Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-12-30
Correspondence OF the n. Y. Herald

The Rights Of ne LobJy-- Thariom IYeed, Chaur
mn" Of lie LoJby Communicable amount o
LL"Hdsr 10 hc OIiainci trOm ms Congress-
Change IN Iinci,r..
The rights and privileges Of the lobby at Wnshin,
ton must he definitely SETTLED. Very aerious dispute
have arisen concerning them. Who aro eligible (,
admission to the fraternity! By whom shall iii,
members be- chosen or Gppointedl How long .hsI
they servel What shall be tbs rates and manner :,
payment! AL these arc questions which must b.
speedily adjusted, or the harmony and efficiency o
INC brotherhood will be impaired. ii not in tim
wholly destroyed.
For example, now, who pat Thurlow Weed Mt III,
head uf the lobby, and male him the general com
mission broker even ~ 10 those ''uncean drippings
which Rre mol arranged 10 fall directly into his hat =.
Thurlow Weed has become permanent chairman a.
what may be called the Third House of Congress-
He j.. therefore, power in the State. He has access
Ia the floor N all times and members beginning
Ia irguirr quite earnestly under what rule DOES Thur
low come in! He is not Il member, nor an tx mem
ber q reporter nor M eX-rrpOrter. What business
cay the Observation-Disclosures business has Mr.. Thur
low Weed on The hncr of either housed All simpi,
minded seeker after truth, Thurlnw hGs business in
and about Your hail, compared with which the puny
tran actions Inn, under your cogn'Zl1cn the
most dlninuiive Of small potatoes aud the rhrc:t OF
small beer. Weeds extensive nnd various engage.
ments necessarily make him poripa,etic operation
His tilnc may be- thu. divided:-Three days OF enc
week around the soup kettles ct the Capital, two day
ylDrntlr between tllt hstbE House w hi
and the remainder may be given TO his devOtons
his domestic circle and the due investment Of hi-
gaius Il, Abany-to say nothing Of little affairs III nm
about the State treasury still prosecuted upon the
sly, on thu; smaller provincial ih-niIc.
Let m. pauss, however, III ths feeble tribute To
the prince of the lobby, to invite some veteran who
has sounded the depths OF the spols politics oi New
York. to favor Us nnophites of the federal capital with
some authentic information upon an individual kEow
among The third degree members ct the obby-thc
pa.t griind- aud royal arch experts OF the thrd house
"a Farmer Abel. Who il thr farmer He is not
rhurlow's shadow unes. like Peter Schenil, Thur.
low Ia: parted company with thlt usual ap2sndage,
ior sometimes Thurlow Is visible without the farmer
hut never i. the farmer seen OF men with Ihmrow.-
Nor is there anything shadnwy about this mysterious
follower Of the Lobby King He is rather TO be dsn.
i,ii-d by his tuciturn obesity. He will stand for
hours like tho adju:ant bird, or the fat boy in Pick
wick gazing into the body of the House. silent motion
less adipose while Thu,low tutters hither aud hhsr,
tickling the sar of this member and gfsasiag the
palm Of another, settling with n few ma-tcrs;rokt-
the dealings OF day. and buying, ssin, AMI trans
i,rina according 20 the -xig"ncias of h's vast
and ram-d interests. II is supposed that like other
eminent fnanc;crs Thurow kseps a cashier, aud
that the farmer Is never present except when me
coin bullion, the verItaUic article L. TO be passed
from hand hand. Ii this theory Is correct the lar.
il.r cultivate5 with golden plough and Is worthy
OF the shining harvesis which his employer is under
stood to have reapel from seed sown by his servant
Thurlow's vocation has become nllnos: to- srduou4
Tor his constitution, and evidently wears upon his
health In former years he was rarely seen nj W ash
nc ton; now, IA | have stated, he never permits n
week TO pass without giving his personal supervision
10 hs affairs here. Look q. that man behind the
bar as he stoops obque!y forward insnua'ing his
nose between the and the shirt collar Of the quiet
and uuapproachnhe member from -, the little
cunning pig eyes urtivey glanc'ng backward, down
ward and sideways the sullen, dirt colored do%ncaat
iace the hands moving spasmodicay like mole
throwing aside the mud through which he makes his
sinuous subterranean way Who is hel What ID
he saying' What is he doing Why, bless yonr
SOUL don't You know That is Thurlos Weed. lie
i. offering that quiet gentleman price for hs vote
or he is warning him that he will be cheated by any
other agent than himself
In ake:chDg 20 you this chief examp.ar OF the tribe
of lobby agents, have described them all, az rather
have obviated the necessity Of individual por;ra
ture. There are much older members OF the lobby
much higher in position. both social and practical
but the genius OF the man was shown IN his almost
instant ascent from the humbest To the highest p!acs
in his profession. At picking and stealing" Weer
s incomparably their superior that The most adro
Of HE rivals admit themselves IN be nowhere. He i
was-so goes the rrmor-that instituted the new syt
ten Of buying members insteed OF buying the
friends aud OF fixing tariff for votes q; cash prices
instead Of throwing away upon uncultiva!ed and IN
approaching pa!aes. delicate cn,siaerie and generous
wines. The business become thus simpisd an,
systemazed.
Ii is unnecessary to enumerate the other member
of the lobby, or TO specify the various schemes 70
thieving which they will bring to the attention o
Congress- all for the good of the country and the be
netit of the people They will all pass through Thur
lows crucbls before being submitted for legslativ
action. They will all receive the touch Of his mas
ter hand, and all pay toll and tribute to him or hi
corps Of weighers, gsugers and receivers. As nobod
will be responsible for what is to be- done at this
sion. the probable amount of stealing, directly and in
directly to he extracted from the national excheque
is almost incalcuable. Still brief statistical ve'
of this important branch of business though impei
feet, will afford the uninitiated an idea Of what
going forward, Here is Lat Of prominent scheme: