Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1857-03-10
The Report nftLs ilysstisatins Commit
tee in Congress, z q -

The telegraph yesterday announced
that the Bribery and @ Corruption In.
vestigation Committee OF tile House
had made report. The first report
was a special one, relating to Hon.
William A. Gilbert, Of New York
Mr.. Davis, ofIMaryland read the re.
port, which concluded with the fol
lowing resolutions.
i. Thai the Hon. VIM. IA. Gil.
bert, a member Of the House from
the State Of New York, did agree
with +. F. @, Triplett to procure Tic
passage Of a resolution or bill Through
the present Congress forthe purchase
by Congress pf certain copies of 3
book containing the pension and
bounty land laws, in consideration
that he was To receive from Mr.. Trip.
lett certain sum Of money out Of the
appropriation for the purchase of the
book. z 81
2. That the Hon. William A. Gil
bert did cast his vote for the lows
land bid for aEcorrupt consideration
consisting ofIseven square miles d
land and some stock.
8. Resolued, That the Hon. VIM
A. Gilbert, a member of this House
be forthwith expelled from this
Honse. 81
The report is signed by Messrs.
Davis, Orr, Warner and Ritcbie.
Three other special reports were
submitted, which recommended the
expulsion of Francis S. Edwards
erasmus B. Matteson and w. w
WEIGH. A correspondent Of tile Bal.
tinore Sun says that this subject will
occupy the remainder ofthe session :
only ten days, The agent of the As.
ISOLATED Press sends the following
evidence given before the committee
20 ABSTRACT OF TESTIMONY.
The testimony is very volnminons
and hchce precludes any thing like !
far abstract. 1t appears, however
that the most important witness sum
.lnoned at the. COMMENCEMENT Of the
proceedings by the Committee wa.
james r. Sweeney, an ex-messengel
Of the House Of Representatives
who, in replyEto q question BY Mr.
Orr, said he knew OF a case in which
a member Of Congress agreed to pc
q bill or project through the Hous,
for q certain amount Of money;
book relating to Pension and Bount,
Land laws, by Capt. Triplett, 0
Washington. lie reluctantly an
swercd that the name ofthe member
is Hon. William A. Gilbert, Of New
York. He further stated that til,
same lnemberhad said to him that he
received s'seven square miles oflane
and some little stock in return FOL
his vote and influence in the passag,
of the Iowa Land bill. He also statee
that Hon. w. w. WEIGH had re-
marked to him that $50 or SO nigh
become necessary to make all RICH
in connections with a favorable .repor
on a private bill Of which the Com
mittee had charge. IN
! Capt. Triplett was questioned a.
to his having given to Sweeney al
order on the, Clerk Of. the House, fol
$l4,50O, in the event of the passage
Of a resolution, for the purchase q
his book |; which amount it ] appears
was to be used by Sweeney. TrIpiet
mentioned the name Of HonsW. As
Gilbert, with whom he had j CONVEX
sation about the. book ,and said tha
Sweeney came to him generally upor
the subject. He knew all about til.
matter from the first houghtlSwee
,ney was . friend Of this party, ane
that II he paid him, Sweeney, 1
wonld be satisfactory to the party.
The witness further stated that Mr.
WEIGH conversed with him about thu
book, ''the tenor (which was baset
upon the idea of receiving a part o
the contract, and he recolleeted that
on one occasion, the member asked
HIM, in the event Of their having Il
distribute more money than they llat
contemplated, whether he (Triplett
Would not do what was right, or some
thing to.that effect.
MrIWelch| subsequently defended
himself from the charge. stating thai
he reported the private bill referred
to, entirely upon its merits utterly
denying the statements Of Sweeney
As to Triplett's testimony, he sale
he never understood him or any othel
member Of Congress would receive
any pecuniary benefit from the pas,
sage of the book resolution. No Ian
guage used BY him TO Capt. Triplett
could have justified such an implica
ton. MI !
Mr.. Gilbert also made q statement
under oath, denying utterly the truth
Of Sweeney's testimony. He never
stipulated forIany quantity ofland, Of
any pecuniary consideration Tor hi
vote on any bill. He would prove
that he was not in the habit Of talk
ing freely. with Sweeney, and had
cautioned others not to doso
H., Rnhos& ~ pn.ro k,.xs<;nd a.