The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-03-08
BELKNAP.

The Committee ON War Expenditures
Object 70 Testifying before the Grand
Jury.
WASHINGTON, March This morning Rep
resentatives Clymer, Blackburn and Robbins,
members of the committee on expenditures, in
the war department, appeared before the GRIM
insl court and stated that they bad been sub.
peaned to appear before the grand jury. They
denied the authority of the court TO interrogate
them as to the testimony of any witness before
acommlttee OF Congress. Besides, they are
constantly engaged in their duties as members
OF the committee, which would make it incon-
yenient for them to be present. They did not
wish to plead their privileges, but to enter their
protest, not only here, but on the records of
congress for the country.
District Attorney Wells said he thought he
could remove the difficulty presented. In the
hrst place he had no desire to ask any member
OF the committee anything as to any matter
testified to by any witness before the commit
Tee, and IN the second place, while approaching
the duties and engagements of the gentlemen.
he thought the grand jury would fix such a
time as would subject tho gentlemen to the
least inconvenience.
subject and confer with the District Attorney
SO that when the gentlemen were wanted thew
could be go informed.
The Criminal Proceedings-More Evi-
dence Wanted.
The grand jury to-day examined COL Adams,
clerk OF the House OF Representatives, in the
Belknap case, and to- morrow VIM TOmlinson
Mrs. Belknap's brother, will appear before
them as witness. Belknap has not yet been
brought before public court to give bail for
his appearance at court. The opinion prevails
among lawyers who have examined the case
that since the fight of Marsh there is no such
testimony in the possession of the House of
Representatives as would convict Belknap.
either on impeachment or in criminal court,
Marsh having left with the committee no
mr. 9th ~
knap's transactions with Marsh. Efforts are
beng made, however, to procure additional
testimony to support the impeachment articles.
A Newspaper Fiction.
Secretary Chandler says the published story
OF an interview between him and Gen. Belknap
last Thursday morning and of what is repre-
sented to have been full confession of Bel.
KNAPP and his wife, made to him on that occas-
ion, is all fabulous. No such conversation or
confession occurred then or subsequently.
Captain Robinson to Testify.
BALTIMORE, Md, March Capt. Geo. T.
robinson received communication yesterday
from 81. B. Banning, chairman of the Honse
committee on military affairs, requesting him
to appear before that committee to make a
complete statement of the matters within his
knowledge bearing upon the pending investiga-
ZION. dels anxious to appear before the COM
mittee, and VIII do so Immediately, as it will
give him an opportunity to show that the
charges against him are false
The Headstone Steal,
ST. LOUIS, March 7.-Wm Patrick. an old
aud honored citizen of st. Louis, president of
the Knoxville, Tenn, Marble Co., saws that
the government lost over 100000 by the let
ting of the contract for the headstones for sol.
diers' graves. He asserts that the bid of the
Knoxville Co. was over $50, 900 less than that
OF the man who got the contract and that after
the award was made there we're notifications
OF the contract which reduced the cost of the
stones to the contractor considerably over