Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-01-10
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.
The Bribery Case.-Tho reader will find in
our congressional column a resume of the de-
bate IL the House hall yesterday. upon Mr..
Kelsey 5 reEclGtlon for committee to inyesti.
gate and report on the charges against the in
tegrity Of $50 far unnamed members which
have been published far and wide of late. So
far as the charges in the New York Times are
concerned, we see no reason to regard them as
OF more importance than the thousand other
such things floating in the wonder mongeripg
press ct the country, and do not imagine that
their investigation will bring anything to light
likely to reflect on the integrity of the House.
The charge brought by the Hon. MI Paine,
however, Is direct and palpable, and involves
consequences as grave to others it may be,
as to tho so-far unnamed accused 1t i, to
be regretted that Mr. p waited until the intro
ducsIOn Of Mr. kelsey's resolution, before ma.
King formal movement against party whom
he understood 10 have made such a promo.
sltiOn to him. The fact Of his delay will, it
strikes US, generate the impression that he
must originally have had some doubt with
reference to the animus with which il WAS
made.
1t is being said over Washington that Judge
Edwards Of New York, is the member to whom
Mr. r alluded, that gentleman having re-
marked to members sitting by him turing the
course Of Mr.. Paine's statement, that he sup
posed be might be abiding to conversation
that had passed between them, which Mr..
+. had evidently misunderstood and miscon.
strued. 1t Is due to Judge Edwards that We
should sag that up to this time there has been
no other member Of the House whose character
mas been apparently more above suspicion, his
bearing IN all his relations in the Hall having
been such as TO win fer him las far as we know
unlversa'conhdence, respect and esteem. If
indeed, tie person alluded to be Judge Z il
this city at least we are very sure tina. public
opinion Will rest IN suspense under all the cir.
cumstanees as related By the honorable mem
Der fr.m North Carolina, until his side of the
snalr shall have been made known
The Dehste.-Our friend of the Un,ou not
long since centended that the current debate
In the House on the message was doing good g,
go tar as the public interest is concerned
Though differing from that opinion at the time
We concluded. to wait little longer before
ventuTlng to express our views ON it The
matter has subsequently become so glaring in
lts effects upon the public and private bust
ness before Congress, as that we cannot in ius-
tice refrain from beseeching the House to rec
olleet that almost half the session has passed
and nothing has been dono-to speak of-but
10 talk unfortunately for bunkum. Bunkum
Is tretiul child as it were, and nurse-rhe
Houre-can find time to do little indeed be-
side :" sh-lh-sb-ing" it.
The danger in persisting in slang W hanging
politics for Bunkum lust now il, that the work
Oi dlsPoslng OF the immense amount Of real
bu-intss to be adjudicated By them ere the
eesslon ends will be crowded into the last fort
nisat or so, aud will then be voted on On y
upon nall the really necessary examination
Every pIG swindie that is 20 be broupb,
fer"ard-and legion Of them must eventually
emerge from their hiding places-will then
take their chances In the final rush for the
goal. down the quarter stretch of the exnirir,
hours Of the session. They will thus be spruno
on the House when il will be next 10 imro.si.
bic fer the thoughtful, firm and really 20,
scieniious members Of the body to hold ther
even sufficiently in check to insure that those
Of their fellow members who are prone to juu r
% conclusions shall know precisely how the,
are yotiDg-what they are voting to brine
about.
Year after year. fO- nearly twenty years
We have witnessed the pOstponement of tn,
transaction Of real business by the House, t
enable honorable mem bers to discourse tn,
p&blic on general politics, in some shape Of
CHER and every year the result has been t
insure that many Of the most important msa'
ures disposed Of are passed on with very i'm
perfect knowledge On the part of many on tn,
door with reference to the real bearing of thei
votes in question We never knew an act O
legislation by Congress, subseq uently deploret
IS having been improper action, that was no
accounted for mainly on the ground that i
was done in hurry; the members not havip,
tiue-wheR 1t was before them-to under
stand II in all its bearing.
We have further to say, that in protractin,
tie current Buakum debate On the Message
The House are laying the foundation for, Dos
sibly, more such legislation, ere the session