New-York daily tribune., 1859-06-03
FROM BOSTON.

From Our Own Correspondent
Boston, Wednesday June !, 1859.
There is considerable clsmor in the newspapers
against the Governor and Council because they
have allowed Mr.. S. p. HanscOm five per cent
commission on the Massachusetts, War Claim,
which. to the amount of $l5O,00O, has just been
paid into the Treasury in hard cash. Mr.. IL. has
drawn something over $500 for his services as
agent of the State His commission lasted only
about three weeks, and he may be considered
lucky fellow, though believe he claims that he
ought TO have received a larger sum. Nuggets
like these come so seldom TO writers for the Press,
that it would seem as if the natural tendency of
newspaper men would be to rejoice at Mr.. Hans
CONS good fortune. But there is much growliog.
The Boston Courier is very much exercised on the
subject One of the causes of its dissatisfaction, /
suspect is that the success of the recent efforts to
procure the money upsets its fayorite theory that
the Republicans, and especially such Republicans
as represSi. us at Washington, are men Of no in
huenee When Mr.. Hanscom was appointed,
The Courier was very indignant. Mr.. II. was an
adyenturer; was not respectable, and all that
sort of thing. But the appointment has
indicated itself. BY some means or other,
while Massachusetts, is represented in Con-
gfess by "nObOdes, and q man of the same de-
scription holds the States commission as "agent;"
while Also the Administration is unfrendly to the
State, and the National Treasury is in very tight
condition, the claim gets allowed, and the money is
psid. The Courier ssys Mr.. Jefferson Davis de-
serves great portion Of the credit. And under
stand the assumption is that Mr.. Davis was SO won
over by the bisIdishuents Cor "cOmph hmentary
funkeyism," as the Rev. MI Alger called it) of the
Boston and Portland HLnkers, that he yielded
his opposition, and grscousy vouchsafed his
aid toward getting the claim through Con-
gress. That the men Of The Courier set should
burn the incense and perform the genuhexions
before the Mississippi stakeholder. and the money
should so into the Treasury during the administra
ton OF Gov. Banks-fve per cent Of 1t being de-
Quoted to swell the revenues Of an Abolition agl.
tator and sdventurer-this is, indeed, matter for
lsmentator. But l see not why Republicans
should complain. Yet come Of them now ,ay that
Hsnscom did nothing, but little; that 81 900 or
81, 600 would have paid him abundantly; that pay
ing him $500 is disgraceiul swindle and 30 on.
If there was no need of an agent at Wash
ington, the people or their representatives should
have ascertained that fact before the resolve was
passed, and the Governor and Council were suthor.
ized to employ man aud psy him Just what they
pleased. suppose that the Members of the Leg
slature would have gladly inserted in the resolve
stipulation that the pay should be FIVE, or even ten
per cent, and would have thought they were
appointed Ar. John H. Clifford, or Mr.. Rufus
Cboste, or any other of the eminent men who
have heretofore run up big bills against tho
Commonwealth. for legal services, and had
allowed them the same sum HAnscom now re-
ceives, there would have been no clamor about it;
but the transaction would have been taken as q
very proper one, and the State would have been
congratulated on its good fortune in having such
great and influential men, whose services could be
procured for such moderate price. The percent
age paid is much lees than the usual enc on similar
claims. Maine pays Mr.. George N. Weston Is per
cent on the &75, 900 which she has received, and
bis pay was at 6rst fixed ~ high n rs PEI ceat