The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-01-24

out some advance new cargOes would scarcely have
yielded profit TO importers Freights were steady,
with moderate engagements.
Lobby CorruptiOns-CougTes sioDal Reform
a Qsscstaon for New Organization OF
Parties.
According to the Developments thus far result
ing fron the House committee on the ccrrup-
tons of the lobby, we should not be surprised if
the prosecution of this reform were to eventuate
in a reconstruction Of parties in Congress lobby
and enti-lobby, spoilsnneD and anti spoilsNen. At
present nothing but the fragments of Sefunct or
broken up parties can be found at Washington,
for all the old party issues are dead end buried.
A national bank is an obsolete dea;" the tariff
has become rather local Issue, one way Or
another, than sectional or party issue; the Kan
sss question is in the hands OF ~ the people" Of
Kansas; and the broad line Of demarcation be-
tween the Jackson democrats and the Clay wings
of twenty years ago, concerning the public lands,
has been wholly obliterated in the general scram-
BILE OF steck;Obbing spOilsmen and politicians.
and their various schemes and devices for a share
in these rich spOils of the public domain.
The election of poor Pierce destroyed the old
whig party; his administration has broken up
and demoralzed the democratic party and the
election of Mr.. Buchanan, without either re-
storing the identity, the unity, or the as
cendancy Of the democratic party, has at
least, for the present, demolished both
the republican and Know Nothing parties Thus,
in Congress and throughout the country the ma
terials Of our political parties may be said to be
in transition state loose, confused, unsettled fer
menting, and awaiting the new administration to
bring them to Capitalization. In this plastic
condition, these loose materials may be moulded
into definite shape, more or less, upon the first
practical issue brought before them; and in this
view the comprehensive reformation in the go
vernment involved in the matter of this lobby
business, may result in the reorganization Of par
ties in Congress, lobby and anti-lobby. reform and
antireform, before the old peddling party politi
Clans are prepared for 1t. Aud why not? This
third estate in the government the lobby, has be-
come the overshadowing evil at Washington; it
has grown, within few years. from the condition
of needy and humble beggar for soldiers
pension or trihipg claim, to the proportions of
a Colossus, aud TO rapacious monster, wlthal
graspiDg at nothing less than all the resources of
the treasury, the public domain, and the pockets
Of the industrial interests of the whole country.
Within the last eight years, under tue weak.
careless, and lazy administration of Mr. Fillmore
and the imbecile but wicked and corrupt dynasty
of poor Pierce, have these lobby corruptions ex-
panded from mere uifie to their present prodi.
gious and startling dimensions. The Galphin
claim appears TO have been the beginning
of this golden epoch Of the lobby spoils-
men-the Gardner and Mears Mexican
claims, founded upon their silver and quicksilver
mines in the moon, and the encouraging example
of the numerous distinguished public men of the
the country, concerned in those monstrous and
Infamous swindles, gave a new impetus and
wider range than ever before dreamed of 10 the
various operations and operators OF the lobby.
But the spois dy nasty Of poor Pierce has capped
the climax. The GaIphin and Gardner claims
OF Mr. Fillmore's dispensation dwindle into mere
bagateles compared with the stupcndous lobby
spoliations, accomplished and projected under the
auspices OF poor Pierce, comprehendng railroad
land grants, patent extensions, contracts, ndem-
mites. claims, jobs, and what not
Great reforms are evolved out of great abuses,
like gaslight from the smothered combustion Of
mineral coal Thus, these lobby corruptions.
brought TO their climax under the spols auspices
OF poor Pierce, are coming to light; and for what
ever OF good 10 the public morals or Of saving |
in tbepublic money, may follow from this Con- |
safi Uaf Nrt
will be entitled to share of the credit It was |
this Journal which first brought before the public
the real nature and extent o; the spolatons of |
the Galphin and Gardner claims: and it was, il |
we are not mistaken, mainly through the efforts |
and expostions of the HERALD that Congress. in
the summer Of 1854 brought the lobby operations |
in the Colt patent case before a committee |
Of investigation. The results were good. 10 the |
Galphin case public attention was aroused, al |
though the money lest to the Treasury; 10 the /
Gardner case nearly third Of over half a million |
paid out by Secretary Corwin has been recover
ed, which is something; and in the Colt patent
Ease dead stop was put upon nice little mo-
nopoly Of several millions in value. which was
also something: but the investigation disclosed |
he working machinery of the lobby, which wa
something more: and in the campaign which we
opened with this session of Congress against the
obby we have been aiming at the sane thing |
Inder the "moral conviction that a searching
ona .fde investigation Of the lobby jobbers and
obs Of the present day will he fruitful of the
most valuable discoveries and reforms.
Tho lobby jobbers have invariably failed 10
'bcedle. TO brighten or lead us off the track. In
he Gardner case the unhappy chief of that
raud at first raised a great cry of indignant in
locence against u.s. in the Colt case, Mr.. Horace
H. Day, the India rubber man, was good enough