The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-05-28

The Wsshinston Lobby-Rsp0rt u the Tariff
Investigating Cemmitteo.
We spread before our readers to-day the re-
port of the Select Committee of the House of
Representatives appointed to inquire into GER
tain alleged expenditures of money to secure
the passage of the Tariff act of 1857 and we
append to the report as much of the testimony
taken before the committee as our limited space
this morning will allow, reserving the remainder,
If there is any more, for the first favorable
opening hereafter.
The report briefly but clearly sums up the
reasons for, the objects of, and the develope-
ments made by the Investigation ; but the com.
mittee have no further action to recommend on
the part of the House, inasmuch as they have
ELECTED 10 evidence eliminating any member of
the body. The Clerk Of the Standing Com
mittee on Claims had received lobby fee of a
thousand dollars but having resigned his post
on the heels of this movement for an investigs-
ton, no further action was needed In his case.
OF the $4,000 expended by the Massachu-
setts woollen manufacturing firm Of Lawrence
Stone &Co., in behalf of the Tariff bill of 1851
and in view Of the abolition of the pre-exist-
ing duties levied upon the raw materials i'm
ported from abroad, but indispensable in the
manufacture Of woollen goods-of this hand
some sum Of $4,000 thus expended
by said firm, the committee, with all
their witnesses and industrious researches, are
not able clearly to account for much more than
$4,000. The balance, (s74,OoO, more or less)
which was put into the hands of the confidential
agent of the firm, Mr.. Wolcott, for lobby pur-
poses, they traced to the pockets of wolcott,
where the investigation stops The committee
believe, however, that he was authorized to
pledge any amount Of money, however corrupt
ly, 70 secure the great object of tho firm; but
while they believe this, they also believe that
wolcott appropriated the money To his own
use, and that il forms part of the cash capital
of the new Boston banking firm Of (ex-t;over-
nor) Gardner, wolcott a Co. The committee
pronounce the evidence Of this man Wolcott as
'wilfuly and corruptly false" and regret his
discharge, discharged on ball. for the very
Satisfactory reason that this discharge at once
frustrated the objects Of the investigation.
Among the ascertained lobby moneys paid out
by this firm Of Lawrence, Stone 4 Co. the fol
lowing items appear
j. ~ eypolds, OF New York, X N............. III 500
Mr. d. \. stone, New York Journal ~ Commeru.. $500
Mr. Corbn, House Clerk Committee Of Gains 80 1000
Mr. Bliss Of New York ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 900
A gentleman lecsurins among the mechAncs.... go
ny Hotchkiss, OF Penn Yam. ................. 100
Geo. Asbmun, Of Massachusetts en- M Gu. aoos
1nurlow Weed, from Ere lincoln. ........... 5000
Then, il appears that Mstteson (Orsamus
Benajah) made an application for a small lobby
fund OF $4,000, to be deposited In the hands Of
Horace Greeley, and to be used In the way Of
solid arguments for "free wool " among some
twenty-five available members OF the House.
This money was not granted, however; nor was
the application Of the Chevalier Webb for the
rent Of bis house and the lobby expenses thereof
In Washington, because the firm "hsd no funds
to dispose Of in that way" The granting Of
the Chevalcr Webb's application would have
amounted, perhaps, to bin Of 1000. II fol-
lows that IL the firm did not actually save
$4,000 In rejecting the applications Of Matte
son and Webb, the result was at least saving
OF this amount 10 the lucky wolcott.
This committee may he considered as nothing
more than an appendix 10 the lobby investiga-
tons Of the last Congress. In the former. with
Matteson at the head, three members of the
House were found guilty Of lobby jobbing and
an editorial @tacht Of the New York Times was
expelled from the floor Ne a reporter, on &C
count Of his qualifications and selfdamaging
statements az q witness. In the latter case. no
black sheep have been detected among the
members Of the House but the old puri.
tanical Journal Of Commerce, the Albany journal,
the New York Courier and Enquirer and the TSi-
bfne figure very prominently in the foreground.
The dOUo~r TO the Journal Of Commerce was mere
ly intended as tub 70 the free trade democracy;