The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-02-14
The Significance Of President Grants
Deposition Discussed.
SERVICE AND Mr.. RANDALL.
The Charge Of Selling the Arneri-
can Flag Inquired Into.
FROM OUR SPECIAL coRREsPoND DENT.

THE BABcocK CAsE-KNows OF no CoRRUP-
TON FUND FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES.
The Presidents testimony was not it is said to-day
entirely satisfactory Babcock's counsel It
Is asserted that they expected him to give full explain
atons Of the published kilograms but that he said only
that the explanation made to HIM satisfactory,
without indicating what it He either did not re-
member 1t or he had for not making it known
His testimony to character as strong
as General Babcock could desire AS to the various
dispatches which had appeared he had little knowledge
OF them. One or two had been sent by his order To
sum all up the President was asked if the amount Of
his testimony not this --'That if General Babcock
had been connected with irregularities ST. Louis he
the Presidenp did not know it." He said that was
about it. The President also swore that he did not
know that any corruption fund money for political
purposes had been raised in St Louis.
THE CONSULAR SERVICE DEBATE-MR- RANDALL
TO BE CALLED TO ACCOUNT IN REFERENCE TO
STATEMENTS FURNISHED ON THE AUTHORITY
OF MR.. KErd, AN Ex-coNsULAR AGENT.
The Chairman Of the Appropriations Committee, Nr.
Randall, will probably be called explain, and,
perhaps, apologize to the House for missatement of
fact made by him Friday in the Of debate and
INTO which he probably led by the careessness of
that part of the Appropriations Committee which has
undertaken TO pare down the consular service and
which has already become laughing stock for several
blunders, such puzzle the State Department
contingent fund and the Barbary coast On Thursday
Mr.. Randall made very grave charge against
one of the abest OF the consular officers in
China. In moving the reduction of the Consul
late at Nngpo, he said :-'SThe third and last
Consulate in China that we propose to interfere with is
that Nngpo, and in regard to this port want to
give the House information upon another point
In addition to the general applying TO othe
places have named, there was Ningpo particular
and additional reason. There has prevailed there
practice such as ths;-For consideration OF, say
5000 the Cons I'll has absolutely sold to native boats
and crews from that port and various other places
the American flag, which used in assisting SNUG.
Cling goods the interior OF China; and this charac
ter OF business permitted by the State Depart
mcnt, which seems to command much respect
the other side Of the House."
On Friday Mr. Hewitt called Mr. Randall to account
for this declaring Dr. Lord, Consul at Nngpo, to be
worthy clergyman of eminent qualifications for his
post On this Mr. Randall In justification of his
charge, he SAID from official report the follow
ing
"Frst- The granting OF the American flag to number
ofNngpo native boats and native junks; native
sells sailing under foreign flag and known lorchas
The object in seeking foreign flag the evasion OF
the Chinese laws controlling the river coast trade Of
the open portions of the empire by Chinese and for
egners in native craft In this species of enterprise
foreign parties generally share the proceeds About
1868 the number OF orchas under the American flag,
il is stated, was less than sixty; before and
since the American flag thus perverted and dshon-
ored for the practice OF illegal trade"
The report from which he read this was made by d.
Randolph Keim and the extract he quoted has refer
ence all Consul Nngpo Itcannot be supposed
that Mr. Randall meant to deceive the House to
justify himself by garbled extract but this what he
did. Mr. Kem's report refers to the Consul General
at Shanghai, Mr.. Seward, and him of doing
what Mr. Randall charged upon Dr. Lord, aud the
paragraph Immediately preceding that which Mr.
Randall read shows this clearly. 1t is as follows
The following the transactions from which is
alleged the Consul General derived pecuniary benefits
contrary to law"
1t is understood here that Mr.. Randolph Keim has
been advisor general the knocking of of consulshps
and that the committee have acted TO great extent
his advice He was, during 1870 and 1871, consular
agent and mado series of reports, the State
but to the Treasury Department. in which he attacked
very savagely Mr. Seward, then Consul General
Shanghai now Minister to China His charges against
Mr. Seward led to Investigation, and in May 1871,
Mr. Fish informed the Secretary of the Treasury that
he had satisfied himself that Keim's charges we're
utterly unfounded Mr.. Seward being then informed
Of the charges, not only again reuted them but
planned that cause OF Keim's quarrel with him
that he and other Americans did desire his society
on the journey to China Thus 1t appears that state
ments which were several years age proved to be
true as regards Mr.. Seward, by Mr.. Randall
applied TO another Consul
Concerning Mr.. Keim Mr. Dawes remarked that in
1872 he had been sent out a salary Of 5000
q year and ten cents a mile travelling ex
penses, and that in going to China he travelled
Department o., AL miles Mr. Dawes added Tile is
now at home resting on his salary" Mr.. Cox, follow
ing Mr. Dawes sad:--"I wish inquire whether this
man Kem is not the who went TO st. Domingo
and after coming back aashy book on it, and
was then sent round the world on pay from the gov
ernmentS"
He seems now to have got Mr.. Randall into an IN
pleasant and humiliatng situation.
SENATOR SPENCER AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
OF ALABAMA.
Some curious and laughabIe details of Senator
Spcncers manipulation OF Alabama politics come up
here II that in 1874 he induced the Republican
State Committee TO select their chairman follower
OF his named Mayer who was not a member OF the
committee. In 1875 Mayer still chairman, removed
out Of the State, and has not since lived there,
but on the I'd inst he sti pretended to be chairman
of the State Committee, and Issued a calling
the members togetner anu got together Tour persons
one OF whom also, like himself non. resident in
the State, and these Eve men, two Of them not resi-
dents now pretend be the republican party Of Ala
bama in the Spencer interest This Is carpet-bagging
with vengeance, and naturally the prctcnsions to
authority Of the party OF such secuted by the
republicans, who assert that State committee ought
at least the State aud the chairman ough,
TO be a member or the committee.
GENERAL WASHINGTON DISPATCHES.