1876.] OF THE SENATE. 845

the ivestigation, to make the fullest inquiry into this serious
accusation, and for that purpose summoned the editors of
those journals before it.

The editor of the Cumberland Times stated, upon oath,
that the charge made by him in his journal was founded
upon public rumor, and that he had no knowledge of any
fact tending to confirm it, except a statement made to him
some years since by a Director of the Canal Company, that
some compensation or consideration had been paid by the
preferred bondholders to the President and Directors of the
Canal or some of them.

Upon being interrogated he refused absolutely to give the
name of the Director, from whom lie received this informa-
tion.

Your Committee could perceive no reason why the Editor
of the Cumberland Times, should decline to disclose the name
of any person cognizant of such a fact ; and, if it had pos-
sessed the power, would have punished the witness for his
refusal to answer ; but being advised that it was doubtful
whether the Senate had any power to order his imprison-
ment, and it appearing by the testimony of the Editors of
the Baltimore American and of the Hagerstown Mail that
the statements made in those journals were based altogether
upon the statements in the Cumberland Times, and that
they had no knowledge whatever of the milter. Your Com-
mittee proceeded to test the truth of the allegations by other
means.

They summoned before them the preferred bondholders of
the Canal Company, the Directors of the Company, and Geo.
S. Brown, of the firm of Ales. Brown & Sous, the financial
agents of the Company. The preferred bondholders who
were examined, viz: Mr. W. W. Corcoran, Mr. Riggs,
Mr. Wilson, of the firm of Wilson, Colston & Co., Mr.
Burke, of the firm of Burke & Herbert, Mr. A. Bowie Davis,
Mr. Neilson Poe, Sir. John P. Poe, Mr. John S. Gittings
and Mr. John Purdy, all holders in their own right, or as
agents, of large amounts of the preferred bonds, testified
clearly and conclusively that they had never, directly or in-
directly, paid or given any compensation or consideration
whatever to the President, or to any Director of the Com-
pany, and Mr. George S. Brown the financial agent oi the
Company, through whose banking house the preferred bond-
holders receive payment of their coupons, proved conclu-
sively that no officer, or Director of the Canal Company de-
riveu or could derive any pecuniary advantage from such
payments.

It was scarcely necessary, after this testimony, to examine