Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-02-21
The Report of the Poland Investigating
Committee.

The report and recommendations of
Judge Poland's committee, who have been
investigating the Credit Mobilier scandals,
which were submitted to the House of
Representatives Tuesday, are substantial
ly what the public had by previous ru-
mors, been led to expect. Resolutions are
offered for the expulsion of Messrs. Cakes
Ames, of Massachusetts, and James Brooks,
of New York. The other members impli
Gated are dismissed with mild censure.-
AS to those persons over whom the House
has no NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and those
who have ceased to be MEMBERSHIP COM
mittee have no recommendations to make.
The evidence in regard to the former has
already been transmitted to the Senate, by
order of the House, for such action as that
body may see fit to take. In regard to
Vice-Presdent Colfax, the prominent of all
who had dealings with Mr.. Ames, and
''took stock" in the Credit Mobilier, the
report is singularly silent. He is neither
acquitted nor condemned, but his case is
left, apparently, to be passed upon by the
public in the light of the testimony alrea
dy published. The grounds of the des-
tinction which the committee draw be-
tween the cases of the two members singled
out for expulsion and the others whose
cases have been Investigated appear to con-
sist in the guilty knowledge which the for
mer had of the relations between the Union
Pacific railway and the Credit Mobilier,
of the enormous profits which the latter
concern was making, and the consequent
interest of those concerned in its manage
ment, or expecting to share in it's profits,
in STAYING off investigation and in defeat
ing unfavorable legislation. Cakes Ames's
special guilt is, of course, made to consist
in the active part taken by him Gin cor
rupting and endeavoring to corrupt his
colleagues" The committee get over the
legal difficulty as to the power of the
present Congress to punish member for
acts done during former Congress by
showing that Cakes Ames is still the holder
of Credit Mobilier stock, as trustee, for
members of both houses Of Congress, and
that his attempt to bribe them with offers
of that stock and dividends is continu-
Gus offense.
AS to Messrs DAVIS, Bingham, Schofeld
and Kelley, the committee have no severer
criticism to offer than that they were seek
ing ga good investment" and were not
sufficiently careful to see what they were
getting. They are not supposed to have
been aware of the enormous dividends
which they were to receive, or of the real
relations of the Credit Mobilier to the rail
way company. Cakes Ames was careful
not to promise them more than a good ten
per cent. paying investment, and to quiet
their scruples with the assurance that there
was nothing in their ownership of the
stock to interfere with their duties as men,
bers of Congress. Why, if such was the
case, there was 30 much secrecy about the
matter, or why the members referred to
should not have been willing to have the
stock transferred into their own names and
openly acknowledge its ownership, the
committee do not explain; yet it is this
very circumstance of secrecy and mystery
doing on Che part Of all these so-called
purchasers" of the stock, and furnishes
one of the strongest pieces of evidence
against them.
AS to. Cakes Ames's motive and object in
the whole affair, the committee furnish no
new light; indeed, after the publication of
the McComb letters there was nothing
more to be said upon that head. Mr..
Brooks case is distinguished from that of
his colleagues by the fact that he was a
government director in the railway COM
pany, precluded from owning stock, and
by his relations with DR.. Durant, which,
in the judgment of the committee, affect
him with the 'guilty knowledge" of which
in the other cases chat of Ames excepted
the committee find no proof. The use of
Mr.. Brooks, the committee regard as a
mere cover. By many persons the report
and its recommendations will be viewed
in the light of a compromise" verdict,
and Messrs. Ames and Brooks as being
made the ''scapegoats" for Others not so
bold, yet not less guilty than themselves.
The resolutions of expulsion are likely
to give rise to considerable discussion,
and their adoption is considered by no
means certain. In former Congress, in
1857, resolutions expelling Messrs. o. B.
Matterson and W. A. Gilbert, of New
York, for corrupt practices, in endeavor-
ing to procure the passage of the Des
Moines land grant, were anticipated by
the resignation of those worthless. In the
same Congress Francies P. Edwards, of
New York, who had made corrupt pro-
position to fellow member, also escaped
expulsion by resigning. A still latter was
that of Senator Simmons, of Rhode Island,
during the war, who also resigned to a
void expulsion. Tt remains to be seen
whether any of the parties involved in the
present scandal will follow their example.
Those whose terms are on the point of ex-
piring could do so without making much
of sacrifice. Baltimore San Of Wednes-
day. -..
~The second trial of Jesse w. Up
percue, for the murder of his aunt, Mrs.
Amelia B. Wheat, by shooting her in bed,
on the night of August 9th last, is now