Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-05-13
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.


investigating committee on the subject. 1t is
very clear that, despite the virulence Of party
feeling, the newspaper men of the land already
very generally understand-through the force
of the clear reasoning and irrefragible facts
put forth in the report Of the Hon. Mr. Faulk-
ner, of Virginia,-that the whole case is simply
a bugbear and humbug, gotten up by parties
disappointed in their plans to rob the Govern
ment out of the land sold, at 81 % per acre,
and magnifed into alarming proportions with
hideous features by politicians for political
effect against the Administration. As an illus
tration of the manner in which the press dis
pose of the subject, We print the following
extract from a late number Of the New York
Herald
1--WE helped the public to the truth of the
charges; the committee have rehashed 1t to then
at cost which, at the lowest calculation, will
amount to about half the price stipulated to be
paid for the lands comprised in this reservation.
" SO much for the perversions and falsihcatons
Of party journals having no interest but that of
vlllifying and damaging their opponents Here
was negotiation simple enough in itself, and
Involving no very difficult calculations, distorted
into gross fraud upon the government. Ii re-
CURED but the slig hest investigation to demon
stTate its true character but Yet this inquiry has
been made to cost the country sum utterly dis
IL will of course add another to the numerous
items of idle and Improbable expenditure in
which the revenues OF the country are annually
squandered On perusing the evidence laid be-
fore the committee one is astonished at the bold
ness with which the conditions Of this bargain
are denounced The number of acres within the
reservations boundaries are stated TO be between
seven and eight thousand including land, water
and marsh. OF this amount the are. according
to Major Eastman about thousand acres of ire
claimabe marsh, leaving of fair land between
eminent Is to receive between S12 and SH an
acre Will any land agent or farmer take upon
himself 10 say that this, considering the sitlla-
ton, Is not what most experienced men would
consider fancy price,
{" But another question arises ont of this con-
tract, which, after all the fuss that has been
made about the matter, the purchaser of the land
may feel inclined tn test BY statutory provision.
the maximum price which the government is
allowed TO fix upon the public lands is only
dollar and quarter an acre. Bv what right,
Then, has II eXtorted from the purchasers of the
Fort Smelling reservation value so usuriously
exceeding that attached to it by law!
" After the manner in which Messrs Schell
hlather and Steele have been treated we should
not he surprised to see those gentlemen turning
rodnd upon the government aud disputing the
conditions of their bargain. The instalInsnt
which they have already paid being sufficient to
cover the legal maximum price of the reserva-
ton, they may take ii into their heads to refuse
TO paw the other two instalments, on the ground
that the government has no right to alter the reg
public lands. 1t is not improbable that court
of law would sustain them in this opinion and
thus, owing to the malicious fuss that has been
made about perfectly simple Transaction, the
bargain which all impartial persons must pro-
nounce TO have been an equitable one"
THURLOw WEED AND THB TARIFF ISyEsrr
eating COMMIrrEE.-Mr.W Weed, in the Albany
EUening JOnrnal, emphaticaly denies that he
ever received penny from the firm of Law.
renee, Stone Co., as alleged in testimony
taken before Mr.. Stanton's Tariff act Inyesti-
eating Committee, for lobbying through the act
named above. He explains the receipt Of s., 900
| from them, or one of them as follows
''With all the seeming of truth in this state.
inent the facts, when they are known, will show
now easy II Is to pervert and distort the truth
we have not received, either from Messrs. Lsw-
renee, stone Co nor from their agent MI
W olcott, any amount of money. We have never
directly or indirectly, spoken to communicated
with either OF those gentlemen on the subject of
money We did, however, receive authority. the
latter part of March, 1857, from friend in Bos-
| ton, to draw on him for 5000. The authority
was from gentleman with whom we were asso-
ciated in raising funds for the Presidential cleo
lion, and the money was designed to cover def
ciencies
Though pretty we'll known that elections cost
money, the public are not generally emily hit med
with details. Without being dis posed to reveai :.
voluntarily, the financial details of a canvass it
may be proper to say that when the facts In the
case shall have been called out, they will show
That The Herald's version, as usual, is entirely
fabulous
We have lived long enough and know enough
OF the character of L" charges in such connec-
tions, as to lead Us TO believe that Mr. Weed s
explanation, printed above, ia a simple state
ment of the truth
PokISG Fun AT 'EN.-The Albany ALIAS
anu Argus man writes with a very pungent
pen at times. We quote the extract from him
that will be found below, IA being illustrative
Of bis capacity TO WELD an editorial small.
sword that pierces through and through lie s
malicious wag-he is:
The CHIEF MoURNkR-A New York pick
poke named Hatfield, has done an extensiv.
business by attending funerals where il was his
custom to press to the side OF the coffin and m n
gle his tears with those Of the beTeaved friend.
Of the departed. While thus lavishing his SYM
pdthlrs upon the mOurners he cOntriyed general
TO relieve number Of them of the valuables in
their pockets. SO many tears has he she'd and SO
many poe kets has he picked at funerals that h4
obtained the sobriqnet OF the " Chief Mourne -
among the Police and his own circle OF arouaio.
tahcts He has been arrested B stsn TrarslI.r
The revelations in Congress and the State
Legislature show that this business Of ~ mourn
my eau De carried successfully into politics
A certain set of politicians draped In black and
weeping over poor, murdered Freedom OF
Shrieklng at the loss Of Kansas, or sobbiny over
Poor Cufy and Poor John Chinanan take Ivan
tage OF the position TO pick the pock of the
people. Ii Is time that these " mouraersr w ere
arrested
The TwIGGs COURT MARTIAL! General
Orders, No. 4" dated War Department, Adm
tant Generals Office, Washington, May IL,
1853, are as follows:
J. AT the General Court Martial which CON-
Veh'd at Newport Barracks, Kentucky, pursuant
10 Special Orders" No. A., OF March 10 1853
from The war Department, and o. which Major
nrn Thomas :. Jesup, 4lartermaster General
IS PRESIDENT. was arraigned and tried Brevet Ma
!oI .Irnrral paVid Twiggs, u. = Army OH
the f"iiowiny cAA7ge and specifcatio ex bt.d
against hIHi by eosAmand OF the Secretary of War:
Ch"Tss -" fnsabOrdiHaie conduct, to the pre-
judge OF good order and military discipline !,
SPeci ac2sion list. -" In that he the said
Twiggs, commanding the Department of 'rrxos
Al