New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-06-13
VOLUME X.-NO. s.

VOLUME X.--NO. 5;
TEE CONGR REssIONAL COMMITTEE.
lnvestiBatien Coutlnued.
The Congressional Investigating Com
8ittee resumed the examination of Wit.
nesses yesterday morning at ten o'clock.
All the members were present.
The counsel for the Customhouse officials,
1eesrs. Sheldon and Whitaker, expressed .
desire that tho committee would notify
them in time to summon witnesses. They
were assured BY the chairman that ample
time and opportunity would be given for
that purpose. Mr.. Whitaker then asked
that sub committee be appointed for ex-
amining the books, records, ETC., which
the committee desired to see in the Custom
house.
Mr. Reilly referred to the subpoena served
Oh Deputy Collector Herwig. Mr.. Reilly
said in ansver thereto he (Mr Herwig) had
transmitted to the committee . number of
documents which were not the ones the
committee required, and that he had this
morning addressed Q note to the deputy
collector stating that they were not the
ones called for under the subpoena; to
which Mr.. Herwig replied 40 follows:
Referring to your note of even date rela-
tive to the subpoena by your committee
calling for certain vouchers for the years
1870, 1872 and 1874, I have the honor to in
form you that sll vouchers ON file in this
Office for those years have been sent you.
All other vouchers than those sent you have
been forwarded with the collectors &C.
counts to the Treasury Department At
Warrington.
beg 70 invite your committee to eend .
subcommittee to examine all records and
papers in the Customhouse.
Very respectfully, ,yonr ohedient servant,
Special Deputy Collector.
It was then decided that the entire COM
mittee should visit the Customhouse and
examine the records:
Mr.. Whitaker filed the following letter on
TREASURY DRPARFxYNT,l
Warrington, July Is, 1870. )
S1R-You are hereby authorized and in
structed to disburee upon vouchers certified
to by j. F. Morse, superintendent, the funds
appropriated for the repairs of the Custom
house at New Orleans, Louisiana, under
your bond as collector of that port; your
eighth of one per cent upon the amount of
your disbursements.
Very respectfully,
GEORGE 8. BOUTWELL,,
Secretary.
James r. Casey, Collector Of Port Of New OrleanA
William McDuff. sworn-In 1866 or 1867
witness said whisky was brought to the
city from the West and placed in the
bonded warehouse; this was done for the
purpose of getting it ont Of bond without
paying the tax OF - per gallon; the whisky
from foreign ports, and the bonds were
then cancelled; the whisky was sold st 81 so
and 81 IS per gallon; witness believed
James Connery and Mr.. McKenna were
among those who disposed of the VIII sky;
witness was unable to swear that the gov
ernment had been defrauded in the transac-
tiOn.
j. C. Buddendorf, sworn-Is . clerk ct
Charles E. Whitney & Co.'s; in 1872 was
bOok-keeper tor the National Republican
Printing Company, then conducting q cam
paign paper known as the National Re-
publican.
Objections were raised by Messrs. Conger
and WOOdburn to questions relative to
whence the funds were Obtained for the
support of the paper, as the private con-
Germ of the parties who conducted the busi-
ness would be disclosed; and were it even
shown that federal officials contributed
funds, the conclusion might not be within
the scope of the investigation.
The Democratic members of the commit
tee wished to ascertain whether or not
money had been improperly contributed
tor this purpose by officers OF the Custom
house.
Mr.. Gibson observed that the investiga-
ton had taken = wider scope than was
proper.
Examination resumed.
Witness stated that the company had
received from j. L. Herwig, then an en-
ployee in the Customhouse $1,000, $1,000
and various other sums; the money We
generally receivsd at the Office of the super
the National Republican office; these
moneys were used TO pay off the employees
of the paper, when the company's means
were exhausted; Mr.. j. L. Herwig was
treasurer; Mr.. Stockdale or Mr.. Joseph
Wilson was president of the company;
witness received the installments from the
treasurer and not as . CustOmhOuse officer;
Charles Baquie, Walter Regan and George
w. Carter were among the names OF those
employed on the National Republican; j.
L. and P. +. Herwig appeared to have the
management Of the paper.
Mr.. Conger objected to investigating the
private business Of newspaper.
Mr.. Reilly said there was no such inten-
ton on the part of the committee. The
point to be ascertained was whether there
was any improper connection between the
SOCs~seAAA~ss~'S
and the use Of government money.
Mr., New observed that the committee
was endeavorlng to ascertain how and why
the payments were made.
To Mr.. WO0dburn-One dollar per month
was collected as q subscription. Names OF
Customhouse employees were On the roll as
subscribers to the paper.
To Mr. Gibson-The money was collected
by Mr.. j. L. Herwig; witness knew not by
whom the list of subscribers was furnished;
the National Republican was not very In.
teresting paper, and witness was surprised
that the Custombouse employees should sub
scribe for it.
Walter Regan, sworn-When witness re.
turned from Texas, where he had been cor |
responding for the Herald, the city was
sgitated with the political contention be- |
tween what was known as the Warm0th |
and Carter wings; he wrote several articles
for the National Republican,; had never re-
peived one dollar tor federal service in his |
life, either directly or indirectly.
George Duncan, sw0rn-Was marine re- |
porter for the National Republican,; was paid |
by j. L. Herwig; employees OF the Custom
house subscribed to the stock and the ex-
Denses of the paper; Mr.. Newman, the
,ditOr, told wi ness his name was on the
oav rolls of the Customhouse; heard by /
.umor that other employees were also on
he pay rolls; $50 per week would cover
he receipts Of the paper outside the Gus
omhouse, and the expenses must have
,een 1t least $1,000 per week; was employed
N the paper during it's existence.
To Mr.. Wood dburn-Witness said three
persons had told him they were compelled
o take stock in the paper. On being asked
vho they were, witness at first refused 10