Bedford inquirer and chronicle. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1854-1857, 1857-05-08
DAVID WILMoT
HoN. B. LAPoRTE.
A NEW GAlPnIN swINDLE.

~sa~
A NEW GALPHIN SWINDLE.
Every one who took any note of politics
few years since will remember the terrible
hullabaloo raised by the locofoco press and
orators over the 'sGalphin" business, aud how
the payment of that claim was made the pee
text for charging the administration of Gen
TAYLOR with all manner of corruptions.-
Galphinism became by-word indicative OF
fraud, aud viYtuoaS locofoeoism made the
Old Wbig Party fairly stagger under the
torrent of honest indignation expended on
the ya5ment of the Galphin claim. The new
administration has apparently forgotten the
former horror of its party against GalpLinisin
aud lis advent into power has already been
sgualized by transaction that, in its bold
and shameless robbery Of the National
Treasury, throws the Galphin business into
the shade The history of the case is briefly
this: Hon. Richard Thompson, some years
Since Nj. G. from Indiana, was recently
or claims to have been-thc hired attorney
of the Menominee Indians, to prosecute
claim which they had against the government
tor lands sold. For services rendered them
at Washington he claimed the sum oi
$4,000. When these Indians were about
receiving u payment from the Federal
Treasury, Mr.. Thompson sent in bis little
bill, but his copper colored clients disputed 1t
or rather repudiated it, and distributed the
full sum among themselves, refusing to pay
him anything. Mr.. Thompson then prefer.
red bis claim at tue Treasury, where it was
rejected. lie tried Congress with equal i'll
success at FIRST, but finally obtained the pas
sage of an Act to pay him his claim, proUt-
ded the .nenominee Indians consented 10 IT.;
but, by some trickery the bill as transcrl-
bed by the Congressional Clerks did not
contain the pioviso, although the Journals
of 5ot6 Houses show that IL ,Das incorpord
ed in the bill. Mr.. Thompson did not pre-
tend 10 obtain the consent of the Indians,
but basing his claim upon the fraudulently
altered bill, presented it anew at the Treas
ury. Mr.. Maypenuy, Pierce's Commissioner
of Indian affairs, stigmatised the claim as
utterly eroundless and fraudulent, and NJ
Guthrie, Pierce's Secretary of the Treasu-
ry, utterly refused to pay it. Thus the
matter stood when the new administration
came into power. Mr.. Cobb was appointed
Secretary of the Treasury, aud lie appoint
ed Mr.. Clayton, of Georgia, assistant
Secretary, (this Mr.. Clayton being the very
man, who as assistant Secretary of the
Treasury during Gen. Taylor's administra-
ton paid the Galphin claim) aud be scarce
ly gets warm in his seat until Mr.. Thomp-
son is paid his $4,000, out of the FEEDER
/ al Treasury.
| Was there ever a more bare-faced fraud
perpetratedl In the name Of common sense
shat claim had Thompson on the Federal
Treasurys If the Indians had employed him
and afterwards cheated him out of his fee
did that give him any claim on the Treasury
for it? Take case in point by way of illus
tratioh. Suppose the present contractor fol
building our new Jail had to bring sui
against the county for his pay, and woult
agree to give any one of our lawyers S10(
10 try the cause for him. after Judgmen
was obtained against the county and paid il
full, suppose the contractor would refuse t,
pay his attorney the stipulated amount, an,
the attorney should then present his clam
to the county Treasurer and he should pa,
bin the 800, thus not only paying the con
tractor every cent due him for building tL
Jail, but paying 500 additional to tn
lawyer who compelled the county to pay be
just debt. How would the taxpayers lik
an operation of this kindl And yet it
precisely the same case, with as much sho,
of justice as Thompson's, against the GOV
ernment.
In view of SO Transparent, fraud, tn
mind naturally seeks for some motive il