New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-03-23
WASHINGTON.
DISTRICT AFFAIRS.

TATE "PooL r-REFUsAL OF A WITNESS To GIVE
NAMES OF PERSONS CONNECTED WITH fI--LS'i'-
IATIoN IN THE HOUSE IN oPPosi'ioN ~ Ia
rRAyAGAST EXPENDITURES.
IRy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSEl
w.sr,xoro,r March 22-The District investiga-
ton reached q very interesting point yesterday. IL
NAV be remembered that Halet KilbOurn OF the
rial estate firm of Kilbourn Latta OF this CITY, III
August 1871 wrote a letter to the late VIM s. hunt
ippton in which he reported the formation OF
pavement ring. and remarked. incidentally IL. u
or InRaniug Gov. Henry ID. Cooke, then er oD'0o
President of the Board of Public works. tells me
To draw on him for S2 900 cash for real estate pool
The letter IN winch this passage occurs mas peeh
already printed. The records OF deeds OF the us
triet of Columbia show that Hallet Kiibourn, and
his mariner James NJ. Latta invested. not for them
selves but as trustees, during the trst Few
months Of the existence of the present District Gov
orpment between 100000 and SSOO,OO. The most
suspicious circumstance about these investments
was that they consisted of purchases OF property III
the north west part of the city, then almost unn
babited except by negroes who lived IN shantles
where the surface was low and hat as to render
the land of little value before the Board made its
stupendous improvements there, and where no one
would have thought of buying land for speculative
PURPOSES had he not been in the secrets of the Board
Other sections of the city, where streets are con-
tinuously built up with respectable dwellings, ana
where the value of the property is such as 10 make
better able TO pay heavy assessments nave not YET
been improved. With these known and admitted
facts as foundation the counsel for the memorial
ists questioned Mr. Latta in regard TO the trans
Actions referred to above.
Early In the examination, Senator Stewart, men,
Der of the Committee brought out his part IN the
speculation. 1t appears that he, Mr.. Hillyer' ana
Mr. Sunderland in June 1871. invested IN this prop
srty about S860OOO. In December 1872. desiring to
use the money in mining operations, the senator
sold out his share to his partners for an advance OF
$4,000. In March. 1873, he purchased his present
square, and began to build his house. He said that
when he made the first purchases he had never COR
suited with the Board of Public Works, and did not
know what improvements were contemplated, anc
that when he purchased the square on which he
built the improvements were nearly completed. IL
Kilbourn & Latta invested the money for the Sen
AiOr and they in the secret Of the Board there
was no occasion for him to consult with the Board
Of to know what improvements were proposed.
After Mr. Stewart was done with the witness and
Judge Black had made his protest against question
Ing him in regard TO private matters, the memorial
lists proceeded. Mr. Latta admitted the purchase OF
the property but when asked whom he held 1t in
trust for he refused to answer He said that he was
willing to swear that no member of the District
Government or of the Board of Public Works had
any interest in it, but would not tell who had The
Committee informed him that it should insist upon
m answer and after nstructing the memOrialists to
produce copies of the deeds in question, in order
that the foundation TOR proceedings against the wit
ness might be legally laid, and informing him that
both the Senate and the House had established
precedents that would hold him-the former III the
Treaty of Washington investigation, when the cor
respondents of The TRIBUNE were committed, and
the latter in the Stewart case last Winter-ad-
iOurned until Monday.
Much curiosity has been excited by Mr.. Latta'e
refusal to divulge the names of his principals in
these real estate specuatons but no one except the
editor of The Sunday Herald, the Democratic organ
of the Ring, seems to know anything about it, He
gives the following explanation i'll leading editorial
this morning:
now visited upon those who merely obey a national
Instinct plant stake in the Federal District Hence
che present resort for a trustee and his commercial
prudence withhold their secret until such time as the
people have charity and the press more decenoy
1t TO that passage where the trustee must
disclose the names of his principals or go to the coal
hole We presume Mr. Latta will 90.
This is the first confirmation of rumor which ii
mas never before been possible to trace 10 response
were admitted to the real estate pool" and that
their influence in favor of large appropriations 10
improve their own property thus obtained.
question has heretofore arisen to the power Of
Joint committee to compel a witness 10 answer
questions Mr. Wilson of Indiana will introduce in
the House tomorrow joint resolution giving 10
this District Committee this power, and move its
passage under a suspension of the rules.
The District Government got a heavy blow in the
House on Saturday. The action taken upon two
bills showed that large majority of the members
are so impressed with the evidence of extravagance
on the part of the District officials that lies under
ther eyes, and with the reports Of gigantic frauds
HBd widespread and systematic corruption and job
, very with which the air is filled in Washington,
hat they look with suspicion every measure ap-
% ppriating money to be expended here. A bin re-
po rted by the Committee making an appropriation
of SSOOOOO to build bridge across the eastern
bra uch of the Potomac, in place of the present
dila pdated structure which connects the city with
ahe village of Uniontown, was beaten in Committee
of use Whole on Friday, by striking out
the enacting clause. There was an
other chance 10 save il when il came
up in the House yesterday, and as there had been
but lit ale debate on j: the day before, its friends
tired b nd TO turn the tide of feeling by arguing
that tho Government owned the present bridge and
the land at both ends of it, and that the bridge fur
nished t. We only means of access to the Government
Insane A ylum and was now in dangerous con-
ditiOn. NJ this talk proved TO be whistling
Against tn wind" After a long debate, in which
eli the pe'~bes weTe in favor of the bill except
by Mr.. Hol nan, the House concurred in the action
of the Com uittee Of the Whole, and by a vote of
121 to "a finithed the process of killing the measure
by decapitati'n- Mr.. Holman spoke in severe terms
of the plausible pretexts which urged to increase
the expenditures of the Government in the District