New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-09
THE PACIFIC MAIL INQUIRY.
EXAMINATION OF REPRESENTATIVES, PAR
SONS AND SCHUMAKER.

| Suns AND bCHUMAkER
Mr.. PARSONS MAKES A STATEMENT OF HIS CoNNEC-
TON WITH THE COMPANY-TuE MONEY PAID
| HIM FEB FOR LEGAL sERvICEs-NO MONEY
| PAID TO ooNGREssMEN TO HIS KNOWLEDGE
MR. scHUMAKER's EXAMINATION DIsoREpITABLE
| TO HuMsEIE-HE DECLINES TO ANSWER CUES
TONS ON THE GROUND OF PROFESSIONAL
| HoNoR-THE SUM OF S265 600 PROVED 10 HAVE
BEEN DIsBURsED BY HIM.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNBl
WASHINGTON, Jan. 8.-The Pacific Mail inquiry
| before the Ways and Means Committe is continued
| slowly. and if the Committee conscientiously
aud vigorously pushing the matter to the end they
| have strange way of showing it. Their sessions
| each day are about an hour an hour and half
long. and the witnesses allowed the utmost lati
| tude in their statements and fiji the reports
with negative and irrelevant matter. II the inves-
| tigation is to be continued in the manner.
the prospects of finishing it at the present session
are very slight 1t is hardly to be supposed that the
Committee seeks to delay and Obstrct the inquiry.
and yet II such was their object they could scarcely
pursue moro successful course If the same course
is continued, there need be no hope that the Com
mittee will have time to bestOw the current bust
ness OF the session, unusual amount Of which is
already upon their calendar.
Two witnesses were examined to-day Representa-
tives Parsons and Schumacher. The former read
written statement. in which he gave at length his
connection with the Pacific Mail subsidy matter
and made o in favor of himself which impressed
the Committee strongly. He was employed by
StOckwe the former President of the company,
whose attorney he had been for many
years. to assist in obtaining the increased
subsidy. His duties consisted in obtaining statis-
tics, writing arguments aud in visiting Congress
men aud urging the wisdom of the subsidy. He
was not at the time member of Congress, but was
a Marshal of the Supreme Court, and had, as he
thought, q right to practice bis profession as
lawyer. HIS statement and cross-examination
were frank and open, and he affirmed
in the most earnest manner that he
never paid member of Congress dollar; that he
never knew Of a dollar being paid that he was
never consulted by Irwin anybody else as to the
expenditure of money in Washington or elsewhere,
to secure the subsidy and no facts In his cross
examination developed in contradiction OF his
words. Besides the receipt of pretty heavy fee for
little work, Mr. Parsons, by his statement, seems
to have been guiltess of any serious Oense. The
Committee did not pursue the inquiry far enough to
learn of Mr. Parsons stock transactions in connec-
ton with the Pacific Mail. He said he dealt in the
stocks af the Company before the subsidy was sug-
| gested, while it pending and since
| its passage, and had had transactions with
Mr.. Sockwell, but these were his private affairs,
| and he supposed the Committee did not desire to
inquire into them 1t has been suggested that the
| carrying of stocks by the Company fayorite
way it had for the payment of obligations aud that
in some cases large profits realized ON the rise
of the stock after the subsidy passed. Mr.. Par
s0ns's fees in full tor services and expenses were
| $135OO.
The examination Of Mr. Schumacher, while it was
| very amusing was most trivial and dlscreditabie
OH bis part lacking alike in personal dignity and in
| respect for the Committee. moro evasiye and
| loquacious witness is rarely seen, and from the
manner in which he persisted in misunder-
standing the questions, and in answering ques-
lions that were not asked, and his adroitness
in turning from the point subordinate fact,
it was plain be that his experience at the
bar and in Congress had not been lost upon him. 1t
early to be seen that it was not his purpose to
help the Committee in tracing the eorruptions of
the Pacific Mail. lie at once admitted the
RECEIPT of S275OOO from Irwin, but
said that he retained only about
$1,000 Of the money for himself Ho too, had been
counsel for the Company and when any question
calculated to bring out anything was asked him. he
answered that it was confidential transaction
or communication between client and coun-
sci. His object quickly seen. He regarded
everybody as q client from whom he received
money was also client This fact clearly
established by his examination, namely, that he
disbursed S2Gj 900 of the corruption fund. lie said
he took the S275.OO0 check to the Brooklyn Trust
Company to have it broken up, and he gave direc-
tons that it should be forwarded in smaller sums
to his clients i'll New-York. BY some mistake. 1t
would appear to be not n very slight one, he was
credited with Sl25,OOO of the money, but this he
subsequently paid out in personal checks of his own.
He went to the Office Of the Trust Company and
Endorsed three checks of $4,000 each. and directed
them to be sent to his clients in New-YOrk One of
them however, he subsequently brought to Wash
ington and had it cashed By Riggs & Co., the
proceeds Of which he disbursed as directed
by his client. When he first took the
stand he acknowledged that he had been the cOun-
sci of Irwin, of StOckwell, and of the Pacific Mail
Company, but he refused TO indicate the names of
his other pretended clients. Just before the time
for the adjournment arrived, he announced with
quite flourish that he would stand for the prn-
cpes of honor and keep the secrets of his clients if
he had to walk out of Congress suffer any other
punishment.
His examination was not finished and he will
probably take the stand tomorrow If he persists
in his refusal, if Albert still declines to tell what
he did with the S125,OO0 the S150,000 which he
dlsbursed, and if VIM S. King continues to keep out
of the way and keeps to himself the secrets of the
S115 which he received. then The investigation is
at standstill Albert will be examined tomorrow,
when he promises either to tell without any delay
or take the consequences
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IN EARTHQUAKE STORY EXPLAINED