The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-03-05
CONGRESSIONAL.
REMARKS OF HON. MIR. wARNEl

GEORGIA,
On the report of the investigating committee deveted IN
the House Of Representatives, February 81, 1851
Mr. WARNER / will detain the House but short time
with what have to say and may as well do !, now as
The principal object had in calling up this resolution,
after the resignation of the member from New York, was
tor the purpose OF taking the of this House two
Of the resolutions mboded in the report desire to do SO
for this The member from New York, a eommu-
nicaon he made to committee and which is made
OF the record insisted that the facts which proved
In reference to that member and particularly in reference
to the using one-ourh of valuable factory for the pr
snd D Dss @
proper method to secure and promote legislation m TINS
Sir desire to show that If that be the standard Of that
gentlemans morality and the morality OF others who may
think with him. desire know who they are and wbst
standard Of morality they disposed TO establish here
There is another object have in view. It is made .
o the reco! here - charge sgainss the commes
appointed ny fn's hou tnst an error wss commtec 70
the testimony and the committee charged with furnish
ing that member with testimony. desire 10 explain
the circumstances under which that occurred f is not al
ready sufficiently explained by the records upon your table
According to the rule adopted by the committee, when
the evidence was gone through with the parties impl
Gated furnished with copy of the evidence affecting
them The clerk of the committee directed 10 fur
nish that member Mr.. MArTEsoSl with copy Of the
evidence affecting him. In transcrbiDg it there oc.I
the words used by the Witness that he must hare here
hundred thousand dollars for the purpose of carrying
his bill, the words written by mistake 1must hand
him 100000 So as the attention OF the committee
called it the corrected and the gentleman
furnished with correct copy Of the testimony. That
the whole Of il large portion Of the response OF The
gentleman to the committee in relation TO that fact
That is the true history of the manner in which that error
occurred.
In reference to this standard of legislative morality,
wish to call the attention of the House the communities
ton of the member made to your committee after admit
ting that he the writer OF the letter addressed to Will
liam O. Johnson the president of this Des Mones Railroad
COMPANY of which the following ia admitted by him to be
substantial copy
IPrisass.l
"WAsHISeroN, July Is, 1855.
! IDEAS sla The committee in our House have agreed
to report your resolution in Minnesota two hundred and
seventytwo Thousand wished IT, but there
chief Are you willing to st your Of factory
be cut and used through, in addition to what
in new factory Let me know without fail by return Of
"Truly, o. b. NJ
"W. c. JoHSsos, Esq."
Now, in relation the proposition contained in th let
ter the member in his communication to your commite
by way of explanation and defence, says:
] the contents Of the letter ITSELF it dfcnt for
what has given il its seeming Importance IL
written the confidence of friendly relations which then
least, existed. 1t written who had
stake admonh him of the character Of the
dangers which surrounded his and to suggest
nuences. 1t only suggestion, acted upon, and
had no whsevsr q to any member q Congress 3.
ever my that johnson would any
except to employ persons whose character and position
sra
as s1etng great power the legislation Of Congress
sble pass bill with the influence Of what is called
hird house against II it would be satisfactory
Congress any gentleman in the community in which he
resides stating that he called about the time
pass his bill without the o.idsrs, he
that he could not expect to off three hundred
i .idsrs." "'''''''
i Now sir without stopping to discuss the propriety of
the member listening TO the statements Of exmembers of
Congress acting in the capacity of outsiders to what
should be done for them to the passage Of bills
through this House Involving large grants Of land,
money what the exact position OF the member as stated
by himsef2 He insists that his object to have
fourth Of factory, worth twenty-five thirty thousand
dollars the individual property of Johnson and used
for the purpose of carrying through Congress
but that it to be used outsders-not members.
That he saya, perfectly legitimate Now wish to show
by the decisions Of the highest judicial trbuoa in the
try that that is neither moral legitimate 1t is against
public policy 1t is against public morality The highest
judicial tribunal in the country has decided in in
volvng precisely that identical principle The will be
found in the sixteenth volume of Howards Supreme Court
Reports IL is the of Marshall against the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad. The facts briefly these: This
pany anxious to obtain the right Of for their road
through the State of Virginia. and this Mr. Marshall who
represented himself to have great and influence
outsider and lobby member the legislature of vr
gnia made contract be alleged with that company
that he be paid $4,000 for using his influence
getting bill through the Virginia legislature giving the
right Of way that company. The company refused to
pay him for this outside influence and suit brought
in the circuit court for the district of appeal
taken from the decision of the circuit court to the Sn
preme Court OF the United States desire to call the
attention of the House to the view which the Supreme
Court took of this question: and Of the morality of this
side influence. Ssys the court
"It is undoubted principle of the law, that
will lend its aid to enforce do
that is illegal which inconsistent with sound morals
public policy, which fends contamnate,
by improper influences, the integrity OF social polt
ca institutions. Legislators should act from high consd
Grafton Of public dny Public policy and so.nd morality do
imperavey require that courts should put the
stamp of their dsapprobaon act and pronounce
void contract the ultimate probable tendency Of
which would be to suy the purity mislead the judg
ments Of those to whom the high trust of legislation Is
interests OF the whole people, and courts of justice give
countenance to the which subject them
TO be msed by the pertnacous importantly and indirect in
fuences OF interested and inscriptions agents solicitors
secretly urged under false and covert
necessarily operate deeterousy legislative action
whether be TO obtain the passage public p
Bribes la the shape high contingent
ion necessarily lead the improper and
the of undue influence Their
s Of the agent who for them
is soon brought believe that any which will pro-
duce beneficial result TO himself proper and
that share of these profits may have the effect of
the perceptions and warming the zeal OF infu-
careless members in favor of his BILL Tho
the combined capital wealthy
raop and produce universal corruption commencing with
the representative and ending with the
in legislation, public and private compact corps Of vens
solicitors vending their secret nuenc will infect the
tal OF the Union every State, corruption shall
the normal condition Of the body polite and will be
| said of US as Of Rome, sOrne Romo venoie.'"
ituut the aoff fha acto of