National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-02-19

Gentlemen oThs Coanfffss-
In New York you suggested that the proper
way for the company was to wait until the eyf.
dence Of Mr.. Irwin had been concluded and also
the evidence In the case, before the evidence In
behalf Of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company
was closed.
Aswe have had no control over this inyestir A.
ton, acting under and upon the suggestions of
the committee, after having heard the evidence
which has already been produced, respectfully
submit, as managing director and executive on.
Ger Of the company, the following facts:
!. In reference to the allegation Of MI Richard
B. Irwin that he was acting under a contract
with the Pacific Mail Steamship Company in the
transactions in Washington which he relates, 1
caused to be made a careful and thorough examI-
nation Of the books and records of that company,
in that connection is absolutely false; that there
never was any contract of employment on the part
r. B. Irwin in regard to the fegisIation By Con.
gress Of any character whatever.
Mr.. Irwin submits three letters from A. B.
| airy 13, and May 1, 1872.
2 The letter of February 10, lsz2 was written
| before the action Of the executive committee
authorizing the employment Of counsel BY the
| company, and is statement Of the actual terms
| Of the contract between Richard B. Irwin acting
| in his own behalf with Mr. Alden B. StoeSWsItf
| individually, to which the Pacific Mail Steam,
| snip company was not party, either directly or
The checks inclosed were the personal or indi-
| vidual checks of Mr.. A. b. StockWell and not
the property of the Pacific Mail Steamship Com
This is the only one of all the letters which de-
nne the term OF the contract and show 1t to be an
| INDIVIDUAL engagement on the part Of A. B.
| Stockwell with Richard B. Irwin, acting In their
individual capacity, and 1t eonclusively shows
Mail Steamship Company, which 1t did not pur-
port to be.
Neither Of these letters ere the letters Of the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company. All Of them
are, and purport TO be, the individual letters of
| Mr., Alden B. StockWell. There is no ratification
GERS of the company either directly or Indirectly;
neither were theRe letters or the Contract ever
attention Of the Board Of Directors Of The Psei6e
MAI Steamship Company. There are no copies
thereof or of either Of said letters of any con
tract whatever on the books of the company or
record Of the same, Of any kind.
g. .; MT; Irwin falls to produce another letter
have received in answer to Mr.. TWINS letter of
l4th February, 1872 Neither does Mr.. r. B, IT.
win produce any Of the letters which he (Irwin)
claims to have written to Mr.. A. b. Stockwell In
regard to the subject Of the contract made with
Mr.: a. b Stoekwell individually, nor does he
After careful search through the letter.
DOCKS and files of the company, 1 am able |
to state positively that there are no
this subject between the Pacific Mail Steamship |
Company and Mr.. r. B. Irwin, and that there |
and the Pacific Mail Steamship Company except |
as furnished heretofore, and ut page 9ls and ZIG |
Mr.. Richard b. Irwins relations to the com. |
lany were simply those Of an agent at San Fran |
cisco, at salary of $4,000 per year, |
employment from the Pacific Mail Steamship
Company during the year 1872 whatever and MS |
statements to the contrary are absolutely false
The statements Of Mr.. Irwin that any arrange.
ment was made between Mr.. StockweIi, as presi.
dent Of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company
val NkN H.
thority Of the board of directors, as testified to
by him on pages 95, &C. 81, g. 90 and following Of
the printed testimony, and that he should come
TO Washington and get the subsidy, or that his
IapsAetions In Washington were In any way
authorized y that company; are absolutely false.
Of the company, and swear positively that no such
authority was given BY the company in any man.
contract Of the character he describes. The only
resolution authorizing the employment OF any
person BY, the company was the resolution
mittee, Of which the following is a copy!
"ReSClved, That the president, in his discre-
uon, is hereby authorized to employ counsel and
necessary in connection with the measures for
ADDITIONAL subsidy now pending before Con-
Which action of the executive committee was
subsequently, ratified, on the 2lst Of February, |
Hiyss 70 sntSortx 20 npS oS. resolution
70 make any sucR contract or employment, and
in this connection Esfsr to the evidence Of the
/
a.
o. P. c. Billings, on pages e2s to Us.
