, 1876-04-24

enormous frauds oorpe.ra.ed In Now To- =
| 1899. the investigation by the linton Il s =
| olab. and the attempt TO sscuro the paess Z Il
preventive legir'ation in Congress-, Davdupufs
Of this law as The attorney for tbo Union League
Club. / wts during 1853, 1870, aud 1871 OBJ
tanning tthis lsgsaaton. In 1870. after the
paa4sge Of that sct. Was appointed United
htatos Connnlsbionef upon the reGueet Of soma
thirty or forty Ieadlng gentlemen Of al political
parties. and ALSO Of oshor Ronsfemon outside Of
| we Htats of few YORK;. Among thoso varo blr
Of the nouae from Ohio; Moses ii. Grinneil,
William =. Dodge, Lcg1aodo B. Canon. William
Walter Phelps. and others. | began to follow
| out tho invcattgstion that the Commissioner had
1870 hid copss Of the tegihsry made, and
super7isofs weEc appointed under that act Of
CoDgress. found tic law very imperfect. I
found that. whIlo the people Vhn committed
not to commit them. no far a. membosa Of Con.
greas were concerned. for fear they would fail
into tho clutches Of the authorities, there vas
no hesitation tn committing fsAuds with respect
New York Ia 1870. 1t tho Nosemher slec-
tion. In ths Fifteenth Election Distriot
Of tho Sixth Ward, tho vote for
ic. For mornbsrs Of Congress there voro IS
vo!cs." Mr. Davenport hero called attsDtton 10
Eeyeral other DISTRICTS showing Btmsler A.ate OF
facta :" found tn many districts that tho ln-
mombers Of Congress. and thon put my men Out
Of doors Whtla canyassing tho votes for other
Offices. laid these facts before tho Union
League Club sad camo hero to Washington the
following year to aecuto Al amendment Of the
law, Az tho result Of my efforts that winter
iho thW Of FEBRUARY 2t. lB7i. mas enacted. T thon
went to work, by taking the cons1s and drawing
4 on IN houses in election. districts. obtaining
Tho names Of about three hundssd aud thirty
thousand male citizens i'll tho city: than as-
sorted thnn, writing them upon nlirs. They
we're IN books aAsorted Alphabetically. wont Oh
"isl this work. obtaining copies OF the Regiaters'
into shape that could bring each block by it.
self | found that At no election over held III
tho City Of Now York could any tnao mako COM
paTlson between ono year and any precedtug
lion districts, aud ! found that sometimes
chanSoH wesc made twice In ono year. cano
to the conclusion that II could get tue poll
| 1ists and compare then by blocks, did not caro-
how often they changed the district, AZ would
be ablo In anJ eyeut to mako the necessary
chhngcs fortbe sake OF comparison IN foH
hou1s 1spont on this work mp to 1871. aboas
| et0.0u0. found mybelt becoming Impoverished.
consulted - 70 vhethas thcEo was not some
means Of proyiaing money to carry on thts work.
/ consulted Mr. Bliss, Mr. Arthur. Col. Sharpe,
Thomas Murphy. Lo Grand i. Cannon, Jackson
=. Schultz, nnd probably Hone others. | knew
II plR0 Wa& CaEIl6N UHk tuG II&GunlCUb TC{iuN
In kew York could DO stopped"
Mr.. Davenport was hero aakod by tho CHAIR
man whether ho carried On this labor for tho
good OF the public, aud tho nttnoes iu replying
might have, tho work had come to he q sort Of
hobby which 10 was dotermined should BE- com.
p!eted. lie Wsa aftorward appointed Chief
Supervisor undcr tho Election law, and in re:
To hs hs d hsi sssnd Gu:
get money to compensate mysolf; J. found shis
| was mistako. What lad already boon begun
uas rery small In comparison HitA What I do
olanso 10 The Appropriation bill: For tho do
lection and prosecution OF csimo5 nghinst tho
United Ststea.' In 1871 wont 10 Long Branch
to 900 the Pre,idont went 10 eee Hugh Hast
ings and Mr. Murphy; met besides tho Presi-
tions, GOV. F!sh, aod perhaps Gen. Ilosace Pos-
ter WAS there; l took down to tho Branch aono
work had done and tue plan Of what uas doiug.
I asked tho ptesidoDt to ueo tho Attorhey-Gon-
thia unonoy. Tho President sfter linking aboat
tho subject told ms ho mould 900 tho Attorney
General, mud subsequently received from the
tho Attornoys-Gouo Ake1man and Williams
went On under tho act Of Feb. %. 1871, and IN.
dexod my registry and entered up the inde,
alphabetically. This Whs nu exceedingly great
labor, a. any ono who baa undertaken tue in
de1ing Of SO mnnY Thousand nauaos can under.
stand" Tho wltucso hero explained ths lnfor.
| nation contained In the blanks upon which thie
| Eegntry Was drawn OF.
In answer to 9usstlons wltncss said II was In
the Summer Of 1871 le saw tie President ri
Long Dssuch; hc thought that was the only
conyeraaton lo over bad witl tho President OF
the subject OF the appropriation; l,o might have
spoken to tho President on tho subject in Wash'
ingtou on one occasion, but docs not remember
it, it might havo been that ho spoke 10 one oi
the private secrotarios inbtead Of tho President
II Ae spoke Of the subject At sll In Washington
il mus: have boon III tho W,ntor Of 1872; h.
nover had any order Of any kind from the Pres.
ident; tho President spent an hour anu a hall
examining tho books and lists that had been
prepared; this wa4 In 1873, Or possblY 1874
witness thinks it was in 1878 II WAS long sttc1
the election Of 1872; 10 inyiled the President tc
cali and SEQ how the plans presented to him tn
1871 At Long Branch Lad boeu carried out.
It VAS omitted in the proper place. and may
be stated here, that mr. Davenport WAs ques
tlonod to his first acqllatntlnce wish rrosldeht
Grant, and the degree OF Intimacy whlah lsl
existed between them. Mr.. Davenport testified
cauo East to &ake command Of all Tue Armos OF
tho United Sta!es. Davenport mas at that TINS
Aido-de-caup TO Gen. Dutlas. and was io charge
Of The Bureau of Information, and Il was !'Ia
and 10 know each dsv the position and atrongth
of the Confederate fosccs operating in front OF
Du.ler'H command. Since Gen. Nraut bcaane
President Davenport hnd mot HIN pcsnapn tiy&
or six t,nnos In Ecr York, and lad called on him
al tbs White u0uns in Washington ThorB bat
never boon any correspondence betwoon thom
and ho had written but one lotter to tue Prost
dent which wts : recommendation to m ~
poinlneut Of Burveyor Of tbs Tort Of Nov York
THE INVESTIGATIONS"
| NHY DEMOCRATS Ang INCOMING D!sdUsTEp AT I'll
METHODS PURSUED III THE COMMITTEES.
70 fhs hd,tor of 7hs Chicago 7r1ouns:
| Spn41nEtr1D ILL., Aptfi 44-lp your Washfnr