New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-12-17
WASHINGTON.
Claim Agents rnd their Expulsion.
CcrrCsPoIdenee Of The y. Y Tribune.

WASHINGTON, Tuesday Dec. IL, iSj2
In passing the resolution recently introduced
by Mr. Stanly. Of North Carolina for the ex-
cluslon Of the claim-aCents from the body of
the Hall, who are admitted as reporters and
newspaper correspondents. the House has made
en- excellent beginning in the work of extrpat-
ing monsrous evil. Many of those VINO have
the privilege Of the Hall under this pretense
90 not write line for any newspaper. Ii is
right, therefore. that they should not be permit
ted to enjoy privileges under false pretcnses
II IS being asked, Are the House in earnest ?
Do they mean to abate the real clainl-agency
evilsl
If so, this resolution should next be extend
ed to the numerous and highly respectable
class Of notorious claim-agents who have the
privilege Of the floor. as ex-members of
Congress. vt any moment during ses-
sion, from half dozen 10 twenty or thirty
Of these gentlemen may be seen on the sofas of
the lobbies, or in the seats of Members. buSily
engaged in drumming for claims" Every
Member knows this To be true, Yet NO Member
proposes to abate this greater nuisance. Nor
does any gentleman, so far propose measure
10 obyate the effect Ofthe interest which Mem
bers Of the present Congress are said e. have in
claims. sHb-T0Sa solicitors. attorneys, agents
snd drummers. OF course, il is not possible 70
prove this allegation against any one Member,
but | know that it is universally believed here.
that on almost every question involving the pay
ment of heavy sums from the national treasury,
more or less Of It's sworn guardians have direct
or Indirect contngentinterest Until measures
may be taken 10 purge the present Congress of
tits suspicion. aud until ex-Members who are
drummers ior claims are also excluded from the
V,H H.. a%.aI
Monday will lock very much as though, after all,
tie House are only aiming 10 make another mo-
nopOly Of the business If claim-agency at Wash
ington for Members and for ex.Members of
Congress.
So much balderlash concerning claim agents
has been uttered in the Hall OF late years that
tie country has received entirely wrong impress
scns-very wrong impressions concerning at
least a portion OF these individuals. Many OF
them are gentlemen of character and fine az
tainments. who look after the interests OF their
clients under as nice sense ofright and wrong as
influences the most conscientious member Of the
bar in any community. Nevertheless, there is n
class of members in both Houses, who, when
ever they speak OF claim agents paint them all
as so many devils incarnate. The causes for
the existence OF improper classes OF claim agents
here, are TO be- s0ughtin the presence OF unquail'
fed and unlaithtul public servants IN the Ma
tional Councils. So long as members continue
10 lose pay and milage III playing ar faro, AMI as
a consequence 10 borrow money, IL is to be eX-
pected that such persons as lend 10 them with
a know ledge OF the circumstances under which
they come 10 be necessltOus, VIII seek interest.
heavy interest on the loans out of the National
Treasury, using the votes of their debtors, OF
course, 10 obtain il. The member who bOrrows
money to cover his losses by gambling cannot be
expected To be over scrupulOus in voting on a
bill in which the lender has an interest. The
country would stare in astonishment at the num-
Der who have done this if the House and Senate
were put on their 0aths 10 answer yea or nay
Again there are a class of agents here who
entertain most extrayagantly. Although the
business Of each-the particular purpose each
has in VIEWS well known to every member,
yet day after day and night after night the par
lors of every one of them are crowded with
Members OF Congress, who drink champagne
and eat game suppers with "a keen relish AS
though they had paid for the entertainment, in
advance, out of their own pockets. While
there, none of them take the trouble of recol-
lecting that the custom is to pay the host ont
Of the National TreaSHry-by voting TO subserye
lis interest on claim bills
| submit to the common sense of the public
whether the evil is not in sending incompetent
men TO Congress, rather than in the fact that
here as everywhere under the sun, men are to
be found who ,ciH take advantage of the want
of proper respect for themselves and proper
regard for the moral obligations OF their oaths
which even Members If Congress will at times
manifest.
BY way Of Illustrating the condition of public
opinion in Washington relative TO the interest
which members OF Congress at times have in
claims or payments from the Treasury, may
appropriately mention that not long since, in
drawing up contract with Hon. Richard
Thompson, of Ind, (anex-member of the H0use)
for the removal OF the Menominee Indians the
Secretary of the Interior caused special clause
TO be inserted 'prOridiag that no Member Of
Congress should be interested "a IT, Congress
appropriated S'250O0 for this purpose and the
contract with Thompson was for $4,000.
BALTIMORE.