New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-02-01
PACIFIC MAIL CORRUPTION.

| ACCOUNTANT. IRWIN, RECALLED, STICKS TO
his FORMER TESTIMONY.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 30.-The Ways and
Means Committee resumed the Pacific Mail Subsidy
| investigation at II o'clock yesterday morning
Mr.. James ID. Smith, who is and has been since
1871 dill OF Inc Pacific Mail Steamship Company,
recalled, and explicitly contradcted the statements
made by Mr.. Irwin last Wednesday. imputne TO him
some knowledge OF Twins employment by Mr. Stock
well and Twins receipt expenditure OF money.
Witness that having been introduced to IRWIN at
tho Pacific Mail Companys office 10 1872, he requested
Irwin to drop IN time when passing his Office as he
wished to inquire about some matters In California
OF personal interest TO him which he thought Irwin
might know about; Irwin camo In within few
days; he did not state to witness that be
had had disagreeable interview with Stockwel, nor
did he state TO witness any facts regarding money!
neither OF these subjects was alluded to. witness
said spoke TO Irwin except these two occa
sions never exchanged word with him upon the sub
ect ofhis business Washington expenditures Of
money; knew heard that large sums OF money
were spent in Washington elsewhere by Irwin untll
months afterwards in short all Twins statements IN
regard to their interview far he Smith was con-
cerned, were entire fabricaOns.
In response to a series OF questions, witness further
testified that when Stockwe proposed TO the Executive
Committee the resolution authorizing him (ooekweD
employ counsel and eXpeDd SUCH money as might pc
necessary present the In Washington, he 5mithl
remarked to him, "YOu can't expect expend more
tkan 5000 on this authority" and Sockwell replied
that the expenditure contemplated by him might DC
5000 sGOO0 but would certainly rot exceed $1,000
and that this would he paid out for counsel ees MOTEL
bills. the preparation or statistics. &c n"ckWeh re,
peated these statements TO the IOard OF Directors ana
il was with this understanding that tho action OF the
Executive Committee was ratified by them; any ana
all other expenditures made entirely without the
knowledge consent OF the Board OF Directors, or as
far as witness knew, OF any one OF them. -, H..
MI Beck questioned tho witness at length regarding
the duties and responsibility of the Executive Commit
tee aud the Board OF Directors ana witness explained
that the financial Affairs OF tue Company were managed
by tho President ana Treasurer, which he beloved was
generally the Gaze IN corporations; ana III response 10
further crOssquestOning as 10 the meaning or the Ieo
luton adopted at stockwelPs instance, put 20 M.
Beck the following question do you thlhh
that you would have been authorized under thS reso-
luton to expend $4,000 4"
Mr. Beck replied he certainly would not; UhereupOh
the witness remarked that tuat exactly tAe view
which he thought ANYBODY would take Of IT, In conciu
sion. lie swOre hatIrwin was never known TO the Hoard
In any other capacity OF employ than as san fEau
n G. Oriway, scrgeant-st Arms Of the House OF Rep
resenatves. then sworn, and being asked BY tho
chairman il he had thing to throw night on tnls nves
1872, proceeded To mako statement suDs2 atiay
as follows: He Of the opinion tnat his deposit ledger
should be considered and treated precisely a5 DtnAei
ledger and that investigating committees should Gesg
the accounts 10 which the evidence developed
seemed to Oh oYcrhauh INC accOits % cS
erybOdy But aside from this general question or propr
ETY. he had objection whatever to produce, as e now
did, complete record or every nuAhClal tIahfHcO ~
his office. ia order TO assist the Committee De hsd ue
careful examination OF every credit to members OF Con-
gross during tho months vi May and june l372 and
found that Only - members mace deposits o aIy lh5
than sCo and that neither of these two mem bers voted
entry $1,000 10 the credI OF any member during tneso
two months, and VI the oher depo3tOrs tho amounts
posed in the regular Of business for collection
lie therefore stated 30 most positive manner tnat
hefgosot'. .tISs "a 49," n W and Ne,
TIE Committee howe CT, al perfect
liberty to examine the books for themselves.
