Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-03-04
CONGRESSIONAL CORRUPTION.

paid by the Magistrate advertising
CONGRESSIONAL CORRUPTION.
The Investigating Committee on the charges
of corruption brought against members OF the
House Of Representatives is q very volumlnous
document. We have not room for even sum
mary of the evidence, and must content our
selves by giving the general conclusions of the
Committee which will be found quite interesting.
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE.
All the committee join in general report, III
which they say that the delay in making the re-
port was beyond their control. They did not
feel at liberty to notice in any manner the nj :.
merous anonymous communications received b.
them, and no proceeding or inquiry has bee
instituted upon any such communications; bu'
in every case where respectable person ha.
requested an inquiry, or pointed to a wltnes"
who could probably prove material fact, thu
investigation has been made as full and thorough
as it was in the power Of the committee to make
it. They say that no such general combinations
as have been charged are proved to exist. -Four
cases come to their knowledge in which indi'
vidual members are implicated. The committee
give the questions and answers in the examiua'
uOQ OF Janus W. DlulOulOuJ OihCiShS sAiA4SS;
and state that his last answer was directly COLI
tradictionary of his previous testimony.
1t appears, they remark, from his testimony,
that while occupying a sent as reporter, on
the floor of the House, he personally. aided in
the passage of the Wisconsin Land bil under
the promise of receiving certain compensation
if the bill passed He also aided an old trient
of his in passing private bill through the Sen,
ate, for which service he accepted small COM
pensation. They say that from the tcstimon.
taken, it appears that the general charges o..
corrupt combinations in Congress originate from
men who expect to make money by creating the;
belief that such combinations exist. II they
can cause it to be generally believed that 1t Is
necessary to use large sums of money to carr.
measures through Congress, it follows that some
body must be employed to apply Ii, and the man
who know most ABOUT the corrupt combinations
would be tho one naturally sought for, and c'l
ployed as broker to buy mp the votes oil mem
bers who had entered into such combinations.
The broker in Congressional corruption woult
receive the money to buy up the combination,
and whether he puts the money in his own pocket
or paws it to somebody else, can never be known
by the parties who furnish the action, in which
the broker has decided advantage. His en-
plovers must be satisfied without any account or
with any account of his agency that he may
choose to render, and the probability is that, Iii
addition to his own stipulated compensation, he
will pocket the whole corruption fund They
proceed to attribute much of this evil to the
aridity with which newspaper correspondents
catch up every flying report and send 1t to their
respective journals to appear in print.
Th: report in the case of Mr. Welch concludes
with tho following resolutions:
Reso1rc,l, That William Welch did corruptly
combine with William a. Gilbert, member U.
this House from New York, to procure the pas,
sage OF resolution or bill through this House
for the purchase of certain copies Of the work
of F. +. c. Triplett on the pension and bounty
land laws, for money to be paid to the salt
William A. Gilbert on its passage.
Resolred That William W. Welch did attempt
to procure money from James R. Sweeney for
reporting favorably ON the claim Of Boxana
kimball from the Committee on Invalid Pen
sions at this Congress.
Resolred, That William ". Welch, member
of this House from Connecticut, be forthwith
expelled from this House.
The report in the case of Mr.. Edwards ac-
companied by the following resolution:
Resolred, That Francis s. Edwards member
of this House from the State of Newly ork, dij
on the 23d day of December last, attempt to en-.
tice Robert T. Paine, member Of this House
from the State of North Carolina, to vote con.
trary to the dictates Of his judgment and con.
science on bill making grant of lands to aid
in the construction Of railroad in the Terrific.
~ of Minnesota, by holding out pecuniary con
sideration to the said Paine for his support o.
the said bill.
Resolred, That the said Francis S. Edwards
be and he is hereby expelled from this House.
The report in the case of Mr.. Matteson con.
cludcs with the following resolutions:
Resolred, That Orsamus B. Matteson, mem
Der Of this House from the State Of New York;
did ncte parties deeply interested in the passage
of joint resolution for constituting the Des
Moines grant to have here and in use larg-
sum of money and other valuable considerations
corruptly, for the purpose of procuring the pas
sage Of said joint resolution through this House.
Resolred, That Orsamus B. Matteson, in dc.
claring that large number Of the members OF
this House had associated themselves together
and pledged themselves each to the other not to
vote for any law or resolution granting money
or lands unless they were paid for it, has falsely
and wilfully DETAINED the character Of this House.
and has proved himself unworthy to be = meln-
Der thereof
ber of this House, from the State of New York,
be and is hereby expelled thereirom.
The general and final report is accompanied
by resolution to expel James W. Simonton
from the floor of the House as reporter aud
concludes as foowes
"To meet and remedy, or at least to investi.
gate these evils, the committee have unanimous
y ordered the following bill to lie reported with
q request that it be printed and referred to the
Committee of the Whole on the state of the
Union. They Go not ask its consideration c3
matter of privilege, because oi the 7';:a.cn1
period Of the session but they nrc ruw:llins to
close their investigation without .r:;,:;a =,
the consideration Of the House a.G ,i,c H.G:.:r1r
a measure which tie next Coner+;s ri:,;' ~.
bled to perfect and enact into aw, ''cl,. aj:l.
the law Of 1853 ard the law tore' 'a..e
witnesses of this session, throws al Tic guards
around the Government against corruption that
IN bs afforded BY any resssiat76s: