The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-05-18
THE PERUVIAN COMPANY.
Shipherd Refuses to Produce Certain
CORRESPOND ence and Papers.

Shipherd Refuses to Produce Certain
Correspond ence and Papers.
WASHINGTON, May 1.-THE House commit
tee on foreign affairs met in secret session this
morning and resumed the discussion relative
to the method and scope Of tho investigation.
Shipherd arrived with bag said to contain
numerous documents and prepared statement
covering fifty pages or more. Representatives
of the press waited impatiently In the corri-
dors.
At II .25 the doors were opened and Ship
herd having taken his seat the chairman ad-
foreign affairs is directed by the House to de-
mand from you copies of all correspondence
between yourself and any person or persons
whomsoever and all papers and other evil
dence in your possession tending to show
what you did or attempted to do to enforce
the claim of the Peruvian Company or induce
the United States to enforce this claim against
Peru. Are you now prepared to furnish the
documents here called for?
Shipherd-I ain not
Chair-Are you prepared to furnish and will
you furnish all papers and other evidence in
your possession tending to show what you did
or attempted to do to enforce the claim of the
Peruvian Company or to induce the United
States to enforce this claim against Peru?
ShipherdI will not.
Chair-Do you positively decline to produce
the papers and evidence called for.
Shipherd-I do.
Chair-What is the further pleasure Of the
committee?
Mr.. Hice-I move we 60 into executive ses-
sion.
Agreed to, the room was cleared and the
committee went into private consultation.
After ten minutes the doors were reopened
and the committee agreed to inform the Ser
geant-at-arms that it had no further need for
the attendance of Shipherd and that he might
be discharged until further notification. No
time was fixed for any future meeting of the
committee in regard to this matter.
Speculation on the Action OF the Com
mittee.
The Hause committee on foreign affairs will
hold another secret session tomorrow morn
ing There is much speculation as to the fu-
ture action of the committee in regard to Ship
herd. 1t was believed that the committee be-
fore putting 10 Shipherd the alternative ques-
tions this morning had decided In the event OF
his positive refusal to produce the requested
correspondence to report him to the House as
in contempt of its mandates. Their subse-
to discharge him has given rise to
the belief that the recent Supreme
Court decision in the Hallett Kill
bourne case has led the committee to doabt the
expediency of proceeding to extreme meas
ures. 1t is learned the committee have decid-
ed to summer ex-Assistant Secretary OF State
Robert r. Hit as witness.
A Letter from Shipherd.
Shipherd tonight sent Chairman Williams
of the foreign affairs committee letter, in
which, after referring to his previoEs appear
ance before the committee and suspension OF
his testimony with an intimatiOn of recall, he
saws: Directly thereafter Mr.. Blaine, vol
unteer witness, was heard for several days and
later Senator Blair. Mr.. Blair's recollection
differed from mine on point which Mr.
Blaine and his friends deem important. The
whole of Mr.. Blaine's testimony 30 far as it
5nd 20 or ond dicrradt
grossly incompetent and irrelevant but by per-
mission of the committee 1t has gone out as
proper evidence and thereby infinite wrong
has been done me and the very large interests
I represent"
After alluding to his subpoena to appear be-
fore the committee to-day with all papers and
correspondence connected with the affairs OF
the Peruvian Company and peremptory de-
mand made upon him to-day for said papers,
he says: "I had no choice but to answer in
the negative. l was then peremptorlly dis
missed, being asked no other question and al
lowed to make no statement and no explana-
tion. / now beg TO notify the committee
through you that am prepared and nave at
all times since the subpoena was served upon
me been prepared to supply in effect although
cannot literally all evidence called for. l
further state this evidence includes an import
ant lett or from the President of the United
States, recently discovered correspondence
with Official aud unofficial representatives Of
Reru anu Win Inc OopdEtlu6ut Va peato
through my counsel. Whether this evidence
may or may not be of any value to the COM
mittee is neither province mol my care to in
aulre. 1 have completed my duty in the
premises in bringing it as commanded; but
this documentary evidence, with much more
/ need not here specify, enables me to abso-
lutely disprove every imputation upon my
yeracity and consequent value of my testimony
which by assertion or suggestion has been put
into the record since Was last heard and
respectfully submit that in the premises my
personal right as an assailed witness is en-
titled to consideration He concludes by
claiming the right to reply to Messrs. Blaine
and Blair and asking if he is to be heard at all.