Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-12-07
The Hot Springs 'sOmissiOn.,' -
INVESTIGATING THE CHARGES AGAINST SENATOR

CONOVER-
The Senate committee to make an inquiry
concerning important charges made by Benson,
of the secret service. against senator Conover
and his clerk, Rice, alleging that they vOun-
tarily cOnSpired to omit one page OF the Hot
Springs enactment from the sundry civil appro-
priation bill, met this morning.
THE TESTIMONY TO-DAY
George johnson. a clerk in the Post Office de-
parment testified that on the last night of the
session he was not at the Capitol. Benson and
another person had called upon witness at his
Office and requested him TO tell them all he
knew about the Hot Springs matter. lone OF
them asked me whether | had been to New
York in January in the interest OF certain per-
sons in Washington: told them / had not: also
said was not at the Capitol on the last night
OF the session: Benson said he had the affidayitS
of three men that was seen hanging about the
room OF the Senate committee on enrolled bills
on the last night of the session, and had been
seen 10 take the missing sheet of the blu from
Mr.. Rice. the clerk. who told me to get away
with il. told Benson it was pack of blamed
lies. and said that the charges We're entirely
false. Benson said there could be no mistake
about il. ] went to First Assistant u. NJ. q.
TEner and told him Of the attack that was
being made on myself and Senator Conover,
and asked him for a few days leave to inveSti-
gate the matter myself. Did not ask who made
the afiidavitS, for felt sure that none had been
made told Senator ConoveT and Mr.. Rice of the
circumstances; both said the story was tissue
OF lies; had no knowledge of the abstraction Of
knowledge
Mr. ". II. Rice. clerk of the committee on
enrolled bills. OF which Senator COnOVer is chair
man. testified as follows: .'know George john
son: he was. think at the Capitol on the even
ing of the last session, but Congress did not
adjourn until morning. and did not see him
after 10 O'Clock at night" The clerk gave the
routine manner OF handling enrolled bills in the
committee of which he is clerk. and continued
The sundry civil bill did not come TO Our com
mittee: Captain BaSSett told me that he had
given it directly TO the President himself, be
cause there was not time for il to go through
the regular channels on account OF the lateness
of the hour; was III the committee room and
running between our committee and the COM
mittee OF the House on enrolled bills on the last
night OF The session: first learned that Senator
C0nOVer ard myself had been charged with
causing the omission in the Hot Springs bill
from johnson when returned 10 Washington
some time after adjournment Of Congress; our
committee has charge or enrolled bills only
after they are signed by the Vice President and
until they can be delivered TO the House COM
mittee; am not positive that johnson was at
the Capitol on the evening before adjournment
but II IS my impression that he was there; |
might have been mistaken
The venerable Captain BaSsett. who has been
connected with the Senate for nearly half Il
century, teotifeS as follows congress ad-
jOurned about seven O'Clock on the m0rreg OF
June 20th: knows nothing about the 81 ldry
civil bill except that received ii from o1e OF
the clerks OF the Senate, and at once carried il
to the President. The bill was In loose sheets:
think this was about ten minutes before ad-
jouInment: ordinarily | would have carried
the bill 10 Mr. COnover. chairman of the
committee on enrolled bills; looked for Mr.
COnover but could not find him. aud carried the
bill directly to the President. as | have fire.
quently done in previous sessions; did not ap-
proach the committee room on enrolled bills:
d1d not see either Mr.. COnOyer or Mr. Rice until
after | had carried the bill to the President I
left the bill with the President; do not know
what he did with it: understand that all bills
90 from the President to the Secretary of State
owing TO the absence OF two OF the witnesses
one OF them being named Britt. the committee
GOurned until Monday