Chas. ]. Osborne, on pages 227 to rs.
H. II. Baxter, on pages % to 81.
Henry CleWs, on pages 256 to 25S.
Jas. D. Smith, on pages 81 to SO, and testimony |
who positively state under oath that It was un-
derstoOd both in the executive committee and in
upon the subject, that the amount to be expended
under this resolution should not exceed 10000,
and that only for the legitimate purposes therein
tract between A, b. St0ckWen and Richard B. |
Irwin was made.
That resolution gave Mr. stockwellno author.
b. Irwin was not an attorney, and could not have
acted as counsel for the company, and does not |
claim that he acted as attorney or counsel and |
never was employed as such or his employment
authorized by the company.
IT iS Well;knoTn fact, and state It Of my own
knoWiedge, that Alden B. St5ckWell, during the
wear IS,- and while be vas the president OF the
Pacific Mall Steamship Company, had his private
otfce in the office Of the company, at 50 and 81 ,
Wall street, and transacted his personal and in
diViduaI business in the office of the Pacific Mail
Company; that he had his private
dividuai business and that he was in the habit of
using the printed letter-hesds Of the company for
writing letters in regard to his Individual bust
l state as fact positively that the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company never authorized the sx- |
penditure Of one dollar in money for the purpose
Of corruptly influencing Congress or for any IL
legal or improper purpose in connection with the
legislation Of 1872, and that the only authority
diture of any money whatever in connection with {
that legislation was that authorized by the reso-
which was strictly Legitimate and proper.
The allegation and pretense on the part of Mr..
Irwin that in the transactions he has related, or
tngton, that be represented the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company directly or Indirectly, wish
to state positively as MANAGING director and ex;
examination Of the most thorough kind Of the
books and papers Of that company, that all his
in that respect are absolutely false
and without any shadow Of truth.
Mr. Irwin in his evidence before this committee
tfscen maze hste sOs tba Pansc MAI
Company and A. B. StockWell, its late president,
Of which he conceded he knew nothing OF his own
positively that his statements and all his insin-
uRtions in that connection are absolutely and un-
At the commencement Of this investigation and
when was first before this committee as q wit
ness, was not aware Of the extent and msgni-
pany BY these two men-Alden B. Stockwell and
Richard b. Irwin.
upon the subject BY the evidence taken by this
committee, / can now state that the amount OF |
money actually distracted from the treasury Of
the company by Alden B. StockWell and Richard
b. Irwin, during the administration OF Mr.. Stock
well, exceeded the sum Of $500, 900. These
various distractions were covered by false and
irregular entries OF various kinds.
No part Of the moneys distracted by R. B. IT.
win, the amount Of which he first stated to be
S75OOoO, and last stated by him to be 5000 900,
Ss25, 900, were embraced in the settlement between
the company and Mr.. Stockwell. Neither were
certain other large distractions by him settled,
as the officers we're not at the time aware Of the
nature Of the distractions, their amount, nor the
method Of their concealment by false entries on
the books Of the company, and have only recently
discovered them.
10 explain what have observed was not well
understood In the minds Of certain members Of
this committee, and to correct an evident misap-
prehenson and false impression in regard to
members Of the board Of directors under the
StoekWell administration in 1879, when these alb
stractions were principally made, wish TO state
that the entries upon the books Of the company
were so made that an examination Of the books Of
the company by director or by an auditing COM |
mttee In the usual or ordinary discharge OF their
duty, would not have discovered or detected |
them. The entries made on the books Of the com. |
pany to cover the transaction of the 1850 600 Of
money which Mr.. Irwin received on May q, 1872, |
were so made that If they had been seen upon the |
books Of the company BY any director examining
the books, they would have appeared to be in the |
usual transaction Of the company's business, and
would not have given rise ordinarily to any sus-
picion.
nm. |