The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-02-19
WASHINGTON.
Credit Mobilier.
Proceedings Before the Select
Senate Committee.


WASHINGTON, Feb. 1S.-The Senate Credit
MoDiiler Committee resumed their sessions this
morning - 'e''-0A' '-''>
Mr. Patterson testified that he had M roool-
lection relative to the envelope deposited with
Morton, Bliss & Co., nor of receiving n lattar
from them in May, 1871. His papers are ali in
New Hampshire. -
Gen. Boynton testified to publishing state-
ment that the checks were shown to Harlan.
which he obtained from other parties.
Mr. Clark, counsel for Harlan, examined
Boynton, who stated that he was en- ployed by
western paper to write up frauds about In
dian contracts when Senator Scott objected to
such an examination as foreign to the matter
under investigation.
Mr. Clark said he desired to show that Boyn-
ton was malignant towards Harlan.
BOynton admitted writing such articles, but
would admit of no personal hostility to Har-
Ian.
H. L Dawes testified to hearing Alley say
that checks endorsed Harlan for $4,000
were found among the papers of the Union Pa
enc road, but had no personal knowledge of
the matter Mentioned what he had heard to
Bartlett and others. tt .s
d. w. Bartlett testified. Had an indistinct
recollection of telling Boynton that he heard
MIR. Dawes make the statement about Harlan
having been given $4,000; also heard some
one say that Harlan received the checks, cried
over them and offered to restore The money.
saw something about the matter in Boyn-
toms letter to western papers before he told
him what he heard Dawes said
The committee then took recess
Jndge Sherman's Matter.
The Ways and Means Committee resumed
the investigation of the Stock Exchange In
the matter to-day, John F. Denny, of the law
only confirmatory to that already published.
). w. White, his associate, testified to au-
thority given Lockwood to employ counsel al
the expense of $4,000, the intention being to
employ Judge Sherman. Finding Sherman ac-
complished nothing, Colgate was employed.
The POmeroy Investigation.
The Pomeroy Committee after an hours Sc
cret session resumed open session, the chairman
announcing the inquiries to be solely confined
to transactio MS between Pomeroy and York.
=. U. Horton, agent of the Kansas Pacific
railroad, testified that York showed him $1,000
in Topeka, saying that he received it from
PomerOy. Witness testified that York said he
had fearful struggle, and that he had been
praying over it, audible smiles) and was all
right: Witness went into the Convention and
asked the Lient. Governor to recognize York il
ne desired to speak. Witness was not mem
Der OF the Legislature and his business at To-
peka was to beat Pomeroy, but not in the in.
terest of the Kansas Pacific road.
The counsel for Pomeroy desired to summon
other witnesses, and the defence did not wish
to introduce evidence until the other side was
through
The chairman stated that evidence would
have to be confined to actions of Pomeroy and
York, and the committee adjourned till to-mor-
row. 90 q u
The Louisiann Election Case.
The Majority of the Committee on Privileges
and Elections will, it is understood, report in
favor OF new election in Louisiana. There
will be two minority reports, one sustaining
McEnery as Governor and admitting Mcmillan
as Senator; the other sustaining Kellogg a
Governor and admitting Ray to the Senate
although they may, before making report
unanimously recommend a new election in
| Louisiana.
Report of the r oIand Commi.tee.
| At half past one o'clock the report of the
Poland Committee was presented and read in
full by the Clerk of the House. 1t began by
! giving brief statement of the circumstances
attending the operations of the Credit Mobilier
| at the time, and after Cakes Ames and hi
friends began to build the Union Pacific rail
road. They gave history of the Alley con
tract and the manipulation of Credit Mobiliel
| stock, and then proceeds to describe Mr. Ames'
conduct in detail. During the reading of thu
report the galleries were quite full and all the
members of the House paid the closest atten
ton to the document. Mr.. Ames occupied his
seat directly in front of the chair, holdidg his
| hand over his face and listening intently Mr.
