Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-02-07
MR., ALLISON AND THE CREDIT
MOBILIER.
His Testimony before tho Committee
in full.
WASHINGTON, d. G., Jan. %.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Jan. %.
VIM. B. Allison, U. S. Senator
elect from the State of Iowa, having
been duly sworn, made the follow
ing statement:
| desire to state my recollection
of my connection with the credit
mobilier. Mr.. Ames and myself
had several conversations, perhaps
three or more, concerning the stock,
l think, beginning early in 1867
He was very largely interested in
Iowa railways at the time, and l
had frequent conversations with
him on general railway matters. l
said to him at one time in some Of
these conversations that l did not
know but l would take an interest
in the credit mobilier, if he was at
liberty to sell me the same number
of shares l had in what was origin
ally an authorized branch of the
Union Pacific railroad, and after
wards called the Sioux City & Pa
cific railroad, in Iowa, being fifty
shares of 500 each. Mr.. Ames
said to me that if l desired it, he
thought there would be no trouble
in getting the stock.
The matter passed along without
anything more than casual CONVEX
sation until, l should say the winter
or spring of 1868, when he told me
he thought he could let me have
either ten or twenty shares. said
to him that would see further
about it. After some time Mr..
Ames sent me ten shares of credit
mobilier stock and ten shares of
Union Pacific stock, with some
memorandum containing state
ment showing that the stock was
nearly fully paid by the proceeds Of
sales Of bonds which were accre-
tons upon the stock. This state
ment | think disclosed q small bal
ancc due upon the stock. How this
balance was paid l do not now re-
member. l received a dividend of
5000 in June, 1868, in the form of a
check Oh the sergeantat-arms of the
house, which seems to have been
placed to my credit with him on the
25th day of June, and dated June
Goth. About this time / think |
stated to Mr.. Ames that [ was not
certain whether l would hold the
stock. He said very well, if you do
not wish to hold it you can return
it to me at any time. Mr.. Ames
seems to have made some statement
here, which | think is not correct
in one particular, it may be in
others.
Very little more, if anything, was
said until the winter of 1868, when
| returned to Washington. l then
said to Mr.. Ames that l would not
hold the stock, and gave my reasons
therefor, which he may recollect or
may not. This was when l return
ed to Washington in the fall ses-
sion of ls6s-'69; at least when l
saw him on my return, perhaps not
the first day nor the first week of
the session. He said very well, that
/ could return it to him. The mat
ter was not finally adjusted, howev-
er, until February, | think, 1860,
when ] included what was the diff
ference bctw cen the dividend and
the amount unpaid on the stock
when sent to me, in q check, which
l drew to his order on New York,
which also included another matter
and which was paid to him. had
q conversation with Mr.. Amcs in
relation to this, and he says that he
does not recollect that the dividend
was included. / recollect very
distinctly that it was so intended by
me, and think so stated to him at
the time. My recollection is very
distinct, because in that check l
made up to Mr.. Ames all the money
that he had at any time paid me.
AT this time the stock with other
papers was in the city OF New York.
l offered TO give him an order for it..
He said that was not necessary as
the stock was already in his name,
and he could draw dividends upon
it without reference to whether he
had the certificates in his possession
and that | could return him the GER
titicates at my convenience. He has
stated to me that l then gave HIM y
receipt that l held the stock for him.
That | have forgottcn; he may be
correct.
From that time forward I have
10 recollection of paying any atten-
ton whatever to this stock, and l
did not consider that | had any in
tercst in it. After considerable
time | returned the original certiti-
Gates to Mr.. Ames. l know l must
be right with reference to when it
was understood l should have moth
ing more to do with these shares.
And / think Mr. Ames must have so
understood it, because although
.here were frequent dividends on
the stock, Mr. Amesad did not notify
or say to me that there were such
dividends, or make any further
allusion to the transaction. And l
never received but one dividend
which have already referred to
Of 5000. Mr.. Ames has some ac-
count about the stock, Of which l
know nothing. | desire to say in
addition to this, that having made
this adjustment with Mr.. Ames, l
received no profits, and realized
nothing whatever from the transact
ton in any manner.
BY Mr.. Niblack.-Mr. Ames pro-
duccd this morning the envelope in
which the certificates were enclosed
to him by you, and stated that his
recollection was that he received
the certificates at later date, some
time last fall, instead of March 3lst
when the envelope was post-markcd.
A. l do not know what Mr..
Amcs' impression is about it. l
should have said it was in 1871. If
he has the envelope post-markcd
March 3lst, l presume that is the
date. 1t was after went out of
Congress. l had q number ofpapers
relating to other matters in New
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