Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-03-13
THE PERUVIAN SCHEME.
II Preparations for Its Investigation
An Open Inquiry PrObable-ShIp-
herd and his Claim.
washington Cor. Boston Advertiser.

Washington Cor. Boston Advertiser.
While the House Committee on Foreign
Affairs is already at work in the investiga-
tion Of the South American diplomatic and
commercial business, the Senate Committee
is getting ready to go to work. 1t Is not
yet determined how the two committees will
cooperate, or whether they will cooperate
at all. The Senate committee is rather de-
s1rous TO take the burden of the inVestiga-
tion, but inasmuch as the House has already
begun, it will probably pursue its own course
independently, and let the Senate committee
pursue its course. Between the two, what the
witnesses know will be likely to be ELECTED,
The House committee expect to have Mr..
Shipherd before them within few days,
and it will soon be known whether he had
any reason to use the names of gentlemen
in and out of official life as he did in the
letters which are published. A New York
lawyer, to whom he submitted his scheme
last summer, with request for an opinion,
and who told him, after brief examination,
that unless he had other and better docu-
ments than those presented, the claim had
no foundation, says that he docs not be-
lieve Shipherd could have imposed his
scheme upon any man with sense enough
to be in public life. This opinion, however,
rests upon the presumption that men In
public life are possessed Of a considerable
degree Of intelligence as to the real nature
OF schemes which have a Job in them, a
presumption that, in view OF past expert
ence, is somewhat strained, or else
it must be admitted that they
are very Indifferent to the quality
of their actions. Is is probable that the
House Committee at its next meeting will
decide to prosecute the investigation with
open doors. All the Democrats and several
Of the Republicans on this committee are
favorable to such a course, and it is the
wisest course in view of preventing the cir
culation of erroneous and distorted reports
Of the testimony taken. One reason why
the House Committee will probably proceed
independent of the Senate Committee, is
that If anybody is to be impeached It must
be done by the House, which will want its
own record TO proceed upon. If the Senate
Committee finds that any Senators have in
volved themselves disreputably In this
business 1t will be the Senator's duty to dis
cipline them, but with regard to the i'm
parchment of diplomatic or executive Off
cials the House could not proceed on evil
dence taken by the Senate, nor could the
Senate initiate proceedings Of that charac-
ter. There Is excellent reason for believing
that this investigation has been undertaken
with the sincere purpose Of finding out the
whole truth whatever it may be, and that
there is on the one hand no purpose
to condemn any person unjustly, and
on the Olher hand no purpose
to "whitewash" any who may be
discovered to have done wrong. 1t is felt
that the information already developed 10
the press is too important in its character to
be disregarded; that if it is false, it is due to
those who appear to be involved that it's fall
sity should be made clear, and that if 1t is
true, it is due to the good fame Of the nation
that the improper conduct Of individuals
should be officially and authoritativelY con-
demned. The State department is still en-
gagged in searching for the missing docu-
ments, and the search has been rewarded by
the discovery Of one Of the letters of Mr..
Fisher.