New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-01-08
THE CANAL COMMISSION.
A GLIMPSE BEHIND THE CURTAIN.

100000 TO PREVENT THE PUBLICATION or
REPoRT-soME OF The ACTUAL PLUMBER DIS
COVERED By MR.. MAGONE-PERs0NAL CHARAc-
TERIsTCs OF THE MEMBERs-AMoUNT OF MONEY
RECOVERED - OPPORTUNITY FOR FURTHER IN
vEsTIGA1IoN.
IRON A REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRBUSEl
ALBANY, Jan. THE Canal Investigating
Commission has virtually ended Its labors. One or two
reports have yet to DO finished and tho final report Is
preparng but the taking OF testimony and inyestiga-
ton OF new subjects have ceased.
The Commission has been continuous session since
April II, and has taken testimony which will I'LL three
volumes the size of ordinary official documents 2,4O0
pages In ALL 1t has inspected nearly every mile OF tie
canal and has investigated closely most OF the great
cases fraud called to the public attention by the
startling message OF the Governor last year. besides
many others not mentioned by him. Its frequent reports
ALREADY given the public fail to convey any idea of the
unweaIed industry with which the Commission pursued
its abors That will probably only be realized when tho
Commission II itself investigated, as the Canal Ring
ORGANS are now suggcsting to the Legislature Suffice it
TO say here that the meetings TO take testimony,
which began on May 20, were continued from y a. NJ
until D. M nearly every day five days In the week. ana
often six, mp New Years Eve, with only sgnt ihe
missions With these continuous sessions ana with te
expense OF witness fees mileage and clerk ana expert
hire the Commission its labors, having very
slightly If at all overdrawn the original appropriation OF
$4,000 The Commission Ii probably the only one
known the history Of h State which recovered COLLAR
OF property public plunderer Its orchiVes con-
tain Treasury receipts for SO0l6 taken IRON the poc
cts OF pecuators while least repentan contractor
has given the Commission his sworn promise to make
good about $4,000 OF his steangs us soon a. lie
can obtain the money upon certain property.
TWO DRAMATIC INCIDENTS.
Another prominent contractor, OF the CHIEF OF the
Republican contractors, came voluntarily before the
Commission, when 1t WIS known that report "as
pending upon a contract I'm which he was inVoiVed
aud made a strong appeal for the privilege OF re-
funding all the money charged against him us having
been stolen amounting 10 100000, on the uder
standing that the report should not BE- published The
Commissioners heard him patiently, but decided that
they could not Withhold any report rs the reports were
the property Of tie Governor, whom they were sent
could they enter into any conditional negotiation for
the recovery of money. The discussion ot the appeal
finally ended in reference OF the whole subject to the
Attorney General What the result was is not known
but the frightened contractor never appeared again be-
fore the Commission and the report was published 1t 10
asserted that he has not yet refunded the money.
The fret ca1c Of restitution OcoIned during the ex-
animation o. Lewis J. Bennett OF Buffalo, after he had
tho sand for nearly two weeks testfYinS relative
totho HandswaTd He had consented after long siege
to make a confession II he promised immunity from
punishment and the Commission and the Deputy At
torney -GeueIH had given strong promise OF ihat
kind A. they could very well fulfill Then he sent to his
partner for all h- books, papers and records Among
them. ne they tuned out on the table of the Com
mission. was IA canal certificate for S0333.
"HcJc'. OF the actual piundcr," said Mr.. Magone
T Ii4 had better ne returned"
Mr. Bennett gazed hesatnsy about him and nodded
hi, head lie BY means rich man. ana the sur
render 90 - 600 must hive cost him long struggle and
his family many comforts. When IL became known
among the friends ~ tno Lors that Bennett was about
confos such threats made against him that the
Il hint the t. NJ
an escort and th, fact occasionally quoted by the
opposition papers ~ proof Of oppression and nmida
tion on the part Of the Commission. W. H. Bowman Of
Ioctcr couu. for one 81 the Lords who had received
~ 400 certificate during the division OF the piundcr OF
tie Hand award, voluntarily to the Commissioners
-,, Steward nEi surrendered 10. John Hand himself
an honr-tookug lad about tho only one connected
with tho tan.actlon who did receive any Of the plum
der che general testimony that he did not get ono
cn auG did fully understand the cause Of the award
The other srizuirs Of stolen pnder made among
ronl deq.r B0ilo mo hal been sending to the state
bits ctrsc,r only 10 private accounts OF state officials
EiEWF>Ts or THE COMMISSION.
The Courn. sion WIS happy combination or men Tor
such q work. Mr. Discllw, ne Chaimnl. became the |
prominent b-lrc of the Coumis ion. but his most effect
i've work Wa, done In tic intervals Of the Board meet
iu ~ bu Wis delegated early IL the day the dGty OF
writing tn 10. os,-. and IL wAs hy h5 scholarship that
Gee l,1 hcs u Canal depreciation were rendered OF
sues Interest tpcFcgJ lookeIjn II would appear to be
ho,l,., task 90 pat the engineering features Of "a
fraud ,ue unauthorized vertical wlil,' false "hnms
and pui Ha" oIid inadequate area Of bel" with winch
nI Necessity Do. iug,,' lion hal great deal to do,ih 50
a,ir vsa liln that my ordinary reader could either
cmpr'.n or enjoy the recital and vet MI Bigeiow'-
Il.ll in,do tlc reports upon even suc dun subjects
.rrad l. romance" IL hli olcr difficulties to con
lend ts. l.t besides thc blirun 81 o. tlD subject
1e c,,l,u,i t. Of rhetoric wAich BIZ literary
1 Iff. sL M,!8
tr iffi.tf associates, wherever IN tcir opinion the
id-.. conveyed were isDlo to ml,.ntcrpieta-
ton hy such literary sgle. No uncertain
statement made whcl pen aud ideao were rncing
al lt.I,us sp,.l, wa, allowed to stand Tor an IN
start. ~ the Icpur, uppn the Hand award. 10 which 1t
viii 3D.. 1,41,r.d John lcy received tic piund'r
r,s Gco.a D. Lord Mr. B!solow had rounded descrI-
ton Of ta Transaction with the tcrse sentences "John
gNcv was hut another name Tor George j. Lord" To
tli- on the icJing there was general objection Mr
Orr said II was TOO direct assertion that "Kiley was
nruticr name George -. Lcrt Mr. MagOnc said that
the sentence could be Interpreted 10 mean that Lord had
an Iias which was not the fact. lIr Van Buren,
sdored the expression purely bsurati'e. but Thought
asurs might be Objectionable. Mr. b. solow. being over
,d struck IL out To this intense rigOr Of expression
in their reports the of'th Commission was In
great part due Tne Commissioners could not have met
Allen C. Beach and Van Rensselaer, Richmond so quickly
with the proof OF their tcmcn;s II they had vered at
all from facts Newspaper criticism had 10 be considered
also %, it was evident that Canal Ring watched
every port TO II the Commission coud ot oc Iohu
to have made some mistake.
TIE GREAT CRoss-FXAMTNER.
Mr. Marone WAS thc next most prominent member OF
the Board rendered so mainly by the notOroty which
abuse by the Canal Ring newspapers gave him. lie was
an nlca'iglble worker. lie conducted all tho severe
crcssyamnations His manner puzzle TO any wit
meas. lie would frequently begin an examination with