New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-14

A. II. Ual9. otdr brooklyn.
Wilson Mlo Ontario .C.nandsisus.
Ionssh rSG:s .W1sy0
J. NJ. Baker.........Troy Nhg. .NewYork
On looking at the Diagram of the Assembly,
find that Hastings, Nafew, Levien, Dawson, Cros-
We'll Seaman, Rocker, STARTS and SchOlefeld have
seats assigned them around and in front of the
Speakers desk, facing the Assembly. Cushman
Page Lowrey, Van Zandt, Chubbuck and Allen are
on the north side of the room, and Gale, Barnes
Sessions and Bungay are on the south side. MiOr,
Cuyler and Baker have no seats assigned them.
On turning TO the Senate Diagram, / find seats
assigned to Col. STARTS of The ". T. HersH, &. p
Lowrey of Tire ~ Y. Ertning Post. j. II. Carroll of
The Albany Times, T. S. Gillett of The Albany
Journal, u. A. Manning of The Albany Ados w.
NJ. Baker and Levien of the Associated Press.
MlllOr and Cuyler had no seats in either House,
while STARTS and Levicn are ubiquitous gentlemen,
capable of occupying two seats at once.
Some of the foregoing gentlemen are well-known
reporters, who have occupied their seats-the same
seats--for great many years and whose daily lab0rs
have filed the columns of The Albany Argus Aibany
Journal, n. Y. TRIBUNE, y. Y. HraH and Courier
and Enquirer. Croswell, Dawson Rocker, STARTS
and Baker are always in their places, and to them
the public owe the full and accurate detailed reports
of the proceedings of the Legislature.
But what shall be said of the list taken as a
whole The people should be thankful that so
MANY competent gentlemen should devote their time
and talents TO the dull routine of legislative BUSH
ness for the sole and audable purpose of spreading
before them the doings Of their chosen servants.
So numerous a corps of hswk-eyed reporters must
have been able to spy ont all tho hidden springs OF
legislation, all the dark pottngs OF the lobby. 1t
was very gracious of the Speaker and Lieutenant
Governor TO set such number of watchmcn around
the walls of the Capitol. 1t was generous in many
papers to be at the expense of maintaining reporter
at the seat of Government, TO give their readers
the earliest and most correct information.
How delighted and instructed are the citizens OF
Buffalo with the letters of Sessions; how Hon
must Lave rejoiced over the epithets of Bungay;
what an interest Utica must have manifested IN the
dsily communications Of SchOlefeld Cushman and
Chbbuck; and how eagerly all Brooklyn must have
hailed the advent of The Times and Star.
1t is said that the Controller paid to this corps OF
reporters, under the resolution generously adopted
by the Senate and Assembly, nearly 81, 200 in sta
tionery. HIS books would show to whom, and what
amount to each, but | have neither time nor inc-
nation to examine. Let us infer that those who
drew ANYTHING received the same amount us mem
ber-S30: there being thirty of them, counting
STARTS and Leyicn twice, as they appear in two
places, the sum would be $500.
1t ia possible that three or four of them, proba-
bly those who did the most work, neglected to apply
for their allowance of stationery in which case the
amount may have been little less than $500.
past v, 9s six or eight persons had been assigned
seats Us reporters, and there was little doubt thot
they were engaged in that business The large addi-
ton 70 the ranks an increase to treble quadruple
the number for any former yesr, has led the pubic
10 suspect that some of them were favored agents
of the lobby.
Scholefeid and Cushman had been Deputy Clerks
for one or more years under the Hon. Il. u. sher'
man, and Chubbuck an officer of the House IN some
capacity. The County of Oneida has never been
-, Ia md xt-t fn
public in all positions, from the lobby at Albany and
Washing ton up 10 the Judges bench and the Gov
ernors chair 1t stands TO the other counties OF
the State in the same relation that Virginia or New
Hampshire does TO the United States
Ii is useless TO deny or conceal the truth; not
less than ten of that list Of reporters had no EN-
pOyment except the lucrative one OF lobbying bills
through the Legislature Some OF the rest united
the two callngs
was not in Albany during the early part Of the
last sessien, and only occasionally near its close;
but am toId-and my own observation confirms
the s,ory-that half of the persons who had ddlly
access to the floor of the Assembly as reporters,
were not such in reality but used their privileges for
merely private purposes. Ii is possible that each
Of them may have received or begged an appoint
ment from some paper, in order to impose upon inc
good nature of the Speaker. III the editors were
called upon to inform us, we should undoubtedly be
told that not one half of them ever wrote line or
letter for the papers they are set down TO repre-
scut. The good natuIed proPretors are nse1 as
cover for other purposes-as keys TO open Inc door'
and give free access to the halls Of legislation.
/ thought il would not be embarrassing to your
readers to know whether any of the literary CORE
spondents had any other business. or whether they
had any claims upon the State Treasury excepttler
accounts for stationery
turned to the bill to provide for certain expenses
Of Government prior 10 1857, and other supply
bills and below you have the result OF my lnvesti'
| CATION:
| Samuel b. Sessions got $50 as Clerk of the Com
mttee to investigate the affairs of the Central Rail
road
| ID. \. Leyien got $50 as Clerk Of a Committee
TO examine tenant houses i'll New-York and
| Brooklyn.
w. w. Chubbuck got so as Clerk of another
| Committee.
| H. c. Page got $50 as Clerk of the Committee o
Ways and Means.
II. j. Hastings got $500 as Clerk of another
| Committee.
| w II Roosrt 1ot $50 for inJex;ng I.vs Of tb,