The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-02-24

one and that will require all the sagacity of the
parties who will now take it in hand for the first
time. Lord Napier has, however, many advan-
tsges over bis predecessors He will be re-
ceiyed with the greatest cordially, official and
social, and will have the warmest welcomes on all
hands.
G,eelsy's Lobby job OF Thousand Dollars.
We have now heard two explanations Of this
affair one from the journal over which Philoso.
pher Greeley presides, the other from Greeley
himeelf-and ore in o position to judge some
what Of the merits of the case. We may observe,
at the outset, that il will be remembered that
when we first read the story In the columns of an
Iowa paper, wediscredited it, as beyond probaoili-
ty; it was only when it came to as certified and
authenticated from Washington that we began
to think there might be something in it after an
It appears both from the evidence for the accu-
sation assd the admissions Of the defence, 'tsat
GreeleN did actually receive q thousand dol
lars, sed that that eum was not transmitted to
him in legitimate business manner, or Feid to
him for ordinary legitimate value received Thus
far we proceed without difficulty; but when we
attempt to 90 further we are stopped by much
confusion and uncertainty. 1t is hardly worth
while to enter into the special pleading and
ssudied obscursty both of the newspaper article
and the signed letter slfice it to say that neither
che one nor The other explain what Greeley
did with the money. They insinuate that he did
not keep it for himsef-and this we are quite
ready to believe; but they do not say who got
it, or when, or for what purpose, honest or dis
honest.
In the absence therefore of that explanation
which it was in the power Of Greeley and
his confidential friends to give, we think it worth
while to give our understanding of the matter.
At the close Of the year 1855, the public will
remember that Congress could not proceed to
the discharge of the public business for the want
Of Speaker. The three parties were 30 nicely
balanced that no one of them contained ma
jority of members; and without o majority the
Speaker could not be elected After much use
less voting discussion, negotiation, and prelimi-
nary skirmishing, the leaders of the republican
party outside the house, bethought themselves
that money might be of use in the matter How
it was to be used we are not informed that they
clearly understood; but on the main point they
were agreed, and money was raised to an amount
Of about $4,000, more or less, in order to change
the system of electing Speaker by plura-
lily instead of q majority vote. Among other
leaes that made ,ere the thousand dollars about
srhich Greeley is aoap called 10 account. What
was done with this money we are left to copjec-
ture, but it is not likely that ii was cent to the
Pope Of Rome, or employed in agricultural
purposes or even given to +" bleeding Kansas"
At any rate, whatever was done with it, very
soon after it was raised, the Bridge of Asses
was so far crossed that the House repealed the
majority rule, and agreed to elect q plurality
Speaker. Very soon after this, the republican
candidate, Mr.. Banks, was elected Speaker of the
House and very soon after that, Mr.. Wendell
was elected printer. SO the republicans got the
worth Of their money.
But for Greeley's unfortunate engagement
to lecture on morals and honesty in Iowa
and to prosecute the editor of the Iowa State
Gazette, who was unlucky enough to hear of
this thousand dollar story before any one
else, We should have known the whole truth
about this election of Speaker. We should have
known what it costs to control the lower house
Of Congress in a matter where party feeling is
strongly aroused twenty-five thousand dollars
have been roughly set down at a venture): who
was the Treasurer of the Finance Committee, aud
especially who got the money. According to the
evidence Of Mr.. Matteeon and others, Congress
sionel votes sometimes sell as cheap as S5s; this
MO ia vh ha az ,o oil II
easy condolences, and railroad bills are scarce
On the other hand, from other evidences, it would
seem that the Hon. Reverdy Jobnsons "forty
thieves sometimes contrive to get as much as
81 900 to 81 500 for single vote; this, we pre-
sumo would be considered evidence of q strin-
gent vote market, and considerable rise in
Congressional conscientiousness Had Greeley
consented to postpone these Iowa lectures-for
which according to his own statement be only
gets $50 night, and has TO stand good deal Of
freeing for that-we might have known all
about this interesting matter Even as il is, we
think the public would be in his debt Il he would
turn States evidence on bis return, and unbosom
himself Of all he knows to an anxious public
Should be fail to do 90, We imagine IL will be
pretty difficult to find jury in Iowa or else
where to convict Of libel an editor who puts the
worst construction on Greeley's share in the
transaction. Publicity, full, entire, unrcserved
publicity is the only reliable guarantee against
Misrepresentation.
STRANGERS N BRoADwAY.-People who came
down town early yesterday morning were sur
pris. 70 see some of the Russ pavemcnA. which