, 1873-02-17

coivod this money without restoring IN equiya-
vaa doing wrong, whatever hource tho money
camo from.
THE CASE OF CAKES AME8 AS IT STANDS.
The testimony in the Credit Mobilior Inyeati-
cation Is now all In, and, In connection with tho
correspondence and tho memoranda which passed
betwoon Oakos A1nos and Colonel MComb,
clearly develops the merits Of tho law suit,
which first exposed tho oorruptionB Of Crodit
Mobiller; and also throws somo new Light upon
Oakea AmeB as q man and witnoas. Wo arc
now, for tho first time, enabled to get 2 birds
eye view Of the whole field OF operation, and to
judge Of tho length and breadth Of Credit
Mobllier iniquity. About the time Of tho
inception of the Credit Mobilier, Colonel
Mf0omb subscribed for 250 shares of tho
stock for Mr. Hamilton g. Fant, Of Wash-
ington, D. G. Tho sharon wero assigned
to Sfr. FAINT at onco, md he waa notified to re-
NIT therefor, which he declined to do, upon tho
ground that ho had not authorized anyone to
aubscri bo for him. Tho matter was then re-
ferred to Colonel n Comb who declared that he
would take the stock It Mr. Fant declined 1t,
and, upon the strength Of Interpretation that IT
would be assigned to him, ho transferred a large
amount Of his own stock to h1r. King, Of Mas
eaohusotts, intending to replace 1t with the Tant
stock: Meanwhile at "a meeting Of tho Credit
Mobiler. Amos announced that ho had
promised stock to oortain persons, "where
it would do the most good" md pro-
posed that On issue Of now stock
should be made for that purpose, It WAS at
once suggested that Ames might distribute tho
FAINT stock, and he acquieHcod in tho suggeB-
tion, accepted the stock, and pretended to dis
gress named in his memorandum to M'Comb.
When M'Qomb heard Of this operation, ho ut
once inquired why hts stock was used, and why
he was not allowed to distribute stock also
among his friends, mining, among others, Son.
ator Bayard, of Delaware. He claimed that the
burden Of distribution should be mado equal
among all the membera Of the Crelit. Mobilier,
but received no satisfaction, and, accordingly,
in tho latter part Of 1868, commenced suit in tho
PennBylyania Courts to recover the value OF his
stock, =.
Thia lawsuit iB but one chapter in tho history
Of Credit Mobilier, The testimony Of Oakos
Ames ia another, and 1t takeA up tho history
precisely wlero the lawsuit loft it, and goes on
with 1t from that point, When tho fact Of this
lawsuit became known, the members Of Con-
grese, with whom Ames had placed the stock,
and for whom he was trustee, hockod about him
in great haste to return 1t, and Ames readily
took 1t bacl. We naturally enough now look to
his testimony to eee what he did with tho
stock and dividonds, but wo look in vain.
It will be remembered that he had $50
shares to distribute, but In reality he only dis
tributed 185 shares, as Ills own memorandum
book shows. What did he do with tho 1856 shares
which were returned to him ? What did he also
do with tho e5 ahareB which he never distributed
at alp His testimony throws no light upon
these questione' u is allso appropriate to ask
what ho did with the proceeds ot the 1900 per
cont in dividends. His testimony only accounts
for 80 per cont paid to these mombers Of Con-
greae, gnd on ono or two instances for aubso-
qusnt dividends Of 100 por cent. What became
Of tho 85 shares and tho difference
between the amount OF dividouds paid to mem
bors Of oougross aud tho amount declared, for
all Of which, Amos was the trustea7 Why was
he so willing to tuko buck tile etock when mou.-
berq Of Congress got tired Of holding IT. Per-
hapsSstho answer to tho last question may DO
found in tho answers to tho previous questions.
Only one mombor Of congroae, nlr. Kelley, has
thus far confronted Qakos Ames with this inter-
osting view Of the situation and ho gave 1t o
practical bearing by giving Judge Poland IN Or
dor for tho amount Of acosued dividends with in-
struotions to deposit tho amount In tho Vnitoa
statea Treasury. There Ia tho sum OF nearly
$500, 900 which Dukes Ames has gougeil eithor
out Of M'Comb, or tho Credit MobiIier
generally, or the implicated. membora
Of Congress-, and put In hlH own
pocket, which doos not appear anywhere
III tho testimony. What became OF 1t must DO
mado clear in the suit whioh IL etill pending In
Philadolphia. It should not have been lott in
this uncortaIn stnte, howover. Tho invehtiga-
ton should have discovered its disposition to
tue last dollar, and should have fogcel Oakos
Amen out pf his shell. Thoinvostigatlon should
also have shqwn whether he hadacconutcd for all
tho dividends which had accrued up to tho time
ho pretended to show members Of Congress- the
Crcllt Mobtliar balance shoot. There was cor-
tainly dividend Of 100 por cont In May, 1865
Which was not accounted for to the CongroBsion-
al stockholders, aud which doos not appear upon
the momorandum-book, on which Oakes Ames
sets such store in tho way Of justification.
Such facts ~ these arc Of grave Importance