New-York tribune., 1875-01-16
THE PACIFIC MAIL SCANDAL
AN UNSATISFACTORY INVESTIGATION.

AN UNSATISFACTORY INVESTIGATION.
SUSPICION THAT MAJORITY OF THE COMMITTEE
IS DETERMINED TO PROTECT CORRUPT CON-
GREssMEN-INoURY STOPPED WHEN 1T LEADS
TO EITHER HOUSE AND PRESSED WHEN 1T LEADS
IN OTHER DIRECTIONs-THE SUPPRESSION or
INTERESTING TESTIMONY DURING PREVIOUS
INvEsTIGATION
fBr TELEGRAPH TO THE rRTBUNE.l
WASHINGTON Jan. 15.-The Committee on Ways
and Means intends, it is understood. to examlno
only two or three additional witnesses In the racine
Mail corruption Investigation before closing the
testimony and preparing its report to the HOuSe.
There are many circumstances connected with
the manner in which this Investigation has
been conducted from the beginning which lead
to the suspicion that majority of the Committee
| is determined at all hazards to prevent
any facts in regard to the bribery of members of
Congress from coming to tho public. Time ana
again the evidence has led us to the very doors OF
Congress, and there it has been stopped while, as
soon as a professional lobbyist. or a man who uses
the cloak Of the journalist TO his real business
is secured IS witness the investigation has been
pushed with unrelenting vigOr. Never was this
unjust discrimination moro strikingy illustrated
than IN the examination Of Col. Donn Piatt this
morning. He testified few days ago that he bad
borrowed the 5000 he received Of Col. Irwin, ana
that it had been paid back by friend. AT that
time he refused to give the name Of that friend To-
day hc testified that it was paid by Mr.. WIN. N.
Thompson, who at the tins owed him $4,000,
and lent him $1,000 moro. He also produced
his bank account, and showed that he
had used tho money for tho current expenses OF his
newspaper and his family. He told the Committee
that Mr. Thompson had nothing to do with the Pa
clc Mail question: and that his own relations with
Eho inv IL
CATION. Not satisfied with this the Committee
pressed the witness much further, and attempted
to learn all the particulars in regard to Col Piat's
private relations with Mr. Thompson, Mr. Thonpson's
business in Washington at the time, aud put many
other questions which had no relation whatever to
the Pacific Mail subsidy
This was not the way in which this same Com
mittee treated Richard C. Parsons few days ago
After making his statement as to the receipt of
money. Mr. Parsons admitted that he bad been
engaged in speculations in the stock of
the Company with Mr. Stockwell before,
during and since tho time of the pendency of the
Subsidy bill and when some one asked him the
amount Of those speculations. he replied that those
were details of his private business into which the
Committee would not like to CO. and no member OF
the Committee questioned HIM further. although
every ono present know from rumor at
of cOrrupting men is by carrying stock for
them. Without asserting whether Mr. Parsons
carried stock for any one else or not, 1t IS well
known that all the money spent in Washington to
secure the passage of the subsidy might have been
used in that way. Again, during the sessions in
New-York the Committee obtained several clews
which it has not followed. Why has it not
called Mr. Whitney and ex-senator Cole, and asked
them about the money they receivedl Norris this all
When the matter was under investigation by
the came Committee in the last Congress- one of the
witnesses was Mr. Dillon. at that time clerk and
acting cashier in the Office of the ScrgeantatArms.
He testified that about the time the corruption
money was disbursed here, q number OF members of
Congress brought him $1,000 notes to be changed
He kept list of these, and produced
it before the Committee. That testimony
has not only been suppressed, but the
Committee Notwithstanding it was given under
oath voted not to consider it as evidence. Why
does not the Committee call Mr. Dillon and examine
the books of the Scrgeant-at-Armsf Does 1T intend
TO shut down on all clew5 which lead into either
House. while il follows to the end those which lead
in other directiOnsf