The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-02-18
Washington Lobby COrruptiOns-aeport of
the House COmInittee.

The special committee appointed by the House
of Representatives to inquire into certain alleged
corruptions OF the lobby operators, and to report
thereon after several weeks of industrious appli-
cation to their task have made up their case, and
are ready to present their report or reports to the
House. One Of our special correspondents has
already given us the salient points of the disco
veries made by the committee in the premises
Among these discoveries is the lamentable fact
that our incorruptible New York Seward polit-
cians-including several rather conspicuous
members Of Congress public journals,
and a horde of outside camp followers, pipe
layers, brokers, go-betweens, decoy ducks and
stool pigeons, whose name is legion" are the
pith aud substance Of the lobby With the re-
ports of the committee TO the House we shall
doubtless be able TO present our readers with the
material testimony Of the principal witnesses ex-
amined. In the meantime, we apprehend that
bis testimony and the recommendations Of the
committee will be apt to create panic in the
Seward camp, and sensation throughout the
country.
The growth of these government spols and
plumber eorruptions has leen very remarkable.
The defalcation or deficiency Of some four thou
sand dollars on the part of Auditor Tobias Wat
kns, under the administration Of John Quincy
Adams, was considered an enormous example of
corruption by the Jackson administration in its
first gloss of rustic innocence. But then
came the disclosures of the United States Bank
Investigating Committee, including that extraor-
binary subsidy Of S52G75 62I TO Wall street
editor; then came series Of extra allowances TO
mail contractors; then succession Of heavy de-
falcatops by Collectors OF Customs, Land Receiv-
ers, &c: and then the memorable epoch of the
pet bank bubble involving all sorts of specula-
tioDs and financial corruptions- the grand
crash Of 1851, winding up with the general bank
rupt law Of lSil. Then to the credit of Cap
tain Tyler be il spoken, the public treasury, the
public lands, and the pockets of the people en-
ioyed a comparative rest Of two or three years
from the outside spoils and lobby managers, ex-
cepting a few money brokers, who realized their
thousands and millions as custodians and Dor
lowers and lenders Of the public funds in the
absence of q national bank. pet banks and Sub
Treasury
The Mexican war occupied the most Of Folks
administration. including innumerable wastages
Of the public money, and the production oil a
new crop of spoilsmen Of the largest dimensions
A Cabinet officer of General Taylor TO begin with,
introduced neS class Of claims in the Galphn
operation, of some two hundred thousand dollars,
which inaugurated a new era, and opened that IL
Irritable field for the lobby which has since been
so extensively explored. Encouraged by the
success of the Galphns, conspiracy Of swind-
lers brought before special board appointed 10
settle Mexican claims, the infamous Gardner and
Mears claims, amounting 10 seven hundred thou
sand dollars, and by pcrjured witnesses and
forged papers secured the money. Mr.. Fillmore's
Secretary Of the Treasury-Mr. Thomas Corwiu,
OF Ohio--is understood 10 have received some
$4,000 OF this money as counsel for Gardner;
but we do not recollect that since the exposure OF
the fraud he has returned one dollar OF this
money to the treasury. The legal fees in con-
nection with this claim believed 10 have been
pocketed by Major Lally (the son-in-law of the
chairman Of the board adJudicating this class Of
claims and by other distinguished gentlemen to
| the tune of ten fifteen. twenty or thirty thou
sand dollars each. remain also, If we are not
mistaken, still to be refunded to the government
With the advent Of poor Pierces administration
this Gardner claim was taken up for examination
Some noise was made over It; but it died away
and the whole concern rapidly aud mysteriously
disappeared from our sight
VIII this sort Of nole prosoqi in the Gardner
case and under Che direct auspices Of Pierce, The
spoilsmcn Of the lobby commenced business al
Washington upon larger scale than ever. En-
couraged. directly and officially, by the ad
ministration the railroad land jobbcri
came in end seized upon millions Of The
choicest public lands; aud patent mono
polists. with oil the means and appliances
| ~ cnrr,,rtinn nrnn q broad margin. Moceeded