New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-02-13

This is the age of vestgations, and it may be
as well to make thorough work. If anybody paid
any money last Winter to have tho Tariff fixed as
the Wooden interest required, let usknow who paid
and who received it, whether Members of Congress
or Others If somebody has "made good thing y
ou. of the sale of Fort Smelling, let US know just
who that body is, or those bodies are Let US
know. How the authority to sell got into the
Appropriation bill-who suggested and who drafted
il: 9. Why Senator Weller felt justified in giving
the assurance that the Reservation should be sold
at auction, and why that assurance WAS falsi6ed;
3. Why the Reserve was not divided into lots and
an upset price affixed to each-the same then put
up at auction, and struck of to the highest bidder,
no bid for less than the upset price being received;
4. Why, when the Reserve was sure to bring at
least Half Million and probably Million Dollars
in this way it was sold at private sale for Ninety
Thousand, one third down. 5. Whether it ought to
have been sold at all; 6. Who ordered it sold and
who made money by the operation. We apprehend
that there is considerable rich milk in this cOcOanut
if the bard shell can but be broken. So of the
purchase of site for new Fort opposite Throgg's
Neck; so of the similar purchase near New-Bed-
ford. But everything depends on the resolution
and scieuce with which these shall be worked
up. A Committee that don't want to see will be
certain to discover nothing; and one that don't
know how to inquire will have little better success.
Mr.. Hoard of our State yesterday started in the
House new and most interesting inquiry-ths,
namely: {" Has the President directly or indirectly,
" bribed Members TO support the LecOmpton Con-
" sttutiOn in opposition to their own conviction,
" and those of their constituents ?" If no such
bribery has been perpetrated or attempted, then
common fame is common liar, and Mr. Buchanan
viii be most happy of an opportunity to vindcate
himself from the grOundless imputaton. But if
this has been done-if Members of Congress have
been induced or tempted to vote contrary to their
convctops in the hope of thereby earning office for
themselves or their kindred-then here is case of
bribery and corruption far more flagitiOus and
perilous to the Republic than any of which
Messrs. Lawrence, Stone & Co. Are suspected.
And, though Mr.. Hoard's proposition was yester-
day laid on the table, by 105 to 00-Mr. Burns, we
believe, voting in the msiority-we trust that the
matter will not be allowed to sleep here,
Let the whole truth come out Perhaps
Congress, like our Board of Aldermen, may
be impelled to institute a Standing Com
mittee on Bribery, instructed to inquire espe-
cially into and report upon any case of corrupt
bargaining between Hon. Members and the White
House. Let us have everything that looks dark
investigated and turned inside out. Congress is
paid by the year, 20 that the public loses nothing
by the spinning out of the Session. Besides, there
ia very little important business this Session-at
least, little that has chance of being done. SO if
any Member knows anything that ought to be
investigated let him trot it out.