Year: 1876

New York, member Of the Committee on Expenditure
In the War Department. proceeded to make persona
explanation in reference TO insnuatons conveyed in
two of tho speeches OF his colleague tho committee
(Mr Blackburn, of Kentucky, that the republican
members Of that committee had taken o part in the
Belknap Investigation until the proof was all n signed
and sealed He showed that notice whatever had
been given to the republican members of the committee
until after the testimony of Mr. Marsh had been taken
He called attention to the that although the
Ing at which Marsh testified held q Tuesday
the regular day OF meeting- contained evidence that
he had been before the committee the previous day
(hondayl


He asked why the republican members OF the com
mittee had not been advised of that Mondays meeting
He spoke OF DIR. Tomnson, whose mission to Wash
ingion had been to TX up tho matter, having been
the messenger between Marsh and the committee. 1t
after such secret proceedings those that the
House had been dramatically told-not only, but
times-that members of the committee
had crossed the threshold of the committee room
until the proof all in, signed scaled Ifthcy had
not there therefore the greater why they
should been notified of this special important
The record of the committee showed that there
had been only two meetings of the committee up to
the time of this investigation. Revertng TO the dis
charge OF


TIE WITNESS MARSH


he Mr. Bass) dlssented distinctly and unequivo cay
TO the statement OF Mr. Blackburn that the witness
had been discharged with the knowledge of entire
committee. One of tho republican members of the
committee meaning himseln had strenuousy opposed
the discharge OF the witness and had stated some
reasons Why but the witness had been discharged Mt
halfpast eleven O'Clock that day. The obiec-
tions had been made in the presence of the committee
alone after eleven O'Clock of that day,
when the resignation of Secretary Belknap
had been notified to the committee. The
Two subjects had been the matter of discussion.
The which he r Bass had stated against the
discharge of Marsh that Marsh the sole wit
ness in the and that his testimony was uncor-
roborated If the Secretary War should be
witness before the committee and should contradict
Marshs testimony it would be necessary recall
Marsh and further that the safety Of the committee
regarding its reputation, would allow the dis
charge of the witness pending those proceedings


The discussion on these two neutrality-suspicious.
and the discharge OF the wtness-had lasted severa
minutes; then single question put to the witness
by Mr. Blair, counsel Tor Mr.. Belknap, tho witness
having been called for that purpose and
lhereupon, without any question having been
Isked OF any member of the committee and
IN the sole request of the witness he was dis
,harged by the chairman. The had then
itated that he desired ioave for Now York on the





pGered to go with him and get his fees, said he
bad time get them before the train left he would
Bcnd them 10 him by mail. Mr. Marsh then inquired
tho contract between himself and Evans and the
chairman stated that he would send 1t to him by mail
in a few days. The witness then left the room, and
be (Mr. Bass) had not him since. These were the
iacts W the This (Marsh) had
testified 10 the most grave and serious charges
against hlgh ounce. OF dne government,
and those charges had been sufficiently proved to
Justify demand for immediate impeachment; but the
charges wholly and utterly uucorroborated. Evil
dcnce had been gwen by the witness certain
tcates OF deposit that were sent TO the Secretary Of
War. Would II not have been tudicious at least to
have detained the witness until the bank had been ap
Piled to for corroboraton OF this evidence AS to Mr.
knotts proposition, that


THs DETENTION or THE WITNESS


would nave been assault he Mr Bassl regarded that
IS preposterous absurdity Ii had been charged by
The gentlemen the other side that other people
were responsible for tho escape OF the witness and
had been asked how they could detan him. The
that he could have been detained as he
had been brought-by subpoena. What evidence
there that the subpoena had lost its virtue
al halcpast eleven O'Clock Thursday Tho witness
would have remained IN obedience the subpoena or
II ho had escaped while under II attachment could
have been Immediately issued agan3t him and aa
o1lcer sent In pursuit OF him in the train who
would have returned him TO the custody Of the House
for incarceration.


REPLY or MR. cLYMKR


Mr. CLrMER, OF Pennsylvania, the chairman OF the
committee, replied to Mr. Bass prciacing his remarks
with the statement that he would have said word
the subject not that the recollection OF his
colleague (Mr Bassl differed essentially and thoroughly
from the recollection OF every other gentle
man on the committee, so that his colleague
Itood in the attitude that one witness aid
rom the statements of Messrs. Danford, Blackburn
and himself and from the records OF the committee
An order TO refute Mr. Bass statements but he was IN
terrupted by Mr. DANFoRD who that there was
not the slightest discrepancy between his Mr. Dam
iori's and Mr. Bass statements


Mr.. CLYMER said he would leave tho House and the
country to Judge OF hat II the statement OF gen
aeman from New York was correct, then u was I'M
possible for the statements made by tho other four
members Of the committee TO DO correct He wished
state for all, that any member OF the com
nittec lwhcn the witness Narsh et inc
hat he should be retained neither himself
any other member OF the committee
would have made tho slightest objection. To state that
be (Nr Clymerl responsible for Marsh's discharge
moro than any other member OF the committee was to
natc what was neither Just fair, lie willing
share the full responsibility for II with every other
aember OF the committee He repeated his belief that
there was no legal power in the committee have
would have been Outrage md wrong


REMARKS BLACKBURN.


hr bLACKBURS said he had no doubt tho House was
= SICK OF personal explanations growing out OF tue
transaction as the country and tho republican lariy
we're SICK OF tue transaction itself Ho had no doubt
hat the gentleman from New York meant 10 tell the
ruth, and he was only sorry that that gcnilcmans
mittce or the record.


Mr.. BLACKBURN then proceeded to disprovc from the
record OF the committee Mr.. Bass statement that
she committee had only two meetings before Marsh
was clcgraphed for and he repeated that the day
shat congress con1cne until Marsh's testimony had
pccn completed and signed neither OF tue republican
members OF the committee has crossed tho threshold
pi the committee room, although having notice the
regular meetings OF the committed and that neither Of
them would have ever come, doubtless II a special
messenger had not been sent for them Tho srggcs-
tion OF the gentleman Mr. Bass) in regard TO the re-
tentIon OF Marsh had reference only TO holding him
until he crosscxamined aud he dared that Gentle
man 70 deny the statement that he never did opposc
the discharge OF The witness afler the .exaina
Lion He Mr. Backburnl denied that Marsh had made
sny such statement as that he going to leave on
tho o'clock train. Referring 10 Mr. liaas having
lcft the committee room In order 20 have


CONFERENCE PRESIDENT


Ae suggested that he had entertained the hope that
Ihe recently vacated War Oflce about 10 be filled