The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-21
THE LATEST DISCLOSURES.
THE PRESIDENTS UNLAUFUL Use
or THE PUBLIC MONEYS.
What Prominent Republicans say About II
No justification for Gen. Grnnt's Action
whitley Corroborutod by williams,

WASHINGTON, April 20.-Tho most pro-
found sens alton was created here to-day by THE
SUNS detailed account of tho extraordinary de.
velopements made Yesterday before tho Com
mittee on Expenditures In the Department OF
Justice, In regard to the diversion of the secret
service fund 10 partisan political purposes. The
unusual caucusins on the Republican side OF
tho House was an Indication that they regarded
this case the most serious of all the exposures
OF the present session. when the news was nrjt
bruitcd members were anxious to know whether
the account In the other newspapers wa. not
exaggerated, tnd learnin. that THE SrN printed
all the letters and receipts In extenso, there was
n general rush Of pages for copies " that paper.
"What possible explanation can bo given Of this
transacuon," exclaimed prominent R,puhl.
can. after he had carefully road the arti 'le
through 81 don't know, am sure" replied
brother member Of the same faith. at looks
very much like another impeachment trial"
sid third Republican, with "A long face. "Wis
there ever such an unfortunate party as our. -
chlracd fourth while NTH member re pond-
ed WAS there ever such a fool as GrAnt9 you
hid better say"
Another disguised Republican, who had wan
dcrcd over to the Democratic slde In sJeal<ing
OF Grant ordering the Attorney q enetal to direct
Whitley 10 turn over the money to Davcuport,
aAtus W ny bUoulu we WouutF AT dnNthluG ArAnt
doesY lie has no regard for law, ana Is as eno-
rant Of the Constitution as a Hottentot OF tao
Bible. just think Of the President Of the United
States writing In veto message to Congress
that the Presidents salary was nxed by the Con-
stitutiOnl II he Is 50 stupid as to make such a
bllnder as that, why need we be surprised II he
orders money specinc illy Appropriated for one
purpose to be diverted to anptnerY 4 man who
Is 50 ignorant 81 the Constitution ns to assert In
state paper tnas tine salary OF the President
was fixed 10y the Constitution. and not have
common sense enough TO know that II such WAS
tho fact Congress could not change II by sim
pie enactment. - capable ot doing ANYTHING"
I hi. Mas the gen, raj tenor of the remarks made
Size cue 'V'''0' '''' '''"'V"' o" the '''pu0'''an
Tue Republican members OF the committee
at tho meeting TO-DAY insisted That copy Of
NhitleN's aud Miuians's evidence srotd 10
sent TO the President. lns proposition was dis
clssed, but no conclusion was arrived at A de-
spatch WAS received from john l. Diyen. Ori. ia
which he claimed that he could explain sails
factorilY ;hs U.s. OF the money, and account for
money Is no ilstiHcation OF the action
of the President IN ordering the same to us
handed over TO Davenport. The money was
appropriated for an entirely different purpDsc;
ally made for ever) .s,ioie legitimate expense
waich can be incuired unIer tbs act OF FEB -,
ISL.
The one which created the ONCE OF Chief
snperv,sor Of Elections defines his poNcis and
Atiornsy-Geuoral WillI.ma YESTERDAY claimed
Davenport had pad for with the money gwen
llm ffuiu " q secret service funt. was paid for
out Of :he aypropi iatiOn FOR the expenses u the
United states courts. Every book OF estimates
sent to CONGRESS since the passage Of the acc 4
feo. =, lo'l. contains, under the head OF eA-
ini:
And for cefr,yns the expenses which may be iacur
red IN my enforcement Of the act approved leo. -
an &C, &C, t. a. sct rP?rSved Nay 81
iae nl,eS s,;ies to vote ia 'ne ever. state. o.
tncreof or supplementary thereto.
These accounts. however, which the Chief Su-
pervisvr OF Election must render to tho lTea-
surN Department mus. be approve by tho
Judges ~ the Cir, uit Or District Courts.
lnis requirement doubtless accounts Tor tho
necessity thelc was for the President to unla~-
fuliy order the money OF the secret service fund
70 be applied To drfrly Daveup rt's cNtra1rti-
nary expenses ID New YORK IN ls1l anl ~, -
well as ~ i5,3 and is1i. Ex Attorney -Gs.cr4l
Williams expressly stated to the committee
yesterday tnlt he had received written or yer.
bal orders from the President FOR every plvment
be had directed ALLEY to maze - Dlven-
port lie said that :the first time he rave WHIT
lev such directions was upon an order whicn
davenport brought MIN from tho President.
these written orders lie said he had not srs-
served. They were usually written by the Presi-
oeut In pencil on a card.
