New-York tribune., 1876-06-03
THE SITUATION UNCHANGED.
MATTERS YET REMAINING TO BE ExPLAiNED-sEv-
ERAL THINGS FORMERLY OBSCURE NOW MADE
CLEAR-MR. BLAINES POLICY.


CLEAR-MR. BLAINE'S POLICY.
ley TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUSEI
WASHINGTON. June 2-It Is not an easy matter to
say just what the result of to-days work on the
Blaine case has been. The testimony taken by the
Subj Committee on the Judiciary was not of such a
character as entirely to reassure the friends of Mr..
Blaine who were alarmed at the turn affairs took
yesterday nor did add to the perplexties of the
situation by introducing anything new which will
have to be explained, or by shaking any particu-
lar tho defense which has already been set up In
other words if Mr. Blaine fails to turn the tide in
his favor he can at least prevent 1t from carrying
him out into deeper water The inquiry to-day was
chiefly confined to two branches of the investiga-
ton The first related to Mr. Blane's private letters
which he obtained from Mr. Mulligan day before
yesterday and which he refuses to surrender at the
demand of the Subcommittee. The other relates
to his disposal of the bonds which be received back
after having sold them to his Maine friends
On entering the Committeeman this afternoon
Mr.. Blaine produced a written OPINION signed Dy
Jeremiah Black and Matthew II. Carpenter. saying
that they had carefully examined the letters and
papers submitted to them by Mr.. Blaine, and which
he obtained from Mr.. Mulligan, and that they CON
tanned nothing which refers to the subject under in
vestigation. and that they advised him not TO sur
render them to the Committee under any circum-
stances.
Considerable testimony was taken to show what
occurred between Mr.. Blaine and Mr.. Mulhgan
after the former obtained possession Of the letters in
the Riggs House Mr. Blane's statement. which is
supported by those of Mr. Fisher and Mr. Atkins is,
that after bis private interview with Mr.. Mullican
Mr. Blaine returned to the parlor occupied by Mr.
Atkins and there in the presence of both Mr. Atkins
and Mr. Mulligan offered to deliver the letters TO
Mr.. Fisher as the rghtful owner of them. Mr..
Fisher refused to receive them. and Mr.. Blame
called the attention of Mr.. Atkins to this fact.
Mr.. Atkins said that Mr.. Fisher had previously
shown desire to obtain possession Of these letters
but that after the misunderstanding in regard TO
them between Nr. Blaine and Mr. Mulligan he appa-
rently wished to avoid all connection with them.
Mr. Fisher and Mr.. Atkins also substantiatcd the
statement made by Mr.. Blaine that Mr.. Muliigan
threatened the publication of these letters in GER
tain contingency. Mr.. Blaine asked him in the
presence of the others if he wOuld surrender the
letters after the close of the investigation. Mr Mu
lgan replied that he would not, that he intended to
keep them for his own protection and that if at any
time or anywhere his testimony before the Commit
tee should be contradcted or his motives impugned
he intended to publish explanation and 10 use the
letters for his own vindication. Mulligan told Mr..
Blaine in q very excited manner that he would not
deliver them up to God Almighty or his father"
Having failed 10 secure the production of the let
ters themselves the Committee undertook to prove
their contents by examining witnesses who had read
them Mr. Mulgan testified that one of the letters
related to the bonds which Mr.. Blaine had redeemed
from his Maine friends and had subsequently dis
posed of. He said that Mr. Blaine had complained
to Mr. Fisher of his losses in connection with bis
transactions in these bonds that Mr. Fisher had re-
ii L. Io
resented, since he had disposed of number Of the
bonds at good pricc. One OF the letters now ~
Mr.. Blaines possession is a reply to this, and in it
Mr.. Blaine said that he had realized nothing from
those bonds as the money had remained in his
hands less than 4S hours. Nj. Fishers testi-
mopy substantated that of Mr. Mulgan IN
regard to this letter. but neither OF them
swOre that In any of tho correspondence
thus detailed the remotest reference was made 10
the particular bonds in possession OF the Union
Pacific Railroad Company, or to Col > OFT. or to his
transactions with the Union Pacific Railroad Com
pany. In other words, there no evidence IN the
letter in question, nor in the correspondence OF
which IT formed a part, that the bonds which Col.
Scott sold to the Union Pacific were the bonds which
Mr.. Blame had owned or had redeemed from his
friends IN Maine. Mr. Fisher did indeed say that at
the time he supposed that these two sets OF bonds
were identical, but tho manner in which no OBJ
tanned this impression was fully explained in an
other portion of the testimony.
The only other of the letters to the contents, Of
which any reference was made, related, according
to Warren Fishers testimony. to matters connected
with the Northern Pacific Railroad Mr.. Fisher de-
tailed his several interviews with Mr. Blaine immc-
dately after his arrival in Washington; described
Mr. Blaines anxiety to obtain possession Of the let
ters which Mr.. Mulligan had, and said that there
was one in particular which moro than any other
he was desrous of securing That one relates to
the Northern Pacific Railroad and as the Committee
proposed to make the investigation Of matters con-
nected with that railroad independent Of the pres
ont one no further questions that point wero
asked. Mr.. Fisher testified that Mr.. Mulligan
brought these letters with his Fisher's) knowledge
that he made no objection to it, and that Mulligan
bal obtained them in legitimate way. lie also
testified most enDhatically to Mr.. Mulligan's good
character, and said that he was thoroughly truth
full man. On these points Elisha Atkins also agreed
with him.
The manner in which the impression was obtained
that the bonds which Mr.. Blaine had redeemed in
Maine were the same bonds which Col. Scott sold TO
the Union Pacific Railroad Company was fully cx-
planned to-day, and apparent conflict Of testimony
between Mr. Atkins, Mr.. Fisher. and Nr. Mulligdn
was harmonized. IL seems that when il pro-
posed, in 1872. to reorganize the Fort Smith and
Little Rock Railroad Company without forcclosing
the mortgage, Mr.. Atkins and Mr. Fisher had an in-
terview in regard to this business Mt which Mr. Null
ligan was present. In ascertaining who wcro the
holders of the bonds of the Company Mr.. Atkins,
who. from his connection with the Union Pacific
Company. knew much of its transactions, remarked
that that corporation held rs of the Laud Grant
bonds Mr. Fisher inquired what bonds those were
and where they were obtained, and when Mr. Atkins
replied that they were purchased of Col Scott, Mr..