The Morning herald., 1876-04-29
Secretary Br1stow Examined Yes.
tsr1ay-Wsw it 10 allegeA that he
RomjtaeQ l'ona1ties.

retary Bristow IN the presence OF Solicitor
| Wilson. He had some conversation with
Secretary, and the Holicjkor about the re-
mission Of the forfeiture In which the Solic-
itor said he was ID favor Of the Semission.
Secretary Bristow declined to have any
thing to do with the matter, on the ground
that he had formerly assisted Messfsa F4-
land and Evans, the attorneys for William
Lord Stephen, twice in the same case. The
Secretary also said he had been suddenly
called to Philadelphia that afternoon. The
witness did not see hia again. In.furthor
progress of the investigation, witness said
the bark was released on his petition as he
supposed the release was signed by the
court. Is ss@,sa 3A5 .ES, Vs. 98SgEf
Judge Cate, who introduced in the House
of Representatives q resolution under which
this investigation 10 conducted, asked the
witness If be did not tell Judge Hubbell, Of q
Wisconsin, that Secretary Bristow had said
at that interview that he, Bristow, would
leave the department for few days and let
The witness replied that he never made
any such statement. He might have told
Judge Hubbell that Secretary Bristow said o
he was going to Philadelphia, but it had
uothing whatever to do with the pending
case and the Secretary did not tell the wit
ness anything about going away for that
purpose. In reply to question by Secre-
tary Bristow the witness said there was no
charge of fraud against the Venue; that
the whole ground of forfeiture was on points
in the reciprocity treaty and had nothing to
do with smuggling.
The Secretary read the following from
the resolution directing this investigation,
and thereupon the Secretary and one attor-
ney for the owners of said vessel applied to y
the said B. Fl. Bristow, Secretary of the
Treasury for q remission of the said for.
feiture to which the said Bristow replied
that he would do nothing himself,
but his private secretary could tx It up, and
be said the attorney met bis private secre-
tary and had the forfeiture remitted. B
The Secretary asked the witness, pre-
suminx he was attorney alluded to, whether,
there was any truth In that allegation. .
y The replied 1t was wholly untrue. The
Secretary never said any such thing to him g
and he never saw the Secretary's private
secretary. '".''
dered come friendly assistance to IRELAND o.
and Evans without fee and not as an at
torney, and the referee declined to act in
matter, and while I could not act I be-
iicved that every petitioner had righ: to
be heard?
Wi,ness-I do not recollect that a. the :
precise Language, but It was to that effect.
Secretary Rristow-Did you ever make :,
any arrangement with me in the presence of .
Absences Of either or both, that I was to
!eavethe department, and let come one else a.
WitnesslNo, cir, It is false in every yipsr- ..
ticular. f. 3 aa all "a gg
Secretary Bristow-Did you ever know
any person In the Treasury Department to ''
have anything to do with this case In an
Improper capacitYa i.. ...5.,l g. -tqsaI
Witness-No, sir, not one. Judge Hub y,
bell formerly United States District Attors y
ney for Wisconsin, and until the sprtng off,
1875, testified that his first interview with
Mr.. johnson was twenty days before the
inal remissions of the fine; johnson had -
called on him to ask whether he had re-
.eived any communication from Washing
on relative to an arrangement for the re-
ease of the Mary Merritt; johnson re- J.
ported he had just returned from Washing +
on, and found things there very favorable,
md that Secretary Bristow was going to
and would leave the Assist
mt Secretary to remit the fine or release ar
he Mary Merritt; the witness understood
Johnson to say this to him more than once. VI
The Chairman.--Did you understand
Johnson to say that Secretary Bristow was "a
.oing to Philadelphia with view that the
ettlement might be made during his ab- st
cencel ... H- e. 1s.,t.
Witness.-I do not give my understand
ng, but what Mr.. johnson said. Mr.. ;
Johnson told me such settlement would not
% made unless gave my consent. g.e suF
The witness then rendered copies of the
he Solicitor of the Treasury and himself
D relation to the Mary Merritt, in the sum-
1er of 1874, and the terms Of compromise.
'hese did not meet with the concurrence 4
{ the witness for reasons stated, but finally
Q gave his consent and went into court
nd filed the warrant of remission. The
ldgement was Satisfied aud that terminated r.
is connection with the case. y, i,s,,s
In the course Of the examination Secre-
Try Bristow asked the witness whether he y
Id not know that the predecessor Of the
resent Solicitor, Mr.. Banfield, had gone ,,
arefully over the ground, aud said that
le offense against the Mary Merritt was
lerely technical - -n .uuful
The witness r replied he recolsctsd hear
Secretary Bristow asked the witness "who D
stiaed that he was opposed to the re- J5ac
isston, and by what process he changed eo :,
% mind. i'f 4l'
The witness replied because he was as dan
lred that the department was prepared Ito. re,
AXE the remission and thus arrest further
gal proceedings and because be thought II 'F'-
ould be done. Any how he had nothing ~,
hatever to do with the remission of the "
rfeiture further than give his assent. The
mmittee soon after adjourned. RS 07i iGtu
o8 ppa -s-s--- yI bgtsa
t.4p Weary VI LsIss .,,,as,,
: America Press Association. H.,
Mich, April 2S.--Miss Minnie 4
loe, a9ed 10, committed suicide Yesterday a