Maryland generally that the people of the north shall not be permitted to attend the inauguration of Mr. Lincoln in a particular way? Answer. With arms, as military men. They can come as individuals, as they ordinarily come.

Question. Have you ever known military companies to come, as military companies, to attend inaugurations here?

Answer. Yes, sir; I have seen them.

Question. Have you ever known the people of Maryland to make any opposition to their visiting here in such a manner? Answer. No, sir; I never did.

By the CHAIRMAN:

Question. Do you suppose it to be the purpose of those men that are drilling, to resist the passage through the State of Maryland of any volunteer companies with arms in their hands ?-I mean, for them, merely as citizens, or to aid the State of Maryland to oppose them?

Answer. If the authorities of Washington called for the militia, for instance, of New York or Pennsylvania, or any other northern State, to come here, they certainly will be repulsed in Maryland.

Question. Will they be repulsed under the authorities of the State of Maryland, or merely by the citizens voluntarily?

Answer. That I do not know. I do not think that will be done by the authority of the State, because, from the opinion of Mr. Hicks at the present time, I do not think there will be any danger of that sort.

Question. Now, by way of understanding your meaning, suppose that the President of the United States, Mr. Buchanan, should issue his proclamation calling for volunteers from Pennsylvania to aid in defending the Capitol, and one or more companies should attempt to pass through Maryland in obedience to his proclamation; and suppose that the governor of Maryland should say nothing about it, neither forbid it nor grant it, would the company that you are drilling feel called upon to turn out to resist them?

Answer. The sentiments of my company are pretty much the sentiments of the whole of Maryland.

Question. That is what I want to get at.

Answer. I think they would act on that occasion.

Question. Act as against the United States?

Answer. They would repulse any volunteer company coming

through Maryland, ordered in whatever form it might be.

Question. Do you think they would repulse any volunteer company coming here on the call of the United States, and without direction from the authorities of the State of Maryland to repulse them? Answer. That I do not know.

Question. I mean, would they repulse them, on their own responsibility?

Answer. I do not know about that; I cannot say whether they would or not; I am not at liberty to state anything but my own feelings; I cannot state their sentiments as far as that is concerned.

Question. You have stated that you did not think that Governor Hicks would call upon these companies to repulse volunteer companies passing through?

Answer. No, sir; I do not think he would.

Question. Still, if he did not, you think they would repulse them? Answer. That might be by the sentiment of Maryland; if. every person in Maryland felt like I do they would.

Question. As far as you are concerned, you are of that opinion? Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Does this opinion arise on your part from the conviction that the authorities of the United States have not a right to call for volunteers to defend their own property?

Answer. No, sir; I only think there would be blood shed, which otherwise would not be.

Question. Do you think it would be better to give up the property than to have blood shed?

Answer. No, sir; I do not think there would be any attack made upon it.

Question. You feel sure of that?

Answer. I am perfectly certain there will not be.

Question. You think there is nobody in Maryland to do it?

Answer. There is nobody in Maryland that would take it or attempt to take it; but as I said if a force should come, then the people of Maryland would certainly rise in defence of their own State, which otherwise they would not do.

Question. That is to prevent people coming through their State with arms?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. They would do that in defence of the south?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Have you heard of any property of the United States being taken lately in any of the southern States?

Answer. None but what I see in the papers.

Question. You suppose that those statements are substantially correct in regard to some of the forts and navy yards being taken ?

Answer. I suppose it is; I have read it but I do not pass any opinion in regard to it.

Question. Perhaps this is rather wandering from the inquiry; the object is to get at the real purpose these men have that are drilling; if their purpose is lawful, of course that need not concern us; if they are unlawful, they might concern us, and perhaps I ought to confine the inquiries more particularly to them. Have you any idea how many companies are drilling in Baltimore?

Answer. No, sir; I have heard that the Minute Men have 15 companies.

Question. What are they? Are they anything different from the National Volunteers, so far as you know?

Answer. I do not know what their object is; they have asked me to drill company C, but I was engaged to drill this company, and so I declined.

Question. Do you know when these Minute Men were organized?

Answer. They organized themselves during the election. They are Bell and Everett men, or they were formerly.

Question. In politics they were Bell and Everett men?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. You have heard it said there were fifteen companies of them ?.

Answer. I have heard so; yes, sir.

Question. Do you know how large the companies are?

Answer. They told me there were from forty to fifty in each company. Question. What do you understand to be their purposes, or have you heard them?

Answer. I have not heard, except the sentiment I have just now given.

Question. You mean to resist the passage of military companies from the north?

Answer. To resist anything of that description that may come. Question. Do you think they have it in contemplation to seize the Capitol if Maryland should secede ?

