American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1857-02-28
to any person on the contingency Of

~ PSASV" otitii uPplodoh, SVuSSASc
with, or explain to or, in any manner
attempt to influence any member of Oh
Their House relative to such measures
without first distinctly explaining whe-
ther he is interested personally in his
own right or as agent for any other
person in the passage or defeat Of any
measure. The offence is to be made a
misdemeanor, to be punished on con-
viction with imprisonment from one
month to one year, and fine of $500
to 1000. All combinations to inhu-
ence legislation are declared null and
void, persons offending to lie punished
for midemeanor, with Imprisonment
in the Jail from 6 to II months, and
fine of $500 to 81, 900.
| The fact of Corrupt completely is now
apparent, and though but four members
of Congress are directly implicated
there is much reason for the belief,
furnishedby the whole tenor of the tes-
timony, that many others have brought.
dishonor upon themselves, the legisla-
tive body of which they are members,
and the people whom they represent,
by direct corruption. For instance
Sweeney, one of the witnesses, testiies
that ''is is the common talk, that mem
bers of Congress do have an. interest
in every measure before them.'' sstNo-
body who knows the. organization of
Congress-" says captain Triplett, ano-
Their witness, 'sexpects to carry any
thing through it merely for the love of
justice" H. Reverdy johnson testified
before the Committee that Orsamus ID.
Matteson, one of the parties implicat-
ed informed him s'that there were 90
or 30 members oflthe House who had
associated themselves together and
| pledged each to the other MOTTO vote
for any law, or resolution granting mo-
ney or lands, unless they were paid for
i it," Other witnesses acknowle dyed
to having been approached for similar
| purposes. wra .sf II,
The researches of the committee
show that one member of Congress of
tered substantially the bride of fifteen,
hundred dollars to brother member
for his vote in aid of q grant of lands
for the construction of certain railroads
that this member could well afford to
pay literally for the procurement of
such grant, being a large owner of
real estate along the line of the contem-
plated road, and would be made rich if
such road were built by the side of
his property--that another member
used his influence to induce certain par
ties who were deeply interested in the
passage of a particular bill, to employ
a large sum of money and other valu-
able considerations for that purpose:
that still another member agreed with
the author of q book to procure the
passage Of a bill or resolution through
Congress to purchase his work, in con
| sideratlon that the author should allow
him to receive a certain sum Of money
out of the Congressional appropriation
for the purchase of the book; and that
still another member corruptly combin-
cd with the previous delinquent in this
transactions; besides having attempted
toprocurc money for certain gentle
man for reporting favorably upon the
claim OF private person, a woman &
widow. In other words, that the
public press were not wrong when they
asserted that there was an cxtraordi-
nary laxity of moral principle among
the members of Congress, and that
scarcely any measure or enterprise of
moment is ver.passed without the gro
sost corruption. Af $3.50
We presume that Messrs. Campbell
and Toombs, and others, who were so
virtuously indignant against the press
when the allegations ofcorruption were
first made, are much moro tame and
submissive about the present time. In.
deed, they may well be--for enough is
already known to show not only that
the charges were well grounded, but to
Induce the firm conviction that many
! delinquents will go 'unwhipt of Justice
and that Congress is not yet purgea of
that disreputable class which has bro
it into such deserved disreputc.
Let the House of Representatives,
for the sake of guarding their own re-
putation as well as that of the country
at large, act promptly and decisively
in this matter, and e%pel their convict,
ed members at once. These men have
3, disgraced the nation, brought discredit
and contempt on Congress, falsifed
their oaths, and practicodgross corrup-
ton in their official functions---actions
which ifenacted by men in private life
would Blast their reputation in any
community--and thus given the full
weight Of their powerful example tothe
political and social corruption which
seems to be so fcarfully spreading thro-