Los Angeles daily herald., 1876-04-21
IN THE TOLLS.
President Grant Using the Public
Funds for Election Purposes.
Williams Makes a Clean Breast Of It.

NEwYORK, April 20th.-The Worlds
Washington correspondent publishes
the following: Important and trust
worthy evidence directly duplicating
the President of the United States in
the illegal and corrupt use of the pub
lie money was taken to-day before the
Committee on the Department of JUS
tice, and from no less a person than
an ex-member of his Cabinet, ex-At-
torney General George H. Williams,
who, in fact, shields his illegal conduct
behind written order of the Presi-
dent In a word, it involves the pay
ment out of the secret service fund of
an order of Grants for $4,000 to aid
in carrying the elections in the city of
New York in the years 1S71-'72-'73.
All of this money was paid to the no.
torious John ]. Davenport, who was
chief Supervisor under the enforce
ment act, but who does not receipt for
it in single instance as an officer of
the government, but simply as John
j. Davenport. In one case he merely
gives his own due bill for the pay
ments made to him in an official ca
pacity. All are duly receipted and
audited in the Treasury, and in cor
rect form and legal account. This cor
ruption fund for political purposes was
gobbled from the secret service fund.
Attorney General Williams says he
was first called upon to pay Daven-
port $4,000 in 1871. He hesitated to
use the public money in that ay,and
called upon the President, who, after
a brief conversation, ordered its pay
ment by written order. In the Fall
of 1872, when the last presidential
election was held, $4,000 was ordered
to be paid to Davenport-th Attorney
General testifying that, in each in
stance, he received the verbal order of
the President before turning over the
money. Last Fall $4,000 more were
paid, when Williams half remon-
strated against it. The largest pay
ment was for the election in 1872, when
Grant ran against Greeley. The Pres
ident said Davenport was engaged in
a great work up there.
HE MUST HAVE THE MONEY.
When pressed by the committee as to
the corrupt and illegal use of this
fund, Attorney General Williams
evaded and lodged, and seemed reluc-
tant to tell, though not so willing, af-
ter all, to protect the President. This
corruption fund was paid on the order
of the President to Whitley, and by
letter to Davenport. Whitley pro-
duced to-day to the committee Daven-
ports voucher for every cent, ,and Will
liams corroborated him in that and
other respects.
The Heratd'S Washington special
says that astounding developments
were made to-day by testimony in
volving in very painful manner
President Grant. The story confirms
the charges made in New York in
1872, that the administration had in
terfered with the corruption in the
elections of that year.
HERE FOLLOWS THE EVIDENCE,
And a story substantially like that
just sent to the World. The Her.
AIDS Washington special adds that
the President will probably be sub
poenaed before the committee TO
answer these questions for himself.
During the course OF the examination
of Williams, he was asked what con-
versation passed between himself and
the President when the latter ordered
the first payment of msney to Daven-
port, the object of the question being
to draw from the witness that he had,
as law officer of the Government, ad
vised the President that such payment
of money was illegal; but the witness
answered that he could not recollect
especially what the conversation was.
When the question was put in more
leading way-almost directly, in fact
he still failed to recollect what had
been said. The question whether the
Committee shall call the President be-
fort them or not, and in what manner
they will question him, will probably
be discussed tomorrow. Presidents
Jefferson and Lincoln appeared before
Committees of Congress to testify; and
Grant, it is believed, desires to appear,
and will come as soon as he is sum-
moned. On the Black Friday inves-
LEGATIONS the Committee sent him
copy of the testimony, and requested
him to send in such answer as he
chose to make. 1t is said there has
been uneasiness in administration cir
cles for some days about the coming
and embarrassing developm ents.
THE COMMITTEE
Has only begun the Investigation of
what has been done at different times
with the Secret Service Fund in the
Department of Justice. They are said
20 be on the track of other eXpendi-
lures not different in kind from this;
made in New York, but in the aggre-
gate very largely exceeding in
amount. There are fifteen or twenty
receipts to Whitley from Davenport,
amounting to $40, 200, and letters from
the Attorney General and Davenport.
Williams gave directions to Whitley
as to the disposition of the money,
which were to give it to Davenport.
Some of the documents are already in
the hands of the Committee, and
Whitley supposed they were stolen
from his office. The money was paid
in sums varying from $4,000 to $780,
600 each time. Williams says he was
ordered to have it paid to Davenport
by the President. Twenty thousand
dollars of this money was paid to Da-
venport before the election in 1872.
The witness did not seem inclined to
give the facts, but they were forced
out of him, and when he saw that they
had the letters, he gave them.
The World says editorially: "The
most melancholy news which it has
ever fallen to our lot to lay before the
public, hardly excepting the assassi-
nation of Lincoln, is that which we
publish this morning, reciting the po-
litical and moral suicide of
PRESIDENT GRANT
In the use of the Secret Service money
as an election and corruption fund for
his party's benefit and his own re-elec-
ton. His agent was the notorious
John ]. Davenport, and the money