Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-02-14

ing its charter from state authority, and hay.n
no connections with Congressional legislation,
rather than with one which owed It's existence 70
Congress, had received additional legislation.
and was in a condition which made future iegis-
lation not improbable.
Mr.. Patterson then quoted from the testimony
of Mr.. Ames before the Poland committee OF
December IL, to the effect that Mr.. Patterson
light thirty shares of stock, which was trans
ferred to banking house in New York by his
order, and resuming, said these statements OF
Mr.. Ames, so much in opposition 70 my own
recollection, which, as already stated, had been
confirmed by my conversations with him and
surprised me. Still, when appeared before
the committee thought proper (these state
nents to the contrary Notwithstanding to give
my own recollection as to the character of nv
dealings with Mr.. Ames, and what had ALWAYS
believed TO have been the mode in which nv
funds had been invested.
My testimony was given one month after these
statements were made-that is, on January 10th.
In concluding my version of the transaction.
said had been thus explicit because had been
misrepresented, "and not because / see any
breach of propriety or personal integrity in a
Congressman purchasing or holding this (credit
mosllier stockl more than paper, wool, legal
tender bonds, bank notes, bank stock, or any
other species of property liable TO be effected
by legislation, but upon which legislation was
not anticipated at the time OF the purchase.
Again the same idea is expressed in the exam
nation in reference TO my statement that in the
first conversation ever had with Mr.. Ames as
to an investment, the credit nlObilier was men,
toned by him.
Mr.. Patterson quoted from his testimony be-
fore the Poland committee, where he stated
that he would have taken the stock had he the
money TO DO 50, and continuing said: "with
these free admissions TO nv willingness to
have become stakeholder I'm the credit mobi-
lier, when the subject was first mentioned to me
answered the inquiries OF the committee (the
statements of Mr.. Ames being then before mel
to the best of my recollection and belief at the
time. Subsequent to my exa mnation Mr.. A mes
was again called to testify on January 18th,
when in the course of his testimony he produced
receipt, written as he says by him and signed
by me, dated at Boston, May q, ISL. Again on
January 10Th he produced amos her receipt writ
ten also by him and signed by me, dated Wash
lngton, February 18th, lsGS. | need not state
that this was a great surprise to me. 1 knew I
had given him receipts in one or two instances
but had not the slightest impression recollec-
ton that they were OF the character which
they were. They were never alluded to
by Mr.. Ames in any Of our interviews. and they
surely must have been equally beyond his own
recollection when in hrs conversation with me
as to the senatorial election and the charge
made against me that was a stakeholder IN
that company, be said was not and SO wrote
to Mr.. Rollins. The receipts. as is seen, bean
date prior to that conversation and letter. I
cannot deny, from the inspection have made
that my signature to those papers is genuine
and i am well aware il is to be presumed had
knowledge of all the facts stated in them. 1 can
only account for my ignorance of their wording
by the entire trust and confidence | rcpOsed in
Mr.. Ames. i regarded him as a friend using
INV means as best 10 promote NV interest, and
therefore readily signed whatever he wrote
without that care aud circumspectiOn which
ordinarily attends business transactions. In
fact this was friendly rather than a business
transaction. and l gave little thought to it,
character or details 1t results from the admis-
sion made OF the genuineness Of nv signature
that Mr.. Ames' statement as TO the investment
OF the 5000 is sustained and that mine i
erroneous. repeat now what have ALWAYS
said, that / have no more objections
to a proprietorship in the stock OF the
credit mobiler than in that of the Union Paci-
hc railroad company, and entertaining thess.
views, i would have as readily stated INV own
ershlp III the former on all occasions as did in
the latter 1t was with this conviction stated eN-
pllcitly in the Senatorial cany ass i'm New Hamp-
shire that had bought stock and securities in
the Mon Pacific railroad. but never purchased
INTO the credit mobilier, though I could see
wrong i'm such an Investment This was said i'm
good faith and without a doubt OF its truth.
Whether the owner Of stock i'm one of these COM
panies or both, can conscentiously state that
no improper or corrupt purpose entered into nv
acquisition of it, and no improper or corrupt
influence was ever eNerted thereby on nv con
duet as legislator. Whether those statements
be true, Is a very proper inquiry to be made If
circumstances in the Judgment of the commit
tee call for il. Invite il earnestly 1t is proper
! should advert to one other matter. TO wit: nv
letter addressed to Mr.. Ames, dated Washing
ton, June 4th, 1873. This was eighteen DAYS
after Mr.. Ames had testified before the COM
mittee that i had bought thirty shares of the
credit mObiler stock. During the HOLIDAYS
which occurred shortly after Mr.. Ames had
made this statement, so greatly to nv sur
PRISE, L met him i'm Boston, and called
his attention Owhat regarded as a mistake in
his evidence as to my first investment. He re-
pied he had put the matter a he recollected it.
but very likely he had forgotten the details. a.
il was long time ago. He then requested me
70 sit down and write out nv understanding of
the transaction. This could not do. as was
soon TO leave for Springfield. Then said he
write out when YOU return to Washington. On
my return | wrote the letter. had it copied by
my wife. and delivered to Mr.. Ames by nv
friend. the Hon. John III. Rice. of Maine, 10
whom explained its contents and the circum-
stances which induced it. As it il seen. the first
and largest part relates to the first interview
with Mr. Ames, in which he offered to sell me
credit mobilier stock, which resulted i'm INV de-
clining, as 1 had no means at that time The
statement of my understanding of that inter
view and its result was made under the circum-
stances recited TO enable Mr.. Ames TO refresh
his NE mory and to correct his deposition it con-
WINGED Of his error. Then followed the sentence
commencing oppressed to know If purchased
at any time any stock or bonds in the road You
can say did, &c.'' 1 have been subjected to
very severe criticism Tor this. 1t has
even been said that it indicates an attempt to
subOrn the witness to testify falsely. 1 ask at
tention to the fact that at this time evidence
had appeared as to to my II, 900 Investment in
the L. P. II. II. confess have a reluctance
that my private affairs should without necessity
be made public. Besides this the public curios-
ity. as well as what seemed the desire OF the
committee, was directed solely to the hunt for
in the credit mobilier. 1, therefore
ulu not wish Mr.. Ames 10 state my ownership
in the L. p. Il. X. without he was pressed but
II he was, gave him liberty to state all the facts
Under the circumstances it was unfortunate /
should have used incOnsiderately an expression
which was subject to criticism. Had [ been
conscious Of intending so grave a wrong as is
imputed to me I should hardly have had nv
letter copied by my wife or communicated to
my friend. Indeed would have trusted moth
ing to writing.
wish further to remind the committee that
the only embarrassment under which labored
at the date Of this letter was in the allegation
that was the holder Of credit mobiier Stock.
Now, ii the object of my letter was to procure a
collusive arrangement with Mr.. Ames to free
me from it, / should have written, "Gf pressed /
to know whether purchased credit mobiler
stock You can say did not, but purchased stock |
in the road
have said the first part of nv letter ex-
planned to Mr.. Ames my understanding as to
what had passed in reference to the credit mo-
bilier. Believing this statement would satisfy
him 1 was correct and he i'm fault thus con-
clude: Don't fail to correct your original state
ment before the committee. 1t must not be re- i
ported as it now stands" OF course nv
request for correction was founded on the /
impression that my statement should make i
as to its truth. Mr.. Ames stated that 1 L
mad written him other letters. The only other
letters which have written to him have been
notes asking him to call at my room or allow me L
to call at his. After having written the fore