The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-01-10
THE DAILY DISPATCH
-nsaraay Mornims, Japuary 10 1874


ImMeu8e Land Grant. .--Con gressionai
Bribery and Co,ruption.
Another of the insa.n.e land grants In favor OF
railroads that have heretofore been suspected vi
being conceived in fraud aud carried through oy
bribery and corruption, has been introduced INTO
the House of Representatives, Ia the shape OF a
btu, which grants to the territory oil minnesota
for the construction of trunk railroad traSersins
the territory with three branch roads, every alter
nate section of land, designated by odd num-
bers for six sections IN width on each side OF
said road and branches Tho grant will call for
nearly four hundred thousand acres of land in
each and every mile which the road trayeraes, and
make the aggregate an immense one.
The New York Herald publishes letters from iss
correspondents at Washington, setting forth very
seaadalous state OF Congressional morals, and the
existence aud organised and active exertions Of a
distnc, profession In Wa8hinston-lobby agents
whose business II Is to bring personal influences TO
bear upoa the action Of Congress- and to determine
measures Of legislation by corrupt considerations
The Richmond Enquirer re publishes the Herald 8
letters, and says that the vast ajority of these
lobby agents lex members Of Congress, ex.
Secretaries Of departments, editors out of employ
lnent, occasional correspondents Of papers officers
OF the army dismissed from the service, officers OF
the navy retired for ineapacity, clerks. women OF
easy virtue, dealers Of faro and apostae preachers
Of the Gospel. These individuals have methodiZed
the mysteries Of plumber into science, and have
reduced their operations against tn, Treasury 70
regular system Of strategy. The agencies OF
their Influence comprehend all the means OF sub
duag principle through the fundamentally of the
passions. The aIaiable disposition Of one member
Of Congress makes him easy prey. Another
.al!s victim 10 the seduction5 OF champagne and
canvass back. 4 third is ilsensible to the charms
Of an epcarean banquet but he surrenders to the
ssductioas Of solid of money. A fourth is
beguiied BY the arts Of some charming Lais, and
consents, if nos TO support particular claim, TO
be absent when the vote is taken. A fifth, with
hardly less erirnidality of motive, sacrifices his
acruples to secure the co operation Of powerful
interest in hi. own special behalf. So the thing
works and the result is that the people are plum
dered of millions by corrupt coalition between
the lobby iuterest and certain prohigata menbeTs
OF Congress-"
1t is through such influences and by such means
that the Treasury is robbed the public money
squandered, and the good name Of the nation de
graded. 1t is notifying fact, ss well as one of
evil omen, that, whilst the character of the public
men Of Great Britain has steadily improved for
the LAST half century, that OF the public men of
has steadily retrograded Could one of the pure
aad incotruptbie patriots Of the Revolutionary
arise from the grave, he would be asicunded at
tie prof gacy which has converted the once stain
less balls OF public coLGcii into "a den of thieves