Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1894-02-15


again the next day, and he had
some that were directed to certain
members. He asked mo to deliver
them as they were directed, and
did so. / met him from time TO
time during the pendency OF the
bill, several time in the lobby and
at my door. He would call 10 see
members and / would send boy
to find those he wanted to see. The
bill was defeated in the House and
il went over to- the Senate. | did
not see him again until the bin had
passed the Senate and come back to
the House. / met him in the lob
by. The way / came 10 meet him
was This A gentleman By the
name Of Col. Bee came over from
the Senate, and us he entered the
hall, he not being entitled to the
floer. heard him say that no SUBJ
sidy bill should pass at that session
of Congress, as the Pacific Mail
had defeated his bill in the Senate.
| went down to the door and met
Mr.. Irwin, and told him what Col.
Bee had said. He then said he
wished me to notice who Col. Bee
communicated with. did so, and
| saw Mr.. Irwin about IL or l
o'clock and gave him a list of those
members. / think Mr.. Irwin then
asked me to see that when the bill
was up that his friends were in the
House, and think | did so. That
is all the connection | had with the
subsidy bill, with the exception of
receiving the $4,000. Mr.. Irwin
never promised to give me anything
during the pending of the bill, but
he sent me that after the result was
accomplished. There was no ar
rangement made between him and
me. never mentioned money to
him in any way, shape or manner"
The messengers explanation was
to the same effect. He was getting
u salary of s1440. While the bill
was pending he kept track of the
movements of Col. Bee among men,
bers aud reported them to Mr.. Ir-
win. There was no understanding
about compensation. lie helped to
distribute documents, but he did
not speak to single member about
the bill. After the passage Of the
measure he was told to call at MIR.
Irwin's room. He went there and
was hsnded 81, 900, most of it in
$1,000 bills.
Naturally, the investigating COM
mittee called upon Mr.. Irwin. for
his explanation of these large sums
to employees Of the House. The
explanation was promptly forth
coming. 1t is interesting as throw
ing light in a general way on how
legislation is promoted in Washing
ton.
"They received" said Mr.. Irwin,
ga large sum of money for the SER
vice which they themselves have
described. but their service was,
probably, of more value to us than
they have intimated, owing to the
fact that the fate of bill very Of
ten depends, and it largely depend
ed in this instance, upon having
the friends of the measure present.
On the 10th or 20th of March the
bill was defeated by the fact Of one
gentleman, a member OF the House,
going out on the portico Of the Cap
itol and bringing in two Represen-
tatives to vote against it. Where
upon five other members immediate
ly voted against it, and we were
beaten by five votes, but we were
really beaten by those two votes
that made the tie. II is that char
acter of service that gave its value
to the doorkeeper's service. sup
pose that all the members know
how doorkeepers are sent to bring
in the friends and also the enemies
Of a bill. W. B. s.