Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-06-15
WASHINGTON.
Blaine Before the Committee on
Foreign Affairs.

Before going into the main subject
under investigation of affairs OF the
Peruvian Company, Mr. Blaine vol
unteered to the committee a state
ment concerning what he termed
"a complaint by the Associa-
ted Press that he had
obtained or exercised some
liberties connected with his
testimony. He sad they were only
such as be had always been granted,
and he Laa leaned, Wit much sur
prise, that they had led to the re-
mUvai of the late Waslingto4 .geat
OF the New York Associated Press.
He then proceeded 20 read to the
committee a copy OF letter adj
dressed by him to the general agent
stated that the corrections made by
him III the report Of his testimony
were only ''such as were essential to
accuracy, and such as he, ''in com
non with other witnesses, make
IL the official reports of the
stenOgrapher of the House"
He also, III this letter, while admit
ting the general accuracy of the
Associated Press agents, questioned
thelr night to determine just what
3 witness said, and remarked that
courts OF justice and official commits
tets p. rmlt witnesses to revise the
rgpotts OF their testimODy.>
5ir Blaine further wrote, Il have
bs little desire as | have night
Ur power to interfere with
appointment or removal of your
agents, but i protest against the
a--muptIOn shat [ was accorded any
ps.1-ege with my testimony, save
that which has always been given to
Witnesses, and which is essential to
Just ce and lair dealing.
The letter concluded with the
request that it should be given to the
press.
Mr.. Blaine went on to say that
no notice had been taken of this
letter, but he had understood that
Instructions had been given to the
Associated Press reporters not to
permit him to see the report made
OF his testimony.
Appealing to the reporter for a
yenncation OF his statement, the res
porter replied that he had mo spe
cl4I Instructions in regard to MIR.
BIaine's testimony. Mr.. Blaine
thereupOn asserted that during his
twenty year III Washington he had
never made speech OF much lmpOr
tance III tue House or Senate Or ever
appeared as witness without having
notes of the Associated Press re-
porter submitted to him, and he
protested that any instructions pre-
venting such opportunities for the
correction of errors would be entire
unjust.
Chairman Williams called Mr..
Biaines attention to passages in the
printed testimony OF Robt. b. Ran
dall relative to Credit Industries.
MIR. Blaine, IN substance, stated
tLat Mr.. Randall, VINO was an utter
stranger to him (Nitness) first ap
preached him III February, 1881.
Sent lis card to witness in Senate
chamber, and began consultation on
tie assumption that he (witness) was
to be a member of President Gar
fields cabinet. He (Witness) waived
the assumption, however, and as Jar
as possible the conversation. Wits
ness had no reason to believe that
Mr. Randall would Intentionally
lnlsrepresent, but no such converse
tions as he (Mr. RandalD had testi-
lied to ever took place. He (wit-
uess) old not look upon
Mr.. Randall as person
with whom to discuss the affairs OF
the Credlt Industrial. Count de
Montefenaud, a gentleman OF hi8l
standing, was their direct represen-
tative, and both he and Suarey haC
been very persistent IN pressing the
objects OF tue company upon the at
tertion of the State Department
Mr.. Blaine then gave the purport
Of his first interview with Count de
Montefenaud, in which the latter
distinctly stated that the Credit In
dustral promised to furnish money
to pay the indemnity which might be
demanded of Peru by Chill and tC
satisfy the bondholoers of Peru
provided that the United States
would accord protectorate which
should guarantee to the company
an und sturbed right to ship IRON
Peru products OF guono and nitrate
beds tor a term of years.
This, said Mr. Blaine, "Was the
plan Of the Credit Industrial. L dom
lnink it has ever been fully under
stood by the people of the United
States, or by the newspapers which
have been continually complaining
tnat L thwarted the plans of the com
pany. | don't see how any intellI-
gent American citizen could adv0-
cate the adoption OF such policy b,
tllS SONGEuulCAL' GO4O SOA4L ~
Mountfen and that the action which
lie desired this government to TAX
was wholly inadmissable- L assure'
Inn that this government did no
desire to obstruct his company
they could succeed in atfordlng re
lief to Peru, that the United State
would be glad to see it accomplish
ed.
Mr. Blaine then read letter ad
dressed to MIR. Evarts and signed b.
Count de Montefenaud and Suarey
IL which the plans of the compan..
were plainly stated, namely, to pa.
-oo,OOO per annum for term o
Years, and also the bondholders O
PeIu whose claims amounted t,
t4oo, 100000. These bonds, sail
1tr' bialne, were held Dy the citizen
Of Holland, Beljtum, France an,
Lng'and' and tins idea of protec-
loIaIe was always advanced in con.