The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-06-08

CATION.
Mr.. Hunton-How do you know il?
Mr.. Blaine-You so stated to me Yourself
Mr.. Hunton-Well, if yon say did | pre-
sumo it is so, though do not recall it.
Mr.. Blaine said he had seen in the papers
that this witness was going to be examined in
relation to transactions of himself (Blaine)wth
j. b. Stewart. He desired to have Mr. Stew
art present when the witness testified
Mr.. Hunton-Do you wish Mr. Stewart sum
moned?
Mr.. Blaine-Yes sir.
Mr.. Hunton-Very well, 1t shall be done.
Mr.. Hunton notified the Sergeant-at arms,
Thompson, to summon Stewart by telegraph at
once.
Witness then testified that he resided in ST.
Joseph, Mo-, and was acquainted with the bus
mess of the Kansas Pacific.
Mr. Frye-Mr. Blaine has asked that the ex-
animation of this witness be deferred till Stew
art shall be present. Do / understand that re-
quest to be denied?
Gen. Hunton-I did not so understand it.
Mr.. Blaine-I desire to make that request
now.
Gen. Hunton-The committee will take it in
to consideration.
Gen. Hunton was proceeding with the exam
ination, when Blaine objected to taking up at
all the Kansas Pacific matter until the 1854, 900
question was disposed of.
Gen. Hunton-Why do you object? We are
investigating the Union Pacific railroad which
will probably take us three months to COM
plete.
Mr.. Blaine-Though it is the Union Pacific
| want to show that it is aimed at me and that
for purpose.
Gen. Hunton-I want to say that when you
charge that the investigation was set on foot
for purpose against you, you state what is
not SO. want to make it thorough and at
the same time as kindly as it can be done.
Alter some consultation witness said he
would like to go on with his statement and he
would remain here and meet Mr.. Stewart as
long as Mr. Blame or the committee should de-
sire, whereupon Mr.. Blaine waived his request
and the witness testified that 10 1864 the east
ern division of the Union Pacific railroad made
a contract with Sam Halrtt to build the road
and agreed to give him all the bonds and stock
and whatever else he could obtain in the way
of subsidies from Congress Hallett took in
as Farmers Mr.. Perry and Thos. q. Durant.
In October, 1864. Hallett turned over S250,000
of the bonds to j. b. Stewart, the latter acting
as counsel, and was author of the tenth section
of the act of Congress of 1864, whereby the
credit of the road was strengthened.
While the witness was testlfying, Knott ar
rived and spirited colloquy took place between
Blaine and Proctor Knott. the latter saying
that Blaine raised a question of veracity be-
tween them concerning the appointment of a
subcommittee.
Knott made statement showing that the
subcommittee was appointed under the Lut-
trell resolution long before any investigation
of Blaine was heard Of He said the entry of
appointment of the subcommittee was not
made upon books of the committee by an
omission of clerks.
Statements were made by various membe rs
showing the subcommittee was appointed be-
fore the passage of the Tarbox resolution, but
that through careless methods of doing bust
ness it had not been announced and that it had
done nothing before that time.
Hunton-Wesheld the first meeting at my
room and took the testimony Of Mr.. Ham in
relation to the lost bonds of the Union Pacific
Railroad
Blaine (interposng)-You held that meeting
on the 4th of May?
HuntOn-I understood that
Blaine-That was before the Tarbox resolu-
ton.
HuntOn-SOOn after the Tarbox resolut Cd,
probably after its reference to the sub+comitm-
tee, to which the Luttrell resolution had been
referred L sent message to Blaine on the
same day, or Immediately thereafter Blaine
sent for me to come into the room of the Ways
and Means Committee. l told him among
other things that desired to conduct this ex.
