Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-06-15
THE CREDIT InDusTRIEl.
Minister Trescott Examined by the Foreign
Affairs COMMITTEES.
Another Lot Of the Original Correspon.
deace Sent TO Congress.

affairs today.
The witness received his first commission
from the President. November last. and
confirmed BY the Senate in December. and
received his second commission through
Frelinghuysen, who was then Secretary of
State. He was appointed special Minister
Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary.
and in few words. the object of his mission
was to attempt to bring the belIigerent States
of Chill, Peru and Bolivia together. and if
possible to induce them to make peace. The
witness knew nothing whatever of the cor
respondenee of Shipaerd, never saw him but
once, and none of his papers ever came to his
(witness) hands. just before the witness
left this city for South America, Blaine
showed him one of Shepherds letters and his
(BlaiDes) reply was in the letter in which he
told Shipherd never to speak to him again.
With this exception the witness knew nothing
of Shepherds papers or the missing papers.
In reply to question by Williams the wit
ness stated he had knowledge that any
Minister of the United State was influenced
corruptly with the Credit Industriel. or any
other company, that the late Minister
Hurlbut was in any way corrurtly Influenced.
He (wtness) found that great dissatisf: c.
ton existed in Chill with the official course
of Hurlbut, but he never heard the least init
nation that he was corruptly influenced in
his action toward Chill. or that he had any
personal interest in the Credit industrial. or
| other financial schemes. In fact, the wit
ness was satisfied that there had never been
time when the Credit Industriel was, or
| would be made political factor in the set
| Element of the difficulties between Chill and
Peru. Witness had an interview withe Chill
| ian Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and init
mated to him that the CHILEAN people. by their
Hurlkut,s he
articles in their newspaper, were doing him
injustice and the Minister replied that the
CHILEAN government had no charge whatever
to make against Hurlbut.
| Mr.. Williams stated to the committee that
he had been notified that the secretary of
state would today send to Congress large
mass of the original correspondence bearing
upon Trescott's mission, and unless some
member of the committee desired to ask
some questions, he thought it would be better
to adjourn for few days to give them an OPP
portunity to examine this correspondence.
| Belmont desired to put a few questions,
and inquired: Do 1 understand YOU, Mr..
Prescott, that the plan of the Credit Indus
trel was the only one that could have been
practical?
Alt was the only one that I heard of that
seemed to have a sufficient financial status to
warrant the expectation that it might furnish
means to pay the war indemnity.
Q-The first steps contemplated in the
plan of this company were the cession of
| Terepaca to Chill, and to the establishment
of some form of government in Peru with
| which to treat. were they not i!
Al do not know as To that, tie Credit
Industrel was purely financial enterprise
guanO.
Belmont then put number of questions
with a view of showing that the Credit Indus
triel was the company which was meant.
| although it was not mentioned IN the instruc-
tions of the state department to Hurlbut of
June 18th.
Tre,cott was asked if he had communicated
with any one since his return from South
America, with regard to the Credit Indus
triel, and replied that he had written to
Robert Randall in response to letter from
| that gentleman, in which he called his (wit-
ness attention to certain portions of Blanes
testimony, and asked him for a statement of
his (witnessO recollection upon the matters
involved.
Trescott-I don't wish to he drawn into any
controversy as to the accuracy of the memory
of either Blaine or Randall.
Belmont am simply trying to ascertain
what. If any, of the state department letters
to the Credit Industriel were retained.
Trescott-I know nothing of what passed
between Blaine and Randall. knew Ran
dali as the agent or representative of the
Credit Industriel, as l understood it. Ran
dali was under the impression that certain
relations had been established between the
industrial and the State Department, and he
thought that Blaine had taken up the Ian.
drau claim. and had forced it upon the two
governments of Chilli and Peru to the detri-
ment OF the success of his company As a
point OF tact. however, the question had
never reached the point of practical consid-
Grafton, and so told Mr.. Randall.
Mr.. Prescott was asked if he did not draft
the instructions of June 18th, and replied
| that he did not remember.
Some discussion ensued as to the propriety
of compelling the witness to disclose who
wrote certain dispatches.
Prescott stated that he was perfectly will
| ing to answer any and all questions not con-
fiicting with his obligations to the President
and Secretary of State, but all official dis
patches signed by the Secretary of State
were bis 1.-THE Secretary's) dispatches, aud
he (witness) doubted the propriety of his
being questioned in regard to their author
ship.
Belmont stated that he deemed it pertinent
to the inquiry to show that the Credit Indus.
triel was the company which was meant in
Inc instr C ions OF June 10th, although il
| was not mertioLed by name.
Witness Yesterday made light of it. and
made the point that the Credit Industriel was
not mentioned at all. He desired witness To
state whether he (witnessj had any other
company in mind.
Prescott replied that his opinion on this
subject was formed after he reached Peru:
that from what he heard there he was salts.
fed that the Credit industrial was the only
agency he ever heard of while there.
Belmont asked several other questions in
regard to the witness acquaintance with Mr..
Elmore, MIR. Suarez, and others, and in ex.
PLANTATION stated that his object was to show
what kind of government that of Calderon
| was when Eimore, the representative of il.
was also representative Of the Credit Indus
triel, and also that it vas so well understood
that the Credit lndustriel was the only COM
pany offering practicable plan that it was
not thought necessary in dispatches to men
ton it by name. The inquiry was not pur
sued further, however, as the hour of adj
journment had arrived. Trescott was ex.
cused with the understanding that he would
be recalled in few days.
WEATHER REPORT.