The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-11-11
The New Congress and the New Schemes and
Combinations OF the Lobby.

'upol.
The New Congress and the Now Schemes and
Combinations OF the Lobby.
Our special Washington advices of this morn
ing reveal to US the important fact that this
financial! revulsion, which has worked 30 disas-
irously to the railroad land jobs and fat con-
tract schemes of the lobby of Congress, has also
operated to create new harvest for the lobby
vultures upon all the great questions touching
The federal reorganization of our financial and
commercial affairs.
Under the administration Of Gen. Taylor's
Cabinet and Mr.. Fillmore, the Galphns and the
Gardeners, with their stupendous and infamous
Indian and Mexican indemnities, extracted the
specie from the Treasury by the quarter million
and the half million at haul; but underline bles
sed lobby dispensation ofpoor Pierce the jobbers
and Spectators in Western lands and railroads
appropriated the public domains to the extent
of millions, tens of millions, yea, hundreds of
| millions Of dollars. Hundreds of other mil
lions would also haves'been secured in great
patent monopolies but for the timely and reso-
lutte intervention Of the Independent press and
some of the Independent and unpurchasable
| members Of Congress.
But the disclosures of the Investigating
Committee of the last House of Repre-
sentatives imperfect as they were, de-
veloped lobby combination, and catalogue
of lobby schemes of spoils and plumber, in CON-
parison with which all the spoils corruptions of
the last half century at Washington were
thrown into the shade. The consummation of
these schemes was, through this investigation,
| 10 a great extent arrested; and with the in
| auguration of Mr.. Buchanan it began to be
| pretty well understood that the day for lobby
land jobbing and land robbing, patent monopo-
lies, moonshine indemnities, spoils and plumber
contracts, &c, had passed away. If there were
any doubts remaining as to the purpose and
the power Of Mr. Buchanan to stop these great
| leaks of public spoliation and private corrup-
ton, these doubts have since been dsspated
by the inevitable government necessities result
| ing from this financial and commercial col
| lapse.
Granted, however, that the stringency of the
times and the straitened condition of a hitherto
| pleshoric treasury preclude the possibility, in
this new Congress, of any valuable dividends
| to the lobby from railroad grants, swamp lands,
Indian indemnities, contracts and frauds, patent
jobs, private claims, steamship combinations
and moonshine government contracts, we are
assured that new field for the lobby will be
opened in the public necessities of the crisis,
| and that democrats, black republicans, Know
Nothings, fre-eatcrs and old line wings will be
found as occasion may require, insiders and
| outsiders, cheek by jowl, working like beavers
to shape the legislation Of Congress, and to
| fleece the victims concerned. The measures
| upon which this new programme OF the lobby
will be founded will comprehend every expe-
dent for the relief of the treasury and the
country, against broken banks, broken mer-
chants, suspended factories and Frustrated credit
and industry.
| Our Washington correspondent says that the
game will begin upon the Congress printing;
| and as this business comprehends net profits
ranging from several hundred thousand dollars
TO a million year, and as the administration
has cut loose from the entangling alliances Of all
sorts of official organs, we have hope that the
squabbles of the conflicting cliques for this
public printing will result in the defeat of the
whole batch of spoilsmen concerned, and In the
positive gain to the treasury itself of the profits
of the government printing, in the establish
ment Of government Office for the execu-
| ton Of the work. But there will be q
call for a bankrupt law, and, as in ls4O-4l, the
candidates now for the benefits of such an act
will find the lobby ready to aid them and bleed
them to any extent desired SO In regard to
any Congressional measure for the better
regulation of the banks and the currency
and credit system of the country, the banks
and the finsnciers and stockholders inte-
rested must pay their tribute to the lobby
for positive aid, for promised assistance, and
for convenient silence. So, too, upon any
movement for the modification of the tariff
producers of raw materials and manufacturers
must look well to the ins and outs, and 90
betweens, and black mail agents, and gamblers
of the lobby; for decisive vote, yea or nay,
may possibly be controlled by wink from the
lobby or a nod from the gallery.
Thus, between the various measures which
may be agitated in the coming Congress in re-
| ference to the revenues, the tariff the credits
and currency, the banks and bankrupts Of the
country, field Of enterprise will be opened In
which we'll disciplined lobby may calculate to
CLEAN its thousands and millions in fees, pcrqui-
sites, presents and black mail extortions.
But there will be serious drawback TO
any very extensive lobby operations in the vigil
liant and careful administration of Mr.. Blu
cbanan, and in the example of cabinet every
member Of which is an honest man, and beyond
the corrupting temptations of spoils and plum
der in bis position Of pecuniary independence
Above all, we anticipate that the administration
party in both Houses will be 10 harmonious and
reliable as to be entirely beyond the reach Of
lobby influences upon ell great financial and
commercial issues. We spprehend that this
party will he guided by the counsels and policy