The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-02-14
WASHINGTON.
Credit MObilier.
Before the Select Senate Committee

uOtHlllS " CudnSt III HIS UeStlIuOly DtlOfc
House Committee He had told all and Mr.:
Ames had corroborated it. He received 1929 OF
Ames and returned the same.
Senator Patterson said that he was not pre-
pared to give his testimony to-day, but would
be ready with statements at an early date
Mr.. Harlan entered and his attention was di-
rected to the testimony taken before the House
Committee. He stated all the facts attending
the contribution of checks by Durant to aid his
election to the Senate from Iowa, that were not
fully stated.
Some debate ensued in the committee as to
taking the testimony under oath or upon the
honor of Senators. Mr.. Harlan expressed
willingness to testify either way. Finally he
was sworn and made full statemena relative
to the checks he received from Durant as fol-
lows: l will give the whole transaction. In the
spring of 1866, DR.. Durant asked me if we need
ed any funds for the election in Iowa, and in
quired it felt any interest in the result. / re-
piled that did. He responded, if you need
any help desire to extend some. After that
ne (Dr. Durant) was reminded Of the subject
either by myself or my friends, and contribu-
ton came from him. have no distinct remem
brance OF but one check; that one came from
Mr.. Crane, the confidential agent of Dr. Du-
rant. 1t was made payable to my order and
came to me in a letter, and was endorsed by
me; the other check do not remember; it was
probably made payable to me and endorsed by
me.
In the spring of 1868 after came to the Sen
ate Mr. Alley asked me if the Union Pacific
Railroad had made any advance of money for
election purposes in Iowa. L told him that L
thought not He said they were attempting to
settle the accounts of DR.. Durant, and he (Du-
rant) had brought in large BILL saying that
part of it was for expenses incurred for election
purposes, and named the election in New York,
another in New Jersey, one in one of the New
England States and in Iowa.
observed to him that so far as Iowa was
concerned Durant had made an advance for
the election there but not out of the funds of
the company. If he had made it out of the
company's funds then 1 should feel it my duty
to have the amount restored | asked Alley
who was the business man of the company, and
he said that Cakes Ames had more to do with
it than any one else. l called ON Mr.. Ames and
reiterated what had said to Mr.. ALLEY, saying
that if DR.. Durant had advanced the funds of
the Company to secure my election, / felt it my
duty to restore it, and had with me my written
intimation to do so. He observed that he did
not believe that Durant had advanced the
| money, but that his statement was made up
and all a lie Afterwards Imet Mr. Ames and
made the inquiry again, whether he had learn
ed anything about that He said that he had
not found anything on the books of the compa-
ny showing it was paid After that l saw in
the Dubuque Herald statement that it was
averred by distinguished ex-senator that the
Union Pacific Railroad had advanced $40, 900 to
secure the election of Harlan over Kirkwood in
1866, and the check was on file among the pa
pers of the company. clipped out the article
and wrote note to DR.. Durant, enclosing the
newspaper article to him and asked him to state
what the facts Were. He gave me statement
substantially in harmony with his testimony
He said in that letter that nothing had been adj
vanced by the Union Pacific Railroad and the
books would show. / have his statement Wit
ness then produced the following letter:
New YORK, Dec 10, 1871.
Dear Sir,-I have your favor enclosing the
newspaper paragraph in which it is claimed
that about the time of your election to the
United States Senate the Union Pacific Rail-
road Company gave you check for $40, 900
and that said check or draft was in possession
of the company aud could be produced. should
not Certainly think it worth your time to re-
flute this, or that you would deem the idle
charges OF newspaper correspondent on the
ance to be noticed at all. Should you think
otherwise why not call upon the company to
deny it. At the time referred to was the Vice
President and acting manager of the affairs of
the company, and that no moneys were paid you
bythem and that they consequently can have no
such draft or check in their possession. 1 pre-
sumo it would give the the present officers of
the company pleasure to examine the checks
and drafts which are now at the Office of the
company in Boston and testify to the fact
Tuesday that such charges will in no way af-
feet your prospects for reelection. am yours
respectfully,
(Signed) THos. c. DURANT
The witness resumed, l afterwards saw DR..
