The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-05-24
WASHINGTON.
COMMITTEES ON Foreign Affairs

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1 0rth, Of Indiana, United States Ministe
10 Austria, testified to-day before the sui
committee Of the Committee on Foreig
Affairs In relation to the awards made b
the Vene1nelRl mixed commission. Hi
name had been mentioned In the testimo
ny previously given by Seth briggs, o
New York, as having acted as attorne
10 procure from the State Department
the payment Of Z per cent on the disburse
ment OF large number OF thousan
dollar certificates, withheld from Drigg
by the American Commissioner, Talmadgt
Orth in his testimony explained fully hi
connection with the matter. His frs
knowledge OF the Venezuelan claim
occurred when the Venezuelan govern
ment in 1870 and 1871 protested agains
their validity, auegihg fraud nthe Com
mission. The Committee on Foreigr
Afairs, Of which 0r,h was thenta mem
ber, Investigated the charges and unani
mously reported in favor Of the validit!
Of the awards, Afterwards, when 0rti
was notSasmember Of Congress and whei
he had no idea Of again beingin Congress
he accepted employment as At
torney Of stilwell and General Talmadge
to assist them in receiving their pei, cent
paid by the Venezulan government un
der protest, on their awards, and which
was then in the State Department, ant
subsequently in procuring the passage o.
a law by Congress confirming the awards
He acted and was paid Us Attorney fol
Stilwell and Talmadge. His services were
rendered while he was not a member o.
Congress and terminated before he took
his seat in subsequent. Congress in 1873
That ended his professional connection
with the matter, but in July, 1873, he
then being member Of Congress elect
he had on behalf OF Talmadge
corresponded with the State Department
on the subject Of the payment OF tho in
stallment on the certificates held by Tai
madgc. This, however, he had not done
in his professional character. He iden.
tihed the correspondence, copy Of which
was In the hands Of the committee. The
name Of Talmadge does not appear in it
the person for whom he was acting, but
the name OF Thomas Brown does. Orth's
explanation is that Talmadge must have
written 10 him that Brown was holding
these certificates.
Mr.. Springer who examined orth after
calling his attention to the fact that Still
well was United States Minister to Vene.
zuela, only few months, and that Tai
madge was the American Commissioner
who passed upon the claims, asked him iii
did not occur to him when offered this
employment as attorney, that it was very
strange that Stillwell and Talmadge
should hold such large amounts Of these
certificates, the former having more than
$4,000 Of them, and the latter still larger
sums, and whether II did not, therefore,
occur TO him that II he mentioned the
name Of Talmadge 10 the State Depart
ment as owner Of these certificates, sus.
picion would have been awakened and
payment prevented.
0rth replied no, for the State Depart
ment had paid moneyio Talmadge in 1871
on the installment on other certificates
which he held.
Mr.. Orlh to-day sent in his resignation
as Minister, and proceeds to Indiana to
attend to the gubernatorial canvps.
THE CABINET CHANGES.
There was no change in the representa-.
tives Of the War Department and the De-
Department OF Justice at the Cab
met meeting, to-day. 's
Judge Pierrepont will not relinquish
the charge OF the Department Of Justice
until his formal acceptance Of the new
Office, about the lat Of June.
1t is probable that until the arrival OF
Judge Pierrepont at the Court OF 81.
James nothing Of n definite character will
be done In relation 10 the misunder-
standing upon the provisions OF the extra
dition treaty.
THE CENTRAL PACIFIC ROAD.
C.P. Huntington, Vice President ofthe
Central Pacific Railroad Company, has
written a letter TO the chairman Of the
Committee on Judiciary; in which he
says The company recognizes as fully as
the committee the desirability both to
the government and the company OF an
equitable and final settlement Of all mat
tiers and questions Of whatever kind be-
tween them, and this he thinks can be
effected by an amicable arbitra-
tion with good results to both par
ties. II il should be determined by the
committee TO insist on the cash payments
named by one OF the committee the COM
pany would prefer the contract as it is,
leaving the question at issue TO be settled
in the future on equitable terms. The con-
traction in value, he says, has largely ex.
ceeded the calculations Of the companyand
the amount received from sales OF lands
has not been as large as was expected.
The road was built in times OF higher
prices and although economically con-
structed, cost a very large sum. and he
raises The question whether the nation, 1t
being principal the BENEFICIARY, should not
share In the shrinkage. The saving to the
government every year being more
than the annual interest. it pays
on the bonds OF the company. He
compares. the cost OF transportation to
the government before and after the
opening Of the road, and shows that the
government is now sending large part
Of its freight to the Pacific coast bywater,
and not by rail as was contemplated. He
offers to give any information the com.
mittee may desire in regard to the sug.
gestions Of his letter, rs the company ia
anxious to settle this matter so as to
avoid the continual misunderstanding in
regard to the true Interpretation OF the
contract.
DIR LOUISIANA AFFAIRS. re y
The Committe on Federal Offices in
Louisiana continued the examination Of
the witness CIV. Ferguson today. Near
ly the whole time was occupied by Mr..
Wilson, counsel for Collector Casey, in
crosse Examining, but nothing OF impor-
tance was developed. Mr.. Wilson intro.
duced several kilograms received from
Casey, Heresig, Kensall and others, and
claimed that the records showed that
Ferguson's statements were false.
During the day the subcommittee
visited the Treasury Department with
the witness to identify the bogus pay
rolls, and reported that although about
six hundred vouchers were produced by
the Treasury Department and examined
by the witness, he was unable 10 identify
a single one beyond those for his own sal
ary,
The Committee adjourned to meet in
Naw Orlaana nm thn Nth. HH .rf.