The Portland daily press., 1876-06-05
THE BLAINE INVESTIGATION.
The Letter Matter Still Undecided.
Mr.. Blaine's Relation to the Northern
Pacific.

WASHINGTON, D. c., June 3.-The House
Judiciary Committee met this morning to con-
slider the matter submitted to them by Hunton
of the sub committee, concerning Blaines re-
fusal to produce the letters called for.
The full Judiciary Committee adjourned at l
o'clock. Theie was a long discussion on the
question to compel Blaine to bring the letters
taken from Mulligau before the sub committee,
but without GoseS cOm0g til gnesdaS ns "n00
The sub Judiciary Committee met at two
o oclock today.
Elisa Atkins testified, he did not know any
thing about any sales of any railroad bonds of
any railroad which received SUBSIDIES from GOV
bonds. He was acquainted with the Aquilla
Adams transaction. Fisher proposed to wit
ness to take some Northern Pacific bonds, and
witness agreed to do so. The firm of e. At
kins & Co. agreed to take SIS 900 worth of
them. Witness did not recollect what the firm
was to receive for this amount Was to re-
ceive them from Fisher through Blaine, but
never got them, but money was paid back to
Fisher. He never had any other transactions
in Northern Pacific nor any transactions in
Central Pacific, Kansas Pacific, Central
Branch, Sioux City and Pacific or Texas Pacific
roads.
BY Blaine-Did ever have any money inter-
est in the transaction you allude to in Northern
Pacific?
Answer-No, sir.
Question-You got your money back with in
terest?
Ayes, sir.
Q-Then it was impossible for me to have de-
rived any benefit from it?
Ayes, Sir.
kins May 80, 1876, heretofore published in re-
gard to this case, be put in the evidence, which
was done.
Warren Fisher, Jr., was recalled. He testi-
fed he purchased from Blaine, December l,
Dan Go ,NnA
and paid $25, 900 for it, He did not now recol-
lect what that interest was. but knew at that
time. The attention of witness was called to a
letter published in the New York Sun May 49,
1875, purporting to have been written by
Blame to witness, asking him to purchase IL
or IA part of interest in Northern Pacific road
| and he was asked if that was a correct copy Of
| any letter received by him from Blaine. Wit
| ness said it was. The original was destroyed
| September 81 1872, when witness and Blaine
| had final settlement. He gave copy of this
letter to Mr.. Adams, The original was not
among the letters brought here by Mulligan.
| Witness never received his certificate of stock
| for his interest, and the money was afterwards
| returned by Blaine. He did not know why he
| did not receive his certificate. He never asked
| about it, but presumed because it was not &
| profitable enough enterprise. He did not know
| why the transaction was not cOnsummated, mol
| how Blaine was able to control such interest
Witness always understood this was purely
friendly act on the part of Mr.. Blaine, and tina
Blaine was not to have any interest in it in any
way whatever. On the contrary Blaine always
/ said he could not take an interest in it at all
| 1t has frequently been spoken of when Blaine
visited his counting room, and when opportu
/ nifty offered Blaine notified witness about it
He never supposed this stock belonged t.
Blaine. If it had been his and been in his pos
| He never doubted he should get his money
lack, and on September q, 1872, it was re
| turned, every cent of 1t, with interest
| By Hunton-He did not recollect that any o
the letters brought here by Muliigan related tt
| this transaction. He read only four or five o
them recently. The letters he read did not re
i fer in any manner to any of the different Pa
| cific railroads which had been mentioned.
James Mulligan was recalled, and sale
among the papers obtained by Blaine from hin
was one containing copy of the law relatin!
i to grants to the Northern Pacific Railroad
There was also some figures on it showing tina
| it related to the Is of 1-24 part which had beer
/ spoken of. He did not know whose hand writ.
ing it was in, but it was not in Mr.. Baines.
Mr.. Fisher was asked at this point what tn
/ paper was and why he did not receive it, an(
| he replied that he had no recollection of any
/ such paper.
Mr. Mulgan said he found it in the desk
among other papers, not particularly among
the correspondence of Mr.. Blaine with Mr.
| Fisher, but among all papers. Witness wa
requested to read the receipt given by Blain'
| to Fisher at the time Fisher paid over the $25,
| 600. The receipt was published in the Aquill;
Adams correspondence May 9th. After read
ing it witness said it was all the contract ther,
was between Fisher and Blaine. He did no
| know why the stock was not delivered b.
| Blaine, and after waiting about year Fishe
refused to take the stocks, because SO long
time had elapsed.
| Q-Is this all you know about this transac
ton?
Il A. -, r L. 4Iot ,1a
the mouey to Blaine and Blaine paid it back tt
| Fisher September "a, 1872
| Odd you ever hear any more than you
have testified about the matters alluded to from
anyone2
| A-No, sir.
papers with you when you were summoned?
| A-No, sir.
Q-Why did you bring these letters of mine
Al did not know what L was to be exam
ined about 1 supposed it would be about th,
| matter referred to in the Aquilla Adams let
ters, and SO 1 brought these letters to refresl
my memory. l brought them then becaus
they were written by you, and there might bt
something in them that 1 should be asked Il
explain.
| Q-Had you any reason to think that L wrot,
| the memorandum of the law you spoke about
A-None at all, sir; only / found it among
the papers in the desk, and it related to North
ern Pacific.
Q-You say you are not unfriendly to me
do you know of any occasion for holding
grudge against me?
Al never had any occasion to feel unfriend
ly, but thought was not treated fairly on thai
occasion alluded to by Atkins yesterday.
Mr.. Blaine was proceeding to make further
Inquiries on this point when witness, "Do yol
want me to go over all that? will let you ex
anime me if'you will let me examine you after
wards.''
The chairman remarked that that was fair
but hardly pertinent to this inquiry under tn
present resolution.
MulligaD, Atkins and Fisher were allowed tt
return to their homes, but were notified tina
they were not discharged and when wante'