ME-. Ordway also swore that there has never been TO
b,a kuou cd re dollar OF
OF Congress through MS office 10 influence lst-
ZION during the IL years ne Office. In addi-
tonai yerlcaton Of his state mens lie quoted The testi
mony Moses Dillon, mis- former b0Okkeeper, gwen
before the CROFT Mobier Committee to the effect tnat
there had never bceu any money received and dspdgScG
I'm the office. cxcept in the open way
shown by books and also suggested that his present
bookkscper bo eX Imined On the same pOuts
Mr. Beck remarked that the public might as vel
know that tbs mater had been placed IN the nIndi OF
subcommittee headed by Mr.. Burchard, ana had been
The Chairman corroborated this and added tnat II
might as0 be wei to permit Mr.. Ordway to state what
efforts had been made by MIN TO secure "n D. hins as
Mr. ward Ironically said no hoped the purpose Of
wing tins statement would not be understood to be to
satisfy people outside OF the COMMITTEE tAat they were
MI Nblack also objected to the proposed statement.
m IL were made. he thought he would himself
ask TO he put upon the stand. IL had been for II
brought III contact with certain cass OF newspaper
men directors OF corporations and LOBBY Influences and
"a he was now about 20 OF Congress he wanted
put on record ms contempt for the fear which such IN
hnences seemed capable OF inspiring He dl not want
tbe Committee stand auterng before the breeze like
a set Of babies lRenewed aughterl TIE matter was
therefore dropped.
Richard b. Irwin then recalled, and after having
asked for a reading Of Smiths testimony this morning
concerning their interview, declared that according to
lis recollection every word In hls Urwn') testimony
was strictly true. He thought he had told Smith
enough to enable him 70 follow up tho matter.
The Chairman then Informed Irwin that the Com
mittee had at its meeting yesterday decided to
allow Mr. Clark Bell, counsel for the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company. TO ask him such questions as they
might find unOtj ectionable.
Mr. Beck expressed surprise at this permission. and
said IL he had been present Mt the meeting he would
have objected to 1t or to any similar request from any
Mr. Bell then asked Irwin large number OF questions
among them. what no wrote TO Siockwe to Graw out,
and he said in his letter OF February c. Irwin
ped his letter to Stockwe probably related 80 the
subsidy business there statement regarding the
ter OF the OF February from stockwell, Irwin
piled him next DAY. saying he should want 100000;
he had 40 copy OF his letter. he first asked Stoekwe for
100000 and received s25OO0 aud he not only Obtained
this bat the remainder Of that amount in addition
10 sl50,0O0 his understanding was, from converse
tious with S:Ockwel that StOckwell to pay the
expenses in Washington attending the procuring OF the
subsidy between the time OF the passage or the b and
the award OF the contra6. carrying the mails to the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company. But the agreement
between Stockwe AID himself was not ihat Stockwei
shoud pay out OF bis own pocket. Irwin thought he
paid Samuel A. latch than SCI 600 AZ the time OF
Tia conversation with Stoekwe on the 23d OF May tho
Pacific Mail subsidy was virtually agreed upon,
although tue bill had not finally passed. lts passage was
on May n 49, and 1t received the PreFhenF slaGa-
ture on June or q but Sochwel did not wait for the
hill to ONE the subsidy was secured out he
pJMsi MI Dawes asked Irwin what he meant by stating
that the Postma ster Ceneral would be bold to
award the contract II ihe bad not been paid by
stockwel. Irwin replied as on previous Day that II
The money had paid those disappointed IN not
reeeiyng 10 would procured investigation as 10
the means by which the subsidy was obtained
The Committee then took till o'clock. After
racess Mr. Bell resumed the examination OF Mr. Irwin,
VINO among other things said he had prepared state
men1 o! his expenditures for Me- StOckwe, but which
he StOckwelD SEEM that statement, II now In
exstence either at his house or office IN San Fran
cisco: IL was separate piece Of paper; ne could not
saw he could produce the paper; Stockwe told nun III
Europe he had Returned 100000 10 the Paelne Mail Oon
paDy. ., -. ...,., go, al,