REVIEW.
After the witness had been examined specifically
he was examined generally. He was asked by the
chairman what percentage OF the Union Pacific
own at the time the Cakes Ames contract was en-
tered into Witness answered sevcnty-fve. perhaps
the Credit pei Moser tse could a not b%
the road, instead Of assigning the contract
to trustees for that purpose. witness replied that
the trustees were acting in the interest OF all the
holders OF the Union Pacific Railroad stock some of
whom had no stock In the Credit Mobilier.
The object of assigning the contract to
trustees was also 70 secure secure Individual
the trustees Of the Credit Mobilier wanted to buy
the made offers to the railroad company for GER
tain amount Of railroad bonds, naming the price
for them Witness said that early In January,
tire control Of the Union Pacific Railroad. It
was shown by the books that the aggregate amount
amount spent on the Ames' and DAVIS contracts
was about fifty five million dollars, and the divi-
dends Sill, 900, 900, twenty per cent the
sos O00 or 81 per cent on the stock OF the Gre
securities as being at par, 545 per cent.
TOUCHING QUESTION.
witness was asked whether he knew ofany Ofthe
money Of the Union Pacific Railroad or Credit Mo-
ber having been used, directly or indirectly, for
the purpose Of influencing or procuring the election
Of any person to the Senate or the United States.
Witness said he did not, nor did he know Of any
who used money for such purposes; he had, how
ever furnished money himself in good many
cases for political purposes generally, but not
specially to influence the election OF any Senator.
He gave two checks OF $4,000 each to Mr..
Harlan, payable to that gentleman's order.
Mr.. Harlan. had said to him, care you not going to
help uss', when witness said, "When you are very
hard up viii do what can" The money was
sent to Harlan, the witness supposng Harlan
knew how to appropriate it. He did not know
whether Harlan was at that time Secretary OF the
Interior or not, and did not know whether he was
at that time candidate for the United states Sen.
ate or not
The CHAIRMAN-Did you not understand that the
money was to ala in the election OF Mr. HarlanY
WITNEss-I had no such understanding but was
in hopes that Harlan would be elected.
without concluding the examination the CON-
mittce adjourned until tomorrow morning at ten
O'Clock.