Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-04-26
WASHINGTON.
Ex-senator Blaine Appdars Be-
fore the Committee
And Has His Say on the Shipherd
Investigation.

COQSIuGEdblOA Vi IhO "a
in. Cooper to be collector of inter
nal revenue for the Sixth District of
North Caroline, owing to the fact
that Republican Senators permitted
the passage of Vance's resolution on
Friday last, calling for an inveshga-
ton of the affairs of the collector of
that district. North Carolina Sena-
tors to- -iay did not offer persistent
opposition to Cooper's confirmation.
When the nomination was previous
" considered the majority voted in
favor of rejection, but motion to
reconsider the vote was admitted. To
day after debate motion to recon-
slider the vote by which Cooper was
rejected was adopted and the previ-
GUS action laid on the table.
A vote was then taken
upon the motion that the
nomination be confined. This mos
ton was adopted by vote of 22
ayes against Is nays, the Republi-
cans voting in the affirmative and
the Democrats in the negative, with
the exception of the North Carolina
Senators and several others who re-
Trained from voting.
Ex-Secretary Blaine appeared be-
fore the House foreign relations
committee. After being sworn he
said, in reply to the questions, that
he knew Shlpherd had read his tes-
timony and had endeavored to un-
derstand it. MIR. Blaine then stated
in substance that he never saw or
knew of the letters in the State De-
partment until Shipherd was intro
duced to him (Blaine) by Senator
Blair, and until then he had never
seen the man or heard If him until
the Oath of July. Mr.. Blaine then
explained the method Ct disposlng
of the papersin the State Department,
which would account for his pre-
vious statement, and added: "Such
trashy matters as the Shipherd let
ters would never be called to the
attention of the head Of a great de-
partment, as they were scarcely fit
for the waste basket"
Mr.. Blaine said he had no knowl
edge how the missing papers left the
State Department files. Also that
his first interview with Shipherd on
July 255h, lasted only about Is
minutes, instead of several
hours as Sbipherd testified. Mr..
Blaine was then called away in i'm
portant business, and the interview
was postponed until the next morn
ing.
Mr.. Blaine next saw Shipherd Oc-
tober 18th. Mr.. Blaine then pro-
duced what he stated was the entire
correspondence between himself and
Hurlbut during his administration
at Lima Mr. Shipherd came to me
and and stated that he was the repre-
sentative of very important claim
called the Cochet claim. [ had never
before heard of it, and asked him
how he spelled the name. He told
me that Senator Blair was one of his
counsel, and also added names
of ex-senator Cokling, Hon.
Scott Lord, ex-senator Cragin
and other. L thought
it very strange array of counsel
He named about 8 dozen prominent
fnanciers and bankers including MIR.
Seligman, August Belmont, Morton,
Bliss & Co. and others. l mention
these facts in passant because have
been critized for not kicking Shiperd
out of the department the first morn
ing he called, but when man comes
introduced by United States Sena-
tor, with three ex-soenators and an
ex-Secretary of Treasury as counse
and an array of hackers such as he
mentioned, it would hardly be
custom of the department to kick
him out on sight. This explains
why I did not do what [ virtually
did do later, and for not doing
which 1 have been severely criti
cized.
Mr.. Blaine then related points o.
his conversation with Ship nerd, III
which he (Shipherd) read what he
claimed to be the opinien of ex Sec
retary Evarts to the effect that Coch'
ct could claim onesthird the guano
Mr.. Blaine said with much empha
sis, II would be willing to take s
most solemn oath that President
Garfield died without ever having
heard of this vile scheme, or evel
having heard the name of Cochet
mentioned"
Mr. Blaine then proceeded to reat
the entire correspondence betwee1
the Department of State and Minis
ter Rurlbut, touching the Coche
claim, all discrediting the value o
the Cochet claim, or the right OF it
owners to support this government
Mr.. Blaine then stated that M,
Trescott had looked into the matte
to see if there was any claim to tn
property, as was asserted by Ship
herd upon Evart's opinion, and ha
found nothing in it.
Senor EImore, Peruvian mlnlste
in a subsequent convention, full
satisfied him upon the subJec
In regard to Shepherds stor
aDouI oHefng 9Zoo,ooO III eIoSA 40
bribe to Minister Hurlbut, Mr.. Blalr
had written to al the gentleme
named by Shipherd as cognizant
this offer and that it had been dis
cussed in MIR. Blaine's presence. NJ
Blaine himself taking part in the di
cussion.
In reply Senator Blair writes thi
he never heard Shipherd make al
such statement, aod that he he
never heard of this offer until ]
read it in the published reports
the proceedings of this committee.
The President to-day nominate
10 hn w. Arnold postmaster at Co
um bus, Ga., and Geo. W. Arno
postmaster at Jonesville, Fla.
w .,xxx.,c,,<>, NIL OK Tho proc