The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1859-04-13

the public interests are neglected, as they noto-
riously are by congress, the people may conf
IDENTIFY rely upon it that its members are en-
gagged in schemes for the promotion Of their
OWN interests; and hence we see that the ses-
sions are wasted, about equally, in talking for
buncombe and in log-roIling stock jobbing and
land specializing projects through that body.
The buncombe part Of the business, Of course,
has exclusive reference to party success and
political humbug, and the people are thus com
PEELED to pay their public servants, not for devot-
ing themselves % the proper public duties which
they were elected to perform, but for spending
the session il playing the political mountebank
and harlequin for the advancement Of this,
that or the other party interest and men;in the
interludes of which interesting scenes and acts,
land bills, private sales, bonuses to steamship
OF other companies are conveniently leg rolled
in the right direction; and the result is that
members Of congress make a handsome bust
ness speculation out Of their residence at Wash
ington, in addition to the sums they draw for
pay and mileage directly from the public trea-
sury. So gross and indecent was the conduct
o. some members Of the lower house, that under
the duress of public Indignation a corruption
committee was forced to examine into and re-
port upon some of the matters that had become
too scandalous to be longer passed over in
silence. Sufficient evidence was brought to
light by this committee to show that deep and
damnable r~ottenness did exist to a most shame
full extent in that body, and though the effort
to expel certain members failed, the odium
attached to their acts followed them home, and
despite the shibboleth Of party, or any aPpIi-
ances, ordinary or extraordinary, of wire-pull-
ers and lick spittIes, one of them at least, O. B.
Matteson, was consigned by bis own shrieking
brethren To the contempt he 50 richly merited.
He was brought before the convention Of his
party for denomination, but the delegates de-
clared that they could not and would not, even
for the credit Of the party, endorse him, and
consequently they slet him Slide
This matter Of congressional corruption in
connection with buncombe demagoguery has
been steadily increasing of late years, and the
attention Of the country having been specially
directed 70 it, the public eye should be fixed
upon the representatives Of the people that they
may be made distinctly to understand that they
cannot hereafter bring discredit upon the coun-
try without detection, exposure and condign
punishment. One thing has been made appa-
rent. Whenever political demagoguery i con
s]picuous, and takes up the principal part Of The
time Of either house, but more especially of
the lower, the people may look out for the ex-
istence of financial chicanery atthe same time.
They appear to be cheek-by iowl associates,
and when one is perceived, The other may fairly
be presumed to be always within hail.
The Baton Rouge Gazette refers to an act
passed at the late session of congress in regard
to certain land cIaimsin Louisiana. aud for other
purposes, " and insinuates that there Is some
thing rotten about it. we quote as follows:
1T makes an abortive effort to invalidate the
titles to nearly all the lands on New river. The
same bill trumps up some old claim to the best
half Of East Baton Rouge and the Felicianas,
allowing Inc claimants scrip for millions Of
acres Of land ia case the territory has passed
into the hands Of third parties. 1t would be
curious to trace out the interest brought to
bear to keep up this unsettled state of things.
If the true history could be written, it would be
discovered how it is that a man elected to con
gress can 60 there and spend twice as much as
he receives and come away a millionaire. Our
legislature should take some action on this sub
ject.'
If there Il anything that will not bear inves-
tigation in this matter, then we say it should
be o~yerhauled for that reason.
1t is time this congressional speculation
should be stopped before it has introduced still
greater and more potential corruption into the
national Legislature.
The New Orleans Bee warns the community
against the counterfeit ten dollar bills on the
Citizens bank. It says they are admirably
executed, but a close inspection shows that in
the counterfeit bills the initial ] in the name of
the president is carried up much higher than in
the genuine; and that the segagon on the back
within which the word DIX" is smaller, and
the paper is rather timer. However, the imi-
talion is 50 good that one Of The best Judges Of
bank notes il the city, took two Of them with
out the least suspicion.
The Alexandria (Ya.) Gazette mentions the
adoption to a canal boat, on the canal to Cum
berland, Of 4 new wheel to be driven by steam,
which works SO as to maintain at all points a
perpendical position of the buckets, thus making
a quiet entrance into and exit from the water,
and producing no swell or commotion except
directly astern. The wheel is also arranged to be
lowered OF raised as the empty Of loaded con
dition Of the boats may require, SO that the same
immersion of the buckets may be maintained at
ali times, mahIug merely a sUTt10e ACTON u
the water.
The Point Coupee Echo, Of the Cd inst, says:
Notwithstanding the unusual season Of wet
weather this INST winter the cro0s tbrouohouf