The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-18

lions back again from the mausoleum OF tne KALI
road Committee to the desired Special Committee,
OF which Babcock, OF Niagara, was to be chairman
under the rules OF Parliamentary etiquette.
have already forwarded to you report OF the DO
tngs of the DAY ON which this victory of the BLACK
Horse Cavalry was accomplished, and hence there
Is no occasion to return to that conflict at this
time. Suf1ce 1t to say that the committee mas
been appointed, and that with them rests the duty
OF investigating the present Erie Railroad man.
agement or OF supplying the pressing necessities
OF the lobby and OF the Vanishing members whose
board bills, washing bills and whskey bills are
just now frightiully In arrears.
THE ALARM OF TIE CENTRAL RAILROAD.
This Is, In brief, the history of the origin and
progress OF the resolution of investigation, and
now it remains to be seen whether it will simply
answer the purpose OF drawing a tolerably large
amount OF hush money out OF the Erie treasury, or
whether. like the Credit Mobilier investigation at
Washington, it will grow too large to be held in
hand by its projectors and will unavoidably bring
to light some curious and interesting develop.
ments. The question which has naturally arisen
first and foremost in the matter is, what was the
object of the representatives and friends of the
New York Central Railroad in endeavoring to send
the resolution to sleep on the broad,
motherly breast OF AssembIyman Pierson,
when 1t apparently affected only the In
terests OF rival corporation, and affected
them unfavOrablyf Far be it from me to antic.
pate the developments that are likely to be made
during the investigation, but l may be permitted
to hint that outside the inconvenience attaching
to an exposure OF the transactions of last session.
1t is rumOred that the New York Central Railroad
may be very seriously affected by certain resolu-
ton which appears on the minutes of the present
Erie Board, and which would scarcely have been
toned to railroad legislative management than
were the new Erie directors when they first sue.
ceeded the terrible ogre, Jay Gould In fact the
resolution in question, although adopted by 're-
formers" strictly honest and conscientious men,
sAv0Rs OF CORRUPTION AND sMACKs OF STATE
PRISON.
Without further mystlncation may state that
the new Erie Board Of Directors soon after their
accession to power while they felt generously and
literally disposed towards themselves and all the
rest OF mankind adopted resolution nearly in the
following wOrds:-"ResOlved, That the treasurer
OF this company be and he is hereby directed to
pay to William H. Vanderbilt. ESQ.,, of the New York
Central Railroad, the sum of $50. 900, being the
share of this company OF the expenses incurred
last Winter at Albany in defeating legislation in
imical co the interests of both the said roads,"
- TOO SHARP TO BE CAUGHT IN TRAP.
w
was too cd q hand at the bellows to be caught in
any such scr-,ue as this. The money was for.
warded to him In o,ralt payable to his order, and
accompanied by copy OF I've above resolution. 1t
is said that he returned the draft Win the inquiry
more forcble than polite, whether they supposed
he was such ator-condemned fool as to lender
himself liable to the State Prison by taking money
applied to any such purpose Still it is evident
that the mere discovery Of this awkward resolu-
ton on the minutes of the Erie Railway Com
pany must lead to other inquiries, one of which
much necessarily be as to the information
upon which the Erie Board concluded that the
New York Central Railroad had used money at
Albany last session to defeat legislation nmical to
the interests of the corporations. As when the
resolution was adopted
GOVERNOR DIX WAS IN THE CHAIR
1t will of course be easy to learn what evidence the
Erie directors possessed as to the fact of the ex.
penditure Of this bribery and corruption fund be-
fore they appropriated $4,000 OF their stock.
holders money as their share in the outlay
Neither the Governor nor any OF his re-
form associates could consent under any
circumstances to conceal the truth, whoever
might be affected by it. Prevarication even
would place them in an awkward position
for unless they were positively assured that the
money had been expended by Mr.. Vanderbilt or
his agents to defeat legislation inimical to the in.
terests Of this road" by what right could they pre-
tend to authorize the pay ment of the large sum OF
$50, 900 out OF their own treasury The money was
held by them in trust; 1t was not theirs to give
away as they might see ft, and hence they must
have known that legislation had actually been in
nuenced by the funds supplied by the New York
Central Railroad before they drew q draft OF
$50, coo in favor OF William II. Vanderbilt.
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS TO BE MADE
There are other equally interesting and singular
developments promised to the industry OF the Erie
Investigating Committee, II can believe the state
ments Of those who profess to be well posted on
the facts, and some Of these the New York Central
people would rather cover up than expose Rail-
road rivalries are not always just what they ap-
pear to be in the eyes OF the outside public, and 1t
Is rumored that the present Erie directions Is far
more to the taste OF the great Central autocracy
than was the energetic fibustering management
OF the old board. Jay Gould Is an original
genius in railroad matters, and the old
wheehorses of the rival corporations used
seldom to know where to find him. His policy was
occasionally too Napoeonic to suit their views or
their interests. Besides the road was well run
and popular of late years and much superior to the
Central. On the other hand,
PRESIDENT WATSON WAS vANDERBILT's CHOICE.
The great monopolizer Of Central, Hudson River
and Harlem is said to have been instrumental In
Mr.. watson's elevation to the presidency OF Erie,
and hence it is very probable that the Commodore
may not desire to see his protege discounted or
embarrassed. At all events, as the whole affair Of
the change Of rulers, of the means by which
1t was brought about, Of the connection
OF BischofYsheim and Godschmid and the other
English stockholders with the revolution of the
amounts paid and repaid to reimburse all the act
ors in the drama. and OF the disposition made OF
the money applied to that purpose Is likely to be
brought to light, there is no telling who may IN the
end be hit by the flying shots. Credit Moblier ap-
peared at first nothing more than tempest in a
teapot but the storm escaped and spread until it
stirred to their depth all the political waters Of the
nation. The Erie investigation, although designed
to be confined within the pockets OF ring OF
hungry lobbymen and representatives may vet