New-York tribune., 1875-02-15
PACIFIC MAIL INIQUlTY.

PROCEEDINGS BEFORE IhE CO'"ii Ai''
TESTIMONY OF MR.. RUFUS HATCH-IhE Mio'H'"
MONEY AMOUNTS TO TWO MILLION poi1Aho-
MEssRs. IRWIN AND sToCKwELL DECLARED RE-
sPoNsIBIE FOR ITS ABSTRACHoN-Iio II"
CrPIENTs TO BE PROSECUTED.
WASHINGTON, Feb 13.-The Ways and Means
Committee after holding long private session TO-DAY
opcned their 1918 p and resumed the Pacno
Mail subsidy investigation.
Mr.. Rufus Hatch, being sworn and lnterroRaed as "
the alleged authorization by the Company OF MT
Irwins expenditures in Washington, responded Dy
reading a statement substantially as follows:
First as TO Mr. Twins allegation that he was acting
under contract with the Pacific Mail Company In DIS
transactions Washington, Mr. Hatch sao mat atef
careful and thorough examination OF all the books ana
records OF the Company he prepared 10 swear tbat
all OF Mr. Irwius evidence in tha respect aDsoiutes
false There never was any contract made by the Com
pauy any such character nor Was any contract wna
ever made by the Company with ar irwin. Ine eleIs
OF Mr. sockwel to Irwin quoted by the latter, showed
that the arrangement between Mr.. ckwcll and Irwin
individual and personal ana iDaue Ny 'hcm so'Hs
Alter calling aitento TO the fact that Mr. Irwin
failed produce copies Of his letters TO Mr. Se1ekwei
witness proceeded TO testify that lrwins W
the Company only those OF san trahclsco aRen.
at q salary OF $4,000 per year. ana th4t a9y 'aomps
OF Mr. Irwin 10 the contrary Is absolutely Iasc lhvoy
resolution authorizing Mr. Twins employment 10 "aeh-
ngton that adopted by the Executive COuimlltee,
Feb H. 1874 aud ratified by the Board Oh DefeUis V
the 2lst The sworn evidence Of Theodore J0hpsoh'
Secretary aud OF Messrs Billings Osnorne, baxter,
Cews and james d. Smith all directors o, to Co,n OH
pany at that time. proved that TINS resolution was
distinct unucrrtdn tndt
lied only the employment OF counsel, and tho tOia eh
pendlture exceedi $4,000, and THIS only Tor lee
mate purposes Mr. Irwin, therefore, cOOid not nave
acted counsel" and as mater oI i"et uoes no'
clam To have done so. ,,...
Mr. Hatcn desired TO swear OF his own knowledge that
Mr. Stockwel tIausacteds ms (otOckwe"Sl lhdviuual
business IN office OF the Company; Dr had ms pI-
vate clerk there, and IN the habt oi usS t3e C1
pany printed etter-neads Tor his private ctters WIZ
ness further testified that the aOstractOus from 'o
treasury OF the Company by Messrs StockweI anu ~
win amounted TO 1000; tnat they we're covered
by false cnt les sucn a. Tor instance enles VI "a
Harriet & Noyes and other bankers and brokers', ana
that tie Company, the nab OF lending money
there was Uothu in these false entries 10 atdct dlteh
ton or awaken The suspicion OF the directors hc pro,
ceeded to state that there was no Jaw paSsea sGa
by Congress III 1872 granting SUBSIDY 10 i .no
Pacific Mail Company; thar the general appropra
ton bl contained clause authorizing the Postmaster
General TO invite proposals ior the , S,ir G
that on 9th Of June the proper advertisement, was
made that the Pacific Mall Company was inc sucoessiu u,
bidder aud it awarded the contract on tue 19In oi
August 1922 furthermore that owing to some ecbbIeal
requirement contract to the same enc, was Mo
between the Government and the Company, Ia Mar H.
i873 That on the faith Of this contract the
Company has been and Is stu performing
it has n0t. up to the present time, received
dollar therefo and that it has constructed arI
$2sOOCO both OF which have been ms ertcd and ac'
cepted Oy the Government as IN every way comIoin @
capable Of being taken by the Government Ihemseses
for naval purposes in case OF war ihe Compans mas
also expended s375O00 in the parlal construction ol
three other vessels the class ana fos the same
service and viii have expended when tney are COM
az cnncnsn, of the reading OF THIS written
meut Mr. Hatch was interrogated Uy the Chhrman anu anu
various members the Committee Oh various points.
being hr,t asked whether he nau any hhoweuto o VI
more money having been brought to Washington tnah
MIR IRWIN had tIed to. He responded tnat nc nau
no know 0fsny money having Dee Drought 70 th
nothing of the kind and he had no knowledge that
paid to any memper Ol CohGless Oa oe &
atOr when he swOre that Nj. rwlh's testimony was
absolutely false he meant that 50 far as the BOOKS ana
records OF the Company were cOuCeIueu lhey sho"eu
notGIne whatever 70 sustain It, and be convinced
II.
were Besides TINS ne could itler asdiu W the
testimony OF all the various i,u
contradcoy to IrwIns statements essential paftcu'
lars. Being que STONED as to Mr. sanuti " naen, WIZ
testified that he never suggested OK anew VI MS MS
employ ment by Messrs. Irwin or stoekwe had no re-
ation with him, ana would be happy 70 nave hls l"t-
ness') books examined TO corrooorae Ms satemenus @
lie was 'thorOuehDred" gentleman OF kentucky, Out
not relative OF the witness. In regard 70 the %
Stockwe, witness swOre that nothing Whatever was
paid by Mr.. siockwell TO replace tue $4,000 r AZ,
Under the Iatrer's demand that 1t must be
Fac settlement related solely sl,oJoOOo, which
Mr.. stockwen owed the Company, a'!e IGSn inc Tue
$l5OOCO The abstraction or thls SooOW was
not tnen known by the Company, ana was not
discovered until some time alterwdId having De1n
conclusion Mr. Hatch swore, in response 10 Question
pat by MI NIhack, that he derived no personLI pehen
tnaI he had ever directly or indirectly from
the Pacific Mail Steamship Company dollar Osyo hs
regular salary. The Committee theu adJourhtu'
Tie following sefexplanatory letter LAS Ooeh "ri''eh
and delivered to-day: ,ro. r., "a 1s7,
,,px BE,I o.q Attorney and Pacye Mad SsdD-
ship company. .,,.-. .,.u... n.uo.
DyA SIR without delay notify 70 each snd eVesy person
o.e pam having received sy pit OF mo
non.v tom Pacific Mail steamship COMPANY D A. D.
Scsel and one Richard B rsin While they tmcI Oh SAD
cmnpy that certified adm'td TO have been
Company All
means krown Law immediate sld po ~ esHen
Very truly yours, r-.-. or.lsb h's' s "a = "a
During private session of the Committee on ways
and Means to-day, the advsaoilty o reproducing tno
testimony Mr., Dillon, the former ooOhkeeper oI tno
Serreant.at Arms, was discussed II was deehied, IA
view OF certain current statements anectg empeis ot
former Congress- and IN order TO COMPLETE the record
in the subsidy examination 10 reproduce the tesumODy
either by temeDt OF the witness or on neorahu
HIS testimony two years ago was destroyed az
hi. request Committee at the time not considering
II as having an essential bearing on tue question: IL
uii be recolIeeod that Sergeantat-Arms Ordway re.
Gently requested that Dillon be resumhone and stated
that nj books do not that even dollar Dad beeh
naId m or through his office to influence legislation
A. H. Whiting is now Ia Washington ana ready 70 tes
tfy before the Committee oi ways anu Nican''