The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-03-03

Tense, baGQed mercy at the hands of the COM
mittee, and asked to be allowed to resign. To
this not even the Republican members were
inclined to listen.
About 10 o'clock this morning, Secretaries
Belknap, Bristow and Chandler, and Senators
Morton and Morrill, called on the President.
The subject discussed was the resignation of
Secretary Belknap, and Chandler then pro-
ceeded to the War Department
WASHINGTON March 2-The evidence shows
that Caleb P. Marsh made the bargain with
the late wife of Secretary Belknap, and paid
the money to her. After her death the money
went direct to the Secretary, the last payment
being for the quarter ending December, 1875.
A rumor that Belknap had killed himself
grew out of the reported colloquy between
him and the President. The Secretary said
he thought he would have killed himself
The President replied, 81 wish you had
Marsh was not willing witness. He was
brought here in custody.
The following is given as the origin of the
Belknap investigation: While in search for
house for his family in December, Hon. B. B.
Lewis, of Alabama. was referred to G. A.
| Armes, real estate agent in this city.
During their search for house, Mr.. Armes.
in conversation, stated to MI. Lewis that he
had formerly belonged to the army, but was
dismissed through the enmity of Belknap;
that if he had the assistance Of member of
Congress he would in sixty days develop facts
that would force Beiknap to resign. Mr..
Lewis rendered his assistance, and they SUBJ
sequently had several interviews.
Mr.. Lewis usht the advice of Mr.. Ran.
dali, who advised that the facts be brought
before Mr.. Clymer, Chairman Of the Commit
tee on Expenditures in the War Department.
Lewis and Armes saw Clymer, and the latter
e IL.
Afterwards Clymer thought Armes was acting
in bad faith, as the Secretary said Armes had
proposed if he was restored to the army and
certain other conditions complied with, he
would drop the matter.
Lewis said if Armes was seeking only to
levy black mail, of course they could have
nothing to do with it, but advised as Armes
had furnished the names of witnesses, that
they be called and examined, which was done
WASHINGTON, March 2.-The President, in
conversation with friends tonight, stated
emphatically that he was not aware of the
enormity of the charges against Belknap at
the time he rendered and the President &C.
cepted his resignation. From the hurried |
and incoherent manner Of Belknap's commu- |
nication to him, the President drew the con-
clusion that Mrs. Belknap, and not her hus-
band, was the guilty party, and that the Gen. |
eral assumed the responsibility and censure |
in order to shield his wife.
Although he did. not inform the President |
that he was actually guilty himself, he con-
fessed he was not free from blame. The |
President says if he had known the full meas
ure of Belknaps guilt, he would not have
yielded so readily to Belknap's appeal in ac-
ceptag the resignation in the mild terms he
did; but would have demanded that the
official relations between them should imme-
diately cease, and that Bslknap should at
once vacate his Office and take all the conse-
quences of his official misconduct.
The President had no suspicion up to 10
o o'clock to-day that Belknap's official conduct
was the subject of investigation, and nothing
could have occasioned him more surprise
than the communication made to him by Bel
KNAPP himself at the time he presented his
written resignation.
WASHINGTON, March 2.-The Senate Post.
Office Committee heard Geo. Jones, of the
New York. Times, in opposition to change
in the present newspaper postage as mailed
from publication Offices.
WASHINGTON, March I'm the Senate Mr..
West presented joint resolutions of the Louis
lana Legislature relative to stocking the wa
ters of that State with fish. Referred to the
Committee on Agriculture.
NoM1NAT1oNs.-Charle s. English, Collec-
tor of Customs. Georgetown, D. c.; Robert
VI. Wallace, United States Marshal, South
Carolina. |