New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-22

Walpole is notorious in all English histories; and
yet it was continued, year after year, ana curing
the same period was assaulted BY able heads ana
strong hands, without dislodgug the Premier, VINO
finally went ont upon question which was not 'ne
question Of his pccuniary integrity. he eon'inuea
to bribe, to buy and to debauch while he continued
in Office. He went out Of Office because he had
reached a point which all such public men must
reach, and at which the cash Of the Treasury was
but cEsT when weighed sgainst the common sense
OF the people If his corrurtions were great, 'hey
were also ingenious. There was thin screen OUT
the weSkest aud the strongest eyes could equsny
penetrate this. Sir Robert bribed frankly for the
sagscicus openly for the corrupt dsingenuou'y for
the honest and myticslly for the fools. lie was
the second hest Prince of Tempters.
We have in our Government much that lie akin To
the English scheme II is true the President and
Cabinet always make shabby appearance when
chaffering with Congress; but they are aptto carry
their point, nevertheless. Mr.. Pierce put through
the Kansas Nebraska bill by dint Of sheer E1ecu-
tive corruption, and Mr.. Buchanan openly relies
on the same potent influence to realize that darling
Lecompton scheme on which his afectionate heart
has 80 ardently fixed itself. But this style OF
Bribery only resOrted to By our Presidents upon
grand and solemn occasions. Ordinarily it is not
the chosen ard consecrsted head of the nation who
attacks Congressional integrity. The assault is
from the body of the People. The charge upon
our yirtuous Representatives is made-not by the
Presidents and Secretaries, who, under ordinary
circumstances, are a mendicsnt set, hardly able
10 take care Of themselyes-but by patent
solicitors. wool manufacturers, cotton spinners
tobacco growers, sugar boilers, Niger own
ers, steamboat proprietors, descendants of Revo-
lutionary braves, and gentlemen quite conscious
of the future vsue Of fort sites snd other econom
cal national reservations These persons not only
petition, but they pay. How much hard msney
they part with is only known to themselves, their
creditors and their sh-boOhs. But the breakfasts
the dinners, the suppers; the champagne, the
caret the Madeira; the rum, the gin, the brandy;
the cigars, the sardines and the Strasbourg pies;
the drives and the drnks-irf fact, the whole pro-
gramme of fascination must cost pretty sum.
This is, of course, entirely equitable. There Is
nothing in the Constitution against reaching mans
brain through his abdomen. At the came time, We
should like to know how many of Lawrence, Stone
& Co.. dimes dropped, like Cleopatra's pearl into
the digestive regions. The In ,ney, even minus
what we poor New-York editors got, would have
paid for large number Of tip-toP "sPreads, II
disbursed by frst-rate caterer.
Dining and drinking will sometimes save the
State, but not always. For instance, the City of
Brooklyn ia in about as much need of supply OF
water "a the desert of Sahara. In order to secure
an aqueous supply, men, women and children axe
there pumping ard pa-carrying from morning to
night Now, in order TO secure the water, it ap.
pears that the people Cor the representatives of the
people) were willing TO bestOw a great amount Of
brandy and water upon the thirsty Assemblymen Of
this sovereign State. These lawmakers were to
be lunched into aqueduct acquiescence. To ac-
cOmpliih this, twelve bottles Of brandy (Slo),
fourjugs of schnapps sd, fourteen lbs. ofcrackers,
81 75), thirteen lbs. of English cheese (s2 46),
ard two lbs of sugar (2lc.) were required. And
yet, in spite of this alcoholic cOpiousness, all the
servant maids in Brooklyn are pumping to this
hour and all the brandy snd water works have not
given the Brooklyn people the smallest show of
purc.water works. This shows that the thing may
be overdone or underdone-we do not pretend to
soy which,
We hope, therefore, that the Lawrence, Stone
& Co. Committee will give us a practical aud
philosophical report, showing how much of the
pile was expended in cOllatiOns and cordals, and
in all the elegant but expensive arts of hospitality,
and how much was transferred in honest specie,
stern bank.notes and genuine checks. This mat
ter is getting TO be important. If we must buy
honest measures, let us know how We can buy
them most economically. None of US, in these
times, want TO fling away our money. There
should be reduction in Congressional corruption,
Just as there has been in cOttons and Cashmere
shavls. And more than all, when We pay our
money let us insist upon our moneys worth.