The French Arms Scandal

no reguiar wasuington correspondent of the N. T. World, writing under date of April 19th,"says : Saiü a meiuber of tho French Arrns InI vostigating Comruittee, who is ás yet undecided whether to go to the Cincirmati or Philadolphia convontions, " Whateveí this iayestigatioa may gom up one thing is inevitable:," the Gierman voto is lost to Urant After sitting furty-two days and exainúiing witnesses this committee brougkt its labora to a close to-day with the exaiaiuation of General Frauklin. Its labora may be aumnied up as folio ws: Senator Hamlin, the obairman of the oomnutteoj started out with the theory tbat ït made no difforouoe whetber we had sold anns in violation of the international law or not, provided always and only that we got i fair pri(;e for them. The Suinncr resolutions, under whioh the cominittee ucted priinarily, sought to establish that we had not buen wilfulíy doreliet only n selling arma as to international law, but aliso in clear violation of the statutes of the United States. Tho evidenco bus shown that so far as international law is conoerned, the War Department knowingly sold nrms to the agenta of the Frenoh government. Tlio law oi' Congruas of 1SCH autiiorized only the sale of diunaged, unsuitable, and unservioeable aráis une) munitions of war. The evidence shows that in plain violation of this law largo quantities of arms were sold by the Seeretary of "VVar, whioh in an official letter this Cabinet minister eertified to be entirely fit for war troops and for actual service, and many of which were a vast improvement on the government arms furnished to tho Union troops during tho rebellion ; and that, in additiou to tliis, arms and munitions of war not in possossion ware manufacturad to supply the Frenoh demand. The points that will appear in tho official report to sustain the above allegations are as folio ws : First - It has boon shown that both Iielknap and Uyer knew liemington to be the acoredited agent of the Prench government on tho 18th of OotobeT, 1870, and that on that day arms were sold the lattor whioh were nöt dolivered until the ;SOth of November, or over one month thereai'ter. tíccond-Th&t after Eemington's French conneetions had boen established beyond all question, he bought from tho War Department through various hcu?es in Nw York, and whose purchases were will known by the War Department to bo for liemington s benefit, largo quantities of tlio most valuable quality of ordinance stores, which stores were sold in violation of tho act of Congross of 1808. Tkird - That all of these munitions of war woro dolivered by government lighters directly to French steamers, and in raany cases hoisted directly on board the latter from the former, whence they passed directly into the custody of French officers. In all the ordnances tho boxee were marked with üut ini+iüla x '■ niuwuüuüHU ttiose govenuaeat liglitcrs, ineanmg the 'renoli.repubiic. ' ' Fimrth- That Eemington's letter to LeceBne have shown that thc former made arrangements with Goneral Dyer, Chief of tho Ordnanoe Bureau, to have the capacil y of tho Frankfort Arsenal at Philadelphia ineroased to its full capacity to manufacturo gur.s for Mr. Eemingíon, and to be thenco sold to the French republic Fifth - That in this same connection 10,000 new ormy rifles were sold froni the Springfield Arsenal to agents of Eemington, and that the same number wero subsequently manufactured by these works to replace tht m. All tueso developmcnts havo been established in spite of the fact that the committeo was pncked and all along displayed unusual zeal to cover up the objects of the investigation. Beyond this the Sunmer rcsolution cullod for nothing. There aro numberless minor points which have come out in the investigation which, when fully realized, will make the cause against tho administration appear much stronger and moro forciblo than tho above indictmont. - ir i --+ - h. ■ ■