, 1874-03-22
Tho District-0llicials Engage Addi-
ti0lai and Eminent Counsel.
A Compromise Currency Bill Agreed
upon: BY the Senate Com
m.ttee.
The Gree7back Limit Fixed at
$382,0Oo,00o.


Epec7a! Lespalch to The Chicago TTbune-
TAsu1soroy, D C.. March 21.-The iuyesti.
cation into the affairs of the District OF Colum
bia Was continued to-day, but did not result il
the production Of any startling information IL
the investigation proceeds, the fact ia Constant
" becoming more apparent that the job under
taken by tho Committee is ooe Of
ExcEED1SaLy LARGE DIMENSIONS.
Not only this, but almost every step new COM
plicatiou springs up requiring for it's settlement
the combined wisdom Of the ablo gentlemen
composing the Committee. Tho memorialists
thus lar have failed to make any serious head.
way against the District officers, but, o1
.courBe, it is impossible at this stage Of The
proceedings to predict thae there Will ba fail
ure On THAR part to prove their allegations.
That the
DISTRICT GOVERNMENT AnE APpHEHESslyE
~<sas made manifest to-day BY the circumstance
that Juage Jeremiah Black, heretofore under
stood to represent only John o. Evans, took
charge OF the defense. At the beginning Of the
Investigation the newspapers in tho interest Of
the Government assailed the mernoriaista for
eei.g outside the District and employing such
en- t.ent counsel as the Hon Samuel Shellabar-
gel, Of OHIO, End Judge Me1rick, OF Maryland,
and
MpuLoED X CONSIDERABLE BWAGGER
over the fact that Gov. Shepherd and his asso-
ciates hsd engaged young native taiont for the
defense These young gentlemen Messrs. Mat-
t1ngiy, Harrington, and Stanton, have certaia1y
!<or THAR sake at least, that their employers
ehould think it necessary TO solicit other counsel.
The first business OF to-da7's session Was to
hear al
Exp1AxAr1oy FROM THE CHIEF AUDITOR
rot tie District NTH reference to tho discrepancy
discovered By Judge Wilson in Contract No. 10,
whereby tho Governor reported tho payment
lot $4,000 to contractor when the
ivouche1 showed he had only got So, 600,
Witness explained that the cost OF mate
lahon1d have been added to the voucher, and the
1.-TWO amounts would make right the Governors
figures. Ar. Latta, Of the firm Of Kilbourn d.
|Latts, real estate brokers nsd Trustees for the
lTcaI cstate ring. was put on tho wltness-stand
this afternoon for thu purpose OF obtaining all
the parties Who went into
THE REAL. ESTATE FOOL
.About the time' the plan for the comprehensive
teysten Of improvements 1as inauGurated. Two
Ior three questions bad been propounded to this
witnees when
NEEATon STEWART INTERRUPTED THE PROCEEDINGS
for the purpose Of explaining HIS connection
with several real estate transactions amounting
in the aggregate to about $50, 600. The Senator
&aid be mAdo the purchase il 1871, through A1r.
Iatta. aud sold ont in 1873 ut an advance OF
$4,000. He afterwards bought back At o bar
erected his raIatial residence, known as tho
''Huues. Miners Canp." He denied that he over
Ind any conversation with the Bud Of Public
Works concerning improving in or around his
land On the contrary, he claims to have booD in
sympathy With the opponents Of the comrrehen-
sivo PUN.
Mr. Lattu's testimony was then resumed, and
1T was then ascertained that II. D. Cooke was
Governor Of the District At the tlme he advanc-
o1 the sum ct SIS, 900 to Iatta i Ki]bourn, as
Trustees, to be invested in real estate. Air.
Iatta was Leked to state tie name of the per-
sons for whom he acted as Trustee. This inter-
roCat1on WAS put for the purpose Of ascertaining
If apy Of the officers of tho District were
INVOLVED IN THE lEAt-EsrATE RING
OF pool represented BY h1lboufn l. Latta as
Trustees or Eo-betweens. In response witness
ans sered: II sbau do nothing Of the kind. l
will say under my solemn oath that no officer of
the District Of Columbia or member OF the
}Doa1d Of Public Works il included in the trust"
Mr.. lhurman-Would your answer tend to
crin1ina'e you7
A--No, Sir
liz. Tau1mau-Wonld it make you infamons7
Ayes, Eir; in the e, es Of the business COM
m.ntv
Mr. rhu.man-Wcul1 it endanger you7
A.->o, sir; bus .s4n not re7eal the private
busi',e Of my clients
! = 4aurman-l. will not disgrace you; you
1nu azs 3er. The courts have compelled au~
sxcrs to be FiTen to moe delicate questions
than that to which you object. rhysiclans. and
even priests have been compelled to tell Of oc-
cug1cnces a. the bedside Of dying men.
Mr. Thurman stated that, as Com
roitteo Of Congress, they had right to exam
inet into any dc! artment Of the District
Government, and. if wltnesF Fes we're not to reply
to What they deemed private matters, the Com
mitlee might us well la dissolved at
ouc;o. The Committee was not Criminal
Court irving au. bo II. Mr. Thurman
tEcu cited the case OF the stolen Treaty Of Wash
instnn. ~bsre4n newspaper correspondents had
sisted they had not received it from any Senator
OF officer Of theSenoto The Senatsbaj, notwith-
standing, conrnutcd txo corresr rondents for con-
tempt This admonition produced a soothing
efrecs on Mr.. Iat:as nerves, and ho fell back
= defective memory, ana finally it was agreed to
ad;c7lr: till Monday. when Mr. Latta and lis
partner will bo expected to produce all tho
= DEEDS OF PROPERTY PERcuAsED
by them Us Trustees for members Of tho real |
estate ring.
Everybody seems to think that tbs exar,ina- |
tio. O La:tA, If thoroughly made, ns it without |
doubi viii be, will bring out some facts which !
the District oidcih!s will tiud it
p1FFlcCLT TO ACCOUNT
for or cxplEin nway. The deeds OF trust do not ]
ehow the nar'as Of those WHO have confded to |
til i1m Of FL bourne d Lasti such enormous |
amounts Of money. ard the whole affair is ap- !
paceutiy involved in more mystery than would be |
found afecoss ary in the conduct Of ordinarily t
honest business transacticns. Tue mem norialista !
will tle the rest of their charges On Monday |
next.
THE SCHOOL FUND.
The House to-day passed the bill appropriate
ing mouey to ray tho District school-teachers, |
with Al amendment offered By: 1ir. Mer1lmon, OF
North Carolina, authorizing end directing the !
District Government TO levi tax forthwith on
the personal property OF the District TO the
amount Of this appropriation to enable shen to
ray 1t back at once to tho Uni:sd States Treaa-
nry On the announcement us the result, the
little schoolma' 'a1ns, who had been watching With
tie most intonEe anxiety tho course Of events
from the Gal1cr-, focked out With beaming faces
to carry the news to the long suffering boarding.
Es.afer3 |