Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-05-19
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

The Massachusetts Legislature. -Iu tho
whole history of the public affairs of the States
ofths American Union, there never appeared a
body OF legislators on the stage, who have
earned such unenyiable fame, as these The
present Legislature Of Pennsylvania are bad
enough in all conscience, being no.criousl, en-
gagged nearly altogether in buying and selling
in the dischsgs of the trust confied to them,
giving out bank charters to irresponsible in
dividrals, snd enactirg any ard all sorts of
special legislation az tie demand Of any and
all persons willing 70 pay for having their IL
terest5 subserved at the expense Of the people
at large. The Boston Post gives very anus.
ing accounts OF the entire management Of the
Massachusetts, Legislature by the outside
agents 70 procure just such leg Station, until
the amount of cash and the dinners and
wines requisite 10 get O wharf privilege. e
bridge privilege, or joint stock charter for
TINS or that purpose, is now as freely Quoted
on ehsnge in Bo ton, as tie prices Of railroad
and established bank stocks. As bad az all this
Is the utter want Of character presented by the
great mass Of ths members Of both Houses of
the Massachusetts Legialaturs in other par.
lculars is, if possible, worse. Though their
present session has been remarkably Ions
one, they have accomplished literally notbip.
but the enactment OF speeial legislation. thus
bought through, except The rccen: passage of
a law making il 2 crime in their State TO exc.
cute the Fugitive Slave law, the establishment
Oh the infamous committee on nunneries. and
me subsequent expulsion Of the great p1oj,c.
'or (no'er) of that Committee, Mr.. Joseph Hiss
We need not conmen. on the history CT the
dolngs o! tina; committee; as, having been fully
brought 10 light, they tell tie tale rot only of
the infamous purpose of its origin, but Of the
ndellty WITH which tho men Of bad hearts and
SroVelllng minds, or Hhiok it was composed,
carrie ont that purpose to The bes. Of their
ability, and to the eternal shame OF the State
OF Massachusetts,. In The case of Mr. Hiss the
reports show tina, it was first intended 70
screen him When the intensity of public
opinion even there, and his own recklessaess.
rendered IL impossible to carry out tha, in.
tenuon, tns mex. move of the sjority was to
make him the scaPegoat of the body. To this
ne demurred, boldly prOclaiming that if he he'd
proved himself a bypocrite, a debauchs. and
an ingram scoundrel he was Ly no means the
only one Of the body who had 20 unvortbilv
crePt into the confidence of the people, and
that ne stood ready to prove that at least ono
hundEed and eighty Of his fellow members,
including more CO less of the seventy clergy.
men, we're N each AID every respect quite "a
unworthy Of public confidence and as infa.
nous IN tnelr personal characters az himself
1here-pon, 10 put gag OF his mouth, he was
Immediately expelled, SO as TO place it beyond
MS power to spread before the world the preos
Oh the truth OF his assertion They were true
70 themselves In that action only, having be-
rayed traces Of their guilt in the vaeillstins
course O. their legislation on his casa twill
De remembered that there are actually seventy
cie-gymen at present 10 that body-seyonty
clergymen. Hasthe presence Of so many per-
sens Eominally dedicated to the cause CT tn.
ever living God-to the cause of pescs Ard
go0d Will 10 ALTO the cause of good morals
and equal and exact justice, elevated the char
acteT Of the body! We say that it has not,
but that tie condact Of that Legislature tells
The tale Of the impIopriety CT the Interference
ct clergyEen n politics, in terms strong han
oan be otherwise communicated by th, most
eloquent pen.
Does tho history of that Legislature hear
Out the prolie OF sweeping reform in all
thirg9 to be acted on by it, on which it was
elected With so great unsnimity, the people of
Massachusetts having suddenly taken it into
iheir heads attheir former Wing legislators,
Who had 50 long controlled their State mat
tiers. were Incompetent If ever a people
were taught practical lesson worth treasur-
ing IN their memories, that lesson Is to be
drawn from the history Of the action of the
D0dy OF hyPOcrites, fools, scoundrels, bigots'
and incompetents through ignorance, who
na'o managed by sweeping imPcstUre to OBJ
TAIN TIE temporary control of the affairs Of the
onee preui, respectable, and enlightened COM
Inonwsalth OF Massachusetts,.
The Court Of Claims Below we publ;,b
the rules Of practice adopted By the Court Of
Claims, promulgated yesterday after we went
TO press The clerk will be ready TO psrmi.
cases to be doeketed on the 18th of July. At
his temporary Of6se, in the room Of the Post
Office Committee of the House OF Representa-.
tiVes, in the Capitol building. 1t is hoped
that this court will be able to commence to
hear arguments a. early as the lst of October.
Rules IF Practice Of the Court of Claims,
adopted Nay IL, 1855
1. Every claim shall be stated in printed
petition addressed 10 the court, and signed by
the claimant or bis counsel
The petition must set forth full atste-
lnent Of she claim, and Of the action thereon