nuTdlb duu lOiu Hill pIOullScu MI. AuleS
that could restore any money to the company
if it had been used to aid in elections. He said
/ it was his private funds and no account was
made of it to the company' The witness furth-
er testified that he was not member of Con-
gress when the money was given. He went
out of the Senate on the 9TH of March, 1865,
and went into the Interior Department the
May following
Q.-What had been your relations with Du-
rant prior to that time?
l. Al had known him 1ono TINA Ha yas
interested in building railroads in my State,
and became acquainted with him about 1856.
Witness did not know what election was aid
ed in New jersey Alley said it was Demo-
cratic aid, and it Durant wanted to elect DEM
ocrats, he Alley did not
Question by Mr.. Stool1ton-What did they
do with the money for the election purposes in
Iowa?
Al might illustrate that by going into the
State, in which know about money being ex
pended by Democrats and Republicans both, at
the last election.
Mr.. StocktoE-I don't ask the question as a
party question, but as member of the Com
mittee.
Mr.. Harlan-I know it. 1t was not expend-
ed improperly. 1t was used for the hotel bills,
printing and travelling expenses.
Vice President elect, Wilson, appeared before
the Committee. He did not desire to change
his testimony except on one point He made
one error in regard to interest due Mr.. Ames,
which he forgot to mention then. 1t was an
item of $66 due Mr. Ames, and paid to him
when the account was settled. The amount
paid for the stock was $4,000, and the dividends
received $274S. The amount returned to Ames
when the account was settled was $2814, the
$66 being the interest due Ames. Witness was
just as responsible for advising his wife to put
her money in it, as if it had been his own.
When the investment was made he knew
nothing against it, When he learned some
thing was wrong he notified Mr.. Ames that he
would have nothing to do with it and had the
matter settled to sacrifice to himself, or
rather to his wife. Witness would never hold
property which he had to legislate upon, and
refused to take stock in a national bank in his
on town the other day for that very reason.
The Wilson Committee
The Wilson Committee met to-day. Cakes
Ames was recalled. The chairman said that
he found that in addition to 667 miles there
were 46 miles at $4,000 per mile, which were
charged up to the Pacific Railroad aud paid un-
der the Cakes Ames contract.
Mr.. Ames said he didn't know how that hap
pened.
Gen. Slocum suggested that Gov Dix and
Messrs. Barlow and Cisco be summoned
The chairman said that the latter had been
summoned.
Messrs Slocum and Swami were requested to
examine the law relative to summoning Gov
ernor to testify.
Gen. Butler then appeared and alluded to a
letter having been sent to this committee pur-
porting to have been written by John p Ran
dOlph, CEDAR street, New IOrK. lie did not be-
lieve there was such person in existence. He
wished the committee to ask the sergeant-at-
arms whether, after his dilligent search, he had
found such person who appeared as an ac-
cuser and then submit whether such forged
communication should enter into this investi-
cation. This question should be first decided.
Mr.. Hoar stated that ON Sunday morning he
received by mail letter purporting to have
come from John z. Randolph, In the absence
of the chairman he thought the better way to
deal with the subject was to summon the per-
son who wrote the letter. He accordingly ar
ranged with the sergeant-at-arms to sea rch for
Randolph.
Gen. Butler thought it was proper to inform
OF the facts which he had just stated as the
names of Butler and Carpenter were mentioned
in the letter in disreputable connection. Gen.
Butler said that there was studied and q not
very successful attempt to connect him with
this matter in some form, but whenever the
Committee desired he would tell all he knew
with great pleasure He only wanted to show
that every man who took a decided stand on
public questions was assaulted by some unknown
scoundrel, backed by scoundrels in anonymous
correspondence.
Mr. Lebanes, assistant Sergeant-at-arms,w was
called at the request of Gen. Butler, and CIR