The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-01-29
The Washir guon Lobby ana its Cor1uptions,
Combinations mud Prospects.

where the carcass il there will the vultures
be gathered together" and the present gather
ing of the lobby vultures at Washington, from
all accounts. is upon more formidable scale
than at any time since the Inauguration Of poor
Pierce.
Should the unsuspecting reader answer that
these lobby vultures cannot do much in the way
Of spoiia,ions upon an empty treasury, We have
only to say that to the lobby treasury notes,
fat contracts, land warrants, public land grants,
patent monopolies tariff amendments French
and Indian spoliations, and such things. answer
all the purposes Of gold and silver. Mr.. Sim.
plicity may retort with the consoling sugges-
ton that Congress, during this session at least
will have It's hands too full OF the Kansas ques-
ton, the Mormons, and the pressing necessities
Of Mr.. Secretary Cobb, to admit of any serious
spoliations by the lobby in any shape or form.
But We are not so sure Of that. We are rather
inclined to suspect that under the smoke and
dust of the Kansas excitement, the Mormon
trouble and the fIibustering question the
lobby gangs will be able to perfect their
schemes much more readily than under a
schedule of smooth and quiet legislation.
Nor are we disposed to place much reliance
In the efficacy Of the several committees of in.
vestication appointed and projected in the two
houses. The Committee on Printing might have
been Of some service had IL been appointed be-
fore the election OF the printers and had their
election been made subject to the report OF the
committee But il was not until those printing
spoils had been compounded for and divided by
the lobby that the committee of inquiry into
this business was set to work. Singularly
enough. too, the first report upon the subject is
a demand for a million Of dollars Or 40, 10 make
up the deficiencies for the work Of the last Con.
| gress. And all that we shall probably get from
this Printing Committee will be the discovery of
the fact that the government printing has been
swelled TO the enormous proportions of two
| millions Of dollars or more per annum.
| The committee on the tariff corruptions the
last session are pursuing their inquiries, doubt
less. very industriously: but the upshot of their
labors, VIC apprehend will be that the rogues
have slipped through their fingers. As for the
Fort Smelling investigation, we should not be
surprised If il were 10 b. conveniently
Il al cuNu loDr. UVNFNtl'
are bat the small chips Of the lobby.
Their big blocks and heavy pieces of timber
are land grants, fat contracts indemnity bills,
Indian annuities and damages, and land sales
and patent monopoics.
Apropos Of patent monopolies. We under
stand that in the House OF Representatives the
| other day, Mr. Chafec, of Massachusetts,. intro
| duced bill to amend the patent laws "and for
| other purposes" As, however, no account of
| the provisions and purposes Of the bill has been
| given TO the public by any Of the many vigllant
Washington newspaper correspondents W. are
| little anxious TO know what this bill il. Is
| Mr.. Chafec q believer in the elastic properties
Of India rubber, or a dcvotce TO the scientific
| applications of gutta percha' Does he hold
that the patentee Of lucrative invention, like
a Judge Of the Supreme Court, should hold his
Office for life. or does he think that the net
| profits of million or two or three millions of
dollars from a rubber. a planning a reaping. or
pistol monopoly. is to the inventor compensa-
ton that will do Can we beg or buy anybody
OF Washington to give usa copy Of Mr.. Chat