James Brooks, as well rs nearly every membe
| OF the House, was in his seat. In discussing
| Mr.. Ames' motives in allowing members d
| the House to take stock at par when it wa
really worth more, the committee say that a
doubt cannot be entertained. He was doubtless
honest in saying that he did not expect any
further legislation, but what he desired was to
| enlist friends who would resist encroachment:
upon any rights already secured and aggregate
| interests identified with his own. They are
also satisfied that he feared that when the tru
relations between the Credit Mobilier and tn,
Union Pacific became known, there was dan
| ger of hostile Congressional action. The com
mittee believe that in his distribution of stock
he had an especial purpose to offset the hostil-
! ity of Gen. Washburn of Wisconsin, and hi
brother, who were openly hostile to the Cred
| Moblier.
The committee then took up the testimony il
detail and alluded first to the Senate, simpl,
saying that the evidence taken had been trans
| mitted to the Senate. Concerning the mem
bers of the House, the committee say that tn
evidence is in some cases, painfully contradic
| tory. A brief history of the evidence in eacl
case is given blythe committee, beginning with
Mr.. Blaine and followed by Messrs Dawes ant
| Scofeld of Pennsylvania, neither of whom re
ceived any profit from the stock.
Messrs. Kelley and Garfield were next re
| viewed, and summing up the committee So y
that Mr.. Ames had good reason for withhold
ing dividends on account of the McComb suit
| They do not feel like charging corruption
l
their money for the stock, but the member
| must have felt it was suspicious investmen
| on account of the remarkable profits promised
and accruing. They do not discover that any
| member has been affected in his Congressiona
action by the ownership of this stock or corrupt
! ly influenced in any way, but the committee do
| not agree to the doctrine that member has a
| right to own stock in corporations which are
likely to be at any time before Congress for leg
| islation. Tho only criticism they make upon
| these gentlemen is that they were not suffi-
| GENTLY careful to ascertain what kind of stock
| they were getting, and that In their iudgmen
the assurance that they were getting a good
stock was all the assurance they needed.
The committee discussed James Brooks
case at some length They say he had no claim
for the fifty additional shares and that these
shares were ostensibly owned by Brooks. AL
the circumstances seem to point to the truth
fulness OF Mr. McComb's statement concerning
the conversation between Brooks and Alley an(
that Brooks got his stock for his services TO the
road, In considering the facts and the evidence
the committee are entirely agreed. The com
mittee are unanimous in believing that the
House has jurisdiction in the case of Messrs
unit to hold his seat on account of his conduct
IN previous Congress- The power to expel is
founded on the same grounds as cause to i'm.
peach.
The reading of no document was ever listen.
ed to with more interest than was the report of
the Poland Committee in the House. Cakes
Ames stood the concentrated gaze with appar-
emit calmness, while Mr.. Brooks, pale and
emaciated with sickness, presented his usual
self possession. The other members whose
names were mentioned in the reports showed
signs OF deep feeling and seemed to experience
sense OF relief when the reading of the por-
lions concerning them was completed.
Ames, safter he left the House, remarked
that he was not conscious of having committed
any wrongs for which he should be blamed
Much comment is everywhere made concerning
the character of the report. 1t can be stated
! on the authority of several prominent Demo-
crats that when the report shall be taken up
for consideration, separate resolutions will be
introduced for the expulsion of all members
who had dealings with Mr. Ames, on the
ground that Mr.. Ames and Mr.. Brooks only
should not have been selected for punishment
Many gentlemen on both sides are preparing
speeches, and it is anticipated that there viii
be an exciting debate on Tuesday No one be.
l1eves that the necessary two-thirds vote fol
expulsion can be secured.
The report circulated here to-day that Mr..
Coltax had stated, in letter to the Poland
Committee, that in his testimony before that
| committee he had fnr0ntton 70 ,,,o,+;o,, AZ.