Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1857-02-27

the character Vi kAiAS AASuSSt ehiN Hs'1
proved himself unworthy to be a men,
Der thereof.
Resolved, That Hon. Erasmus B. Mat
teson, a member of this House from the
State of New York, be, and hereby is,
expelled therefrom." |
An abstract of the testimony follows
the resolutions.
Mr.. Kelsey made a report in which he
says he dissents from the several reports
of his colleagues. He is of opinion that,
according to the rules of the House, and
Parliamentary laws, the committee nave
no power to institute proceedings against
member of this body under the resolu-
ton by which the committee were APP
pointed. The committee having aseer-
tanned that certain members are involved,
I it is their duty, in his judgment, TO report
the fact to the House, with evidence by
which the fact Is disclosed, together with
a recommendation that the said members
be tried upon definite charges, and to sub
NIT the subject to the House for their d.
rection, or such other proceedings as they
see proper to adopt. He quotes the rule
from the Manual on this subject and
adds that the majority of the committee
have departed from it, in having present
ed resolutions for the expulsion of the
members involved, instead of presenting
the fact that they were so involved, and
, asking the direction of the House. He
dissents from and protests against these
resolutions.
All the committee join in a general re
port, in which they say the delay in ma
, king the reports was beyond their con-
troll They did not feel at liberty to no.
: tice, in any manner, the number Of anon
ymous communications received by them
, and no proceedings or inquiry has been
instituted upon any such communications
: but, in every case, respectable persons
a have requested an inquiry or pointed It
e a witness who could probably prove 8
y material fact. The investigation ha6
e been made as full and thorough as it wa;
G in the power of the committee to make it
Y They say no such general combination;
a as have been charged are proved to exist
Few cases came to their knowledge il
which individual members were implica
# ted.
G The committee give the questions anc
answers in the examinations Of Jas. "
e Simonton at different times, and state tina
d hio Ieet esrsmer WIS directly contradictory
d Of his previous testimony, It appears
they remark, from his testimony, that
h while occupying seat as reporter on tn
d floor of the House, he personally aidec
is in the passage Of the Wisconsin LanC
d Bill, under the promise Of receiving
certain compensation if the bill passed
u He also aided an old friend of his il
: passing private bill through the Senate
for which service he accepted a smal
f compensation. They say, from the tes
to timony taken, it appears that the genera
charges of corrupt combinations in Con
q gress originated from men who expect +
Of make money by creating a belief tha
y such combinations exist.
ID If they can cause it to be generally be
lieved, that it is necessary to use Iarg
" sums Of money to carry measures thrc
er Congress, it follows that somebody mus
O be employed to apply it, and the ma
i'll who knows most about corrupt combina
of tons, would be the one naturally sougt
Id for and employed as broker to buy u
TO the votes Of members who had entere
into such combinations. The broker i
TO Congressional corruption would receiv
J, money to buy up the combinations, an
of whether he puts the money in his ow
d pocket, or pays it TO somebody else, ca
never be known to the parties who ful
of nish the money.
h. They are all engaged in criuini
transaction, in which the broker has Ii
Sc decided advantage of his employers, VIII
must be satisfied without an account, (
Is, with any account Of his agency that /
tie may choose to render; and the prob,
&C. bility is, that, in addition to his own stil
lie, ulated compensation, he win pocket II
tie whole corruption fund.
to They proceed to attribute much of til
n evil to the avidity with which newspap,
of correspondents catch up every flying r
il port, and send it to their respective lou
by mails to appear in print. The report II
to following resolution:
i'd ResolUed, That James w. Simouton /
expelled from this House as a reporter
d. They likewise report a bill to profe
Il ~Hnr@ Il