Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1851-04-17
BURLINGTON HAWK-EYE.


Corruption In the New York Legislature.
CHARGE AGAINST a SENATE orrIcER.-The
Herald publishes the following documents:
| 10 ths honorable Senate Of Nen York.
know OF no crime so despicaby base and afro
cious as that of q person using the power which
public position confers upon its poSscssor, in
extorting money and other equivalents from the
fears OF those whom they believe are placed by cir
cumstances at their mercy. Actuated BY this feel
ing, and impeled by the strongest motives known
to an honest and uaselish man. have come to Al
bany to lay before you the accompanying aocu-
ments, with the request that you will act upon
them with that promptitude and good faith SO in
dlspcnsably necessary TO exonerate yourselves be-
fore your constituents and the world. Astounding
| as will be the excitement produced among the
| masses Of tho people by the publication Of these
strange records of legislative nanciering and oii-
cial dcpravity, the only surprise that IL will excite
in the minds OF those verscd in the morals Of iegs
iation, will he--not that the crime has been COM
mitted-but that the criminals should have been
thus induced to bear testimony against themselves.
With the manner, or means, in, or by, which that
very righteous and desirable end has been achieved
you, believe, have, at present at least nothing to
9o-the result is before you. II may be well
enough for to state in this connection, that up
| to the present moment am not aware of having
ever seen either Of the individuals Implicated in
| this most dastardly and infamous swindle. neither
did ever before hear Of either Of them to my re-
collection.
have no pers onal or private interest to subserve
in the matter but when see men abusing the
| ddencc so undeservedly reposcd in them by too
credulous and coniding constitnency-whenI see
them basely prosttuting the positions they occupy
with such pecuniary profit to themselves, and such
deep injury and disgrace to the puhlic-when see
the Capitol turned into broker shop. and the Sen.
| ate Ck&&her into a receptacle for "hlack mails"
| and when have become possessed OF the most in
contestihe evidence of the truth Of these facts.
feel that rendering society service ofincal-
cuiable importance, by laying that evidence before
| mankind. lhave seen and known enough Of legis-
| latve corruption, both in your Legislature Cwhe
| was memhcr) and elsewhere, and have become
almost weary of denouncing it to the people. The
pre- sent is not the first ncr the ftieth time that
| have been in possession of testimony Of similar
character, but it is the first where 1t has fully
answered the desired purpose, aud where have
| been at full liberty to use 1t. People who would
| forever remain deaf to such charges, when made
| in vague generaisms, will receive world Of light
| from the publication Of these proceedings. They
win henceforth fully understand the true reason
| why so many corrupt and incompetent imhecilcs
| are so exceedingly anxious to attain positions
| which legtimately belong to men Of mind and char
acter, and in which they but serve objects of in
| explcable establishment to all sensible and unin-
| tiated people. Yours with respect,
| ALBANY, March %, 1851. MIKE WALSH.