But beside that he said it had saved to the Government more than all the moneys the Government had advanced toward its construction, by preventing Indian wars.

One winter especially his railroad corporation had fed a hostile Indian tribe when the Government supplies had failed to reach them, saving them from the danger of starvation and saving the Government from a bloody and costly Indian war.

I said, Mr.Huntington--Was not that ultra vires for a railroad corporation?
He answered, "No, Sir! no, Sir! we never gave them anything as strong as that." He evidently thought he was being charged with supplying the Indians with liquor, and that ultra vires meant extra strength.
The only other important committee work that I now recall during my service in the House related to the investigation of the conduct of Mr.Speaker Blaine.

He was charged with having received stock in a railroad at a price much less than its then value with the expectation of paying for it by aiding the passage of legislation in which the road was interested, by political service as a Member of the House of Representatives, and especially by his great influence as Speaker.

It was further claimed that in letters addressed by him to a man named Mulligan he had demanded conveyances of such stock in compensation for a ruling he had before made by which a measure in conflict with the interest of the road was defeated.