Answer. No, sir; they have not. They have nothing in contemplation of that sort. They do not think of Maryland seceding, not unless Virginia secedes. If Virginia goes, then Maryland goes with her. That is the sentiment of the people in general, I believe.

Question. Suppose Virginia and Maryland should secede, is it the sentiment that the Capitol would belong to Maryland then? Answer. They expect to pay for it.

Question. To buy it?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Suppose it could not be sold?

Answer. Their intention is to buy it.

Question. And in order to make sure of buying it, do you think they would consider it necessary to seize it first?

Answer. No, sir; I have not heard anything of the sort.
Question. You have heard no such sentiment expressed?

Answer. No, sir; nothing of that sort. Whenever they will do anything of that sort, they will not do it privately; they will do it publicly.

Question. This company that you are engaged in drilling drill mostly evenings, I suppose?

Answer. Yes, sir; we have no time to drill in the daytime.

Question. Did I understand you to say that the drilling was done with open doors, so that everybody could go in whenever they pleased? Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Is there any drilling done, or has there been, with the doors closed and a guard at the door?

Answer. No, sir; the National Volunteers have never drilled but one night.

Question. I mean the company you have been drilling for a month? Answer. We drill in another company's armory, and we have never had any guard at the door.

Question. Where was it; in the third story?

Answer. No, sir; it was the first floor above; it might be called the second story.

Question. And no guard at the door, and nobody excluded?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. It was company C of the Minute Men that requested you to drill them?

Answer. Yes, sir; I think it was the company C; so I was told. I did not pay much attention to it, because I had no inclination to drill them.

Question You were already engaged?
Answer. Yes, sir.

C. FERRANDINI.

No. 24.

TUESDAY, February 5, 1861.

CHARLES G. WAGNER Sworn and examined,

By the CHAIRMAN :

Question. Do you reside in this city?

Answer. I have been residing here for nearly a year past.
Question. Have you never resided here before?

Answer. Yes, sir; I resided here from the latter part of 1853, I think, to 1857, during General Pierce's administration.

Question. Were you connected with one of the departments? Answer. I was here in the Pension bureau from 1853 to 1857. I then went out, and was register of the land office in Minnesota. I resigned and was called in last February. My last engagement with the government was as chief clerk of the Census bureau; and I resigned that place some time in December last, upon the secession of my State-the 24th or 25th of December, I do not know which.

Question. Do you know of the existence of any secret or open organization here that has for its object any violent interference with the operations of the government?

Answer. I do not.

Question. Either military or civil?
Answer. No, sir.

Question. Have you ever heard any talk of such a thing, except common rumor?

Answer. I have heard it talked of through the streets.

Question. I do not now allude to sensation articles that appear in the papers; but have you heard individuals talk about it, and speak of it as an existing fact?

Answer. Well, I have had many private conversations with gentlemen of my own section, confidential conversations, relative to the present state of the times and the course of this administration, which, of course, you would not ask me to state. They are matters which belong entirely to my own section.

Question. To what do you refer as your section?

Answer. To the south altogether, and my own State, and the cotton States.

Question. Which is your State?

Answer. South Carolina. I have held, and still hold, confidential relations with that State. I am connected with Colonel Hayne here. I have had many conversations with leading gentlemen of the south. I have had the good fortune to be in a position where I have had many conversations with them; but, of course, that is a matter you do not desire me to go into.

Mr. REYNOLDS. If it refers to this inquiry, it would be very proper that we should have it.

The CHAIRMAN. It would depend altogether upon what it was. For instance, an ordinary confidential relation, that does not relate to the subject of inquiry, we would not solicit information about if we could.

The WITNESS. I am perfectly free to state anything I know. I am one of those gentlemen that whatever I do the sun can shine upon.

By the CHAIRMAN:

Question. Do you know of any considerable number of military companies called the Minute Men?

Answer. In this city?

Question. In or out of the city.

Answer. I do not; nothing more than what I have seen in the papers.

Question. Do you know the purpose of any one company?

Answer. I do not. I have not been in any connexion with them in any shape or form.

Question. And you have no knowledge of them except what you derive from the public prints?

Answer. None at all.

Question. Have you any actual knowledge of an association called the K. G. Cs. ?

Answer. I have not.

Question. You do not know whether such an association exists or

not?

Answer. No, sir; I know nothing more about it than what I have seen in the papers, and I have not felt interest enough in it to ask about it.

Question. You state that you have no knowledge upon this subject except what you have of a private and confidential character. Can you state what you mean, in general terms, by confidential relations ? The object of the question is to see whether they are exclusively out of the reach of proper inquiry.

Answer. I will state distinctly that they have no connexion at all with the subject which I understand you are upon-a conspiracy against this government, or against this city. I know nothing of any such thing. My conversations have been of an entirely different character.