The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-08
THE nor SPRINGS INQUIRY.
History OF the Mutuated sundry civil Bin In
tho Inst Hours Of Congress.

WASHINGTON, Dec. THE Senate Com
,nittoe. consisting of Messrs. Cameron twis.l.
Eaton. and Randolph. appointed to inquire into
tho omission Of the Hot Springs clause from the
Sundry Civil Appropriation bill. met at II
o'clock to- day. Mr.. George II. johnson. n clerk
in the Post ONCE Department. testified that he
met Senator Conovcr in tho street last August.
near the EDbiu House. and had n conversation
with him in reference to an attack mado on the
character Of both by Mr. Benson OF the Treas-
ury secret service. Prior to this interview he
had never conversed with the Senator on
tho subject of tho Hot Springs clause.
Benson and another employee OF the Secret
Service Division Of tho Treasury had called at
tho Post Of1lce Department and desired him to
? tell them all he knew about It. One OF them
asked him whether he had been to New York in
January. in tho interest OF certain parties In
Washington. Witness told him that he had not.
and was not at the Capitol on the last night OF
the session. The larger man Of the two said
tney mad the affidavits OF three persons that he
had been seen waiting around the hall Of the
senate. and had been seen TO take the paper
from Mr.. Rico. Senator Conovers clerk who
told him to get away with IT, Witness replied
that u was pack OF ID lies. and suggested
that there was some mistake about II. Witness
went to acting Postmaster General Tyner after
this interview. and told him AN outrageous at
tack had been made on witness and Senator
r..
days to Investigate the nature Of the attack. He
did not ask who made the nfildavits. for he did
not believe any had been made. He had had
conversations with W Z. Rice on tho subject.
Rico characterized the whole story ms an out
rageous tissue Of falsehoods. calculated and in
tended to inlure Senator COnOVer. He had no
knowledge Of tho abstraction Of the papers. and
had never said that he had.
Mr.. W. F. Rice OF Pensacola, Fla clerk to the
Senate Committee on Enrolled Bills. testified
that lie had been clerk 20 the Committee for
three sessions. He was in the committee room
on tho last night OF the session Of Congress.
Alright during the afternoon. but he did not soc
him during the night Tho Sundry Civil Ap-
preparation bill did not come To tho Committee
on Enrolled Bills nj all II was taken by Capt.
Baesctt directly to the President of the Senate.
who had advised him that there was scarcely
time for IL To gothrough the Committee without
ueeos.itating another recess. IL was nearly I
A. NJ. when the bill came over
Capt Isaac Bassett Assistant DOorkccpcr OF
tho Senate. said he had been an employee Of the
Senate over tOrty-cight years. The Senate adj
lourncd at o'clock on the morning Of June q.
He know nothing OF the Suudry Civil bill. be-
Of the Senate. and carried 1t 10 the President.
who WAS In the Presidents room. This was five
or ten minutes before the adjournment Of the
Senate. The bill was not tied up. ms usual. hut
Committee on Enrolled Bills, because he could
not find Mr. COuOvcr. He informed Mr. Con
over after adjournment what he had done. and
Mr.. Corover told him he had been asleep on n
sofa. He lid not see Mr.. Rice or any one con-
neried with Mr. Conoyers committee. After
the President signs bill tits left with the Pres
idont
sir. Britt Of tho Secret Service oflre. was
present but asked 60 he permitted 60 have til
Mondny 90 examine certain papers. which r..
quest was granted. md the Committee adjourned
o. 10 O'Clock Monday. when Mossrs. Britt aud
Benson. Of the Secret Service Division will De