.256
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1859
It appears, moreover, that for purposes of collusion, it was managed that Hale and Johnson, the two lawyers imported for purposes already referred to, should take opposite sides. Further than this, and to still greater outrage justice, it appears from the record that James N. Reynolds, a member of this New York land company, is appointed by Judge Watrous United States commissioner at Brownsville, to take testimony. Thus the com- pany, or its members, were represented by their agents and attorneys, who act as counsel on different sides of the case, and by Reynolds, the active manager of their affairs, who, as United States commissioner, took the principal testimony for the de- fense, which it evidently appears to have been the object of the company to defeat. The fact of collusion, the committee of investigation in the Thirty-fourth Congress have determined unanimously, and in passing judgment upon which, they say: "In the case of Cavazos et al. vs. Stillman et al., 0 the record afford sufficient evidence to satisfy the commit- tee that there was collusion between the solicitors for the complainants and a part of the solicitors for the defendants, and that a part of the defendants, or one of them at least, Jacob Mussina, was defended and betrayed by such collusion. They would further state, that there is evidence to satisfy them that a part of the defendants were concerned in the conspiracy, and that the judge of the court knew of the collusion dur- ing the pendency of the suit." I may also suggest here, that it will be found profitable to fix attention upon the man Treanor, as hereafter he will be found figuring in another important matter in active connec- tion with Judge Watrous. I am disinclined to trespass upon the time · of the Senate, by following this Cavazos case through its tortuous progress, and to its final acts of injustice and oppression. What little I have said of the patent fraud, in its inception and management, will prepare the minds of honorable Senators to understand the con- clusions arrived at by the committees of investigation in the House as to the consummation of the conspiracy and fraud by the wrongful decisions of Judge Watrous on the side of his con- federates, Hale and Treanor. The committee of the Thirty-fourth Congress conclude their report by saying :
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