The committee wero impressed with the cir
Cumatanttal manner in which Williams corrul-
crated every statement III regard to this matter
made " Col. Whtlley Williams was evidently
a Xlous to shield tho President Us r. as he
could, but nevertheless he was not willing 10
take the responsibility for the Payment of this
money TO DSSVeHpoit' In iaet, lie testified that
diversion OF the money appropriated for another
purpose.
Col. Whitley was again before the Committee
on Expenditure IN the Department OF ls:lcs
to-day, aud testified that he reluctantly obey ed
the order u Attorney ueneral Williams to pay
Davenport 30 much money, especially rs there
WAS no evidence for what II was used by Dlyon-
port. lie called the attention Of Solicitor Ian
field Of the Treasury Department to Williamss
order aud what bad been said by the President.
That banleli t'ld him, dId not make II right,
and no matter what! they or anybody else
SAID, the payment was illegiland Whitley ouRn,
not to obey the order Whitley further said
FhHf hA nod Tlgi.
Davenport could mako uf the money. II was
not the business Of subordinates To have suspi-
cions, nor cid he talk with any OF his force about
tine payments, because that was none of their
concern. Williams did protest against the pay
ment, out the President seemed so perfectly In
fatuated with Davenports work that reinOn-
STRANGE was useless. though the eXpenditure In
New York crippled the service IN other parts Of
Con FRESHMAN Meade OF New York saws that
,Venport holds tue books prepared ut Govern
ment expense Is his private property, ana that
parties m New York who have required access
t. the registration lists. have had u pay Daven-
port his own price for the Information desired.
AN INTERVIEW WITH LAsDAuLEr WILLIAMS.
TX Attorney General Williams was to-day pIl-
vately inteIrogated with reference 10 the testl-
IN ny given by him yesterday before tne
Committee on Expenditures In the Deuart-
ment OF Justice. and especially a. to
the alleged PAYMENT OF S3"OOO for election
hams says tina. Mr. ID wsnport, the Chief Super
VISOR OF Elections Ia New York, under. tho cleo
ton franchise law, undertook to mako a perfect
and complete registration Of voters in that city
for the purpose Of preventing frauds. lie had
auth rity under the Law to require OF the supe.-
visors OF Elections, when necessary, lists Of me
persons who may register and vote or either IN
their respective districts. Al one li.ue,
wien tue President was In New York. he
called on Mr.. Davenport and examined
the work 80 far as II had progress d, ana was 80
much pleased with II that he suukc to MIR. VIII
liims In favor Of furnishing money to complete
IL. Mr.. Williams saws that between tho yeas
1871 an 1915 he furnished to Mr. Davenport
the entire amount of the expense Of the
work, namely. SS,0C0, and the money
applied TO tnat purpose, and tnat
II Mr Davenport had called ON the
Supervisors separately to make lists r reel5tra-
ton, the expense, OWING to the large number VI
SUPERVISORS 1.-TWO for every election district or
yOtlng precncU. would htve been much greater
and the work not 80 completely performed
tncIofOre, the payment of the Sj,O.U M.s
economical and accomplished an IN purposes
contemplated by the law. This amount WAS x
clu i've OF tho per diem paid to the Superv iors.
Mr.. Williams says that during the fall oi lo,. ne
paid out from three to i've hundred tuous nj
collar, on account OF Supervisors, and IN lS,i
$@ULOO.
It 10 known In Government circles that WHOM
judi 20 l'errrpOqt came INTO office as Attorney
General he found that wltain two yaafs $lSOU.O
were paid To Cot. hitlei uy ms PREDECESSORS,
Mrssrs. Ackerman and Williams. lhiri} -nye
Il ous ana dollars n the amount WIS, IL h said,
pald tD MIR. Davenport. To-day search WAS made
Tor Vouchers hut none could DO found. This
statement crested much comment in onichl
circles, and IL l. probable that the Clhaot, which
IS called AT an hour earlier than usual for To-
Nr.