National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-16

| r1ugLOus
| Mr.. Harrington. Through a season of months
this gentleman has been making distinct
charges against the Board Of Public Works and
/ stating that he had the proofs. I want him
| now to designate to the committee the sources
Of his Information in order that If these mat
tiers be true the public shall have the benefit Of
that truth; and In order, If they be false, that
we shall have the benefit of their denial upon
| the stand. Now, either this witness told the
truth when he wrote those letters or he lied. If
he has the proofs we want him TO state it to
| this committee.
Mr.. Gibson. desire to make a statement to
| the committee. The object Of this gentleman
in calling me, he says, is to cross-examine me.
| | presume he Is lawyer. He makes that pre-
sumption himself. OF course he should confine
| his examination to the direct examination. He
cannot travel out. In other words, he cannot
bring In his drag-net now. am perfectly
willing, however, as said on Monday, to give
this committee every particle Of information
that / have on any subject. only want this
| matter to be fairly understood.
Mr.. Harrington. desire to state to the COM
mittee before they decide this. matter that
there are certain portions of these letters, for
| instance, that charge certain members of Con-
gress with being interested in contracts with
the board-charges that the vice president Of
tn, Board of Public Works in corruption and
| In collision with the President of the United
States are interested in real estate operations
here, and in one or two instances he alleges
| that he has the proof. We only ask this conn.,
mitee to say that he shall adduce 1t If he has It,
Mr.. Jewett. The question as to the author
ship of that letter, take It, Is not matter be-
fore this committee. We are not here sitting
for the purpose of enabling one party or the
other to lay the foundation for 3 suit against
| A, B, or c..
Mr.. Harrington. II is not for that purpose.
Mr.. Jewett. 1t is perfectly competent for you
| to ask this witness II. he has any information
on that point or the other, Withdrawing your
letter. ..
Mr.. Harrington. That is what I want. Mr.
Gibson said yesterday that he was correspond
ent of the New York Smn. find in the Sun of
December 1, 1873, the following:
EXTRACT from New York Sun, December T. lS7a. ]
S"There are also members of Congress who
have near friends largely interested in contracts
given out by the Board of Public Works; and
other influences of a similar character are re-
lied upon to secure all the appropriations
necessary to relieve the District governments
from its financial embarrassments."
#
(To the Witness.) Do you know of any men,
bers of Congress being interested in contracts
with the Board of Public Worksl
The Witness. Let me see that which you
have read.
Mr.. Harrington. The letters are not before
you, as the Chairman says. ask you if you
understand the question. will read to you
again. will ask whether you have any knowl-
edge If any member of Congress, either him
self or by his friends, has any interest In the
contracts of this District
Mr.. Jewett. If you are propounding your in
quiry upon what you have read from, think
the witness has right to see it.
THE paper was handed to the witness.l
The Witness Mr. Hhafrrnop hoe ole 5v
appeared in evidence here that tSo members Of
Congress were largely Interested in obtaining
contracts from the Board of Public Works.
The Chairman. We will construe the testi-
mony, sir. We do not ask you TO construe it.
The Witness. Then will state what knowl-
edge have.
The Chairman. Yes, sir.
The Witness. will state that in the letter
of Mr.. Chittenden to Mr.. Mcclellan, he stated
that he has large influence. He mentioned
among other parties who are interesting them
selves for him, Col. r. G. Parsons and General
Garfield, chairman of the Committee on APP
propriations, who, to use his language, holds
the purse-strings of the United States Treasury,
and through whose hands every dollar of
money appropriated by Congress shall come.
sir. Harrington. Is that your only informa-
ton on that subject A. No, sir, by no means.
Q. Do you know any other membersl A. /
know that Edward Tinker, q near friend Of Mr..
Henry l.. Dawes, was very actively engaged
in securing contracts. l know that a firm by
the name of Baldwin, who laid the pavement
between Pennsylvania avenue and T street,
who had contract from the board to lay that
pavement-that they represented that Mr..
Tinker had an interest in It.
@. Now read from the Sun of Tuesday,
June z, wherein It is stated that "Albert G.
Harmer, member of Congress from the Fifth
Pennsylvania district, was interested in these
T. ante hoTu n
Filbert." A, will state, Mr.. Chairman, that
Mr.. Bingham, postmaster at Philadelphia, de-
clared in the city of Philadelphia to divers per-
sons that he had contract for laying wood
pavement in the city of Washington, and that
various people were concerned with him to the
amount of $4,000 on that contract, and that
money was used to carry the State of Pennsyl
vania for Governor Hartranft.
Q. Task you the distinct question If you had
any knowledge of Alfred G. Harmer, a member
of Congress from Pennsylvania, being interested
in the contract of the Board of Public Works,
and that his representative is DR.. Filbertl A. /
have such information.
Q. What was your information A. Thst 1
decline to give.
@. Do you know It of your own personal
knowledge! A. Certainly not.
Q. Did you not SO state 1t as fact? A. Let
me see the letter. Examining / stated 1t
just as 1t is stated here. 1t is for the commit
tee to determine, gentlemen, whether stated
it as a fact or not. .-
Mr.. Hubbell. 1 suggest that these gentlemen
seem to be doing the very thing they asked us
to avoid doing moment ago. want to know
what this gentleman knows about these things.
want to know as a member Of the commit |
tee.
Mr.. Harrington. Mr.. Chairman, these have
already been made public upon the allegation
that member of Congress is interested.
The Chairman. lie. Mr.. Gibson state that he
knows the fact.
The Witness. have Just stated, Mr.. Chair
man, all that lknow about it; that Mr.. Bing-
ham stated in Philadelphia to divers per-
sons
Mr.. Hubbell. Did he state that these mem
bers Of Congress had an INTEREST," A. don't
think that he did.
Q. Upon what knowledge did you make
that statement A. made that statement
upon information given to me by friends of
that gentleman.
Q. Whoi A. Well, should not care to
state.
Q. insist upon knowing.
Mr.. Harrington. would like to read this to
the committee. want to ask this question.
The Chairman. A member Of the committee
asks question.
Mr.. Hubbell. He says that he got this infor-
nation from friends. wish him to give the
names of the parties from whom he obtained
that information.
The Witness. That information came to me |
in confidence from various persons in ny pro-
fession, and I could not give their names. |
What they based their knowledge upon do not |
know; 1 know that they are intimate friends of |
Mr.. Harmer.
Mr.. Hamilton. The whole thing is stated |
from information. There are no facts in the |
case; and It seems to me It is travelling off ofthe
record to inquire here, and give delay.
The Chairman. think, gentlemen, that !
there are several matters In which we are going |
now into rather a new field of examination.
The Witness. Mr.. Chairman, one fact can |
state. This committee has inquired into the |
expense ofthe District government, and the pro-
portion of the expenses that the United States
has to bear. 1 will state that know from the |
best evidence in the worlu-offcial evidence
that certain members of this District govern |
ment, holding two different offices, draw salary |
for both of these Offices. Mr.. Harrington, the
assistant District attorney, draws 81, 500 as as
sistant District attorney and as secretary of the
Territory he draws $4,000. These are two Of |
fees that are Incompatible, and contrary TO the |
act of Congress OF 1850.
Mr.. Harrington. Hyour ignorance generally |
is equal to your stupidity IN this case, you
don't know what you are talking about; am
not an officer of the United States, except as
am secretary of the District. / have no COM
mission at all as assistant District attorney; |
there Ia n0 such office known To the law i am i