Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-01-22
Progresses of the Credit MObilier
InvestigatiOn--The Ugly Sore
Still Running.
The Union Pacific Railroad InYes-
tigatiOn by Wilson's Commit
tee-.The Other Sore
Still Open.
The Story of SO-CaIled Senator
CaldweIl--What the InveSti-
CATION in Jefferson City,
Missouri, Has De-
velOped.
CREDIT MOBILIER.

I WASHINGTON, January 2l.-Poland's
Credit MObilier Committee recalled Du-
rant this morning. He produced a list
of persons to whom he had transferred
stock. He did not think any was held
in trust for Congressman. He produced
I the receipt of J. B. Alley for two
hundred shares at one hundred and
sixty. The seventy-five shares
in the name of Crane were held by him
/ in trust for the benefit of witness. The
only Congressman on the list are Boyer
and Alley.
James Brooks was then re-examined
and male a lengthy statement
The following is the statement of Mr.
/ Brooks:
Mr.. McComb having sworn in the
early part of this Investigation that l
was the only member of Congress with
in his knowledge to whom had been
given Credit MObilier stock to influence
or bribe other members, and that fifty
shares had thus been given me without
consideration, naturally enough, when
thus outraged, felt indignant, and de-
nOunced him as a perjurer. Mr.. Alley
having since sworn that there is not one
word of truth in this part of McComb' S
fabrication, and this having been con-
firmed by Senator Ames's teai-
mOny, ought, perhaps, to
let the case rest; and l should let it rest
thus but for the persistent efforts here to
impair the testimony of both. The fol-
lowing letter from the Acting-SearetaTy
Of the Interior shows my first official re-
lation with that road:
WASHINGTON, January %. 1873
To Hon. L. P. Poland, Chairman:
SIR-Hon. James Brooks, of New
York, was commissioned Government
Director of the Union Pacific Railroad
for term Of one year from the third day
of October, 1867, and the oath of office
filed by him in this department. was Ia
ken by him March 23d, 1865.
tsignedl P. B. COwEN.
Actng-Secretary.
1t will thus be seen that for nearly six
months / declined to take the oath of
office. My hesitation arose mainly
from the fact that there was
discOrd in the Board, and while
that existed, did not want TO be in if.
When this discord was over, in compli-
ance with the promise | had made to
act, / took my seat in the Board, to the
apparent satisfaction of all hitherto dis
cordant parties. The sacrifice was
to me, for in this official po-
sition | could not be a sOekhOlder in the
Union Pacific railroad, and, if became
a stockholdeT in the Credit MObilier, |
another corporation, in another |
State, | subjected myself to miscOnstruc- |
ton. Hence / was compelled to re-
nounce a right TO purchase at par, |
from T. c. Durant, two hundred |
shares of Credit MObilier, a |
right belonging TO me, as testified /
by him in 1856 or early in 1867 before / |
was a member of Congress, and which |
did not become valuable until Deem |
Der, 1867. l said, therefore, to Durant, |
as he has already testified, that as Gov |
eminent Director, | could not and would |
not exercise my right to purchase two |
hundred shares, then above par, but /
would transfer my right to c. H. Neil |
SOD, my sOn-in-law, TO whom, as a stock /
operator, the right would be valuable. |
Durant made no objection save as to the 1
number of shares to be transferred, and |
he has stated that he compromised on |
that by selling to Nelson a hundred |
shares with a few Union Pacific bends /
in addition and a certain number of |
shares of Union Pacific stock which were
entered upon the books, as |
shown by the records, in Nelson's Owu /
name. l did not then receive, and have /
never since received, one cent of profit 1
from the transaction in my own or any |
other name. / have never receipted for |
nor had any dividend or allotment in |
any form from any shares entered on
the books in Nelson's name, either di-
rectly or indirectly. ] did not give
Nelson the money to purchase the
stock, deeming it wiser to make him
pay me than to give il to him. | ad-
vanced the purchase money as a loan, as
be testified, and only as loan, and held |
lim responsible fOrits payment as soon as
ne could hence; probably, as Ames tes-
.ifieS, although | have entirely forgot
en- the transaction, ! acted for Nelson
n paying Durant, in part three thou
'and dollars by draft, to be deducted
rom loan due me January 22d bv
DuTant, and in part seven thousand
iOllars by check. IF there be any. error
)r wrong in so public and natural an
act, ] am incapable of seeing it. If | |
lad been plotting for cOncealment, as
it certainly should not have
given my right to purchase to a son-in-
aw, but to some dummy; to some JnO.
Doe or Richard Roe, whose con-
lectiOn by marriage could not be
raeedEtO me in all the books of the
yTeat national corporation. The fifty
additional shares purchased by Nelson
himself, on or about February %, 1868,
we're necessarily sold TO him by virtue of
NY agreement with Durant, and upon a
statement of the fact to the company it
vas conceded that fifty shares belonged
o him upon his paving their par value,
With interest from July /, 1867. | never
poke 10 Alley nor he to me, upon this
ubject, as sworn by McComb; our re-
ations were never confidential, and he
lever gave mea these fifty nor any
'ther shares, with or without cOnsidera-
ion, either for myself or to bribe DEM
cratic members in Congress now. In
citing forth this statement of facts,
10 not wish, alphabetically, to convey
he idea that l declined the ownership
f the Credit MObilier stock because / |
vas member of Congress, for if'I had ,
lot been named a Government Director
should probably have been the owner
f a large amount of that stock TO this }
ay. l have'as much right to own paper ,
tOck as live stOck-as sheep, or spin
les, or lead and iron mine, or barley, ,
T timber, or foundries with two or three
fairfield articles largely
ndOrsed by Congressional legislation,
nd no constitutional quorum can ever
e got in either House of Congress if the
Members are to own no species OF stock,
live or de I'd, agricultural, manufacture A.,
lg or commercial, when their interests
re to be legislated upon. From April IA
, 1866, to March 4, 1867, / was not in /,
congress, and during that time, as pri-
ate citizen, whenever 1 had leisure,
Xerted all the influence tongue or pen i
Ould give me to interest capitalists in
be building of the Pacific road; bor- .
owing money for it, and loaning il !
money at great risks, too, which led
when ! was not member Of Congress,
S DuTant shows) to his promising me !
he right to purchase some of his shares
4 the Credit MObilier; and what he ]
tates | here reiterate, that the business I
between US were in no way [
Intended to influence Congress or legis-
alton. They were natural business {
between man and man. I
sOw l have only TO add that | have {
ever been asked to give, nor have Civ |
n vote in Congress. that was unjust
. the Government, or for profit TO the [
Union Pacific road; nor have /, as !
harged by McCOmb, asked Democratic '
nembers of Congress 10 vote for the
Dad, and l do not remember even to / 4
ave spoken TO any Democratic menu II
er upon any legislation relating 10 the {
Dad. All have done was, when not a
member Of Congress, to accept an offer I
)urant made to sell me at par certain
hares Of Credit Mohilier stock, and /
Vhen not Government Director Of the
Dad 10 transfer 10 Nelson the offer l
nade me wher not a Congressman.
{ this be wrong, morally, socially, =