Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-12-21

From, the Albany Argus.
LOBBY MANAGEIiENT.

ine late blow up relative to the Chemica!
Bank business, we hope and trust will do the
state some service. A system of out door
management has heen exposed which has long
been known TO exist, and which is alike dis
reputable to the character of the state aud
the persons implicated. Persons OF respec-
table standing al nome, some of them hold
Ing Judicial aud executive stations, have for
years past been IN the habit of cungresaiins
al the capitol ON the meeting of The lrgsla-
ture, and have regularly let themselves out
Tor hire 10 support or oppose applications, as
the case might be by operating on The hopes
or the fears of the applicants. So power.
iui mad become the supposed influence of this
body of men, that the first business of an an.
plicani af.er and sometimes even before pre-
senllns his petition, was To secure their favour
by Iarsesses; aud thus ike leechcs, they hay.
suDssted on individuals, and in some instan
ces become wealthy on contributions levied
nj the expense of honesty. So proverbial
mad this extraDeous Interference i'm matters of
legislation become, that most applicants sor
oihA CHARTERS and other Donied institutions
came "a regularly prepared with the need
fni 10 conciiIate the lobby IA they did with
Their memorial 10 the legislature and he who
succeeded at the expense of only three or
hVe thousand dollars, thought himself pecu
harly fortunate.
Ihis association of men, coming from all
parts OF The state, were supposed To possess
an influence over the members from the
Counties in which they resided and they took
special care that the supposition should mn,
he weakened in the minds of anp,con,s NO
continually Boosting Of what they could do
with This or that man on this question. and
oy representing 10 them that snch and such
mfn owed Their election tn their influence.
anu should be put down il lhey did not 90
ftght." They had regular sci Of cant mira.
SEES, such as put the screws on" fix him ;"
" hold him to r,""pounce upon him.. smash
ma, do him up" make him "plank the
rh!n", &c. &c. which they would use in re-
ia'ion To one applicant, in The presence of ;.no
."er, Tor The very purpose OF having repeated
10 me first, SO AS 10 drive him into their tolls
aod make him " bleed freeIy.n Nav q,
are credibly Informed that set of these bar.
pies last 1inter decoyed into room in this
cily, an applicant who was 10th to comply
WIN some OF their demands, aud turning The |
Key upon him, absolutely extorted from him
CASH 10 considerable amount for services
which They sIedged had been performed
we do not believe that members of The To- !
gislaiure have been corrupted 10 vote for ma. |
MED charters 10 any thing like the extent nj
tne impression thai has gone abroad; if in. |
oeeu any nave been corrupted. We are well
aware 'hat the Language held by lobby mem |
yer. 10 applicants has induced them TO believe
'"a' .ne money drawn from their pockets. |
WAS to be- applied in part to the uIrch,se of
votes. And in calculation Of this we ,r;st
call particular attention to The small, su,,a ~,
down as paid to certain men by John c. Nor
r'son, IN MS statement ufexpensss, as sworn
20 by j. Caldwell in the Chemical Gam ina.
ton. '''
In the process of the business OF the "iob.
by,"" Pmps," and "spies" who will Sc carry
aud fetch" "run and go" are requisite. aid
these they retain at the expense of applicants
ny representing them as" useful" men to aid
Their calse; 40 that while HE prIncipaI ad,i-
gers receive cool thousand or two each their |
creatures are content with simple $3.50 for
their menia seriices.
The peculiar business set apart for fhes.
sm:i Ieccbes, is 10 watch the movements |
and listen to the language Of menbers. ia |
ma * their ingoings and out comincs. and
make faithful reportthereof to their superiors.
WhD nave MS regular police established AS
did ever Venice in her best DAYS.
whenever petition for a bank or an in |
soFa0ce company comes before the house.
these little men are despatched TO "sounJv The
members, and indirectly draw out their opin
ons as TO its merits. In this way, in the
rsarse OF an evening or two, some ten or fiji
zen members VIII be returned fn the rrand
council as favorable, who were un<noWn IN
lie applicant as such. He is Immediately
AID told that these same men are
that for 80 much. mr. so
much, they will "fy them" as ,bry know
IS nat " string 10 pull" or how TO =" touchn
ms and that man, and m Ike him 90 il,
mp to the hub," through thisk and Thin. y
Jr they viii sfsve him"
Under the impression that he must not
Hunk" as The lobby" phrase is, the apri.
'anl is swinded Of his cash which the slobbv,
'ocket, and never speak To The r1embtys
ianed, because through their caves dron.
'rt" they previously knew how they wouIJ
-, while the applicant, when he sees them
nie, Imagines that his retaIDers have procur-
a Them by s. hook or by crook" TO use an.
'iher ~ their terms, and rest well satisfied
h'i MS money has not been thrown away =.
'nd ever after is suspicious that some of Them
ave been bought:
From the the New York Daily 6dvert,er
improvement in he medBs NJ fIduspoyIrfion IN
France
The public carriages for travellers in Fr,ncs