Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-06-07


mittee report said telegram and reply. with the
date when said reply was received and the reason
why the same has been suppressed, or whether the
| committee has heard from Josiah Caldwell in any
other way, and what the gentleman (Knott) in
tended to convey the idea that had some illegiti
mate knowledge of how that despatch was obtain.
ed. have had no communication with Mr.. Jo-
siah Caldwell and no means of knowing from the
telegraph Office when it was received, but | tell
the gentleman from Ky. that "murder will out"
and that "secrets will leak" I am prepared to
state to this House that at eight o'clock or there
abouts last Thursday morning the gentleman
from Kentucky received and reccipted for
a message addressed to him from Josiah Caldwell
in London, AMI entirely corroborating and sus-
tanning the testimony of Mr.. Thomas A. Scott,
which Mr.. Caldwell had just read in New York
paper, and entirely eXculpating me from the
charge which am bound to believe, from the sup
preston of that despatch, gentlemen are anxious
to fasten upon me.
Blaine-I move that previous question, the
resolution.
Holman of Ind. suggested that the resolution
could only be voted for under suspension of the
rules.
Blaine-Not all, the resolution embraces the
highest of privileges and involves the good faith
and honor of the Judiciary committee.
Jones of ky.-The question put by the gentle
man from Maine to my colleague. is proper
question, and ought to be Answered, and have
no doubt will be answered.
Blaine-I thank the gentleman from Ky.
Hunton of Va, chairman of the sub commit
tee, stated that he would make a snort statement
of the matter to which Mr.. Blaine had alluded,
and he trusted that he would do it calmly, dis
passionately and fairly. The House had wit
messed this morning remarkable, not to say an
unexamped scene during this session. Two reso-
lutions that hao been adopted by the House, each
of which ordered an Investigation, each of which
had been referred to the Judiciary Committee by
the House, and each of which had been referred
to subcommittee consisting of Mr.. Ashe of n
c., Mr.. Lawrence of Ohio, and himself; before
that committee had reached any conclusion, or had
finished taking testimony, an effort was made by
the gentleman supposed to be most deeply con-
cerned in those investigations, to take the consid-
| Grafton Of these questions from the organ of the
House, and to report upon them in person; he
need not remind the House what sort of q report
would come from that committe if the gentleman
from Maine were allowed to make it. After the
House had ordered investigation it was not
only uneXampled, but entirely against legislative
practice for a gentleman to rise and undertake to
anticipate the conclusions of the committee, to
state what the action CT the committee had been
when the sub committee was organized. The
gentleman from Maine had expressed himself not
only satisfied but pleased with its personnel, and
now that gentleman complained that two members
of the sub committee were confcderates. AT
the instance of the gentleman from Maine day
had been appointed on which the subcommittee
was to enter upon its duties, and now the gentle
man told the House that he had learned first from
the subcommittee that he was the party to be in
vestigated, and not the Union Pacific Il. r. Co. !;
so far from that being so, the first that he Hun
ton) had heard from any member OF the House
or of the committee on the subject, was from
Blaine himself, to the effect that the resolution
offered by Tsrbox attached to him, and that he
wanted the investigation commenced on given
day; ON the very day fixed the Investigation had
begun, and from that day to this every hour that
the committee could devote to it had been devoted
to it, except when the gentleman himself pre-
vented it.
More than two weeks had been lost to the COM
mittee because of the conduct of the gentleman
from Maine, and now that gentleman tried to
make the impression that it was the purpose of the
COR mittee 10 prolong the investigation for some
sinister purpose. He mi ight just as well have
said that it was the purpose of the committee to
postpone it until after the l4th Of June. Every
member Of the committee would bear him wit
ness that the committee had worked in season and
out of season, sitting on one occasion nearly the
entire day, in order to get through with the in
vestigation pl ior to the l4th of June. Every de-
lay which had occurred had been either because
the gentleman from Maine had been absent, or
had requested an adjournment.
In regard to the Northern Pacific and Kansas
Pacific railroad investig alton, he had told Mr..
Blaine that the committee would take up first the
| matters which touched him, if he desired. Mr..
Blaine had desired the committee to do so, and
yet he seemed very much surprised to find
| that an investigation was to be undertaken by the
committee that involved an examination into
the Pacific railroads, and it was prolonged and
prolonged and prolonged, while the committee
had agreed, for his sake and for his purpose, to
skipp all other inquiry under Mr.. LuttTels reso
luton until the committee disposed Of that which
seemed attached to Mr.. Blame.
Mr.. Blane-lIas the gentleman from Virginia
knowledge OF despatch received from Josiah Cad-
WE'LL London
Hunton-My f.eud, the chairman of the Judic
iary Committee. will reply to you in full on that
subject.
Blaine-Then ask you to state whether on
Thursday morning last, the gentleman from Ken
lucky (KnotU did not call you out of the commit
tee room and acquant you of that fact
Hunton-lf my friend from Kentucky does not
answer you in full, Will.
Blaine-( -(contemptuous y -"Ah!'
Knott of Kentucky, Chairman of Judiciary
Committee) said he had listened to imputations
| upon himself within the last two hours, which,
coming from different source he might perhaps
answer very differently from the manner in which
he should now attempt to answer them. Those
who were intimately acquainted with him, knew
| that he was the last man in the world TO seek a
pers onal controversy and he assured the House
| that of all men in tie world, the gentleman from
Maine, (Blaine) was the last man with whom he
would seek such controversy. That gentle
man was entirely too immense in his proportions.
"Why, man he doth bestride the narrow world
| like collussus, and we petty men walk under his
huge legs and peep about to find ourselves dishon-
orable graves,
The next letter was August 8, 1872, from Au-
gusta in answer to letter from Fisher, asking
| him for a note of $4,000 on account In this let
ter Blaine claimed that Fisher owing him over
$1,000 The Little Rock matter, says the letter,
is perpetual and never ending embarrassment,
and that he was as dry as contribution box, bor
rowing to meet his campaign expenses, daughter J
The next letter of july 3rd, 1872, CIV
| ing further particulars of the dispute. The next
letter read, was dated April 26, 1872, and in it