National Republican., 1876-03-23
HALLRr KnRnuRN.

for his ability and integrity.
HALLRr KLBOURN.
WAS THIS CONTEMPT? Has not Mr.
Eilbourn bssn SNeqaly and trdntonly de
priced Of the sacred rights guaranteed to
ecsry Am ericdn citizen By the Consti-
tHtion' The following extracts from his
testimony before the investigating COM
mittee speak for themselves:
@. You are the same Hallet KiIbourn spoken
of and who testified before joint committee at
the last session OF CorgressT A. Yes, sir.
q. State whether yOu have in your possession
now and have brought to the committee room
the papers. documents, memoranda, So, re-
ferred to IN the subpoena drces tccun served upon
you: A. have not.
z. State whether ycu are prepared to produce
them at this sitting Of the committee: A. am
not prepared to produce then to-day.
q. State whether yOu are willing TO produce
them now or at any future sitting OF this commit
tee? A. As at present advised. 1 an not pre-
pared.
Q. You refuse to produce them before the COM
mi:tee In response to this subpwns: A. Yes, sir.
would Ike to state the reasons therefor, my per-
scnsl reasons. My partner and myself are in a
private business. We have no Connection with
the GoTernnent Of the United States and never
have had: are conscious OF having violated no Law;
are not charged with any fraud. Cur business
that we do Is done with pirate citizens through
out the country. and stand upon the right which
think belongs to every private citizen not &C.
cused Of violating any law OF being protected in
his papers. Whatever the law decides, however,
am willing to abide by. sustain but one rela-
tion to the Government and that is to pay taxes
and obey the law. That is the only transaction
have with the Government at all.
By MIR. Smith: 10 you refuse to answer because
you think such answer would criminate you?
A. q, not at all, sir: not st all. If anybody will
make an oath, an affirmation, or affidavit that in
anything in connection with this We have violated
any law, or committed any fraud, we Will give
you our books, give the whole history Of our firm
from the day Of our baptism until the present
time.
q. How much was thus put into your hands, or
the firm OF which you were a member: A. OF
course, have held tho right to decline to answer
that, and l will not hesitate now to do so. l will
detail all the history of this pool to that extent
Five gentlemen each put In IS, 900, and Jay Cooke
\ &c. put in SIS 900. Now you have the whole
extent Of the pool.
BY the Chairman: That was the entire sum at
any time put in: A. There was an assessment
made after Jay Cooke & Co. failed OF g., 900 each
this, and these other parties paid $1,000 apiece.
l may say now that is the whole of 1t. Out OF
this great, big, world wide, noised-abroad pool
that is the whole sum of money that was ever put
in It in the world.
q. State by what members OF the pool you were
supplied with money TO be invested therein, other
than Jay Cooke Co: A: The money was sup
piled by ive gentlemen who comprised the other
members OF the pool aside from Jay Cooke & Co.
Q. And, as already stated, you decline to give
their names: A. \ es, sir. will state this: II
it can be shown in any way that the Government
is interested or that It will promote the interests
ofthe Government IN any way to the extent OF
one dollar, will tell everything about It. IwiIl
tell everything about It If the GoTernment has
been wrOnged in any shape or manner.
want you 10 understand that do not resist It
because want to shield anything IRON the Gov
eminent interests. 1 am enly resisting 1t and
protecting my own Interests as a citizen who has
hut one relation to the Government, and that Is
to obey tho law and pay taxes. The Government
has no interest, one way or the other in this mat
ter. II It had, through Jay Cooke, or Lewis,
trustee OF Jay Cooke & Co, It was ali settled.
We have settled through the courts. II the set
tlepent was not fair, the court Is open for f., l
understand. Instead OF resisting anything tina:
affects the Government, as l said, l would help
TO promote the Governments interests, fit can
be shown wherein can do It.
MIR. Black, counsel for the witness, said that he
wanted a record made up, which would justify
one party or the other In. doing what they re.
spcctively intended to do. Ho wished, therefore,
to put some questions to the witness.
By Mr. BLACK: Please state TO the committee,
on your oath, whether there is anything in the
nature history ofths real-estate pool connected
with any public affair, or whether It is purely
private matter. A. 1t is purely aprivats matter,
and has relation 10 the remotest degree to any
public interest whatsoever.
q. Was it, or not, private partnership? A.
1t was entirely 60.
q. Relating to private business? A. Yes.
q. Was there any public money invested in II
by anybody: A. Not dollar.
q. Il It connected in any way with the public
act of any offcer OF the District Of Oolumbla or
the United States Government? A. Not in the
remotest degree. Jay Cooke * Go. put in 81, ,OOl.
q. Arc they IN 1t now: A. No, SIR; nobody is
interested in It now but KtlbOurn & Lltta.
O. Have you ever objected 70 q revelation OF
that business on any other ground than that It Is
3 mere private transaction: A. That Is the
only reason why have ever objected to answer
ing questions about IT, that It Is purely private
business.
Mr.. Black. That is all want to ask the wit
ness. But want to 20 little further and have
.
test of the scrutiny Of any other tribunal before
which it may hereafter be brought. To that end
call tho attention OF the committee to q fact
which occurred before the committee 4. former
| meeting, namely, call upon the party who was
promoting this investigation for any contradiction
OF the statement which the witness has Just ade
| that this is purely 4 private affair; and l now
repeat (Iepresenting the witness, and hfs coun-
seI) his entire willingness to answer any inter-
rogatorIes that the committee may pat TO him
concerning the nature and history Of the real
estate pool, so called, provided that any gentle
man here or any member OF the committee, will
express his conviction, grounded on any fact
known to him, that there is- any connection what.
! ever with any public act that Congress has o
right to investigate or to found any legislation
upon. II that be so, then there is an end OF all
controversy; the witness "comes down" imms-
dlately and gives the committee any Information
| that may be wanted on the subject. O:herTiss
It must be taken for granted that the nature ana
character of that TT InsRction Is what he described
| It 10 be on mis- oath, purely private matter.