New-York tribune., 1874-03-11


AND BUTLER DIsPEILED - THE FORMER TURNS
STATES EVIDENCE AND ACKNOWLEDGES HIS MIS-
DEEDs-CHARGEs OF BRIBERY MADE AGAINST
cUsroM-HoUsE oFFIcIAIs--REPORT THAT BUT
LER WILL MAKE AN ONSLAUGHT TO-DAY ON TILE
MERCHANTS.
TBY TELEGRAPH THE TRBUNE.l
WASHINGTON, March 10.-This has been bad day
for Detective Jayne and his attorney. While the
latter being roasted by Mr. Foster IN the House,
on the Sanborn business the former was cogitatlng
on means whereby he might escape come OF the
dirgrace which hung over him in the Ways and
Means Committee. TO-night's session of the Com
mittee has done the work for the detective. The
two worthless, the rogue and his counsel, can keep
each other company in their ruin, and JOIN Their
lamentations on the uncertainty of sinful ways
If there existed in the minds of the members OF
the Ways and Means Committee any doubt of the
cOpartnership between Jayne and Butler 1T was
dispeled tonight by testimony which, while not of
the best may nevertheless be taken in this case as
wholly convincing With Butler as the attorney of
Sanborn and also the attorney and adviser OF
JAYNE aud with the trouble that has overtaken the
three the information given to-day by Secretary
Richardson on the floor of the House, that he has
suspended the payment Of moieties to informers III
cases under both the Sanborn contracts and the
Custon-house seizures will be received by the com
bnation of punderers with feelings not easy to be
described. The attorney may yet show some hes-
tation to relinguish two clients who promised such
heavy tribute to his avarice but publicity has gone
to such an extent that even Batter, with all his
audaciy aud elan cannot hope to hold the question
able place he has so long filled III the party and IN
the House of Representatives.
The Developments before the Ways and Means
Committee this evening were SIMPLY crushing, and
Al laft uroD IN
despicable proceedings aud expressions; aud when
he finished his crosse Examination he looked as
though he had passed through most trying and
exhaustive ordeal. He came on the stand to-day
much chastened in appearance, aud not only the
New-York and Boston Gentlemen who were present,
but the members of the Committee, remarked that he
was greatly altered his manner, having lost much
of his efronteTy and impertinenCo. 1t Will be re-
uembered that when he first appeared here he an
nounced with n great flourish that the merchants OF
New-York were a set of thieves and he would brand
them before the Committee; that he would prove 1T
from books, so clear as not to be doubted; and he
talked loud and got red the face at the very idea
that the merchants would come here to defend
themselves His next step was TO play the patriotic
and humility dodge. He told how much be loved
his country and how much he had done for her;
that he had done no more than the law recognized;
that he had worked So hard in the service of his
country that he had broken down in health and he
even went so far as to allude to his @eart-brOken
wife His last step was to acknowledge his mis-
deeds and turn States evidence.
To-day he was heard for some time and set up
general denial on most of the charges lie denied
having known that Phelps, Dodge u Co had ever
imported goods at an over valuation, but Mr.. Hyde
will 20 on the stand tomorrow and testify that
JAYNE admitted to him that he Uayne) had knowi-
edge of the fact, and Mr.. Phelps will show from his
books so long in the possession of Jayne, that there
were entries showing it, and that IN iinportations
the over-yaluation were stated in the invoices
which passed through the custom-houses. Jayne
denied that he had ever taken books except those
speced in the warrant in each particular case but
il has already been shown before the Committee
that books in large numbers have been taken with
out any warrant whatever. Jayne said that the
books were always in the possession Of the Mar
shal: but the contrary of this has been shown
also and so with many of his statements. He read
from notes and his manner was quiet. Tonight, he
started off in rather pyrotechnic style, but soon
got down to actual charges, which he made without
limit. These charges were of specific character
and related to the bribing of Custom-house officers
he started by comparing the cries of the oppressed
merchants to the assertions OF innocence always
made by criminals. He said that 30 long as the law
touched w,
can eagle did not scream; but when it came to a
question of American merchants going on in bus-
ness their respectabilty rose. He spent much time
in'detailing the Government officials that had been
bribed-weighers, clerks and others. lie exhibited
a large number of books to show how he
detected bribery, &c. The fault of all the frauds,
according to jayne rests with the officers and clerks
but more particularly with the Treasury Depart
ment lie made the important statement that he
had always reported these cases OF bribery to the
Secretary of the Treasury, but that the
clerks were by no means all or
dered to be dismissed. He admitted, after
some pretty sharp questioning that the bribery, as
treated was not sufficient to turn away dishonest
officials but was sufficient to seize the goods books,
and papers of merchants, and subject them to heavy
losses beside runous fines and penalties.
The effect of the answers was to show that the
alleged bribery of clerks and Others put immense
sums of money into the hands Of detectives, inform
ers. collectors naval officers and surveyors. He did
not say to which Secretary of the Treasury be had
ronorted these cases of bribery did he give any
reason why the Secretary did not order the clerks
dismissed.
While the merchants here were reasonably satisfied
that Gen Butler had been the counsel of Jayne. and
was otherwise mixed up in the Jayne conspiracy,
they were nevertheless unwilling 70 make the
charge direct without explicit proof. Tonight,
JAYNE admitted that he had engaged. Butler s his
counsel in the Phelps Dodge case, and that he had
consulted and paid him in several other cases. He
did not say that he had paid Butler IN any cases
wherein no service rendered.. Upon referring to
the case of Woodruff Robinson e. Co, on which Mr..
Frank Moulton made an excellent speech to-day be-
fore the Coinni,tce, Jayne was going on TO speak
favorably of them but was stopped by Mr.. Moulton,
who asked him not to defend them al their ease
-. ,nl tha u,hlio Iu,uLi tLInk thu finn was heina