The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-03-20
The Congressional Corruption C0mmlttec.
Hts Causes and Effects.


L. 3D. with bacon and lard u l7s 3D. and cotton q "a
The Congressional Corruption Conmittee-
Hts Causes and Enccts.
It is not much to our credit o. q nation that
one of the two houses of Congress had Of late
become 30 stepped in corruption and infamy that
it became necessary to have an investigating
committee appointed; that that committee recon-
mepded the expulsion of four honorable members,
and that three Of these four virtually placed on
the record plea Of guilty, aud resigned their
position as representatives to avoid being ignomi-
niously expelled. The fact is far from compii-
mentsry to the honor and selfrespect OF the
people; and yet we regard the action OF this
Corruption Committee as one OF the most fortu-
nate events that have ever taken place in our
Congressional history, for we confidently believe
and hope that, under the influence of the new
President and bis Cabinet, all pure men, from it
will commence to date an era of honest, upright
and proper legislation with which we have been
hitherto too long unacquaiuted.
The landjobbing, treasury-plIndering aud
fraud encouraging system of legislation which
commenced under Mr.. Fillmore's administration
reached its eliminating point and attained its
highest Development in the first session Of the Con-
gress that has just expired Never before perhaps
in the history of legislative assemblies, here or
elsewhere, did corruption present such an un-
blushing face. The social and political revolu-
ton that followed the passage of the Nebraska
bill, had brought up to the surface of things
crowd of contemplate politicians. The repre-
sentatives whom the New England and Westero
States sent to Congress were about rs small
specimens Of Statesmen as could well have
been pawned upon the country aud for the
most part their honesty was on par with their
ibility-so, during the first session Of the
Thirty. fourth Congress, all sorts of plunderpy
schemes were got up. and many of them passed.
20 the injury of the people Of the United States.
heir peace and dignity, and to the aggrani,ze-
nent Of those degraded wretches in Congress
who had votes TO sell, and whose sole and ouly
object seemed to be to sell them to the best ad-
vantage. The Hobbies of Congress were con.
stantly beset with swarms Of vote brokers' who
oargained with corrupt members as to the p,ice
Of their votes. There was little or no attempt At
concealment Little regard had these COMPRESSION
al thieves for the appearance of things. They did
not care TO assume virtue while they had it not
Regar dlessof what theirfellows or the world might
think Of them, they openly bsrgaiued for votes III
The very hall and bfore the very eyes Of the
Speaker, while the vote was being taken on this
or the other railroad landsyndle In this way
the people OF the United States we're az that o1e
session alone defrauded out Of twelve millions
Of acres of the public domaio, aud came within
m ace Of icing cheated out of ten or twenty
lines thai amount, in the shape Of the grand
Pacific Railroad scheme. Had II not been for tha
answering honesty and the never-at-fault par
iamentary knoSledge Of the Southern rcpresen-
tatives tnst stupendous fraud would have been
by this time fastened on the American peope.
and not one, bur scores, of black republican mem
bers would have realized their seven square
miles Of land as the price OF their vote.
II was in view Of these evidences of cocruption
in and around Congress evidences which there
ras no attempt 10 disguise conceal, or keep from
the eyes Of the world that the HERALD at til,
commencement Of the last session felt il its duy t.
denounce and expose to the world the iaitbes:-
0ess Of the public servants. Again and again
we returned 10 the charge, until We had attlined
our point and succeeded in riveting public atteu-
ton on the corrupt influences which govern
I'd the national legislature. Alarm and
iismay began to penetrate the ranks o.
vcnal representatives., land sharks and lobby
agents around the Capitol. The letter writers
and core spoDdents Of the various presses through
ont the country, for the sake Of thro wing dast III
he eyes Of the public and Of covering up their
own iDiquities, took up the cry, and from one end
Of the Union 20 the other there was an unanimous
demand for the expureation Of Congress The
matter could be no longer blinked, and oae
member Of Congress, actuated, il has been
charged, by similar feeling to that which in.
spired the letter writers, moved resolutions for
the appointment Of a COMMITTEES Of investigation.
If Ar. Kelsey nursed The idea that he couli have
cot up whitewashiDg committee, and declared
Congress immaculate, lac must have been terribly
undeceived when be found himself associated with
Orr and Warner, Davis, of Mary land, and Richie
-four Of the ablost, sharpcst and most ncorrupti-
bic members of the House.
The results Of the labors Of that committee are
known TO the country and the world. They re
ported evidence showing that three members from
New York and one member from Connecticut
were guilty Of corrupt practices, and ur-
worthy of retaining seats in the House.
IA vain black republican members resortcd 10
psltry bubbles Of parliamentary law to s.ave of
action; but when all these failed, and when there
was no longer doubt as 10 what the action Of
the House would be, the three New Yo kers-
Matteson Gilbert and Edwards severally noti-
fed The Speaker that their designations were in
the hands Of the Governor of the State, and that
hey were no longer members Of the Thirty
fourth Congress Virtually, these were pleas Of
c,,;ltv ,pd IN oil i,,f In tbo oapo IF Mattasoo