Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-01-30
From the Democratic Mirror.

CoasresS-BriberY ana CorIuPSAtZN
Gonoress has now been in session about
. month and q half, the whole OF whcn
Zine has been devoted to the dIscusslon
Of matters Of no practical concern &c. tne
country. and which have renderedtner
proceedings almost entirely without inter-
est to the public. But few weeks ye'
temain=of the=presens=sesslon'= ano-tney''
ne suppose, are to be consumed IN en-
deay6rinr 70 ferret out the extent oil the
rascality practised upon that body and
nIe people by the horde Of unprlnciPled
.barSers both in Congress- and out, who
annually infest the capitol Of the nation
like the plaques of Egypt. ,-,.,q,,
% An article appeared in the New 1otk
Times of the 9Th Instant, charging that
gross bribery and corruption had pee! oeen :
Used in Congress to effect the passage o!
certain bills now before the House, ana
Imnentionine the Minnesota land bill in this
connection. One Mr. Kelsey, OF the
s,ats Of New York, brought the matter
before Congress on Friday last, and Gauss
"a the Times article to be read from the
clerks desk, and after commenting on the
gravity of the charge and the duty OF the
House with reference to it. offered si- the
following .....y ~ ..-.,I
Whereas certain statements have
been publish charging the members OF TINS 81
House with entering into corrupt com.
bina.ion for the purpose OF passing and
Of preventing the passage of certain mea'
sures now before Congress-therefore.
= :. R.,olye9 That a committee of five
members be appointed by the Speaker,
Nth power to send for persons and pa
pers, to investigate said charges; and
shat the committee report the evidence to
be taken and what action in their Jndgi
men. is necessary on the part ofthe House
without unnecessary delay" -.
Immediately upon the reading OF the
resolution, MIR. Paine, CT N. c., arose in
his seat and corroborsted the charge.
which seems to have created consldera-
BILE commotion among members. We let
Mr.. P. speak for himself 49,,
Mr.. Panel scarcely know whether l
ought to say anything or not. know
nothing about that editor NOR his journal.
know nothing about any communlca-
ton made to it. l know not how he OBJ
tanned the information. know not wheth>
er it vas true or false. But do know
that there has been a proposition made
in this House by members of the House
on the subject. ISensation and cries OF
who is he ?" % Expose him" 1 shall
not name the gentleman. Cries of down
in front :" stand out Of the alsles =
1--WE can't see." shall mention no mem
Der by name. A voice" you ought to
do it."1 1t was with feeling OF indigna-
ton that heard the proposition. Impa>
tient demands of &" what was it % tell
IT,"
The reason why did not announce it
to the House was that, pending the or
ganizaEion of this body, when a member
rose in his place and stated that fellow
member had directly made an attempt to
tampsr with him for his vote for Speaker,
the only credit he received was that he
was laughed at. and it was charged that
he did not accept the profered bride be-
cause there was no profitable place to be
had. l say distinctly that there is no
want Of truth in the allegation contained
In the Times article.
A distinct proposition was made to me
by member in this house in regard to
the Minnesota land bill: and that 81 500
would be given in consideration Of vote
for that bill. If the proposed committee
shall be raised. and am called on as a
witness. l shall give my evidence.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Paine's re-
marks a running debate ensued. which
was participated in by members general
", after which the resolution of Mr.. Kel-
sey, with the following amendment to the
preamble, viz " And whereas a mem
Der of this House has stated on his own
authority that the article is not wanting
10 truth" was adopted by reclamation.
We suppose we shall have the report
OF the committee in few days, and shall
therefore await its disclosure hoping in
the meantime, however, that If the charge
DO " not wanting in truth" and any man
be found base enough to have sold him
self for such mess Of pottage. that the
seVerest penalty that the House can in
Aict may be visited upon him.
A Washington correspondent of the
Baltimore Sun, writing from that city IN
der date of the 10th. says:
Tho chief topic of remark here is the
investigation. ordered by the House, into
the charges Of legislative corruption made
by the New York Times. and sustained,
70 some extent, by the disclosures made
by Col. Paine, of North Carolina. The
member alluded to by Mr.. Paine as hav-
ing offered him bride to vote for the
Minnesota Land bill is understood to be
Mr.. F. S. Edwards, Of the Fredonia( 3oth }
district, New York. 1t is also understood
that Mr.. Edwards denies the allegation
as made, and states that he was misun,
derstood by Col. Paine.
Tho direct allegation. thus made by
corrupt combination, in and out of Con
gEess, to affect Legislation. applies to the
Minnesota Land bill and we have the