New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-18

in Massachusetts,, including the Middlesex and
Bay State Mills, wherein they are or were
supposed to be large stockholders. They are
known to have taken deep interest in the
modification of the Tariff on Wool which was
effected last March, modification which we then
believed aud still consider not only just and bench
cent, but absolutely needed to save the Wooden
Manufacture Of this country from absolute rum, IL
the change were not too late or too meager 10
effect that end. The commercial reyulsl0n OF the
last year FRUSTRATED the house Of Lawrence, Stone
& Co., and seriously damaged the manufacturing
companies aforesaid. with most others. 3lessrs.
Lawrence, Stone & Co. had heavy accounts with
these companies which their failure is understood 10
have involved. They of course were required to
make an hibit of their condition and have reckon
Ing with their creditors; and accordingly at state
ment of the affairs of the Middlesex Corporation
made before the recent meeting of its stOckhold'
ers, it appeared that that Company had had to pay
the sum Of Eghty-seven Thousand Dollars ex-
pended at Washington by said firm in procuring
the Tariff modification aforesaid, beside eight
thousand dollars similarly expended for editorial
services in New-York. This, we believe, is a sim
pie statement of the whole case as it now stands
before the public. 1t does not directly affect the
present House nor any single Member OF it, even
if the So 900 had been expended on Members OF
Congress, which is certainly not shown, aud which
we believe is not even alleged. Why, then, should
Hon Members work themselves into foam and
proceed TO denuncations of the Press which did
Al. Il l.% Hy
implicated by it The only item which has been
given Of this large account is one OF Sc,OOO said 10
have been expended upon or among the Journals OF
this City. Those journals "still live" while the
House in question is dead; and We confess to
very earnest curiosity as to this alleged expenditure
upon them. 1t may have been legitimate and
proper outlay, for services properly sought and
honorably rendered, though we confess our inability
to see hop this could be. Was the money paid to
reluctant advocates of the Wooden interest! or
TO fire the zeal of the willing or to enlist the aid
of the Indifferent If it were paid for writing and
printing pamphlets, as has been suggested, why
should that be set down to the account OF the
Newspaper Press! Since the House has resolved
to investigate this matter, We entreat that this
alleged IDtnI Vi scC,OUO W "iu
be specially sifted. 1t may be all right or all
wrong, or all mooDshine; but whether it be all
meal or part cat or all gas we cntreat that 1t be
allowed to come out
But, be this as it may the Press has said and
done nothing to provoke this investigation, which
should have put certain talking Members in such
obvious ill-humor with it. The House might
have refused to investigate, either because no
corrupt expenditure Of money was clearly ale
legged or because no one was specially implicated,
or because the imputatiOn rested on . past House,
for whose shortcomings THE ono was nowise re-
sponsible. But having taken the matter into con-
siderstion and resolved to investigate it., it does
seem that the House wOull have consulted its own
dignity and the high character which it should up
hold, by abstainng from i-natured filings at the
Press through whose fundamentally public atten-
ton has been called to this matter