Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1857-02-28

qhe Congressional Corruption Affair.

alleged corrupt combinations OF members maue'
ar rs;hnr exploded 10 that body, on Thursday,
,nvolves C,nr members. Tho reports, which
- J., .f .,.oa..i,olv no if far greater er.
80 ~ va ~ r,,..i.,, rosoIn,ions re
lect, closed win 'he 'oho""s
spectively -
posoJ,,J Tha, William A. Gilbert, member Of
,Li u,nso s,,,, Now York. did agree with +. L. .
:, rr;nio,, N nrocure the passage of n resolution
n Nh throuoh the present Congress, for purchase
~ Corgrcss Of certain copies Of the book of said
IIarl.tt IN the penson and bounty land laws, in /,
a,,,si lcrction that the said Trplett should allow
lin, 10 receive A certain sum of money out Of the
nnnr,rri,,ion for the purchase of the book that
,ntlor, did mass his vote ON the Iowa land BILL de-
nnnJna heretofore before this Congress, for Il cor
nm, consideration consisting of seven square miles
nr land and some stock given or to be given to him
,hnt Mr. Gilbert be forthwith expelled from the
lIonsc
1esolrcL That WIN. W. Wclch did corruptly
iht w c;to, a. mcrher of this
Semohe WIN W. ~ ~ n,,,,rc tho nassagc Of
i'ouse i.o', n I'm ,t,r",I tbo Ilonse for the mr.
resolution VI VI, e ..rrinictt ON pcnso nnd
Tnase ol cori'n Co. ,oandv to hc mid 10 the
bounty nm, nnu Law lie UassaTn ,s,rhot VIM W
s W I,I a,,ont to nrocnre money from James
ne,eu u'u c'r "aor,n f,voraIlv ON the claim of
oNe'"vy i, 49, From 1hn committee ON invalid
pensions at this Congress that VIM W. Welch,
- --.-ii.l g., Iii Ii,v,a
Re,ojceI, That Francis S. Edwards, member
of this House from the State of New York, did, ON
the I'D day Of December l"st at'Gnp' 70 lnu" .i
noVe' - Nh C,r"iino 10 vote contrary to the
dictates Of his Judgment and conscience ON the hill
making grant of lands to aid in the construction
Of n railroad i'll the Territory oil minnesota, ny
noIllng out pe'um"y ssiI In ,ho, the s"
"'"N ~ ,
from this House.
Resolret, That Orsamus Is. Matteson, mem
Der oil inns House from 'he s'e ., Ne" urn Wv
49,, e. so",,,,r ,Lo ncs Noines Grant
n have here and use n large sum of money and
other valuable considerations corrupty, for the pur-
pose OF procuring tue passage oil said JOINT resoiu-
''iss '''ous" r 1'''' iI',' II ,r,,.osor -
declarina that n large number of the members OF
pledged themselves each to the other not TO vote
unless they were paid for It. has falsely and vilful.
ly assailed and detained the character of this
House, ana has proved himself unworthy to be a
'' pa.eJ .i''s nj, H.. 49,. u ,,...
member Of this House f,om the If Now Vort
be, and hereby is, expelled thcrefrom.
! The testimony by which the committee req II.
oa,i,o.o xos,.,,. :. .,,..,..,;.,, c,
'a"'oo W. SWEENEY Vi ""'er.own, ~. H.
49, ,''e g.,, VI wv iiou'o' 'eS'''eu ''a' =" "
an,i :. D.;I. "'ou'er ,V", I've" io'N'
~ y .'"1o', y, I'''' u ~it''oo' " e''
Wv "'0sn ''o iiouso ~, 'ne purchase VI
Wv C i"P'e" vi
r''' 'o'! 'N"' "'" '''e. 'aMs' anu 'na'
'"'r r,,,, p''''|o ,"''"s" "'S N""ee"ey 5,
na"u' ~ ",io.,'' LUIS testimony Is sustained
~ Wv pl''"0'v" " r'e o'1 ,T u''"" ny mp,
'e' 'f'. "e .'e'" VI '"e iiouse 'or Tue saio
"'" W 'oGO " 10 pau " I"ee",y ou' VI
"P'".'V"' ""."oe' II S,'ou'u oe 'i'aue'
a''1 ''''"'0u ''''' o'',"e'' 'o,u "''' ''a' he
,,'., '.'c" square ''"e' vi 'a"o a'u some
"o ~ '''' ''1 ""u '','"e"ee III Tue
passage vi '"o i""a 'a''''a' o'i' MI o"ee'
IVY 'D''"I' ''''r'r' '''"' nee was Il" Invalid
P"S.'" e'"''" VI i''A"'a h'o"' ln'o'''Ns
that William w. WEIGH, member from Con
necicut, Ia whom the papers in the case were
referred, had said 10 him that perhaps it might
become necessary to use little money-fhy
dollars or so-to make all right. This is al
. remember 10 have been said between us rela
live to the subject. No money was paid o,
demanded, unless that be construed into de
mand.
+, f. Z. Tflaletebeing sworn, said he new
or had approached any member upon any sub
lect with an improper proposition.
Mr.. OT-1ad you been brought in contac
with any member in that connecticut
NWtness-l have. | suppose that there i
nobody who knows the organization of Con
gress, who expects to carry anything througl
At merely from love oil justice
Mr. Orr--ls that the general reputation 0
Congress
NaneSS-Ihat is the general reputation o
Congress. Witness then confirmed the ,esli
mony of Sweeney as 10 the Sll,5Oo to Mr.
Gilbert, and also stated that DR.. Weleh o
Connecticut had conversed with him about tn
book. 1.-THE tenor OF which was based upon tn
idea OF receiving part OF the contract; am
he recoliected that on one occasion the membe
asked him, IN the event OF their having to dis
tribute more money than they had coniemplat
ed whether he (lriple'l) would not do wha
was righ'' or something OF ihai sort
MeSsrs' ui'oeri and Weich b"'h denied thes