animation kindly and impartialy, but that it
should be as thorough as [ could make it, and
he requested me not to enter upon it at once
because he desired to 60 to the Centennial. 1t
was then agreed that the examination of the
wltness on the Tarbox resolution should be
postponed till the week succeeding Centennial
week-l believe until the first day of that
week. On that very day the examination
begun and have endeavored to live up exactly
to what told Blaine, namely, that the exam
ination should be kindly, impartial and
thorough. am wholly unconscious of having
ever departed from that rule. There has been
no delay in this investigation that could have
been avoided by the committee. There have
been. several postponements of examinations,
but they have generally been at the instance
OF Blaine. For the largest part of one whole
week the examination was postponed from day
to day because Blaine was sick and unable to
ba heard On tho last Mondav ha TO-
met again. at 10 oclock, Blaine was not pres.
ent One of his friends, l think Hale, appeared
In the committee room and requested that
there be no examination that DAY because
Blaine had been Informed by Frye there would
be no meeting on that day. 1t has been my
earnest desire, and feel assured it has been
the desire of both my colleagues, to hasten this
examination as fast as practicable, and as far
as Mr.. Blaine was concerned in the investga.
ton, under either the Tarbox or Luttrell reso-
lutiOns, to come to conclusion at the earliest
moment practicable.
Baine-Yes, but you mixed the two up so
you never can get to conclusion.
Hunton-I cannot help it.
Blaine-I could help it if I we're chairman of
the subcommittee.
HuntGE-Yes understand that you prob
ably could, but in the course of the examina-
ton the committee have thought it their duty
to make
Blaine--tinterposing) Has this any connec-
Hunton-I did not say it had.
Blaine-I say therefore that you keep all
these things mixed up together aud it is i'm
possible to give me report on that matter.
Hunton-This is separate matter from
that.
Blaine-Then why do you not finish it up?
Hunton-Because witnesses are not here. /
have tried to get witnesses here but they are
not here.
Knott want to say one thing before
RIaiDp fnrfhar Hovipn tod
committee under the sweeping resolution of
Luttrell when the Tarbox resolution was intro.
duced, it being in the same line, AID relating to
the same subject, l, for that reason referred it
to the committee already appointed, without
any reference to Blaine. At the time when 1
appointed the committee on LuttrelPs resolu-
ton had never heard the remotest insn-
alton that Blaine would be involved in any
shape or form, or that anybody would.
Blaine-Now desire to make statement.
The fact has been stated by the chairman of
the committee (knott and by the various gen.
t.emen who are members of the committee that
he went around to see if people were too will
ing to serve on that Luttrell committee.
Knott told them they were appointed.
Blaine-I did not interrupt sir. do not
know anything about what you told hut what
l do know is that the Luttrell resolution passed
the House on the 3lst of January last That
resolution Mr. HuntOn represents as a resolu-
ton so important that he could not neglect any
part OF it, and yet this important resolution lay
" days dead and dormant and never had the
breath of life breathed into it by the chairman,
by Mr.. Hunton, until the 4th of Nav, and that
was the day after the Tarbox resolution was
adopted. When the latter resolution was
adopted I said to Mr.. Frye, but he did not bear
the message, II wish you would see Knott and
tell him l want Northern Democrats put on
that committee" | went so far as to specify
LVnde and Hurd, although had hardly any
acquaintance whatever with those gentlemen.
did not want the resolution to go to the gen
tlenen to whom it has gene. Mr.. Frye, how
ever, did not think it prudent message to
bear and 80 did not deliver it. Instantaneously
on The passage of the Tarbox resolution heard
that Messrs. Ashe and Lawrence were ap.
pointed and on the same day as if designed to
give larger jurisdiction to the gentlemen act
ing under Tarbox's resolution, the Luttrell
resolution was also given to you. You then
examined Mr. Ham in regard to the lost bonds.
Now do not pretend to raise any question of
veracity any further than tie record itself.
questions of veracity ara the last and the most
disagreeable to raise, but on that record here
state that the Luttrell resolution was never
touched for 80 days, and then it was referred to
this same committee to which the Tarbox reso-
luton went My attention was not called to it
till certain question was asked one of the wit
nesses, and l think there were myrads of
questions asked that were folly and Irrelevant,
So much was this 80 that committee of his
own (Hunton's) party had to rein
him in the wh01n cnm niftaa haliava