The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-01-18
The Lobby Investigation ut Albany.


The Lobby Investigation ut Albany.
An Albany editor has been surprised. Gu
riously enough the Senate has given one Of the
Capitoline journals a sensation. The Cold
streams have been stirred up at last. What has
done ?-an earthquake, or food, or some
other CONFUSION of nature? No, it is simply
the upper branch of the Legislature of the peo-
pie of New York. The subject is the lobby
the eternal, everlasting ever present, omniscient
lobby. The impelling cause of the spicy pro-
ceedings in body never particularly distin-
guished for gaiety is the portion of the Cover
nor's Message which animadverts upon the
odious and corrupt system Of assisting legislation
known as the lobby. The Governor thought that
the third house was a colossal nuisance, and that
the Legislature ought to take it in hand. The
matter having been brought before the Senate,
a motion was made to refer it to the Committee
On Public Buildings, which committee is CON-
posed Of one republican, one democrat and one
American. The matter was passed over lightly,
and the motion to refer prevailed without dissent.
On the next day came a serious request from
Senator Wheeler, that the committee have pow
er to send for persons and papers, in order that
they may investigate the whole history of the
lobby, from beginning to end. Then came
the eensation onsned n long and &c
rimonious debate. The old story of the Assy.
rian feast and the terrible handwriting on the
wall was enacted over again. The Belshazzar o.
republication trembled in its guilty shoes. "The
thief says the dramatic poet Sin each bush
doth fear an oflcer;" and the republican Senators
affected to see in this ordinary request from a
standing committee reproduction Of the
wooden horse which caused the downfall of
an end; and That contest of which we speak was
not an exception to the general rule The
Senate divided upon the proposition of Senator
Wheeler, the yeas and nays were ordered, and
the vote was as follows
YEAS AND NAYS THE PROPOSITION TO INVESTIGATE by
SENDING FOR PERSONS AND PAPERS, 30 OF THE CO.
vEgSoIs MESSAGE AS REFERS THE
democrats in itac, Americans in SMALL CAPITALS
republicans in CAPITALIST
YE.s-Messrs. Brandrsh, Bmhans Ety. JOHNSON,
lard, WIIIIANs-ls.
NAys-Siessrs ANEs, BOARDMAN DARLING, FOoTE.
HALSIEAD HUBBE1L LOyELAND, PR0SSER, WILL
LARD
1t will be seen that the entire negative vote
came from the Governor side of the Senate, and
that only four republicans voted in the aifrma-
tive; SO that we have the curious spectacle of
an executive who is indebted to the opposition
for the adoption of one of his most important
suggestions. We shall not attempt to analyse
the motives Of the Senators who voted against
the proposition. We place the facts on record,
and leave the Senator's to their constituents.
AS for the investigation which the Senate has
ordered it promises to be extremely interesting.
We are assured that it will be thorough, active,
vigilant and searching in the extreme. Mr..
Senator Wheeler has entered into it CON anaore.
In order to concentrate the labors of the COM
mittec, as far as possible, they will be confined to
an examination Of the proceedings of the noto-
rious lobby chief--the absolute monarch of the
third house, the State barber-Mr. Thurlw
Weed During the past week he has turned up
at his old quarters, the Astor House. where
there have been summoned sundry little toa
parties of spoismen, with view to arrange
matters so that Weed and bis friends NAV seize
another instalment Of the Corporation spoils
There was little game on foot to shave the tax
payers OF this city more closely than ever be-
fore, and all the apprentices of the State barber
were in close communion with him, sharpening
the razors and polishing the basin But they
were not unmatched. The implacable Wheeler
was on their tracks. He followed Weed with
the keen scent Of bloodhound, through all his
labyrinthian windings and turnings, circuitous
as the clue to the bower Of Fair Rosamoud. or
perplcxed Us the web Of Penelope. Where
Weed was there was Wheeler on his tracks
Sometimes they were so strong that the olfacto-
ries Of Wheeler were offended; and, to speak
familiarity, the Senator was compelled to hold
bis nose Nothing daunted by the inodorous
work, and armed with large supply Of
moral disinfccting fluid Wheeler proceeds
on his mission, enthusiastic as Loyola, Der
severing as Marquette. He will follow the lobby
Ghetto the West along the line Of the canals
and the Central Railroad, and CLEAN history of
all the mammoth lobby operations for twenty
years. The printing jobs, the railroad intrigues,
the canal humbugs, will all be thoroughly ven
tiiatcd True, the investigation will be con-
hned to Weed; but he is the corner stone Of the
whole ediice Of Legislative corruption, and bis
history is The entire history Of the lobby. The
congressional Committee exposed Weed 10 the