The Papers of Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, Volume II

552

TEXAS STATE LIBRARY

No. 1235

11839 Apr.], J. LOVE, [HIOUSTO:N], TO [:M. B.] LAMAR, [HOUSTON] Dear Sir, Having had a conversation with Genl. Hunt this morning on the subject of the late negotiation for a loan in N. 0, I state that the inference attempted to be drawn is entirely without foundation. Untill after ::\fr. Beal left this all communications either to the gov- ernment or public men passed through me as his agent. There was neither thought, effort or intent to use the least [im,pr]oper influence to procure the passage of [the] law, or to make the terms good. That there [w] as neither directly or indirectly ever one word passed between l\Ir. Beal or myself of a wish to use money or any indirect means to effect it. Of this last I will at any time make oath. I was in N. 0. when the difficulty occurred between Beal and the Bank. While terms of compromise were proposed to him by them. He asked them to pay him fifty odd thousand dollars, for the agency he had in the m [atter], he refused to give any items for his b [ank?] expences, and they refused to pay it. What inference the Bank made I know not. l\Iy own was that l\1r. Beal thought he had a right to that amount as compensation for risk or trouble incurred, -or if the expenditure had been made at all it w.as nearer home _A quarrel had taken place between the President of the Bank and the Cashr. who was in Europe at the time the contract was made, on :his return he insisted on making up the contract, and succeeded :in doing so. The final adjustment terminated in the purchase by t[he] Bank of stock Beal owned in [the] funded debt. If there has been any bri (bery] or corruption in this matter it existed only {wit]h those concerned in the U. S. there was no necessity for it here, and no one of course goes into such things, however unprinci- pled they might be without the prospect of gain. In relation to the refusal of Erwin to give evidence, It was a personal matter betwixt Beal and Denton. The latter was security for the Bank in the sequistration of the funds ·in Beals ha [nds]. Beal filed interogatorie;; to Denton, cha [rging] him with being -concerned in swindling in Geo. or S. C. that was done to prevent him from being accepted as security in the suit. Erwin was sum- moned by Denton to give some explanation about that matter and as both were friends of his, he refused or did not appear. I had never heard before that Mr. Reily was summoned at all as a witness-- If the affidavit of Beal, Reily, Ewin or any other connected with this matter be necessary, to refute the [cha] rge that seems to have been made or [alleged] I take it upon myself to say u[nder] promise that it shall be had, I heard of no such charge at N. 0. but I heard Beal say in conversation about his bill, that no part o[f] it was for expences in Texas other than those incurred in his trip- respectfully Jas. Love

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