Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1855-02-17
STA UNION VIRGINIA, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY II 1855.

nifty Of mixing with Inc members upon the Hot
, while the body is employed in tho .lansacto
of its daily busincss Ie d oes no, hesitate
Improve Ibis pporunily. | have seen ntr
and doubtless others hass seen him, rassln
back ard forth through The Hall, and occasion
ally occupying chair, aud all this, too, " he
the records Of The House are stamped with hi
admission, made under oath, iha, he Is at" agent
regularly ernplo ,ed, 10 aid in secprii. The pas
SAG. Of bills hoss ,,l}o, The Calendar and avail,
inc the action of The peoples Representative,
During hi, examination az The last session
the following questions we've Tt"pouhued L
him. and The f1lIowing ans"els gwen ~ MIN
as then recorded
.Qnestisn. Do yoL expect TO receive com
pensaiion Of any kiud, either directly or lndl
isclly, for your services il behalf oil Colt'
patent extension?
"Answef. ! do.
eQaes ion. II that compensation TO be Ger
tain OF contingent
answer. shsuld expect i, to be certain. J
The bill for the exiens.a,i OF Colt s pa'en
DOW stands at he head oil the Calendar, and ye
remains TO be acted upon BY the House
While this individual is IN the Enjoyment o
this priviege-whe tie is furnished ~ ilh a
seat upon the noor--h undertakes 10 obslruci
the action OF orc of the committees OF this
House, and to defeat the Object the House had
in view in organizing the committee. w hat Is
that ohjeci2 Nothing mare Hor less han 10
| ascertain what means are used TO influence
egislaton, and how il is that he aud other
| lobby agents, whe are retained and paid; secure
| he success Of measures, in hich their eni-
| ployers are so deepl. interested. The fact that
men emplo, ed 10 aid the passage, or defeat
OF bills, is OF itself calculated to excite suspi-
| cion--to attract public aitenion-and to affect,
more or less inlnrotlsly, the character and
standing of Congress. We knew that the lob
by musers STONY, AMI that they live by mssns
OF fees, paid, OF secured 10 he paid, for present
OF prospective s,rviees, From the number
around the Halls Of Congress, the business,
doubtless, pays well, for they all $50 far as |
know them1 look like they farrell sunpiuous'y
every day, and we're enjoying high degree OF
pEosp rlty
This class OF men, either have considerable
inhuenen with the House, or they make such
representations as to indrce claimants TO believe
thai they serve hem advantageously y. The
people ought 10 be in possession of The means
they employ, SO that those who contribute iae
money 10 foot the bills that annually pass Con-
efess, may Judge OF the fairness Of those means,
dad The propfiats oil their uss. Persons ocapy'
ina the position Of MIR. Chase can furnish this
iaiafinaliab, if they choose TO do 50; aud
think II Is the duty oil the House 10 require
Them 10 make the disclosure.
How do these persons secure seats the reporters
desks, upon this door ? The 18th rule OF the House
pfesefihos the terms under which this privilege is
granted. That rule is in these words:
"No person shall be allowed the privilege Of the
Hall under he character of stenographer, without
written permission from the Speaker, specifying the
part Of the Ia assigned to him; and 10 reporter or
stenogfapher shall be admitted, under the rules OF
mil .ftgb or lnp
sha state, in writing, for what pepper or papers he
Is employed to feReHt.-Aiateh !, 1888. And no per
shall be admitted, under the rules OF the House,
as reporter or stenogl apher tor any paper or pa
pers ,edo shall be eaifoyed ogent to prosecute
ditY c'dim pending before Congress and the Speaker
ahnl give his written permission with this condition.
aud net more than one reporter or stenoTapher
snail be assigned the seat. December Is,
ls52."
Such the terms of the rule under which this
individual has obtained the privilege he now enjoys.
No claim agent is entitled to this privilege. On the
contrary they are expressly excluded, under the
III the admiration OF the rule, the speaker has re-
quifed oi those who are applicants for these priv
eyed seats, thai they should STATE for what papers
they report, and that they were not agents for the
prosecution Of claims pending before Congress
This Was the Speakers duty, aud 1t has been faith
fully discharged.
the Speaker Alter stating that he was the "cor-
respondent for the eorga Telegraph and Louisville
Democrat; and Nicksburg Sentinel" he says, 81 an
not Interested IN any ciaims before Congress OF the
Icportmeats.' " rs this statement true Had he
not seieanly sworn before the committee and is it
not matter Of record that he was interested in
the success OF Colts claim for an extension Of his
patent !! Is not the inference perfectly legitimate
from his refusal to appear at this session, that he is
still Interested in that bill confess, do not see
how the conclusion is to beavoided
Some of these agents. understand, seek to escape
from the dilemma in which they are involved by the
miserable subteringe that the rule OF the House re-
laes only to clans which require direct appropria-
tions OF aioaey from the Treasury 1t is sufficient
to say in reply to this view of the case, that il Con-
gress had so designed, they doubtless would have
expressed it in terms. 1t would not have been left
to inference. When that rule was adopted, it was
well understood that the claims pending, as well as
Gus kinds. We had pecuniary claims, patent claims
last but BY means least iii Importance, claims for
ianGs for railroad canal and other objects and, SO
ian We have information, the last anied class OF
eaaes pay much better, than either Of the Others
Ine lands are looked to the best sources Of specu
iition and profit and hence it Is that we find such
number OF these applications for railroads. Can it
be supposed that the rule which have quoted, was
not intended to embrace those who We're employed
as agents to advance such important measures
that princey fortunes to the corpo-
raturs named in the charters? IL cannot be. The
rule niust have been intended to embrace all
where the money, the lands, or the property of the
Federal Government or the interests OF the people,
were involved The rule was Intended TO apply t.
all cases and applications before Congress where the
private interests OF individuals were brought into
conflict with the public interest. The object was to
secure free and unbiased legislation on the part OF
the peoples Representatives,, and to remove all in
flu nee which might be employed for the advance
nent Of private Interests at the expense OF the more
important interests OF the great body OF the people,
Such is M ewn view OF the rule, ana the reason and
/ now leave this branch of the subject, and pro-
eee u another Of not less Importance. The resou-
ton am about to read proposes my remedy tor the
f nj he IA