The New York herald., 1874-12-30

account; / Know Mr. King personally; DO not re-
member seeing Mr.. King IN company with any
one; ne never renamed mere very long Anu was
MIR. Gage was then asked to make q Transcript
OF Mr.. Kings account to furnish 20 the COMMITTEES
and TO be appended TO his evidence
Mr. Gage then produced the hotel register, May
2s 1872 ana sad MI hing arrweu Az dihnea ha tiMe
Beck ana the other members Of the committee
then examined the signature SO as 20 compare 1t
Mr. John Roach, the wellknown shtpbuilder,
was then sworn. Mr.. John Roach asked permis
sion TO read a statement that he had prepared,
but the committee concluded to examine him.
Mr. Dawes conducted the examination: IL have
bee in t6e iron steamship building about three
years; / nave mad transactions with the Pacific
Mail Steam ship Company since the iall OF 1871;
was then building one vessel Tor them that was to
trade between mere and Asplnwall; l built two
vessels for them prior TO June !, 1872; had no
other TRANSACTIONS with them at that time; l had
ior a subsidy except what L saw in the daily
papers; do not think spoke to anybody about
NO of1cer OF the company asked me to atd them
in the passage OF that subsidy spoke 10 no
member OF Congress OH the subject; do not
know who was employed by them for that par
pose; never saw any money pass between any
individuals ior that purpose; ! know nothing
more than what rGmor attributed 70 Mr.. IRWIN;
nothing passed between myself and Mr.. Soockwell
about tue subsidy; upon close investigation In my
mind | think that Mr.. IRWIN came TO me and asked
me for some statistics OF the China trade that Is
All the connection have had with him; was in
then put some very direct questions that resulted
in eleciting the Information that before June. 1872,
Mr. Roach had no connection at all with the SUD-
sidy Mr.. Roach then said My dealings with the
present board have had nc connection with any
expenditures prior TO June, 1872.
The following ~ copy oil the statement pre-
pared by Mr.. Roach TO read 10 the committee. but
which tney were evidently not curious to hear:-
Mr.. RoACH's STATEMENT
Mr. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN OF rHK CoAMITTEE =
with your permisslon which have the honor to ask
statement Win direct reference 70 the sunlecl mater
species Of claim to such indulgence, in view Of the
ns s. ssa by s S d the qf
Pacific Mail steamship Company as the one obnoxious
tended victim my belief however that this state
Of mine % w be ,nS mot on e 9 me o the II se Sn
tee. while may possibly direct them 10 the asking Of
might propose without it
ws ,se, p .vs whns sSs hs ths0t e aSs ss M
he 10 the advocacy in pubic and private o. the doe
prosperiW % that we should build and own our own
q both aHs h and tins
subject SUBJ with ynuI present Chairman MT n pawes
a Of consideration This fact is OF value and per
aa ,s hs a. wReh m Of
Ssrond-I desire state, distinctly and finally, that
during the entire discussion OF the granting Of the sub
pa IN that dreey or nSreey and have
no knowledge that ever spoke on mat subject at hat
grsss, Neiiher aid nave any undsrstandng" as is
on Of M With us @ or r aens o % e Ths
Third-when the question Of granting the subsidy
law moi nsaded for the specific bensdt Of the
70 s @ as asg Ds The they
bidders under the terms Ct the law g srIy san
or at any SUBSEQUENT time, improper means have
Company Beisre Congress- sincerely hope and trust
that parties to the corrupt transactions arisng #
and punished ss they deserve have il my possession,
ment viii be in no way loser by now carrying our the
provisions OF the contract as made under ths law with
not inherited the original sln referred 10, should its
foarth-i have butt six vessels tor the Pacific Mail
steamship Company and have now in hand contracts
sells the contract was awarded 10 me in the and
@ sp n a. al s Ss
therefor am flly prepared to al answer; WEI, IN detail al
these contracts, for they have been falsely and mali
your com mittee Especially 90 deny and defy any
in sT Eu. Of the 70 q that sup
use thereof, entered into those contracts in any way
Fyth-I have by me, taken from my own books and
capable o. The uest the data Of
comparison with the prices actually received by me
y Il and eded much less ha
fair c9mmsrcia gain The ADVANTAGE 70 me IN building
that such thing s0nd nov Be done in this his eSanry
rapid and extended dsveiopmens Of American ship.
the act granting the subsidy SD in question
iaa sey % .aS assnss
' % S'' ws the nature and prospective
%sde ON The Pachc ana 5snevns that America had
Control is deveopment and knowins the same time
that the iron steamship was 70 be the inevitable ship Of
such construction enlarging my yards and making
own mind that would control the construction Of the
great fleet which plainly saw would be required The
ana glad that p. ns mus sn ss S 70 me II =,
the largest the extensive scale, and that
we cRn build them economically and we'll
in this way-that it compelled the Pacific Mail steam
no no oaSer man being to
at 70 do @ IN the @s
and manner haancialiy adapted = their pesaniary
city 10 and city Se we're s afss
constructed, everything in connection with these con
peculiar Of the ccmpanys affairs by the
, ~ h sd s 70 @. snch
down and that with It must be sunk large amount Of
The aspect Of things was indeed dscourasins tor these
snps sie sss - aneon5ss!ss sass hsn
ger through its difacuties the government would
any party able to oner them, and mortgaeed my own
private to ea,y out e. my plans all a. fae
very time the then President OF the company advised
mat The position have feld in ihis matter has been
during this tune a. have good reason to believe that
comb tion was male in the interest OF parties who
had made proposed to make short sales OF the com
pany's stock, and others to wreck the throw
IL into bankruptcy and give the Pacific trade over into
the hands OF foreigners Immediately after this how
ever-my own holcna on and making this effort 70 fin
ish the ships being the main in keeping the com
pany aye-the present directors came into power and
by their efforts the finances OF the company were put in
a better condition. Important sums OF money
covered after they had been apparently lost and these
enabled the company to make further payments on con-
suucton account
Tea h-Then came the more full development OF the
combination Of which have spoken and The present
rivalry by foreign snips and the Introduction OF Eu
capital supplemented BY an effort IN wash
to the acceptance Of the ships bv the
government overlooking the objects of the law and tire
purposes OF their construction, interposing the cchn
plea that the ships had not been completed within
the specified time. and throwing them back on the
companys hangs at a time when they were still largely
indebted 70 myself bill actually under consider
alton before OF the committees OF Congress putting
this proposed lection this technical plea into the
form OF law. was then in response TO letter from
Chairman that committee that hrst appeared in
Washn ton matter aid not appear before that
committee no we yer as an advocate company