The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-24
For The Southern Press
Relies Of Scraps and Musings.
Nn M

court gives tone 10 public manners and morals.
In free State the legislative, being in effect the
sovereign power, exercises similar influence,
if not on private, at least on public morals. AS
a corrupt people will make corrupt legislature,
so corrupt Legislature will in time create
corrupt people. Experience has also demon
strated that the most speedy and certain mode
of conupting Legislative bodies, is to give them
the absolute disposal of vast sums of money be-
longing to the peoples and of all kinds of politi-
cal corruption that of legislative bodies, is not
only the most barefaced and shameless, but the
most fatal to the morals, the freedom, and the
happiness Of mankind.
1t is, therefore, by the corruption of the le-
gslative power that the liberties of their coun-
try will be undermined, and this will arise from
two great sources. The first and most obvious
is executive patronage, which will increase with
the growth Of the country and the augmentation
OF the public resources Every new officer
appointed by the executive power, is a new in
strument of that power and every dollar of
which it has the distribution, or to which it can
give a direction, enables ii more effectually 10
play upon the hopes and fears of not one,
but many, and thus exercise despotc sway over
their political conduct. To this influence we
may beyond doubt, in great measure, trace the
DETECTION of so many of the defenders of South
ern rights, who in the first instance, cracked
and snapt like brush heap on fire, and were as
speedily extinguished by a sprinkling of the
dews Of executive bounty. The present Consul
at Havana can tell all about it, and there are
doubtless many more in the secret.
Executive patronage, however powerful,
nothing compared to the influence operating
Legislative purity, through that system of spec
al legislation, which creates perpetual fund Of
corruption, not only in legislative bodies, but
the people, and which by appealing exclusively
to local or personal interests, inevitably pro-
dpces sacrifice of great general political prin-
ciples TO considerations of mere local and indi.
vdual advantages. We see this every day ex-
empfcd in the State legislatures, and in Con-
gress, where these principles are sacrificed to
foster local projects, and States are purchased
by donations Of the public lands by wholesale.
One of the most striking and brilliant exam
Piles of the perncious effects of this system OF
Legislation is now exhibiting in the Empire
Slate-the great State Of New York-grcat in
commerce, great in population, great in canals
and railroads-stil greater in political corrup-
ton. 1t will be recolIected that the legislature
Of that State, last year passed law, in direct
violation of "a provision of is constitution auth
orzing loan of9,O0O,0OO of dollars for the
enlargement Of the Erie canal, and other pur-.
poses connected with that object. In pursuance
of this law "the canal letting board" as it is
technically called, proceeded to enter into con.
tracts for these purposes. A great clamor arose
against the manner in which they performed
this duty the affair was brought before the le-
gislature a committee of investigation appoint
ed, and the following facts elected through the
testimony of witnesses, many of them conspic-
uous actor in the scene.
1t was proved that preliminary to entering on
the business-the board being nearly divided
into Wings and Democrats-it was agreed that
the loaves and fishes should be distributed be-
tween them, according to the incest principles
of reciprocity, Having adjusted this great fun
damental point 1t was next determined that no
regard should be had to the prices stipul ated in
the offers for contracts, except that as general
rule he who offered the highest bid ought to be
preferred, on the ground that as he asked the
most money, he would of course do his work
most faithfully. Next followed an amicabe
understanding between tho members of the
board, in conformity with which certain rela.
tons, partners, and political friends Of each
should be preferred without any special regard
TO the terms they offered.
Having settled these great principles, they
proceeded to open the proposals and decide be-
tween them, which they did with such admirable
discrimination that member of the assembly,
in n late most able exposition of this affair,
states, that "from the best information he could
obtain, the probable difference between the low.
est bidder and those to whom the contracts
were accorded, was 100000 of dollars. This,
"said be-" had stood before the people two
months uncontradicted."
The committee appointed TO investigate these
matters, with power TO call for persons and pa
pers, and TO examine witnesses on OATH pro.
ceeded TO the performance Of It's duties, and
Notwithstanding the witnesses were a great
many Of the parties in these extraordinary pro.
ceedings, and Of course minced matters as much
as was possible without absolute perjury,
tissue Of violations and evasons Of law, of fraud,
corruption and favoriteism WAS disclosed, more
artfully devised, more complicated and compre
hensive, than can be found in all the records Of
political corruption. The facts have stated
were all proved beyond contradiction, either by
the unwilling acknowledgment of parties con.
cerned, or by other witnesses, and are all stated
by Mr.. Hatch in his speech in the assembly.
twas also proved that contracts were awarded
to persons who did not bid and to others who
were obliged 10 assign them to, or admit parti-
cular friends of the members of the board as
partners; that contracts were awarded TO ih
description at two hundred and seventeen thou
sand dollars more than was estimated by TIE
engineer appointed expressly for that purpose,