New-York tribune., 1875-01-19
PACIFIC MAIL INQUIRY.
TIE EXAMINATION OF MIR. REID.

THE EXAMINATION OF MR.. REID.
A LARGE GATHERING or OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
or MODES OF PUSHING THE INvEsTIGATIoN-Pos-
RIBILITEs ABOUT JUDGE PIERREPoNrs TEsn-
MoNY-ANNoYANCE or MEMBERS or THE COM
MrrrRE AT BEING CONNECTED DY GOSSIP WITH
PACIFIC MAIL FAYORs.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1S.-At no time since tho
Pacific Mail investigation began, has there been so
large gathering Of Journalists and other interested
spcctators in tho Ways and Means Committees
room as gathered there this morning to listen to tho
testimony of Mr.. Whitelaw Reid, the Editor Of THE
TRIBUNE The manner in which Col. DOnn Patt
was treated by the Committee when he was
last examined q few days ago, led many
10 believe that some members Of it at
least were disposed to treat any journalist
whom they could have under examination with
,special severity asking them all sorts of irrelevant
sucstions. and attempting to make them appear to
the worst possible advantage. 1t was also known
that the present directors of the Pacific Mail Com
panv would take advantage OF the occasion to make
es ouch caital for themselves possible and it was
not known how far the Committee, in conduct
ing the examination. would be guided by their
suggestions. The examination in chief was
conducted by Mr. Dawes and from the
hrst his manner and bearing toward the witness.
and the spirit m which he put his question, showed
that all suspicious that the Committee intended TO
treat Mr. Reid other than fairly were wholly un-
founded. or course nobody expected that Mr.. Reid
had any personal knowledge Of the use of the cor
rupton money. since that would have been impos-
sbe but be did have a considerable fund Of infor-
nation which he had received at second hand and
which will, without doubt assist the Committee iu
pushing their investigation further than they other
wise could have done HIS statement of what he
of lulgn llpIrg
points testimony might be, and his designation OF
witnesses who would be able TO give the Committee
further facts caused considerable sensation During
the private discussion IL the Committee which fol-
lowed the public session, this subject came up again.
aud SIr Reid sajd. when the question Of telegraph
ipr for Can't Bradbury was raised. that lie thought
Bradbury was q sqnaTe man, and would come
II he could but added that the moro immediately
important matter seemed 70 him to b. to get the
evidence Of Jadgo Pieuepout. If the story of the
witness he had named was true, 70 the effect that
Pcrrepout recommended payment Of the additional
g., 900 which King had demanded, then he tflerre-
ponu onght be able to give his reasons for recon-
mcndiuZ such a payment how he thought II had
been earned and how he thought the previous pay
mcnts to the same man had been earned.
Another interesting point in the testimony was
when the Committee extorted from Mr.. Reid the
names Of the two Of its own members who
had been connected hy gossip with the Pacific Mail
affair. The Committee relieved Mr. Reid from any
suspicion Of having volunteered these names but
the two members referred to seemed to be not
little annoyed at the mention of their names Mr
Woods face at once became highly flushed, and
when he cross-examined the witness he seemed to
be considerably angry. In reply to the questions
put by Mr.. Dawes after his name bad come out, Mr.
Held denied ever having said that he suspected
hun; and that seemed to satisfy the Chairman OF
the Committee.