, 1860-05-17
D!*ea8 NTrihttttt>
American Corruption Dlncnxkcd In tho
- RlfszliAh RArlfRfleIks

American CorrupttoY Discussed In the
= EnGliAh Parliament
Earl G1ey,~in luts debate in the D1itiah
House Of Lords on the reform question, made
the following references to tue political e1per-
iences Of this country:
Let their lordships look to what took place in
tile United States. 1t ought 10 be . warning 10
them. Tie gr, ut men BY whom the reFolu'ion. :
a.y war va4 brou sht To a cs">e IN th7s cnuut1y. |
believed 'hat they, had framed constitution
which nou d provide eteeks nga'nssa&aow
Of an unlimited democracy: but esery check
hich WIS then provided ayaauat abuses had
been. one alter The other, swept AWAY: untif
there prevailed both in the federal and in the
State governmeuss systsm 1ia od n; 9nensetsa
contemporaries Of WashinRton could be asked
xhpthtr tbey would prefer the form of govern.
ment wh,ch be had adopted. orttn. which now
existed tie answer would be that they would
not sneten ,hs 1ressnh h.t 0{% n, 4 IT., I
ct,auees hud led to the result which they now
saw ip America. And hox Ind those changes
worked for The ben+fi, mad happiness Of the TO-
habi..nts Of tue ..united s3tatesr This was q
subject which must % brought undrr thrir
icacy to abstain ffanu stating tbore evils which
puw afflicted Anerics; and which her ost en-
l,sh.entd cilixens deplored. lileaT, hear:l In
tue tivst place, it WAS admitted that the abiest
and most enlightened men In the ua'ted States
were uhsolutey excluded from all share ia the
government ot the country, that they bud no in
Huence At a}l over the acts Of the governmtnt |
The whole power 1T tho legiala'ure and Of the /
Exscu,iye had fallen INTO the hands Of those |
men who did cot xcruple TO hatter The popu. /
tace IHcar.l That was cls .r1Y seen BY the |
acts oi the Executive, and OF the legislature. |
TfIear. bear1 Oftbe legislature Of the United |
Stater3 Let their lordships fooE at the manner |
in which the proceedings we're carried on-1he
cosrse yutearity and the kcehes Of actual and
open violence which took place. Hear, hear.]
Ia this COUNTRY the legislature had swept u~ay
the system Of protection and placed eur rev.
enuc upon a hystsm which it was admit
ted was wise, sound md beneficial; but
while public opinion had been s'ronE enaush
to do ilia in England, the people Of AMER
| lea had, contrary to the wishes of Con-
| erear, maintained the very narrowest system
or exploded psosection; and at this moment the
1evenue laws If the United States were Of such
| a character ii 1t no man could doubt they i'm
| pnsed great and needless burden upon the
community for the benefit Of lew persona-
| fbcaf ]-und* wor~e than that, the system had
| led to corruption being practtced upon the most
| gigantic scs!e. That was admitted aud deploted.
I but the 81 sem was not confined to one ret Of
| meu or party, but was shared in bT all, 2nd one
OF ,he authorities wlo confirmed it he would
venture 10 quote, the President hlmaelf. who,
| in letter OF the Esd February last, pointed GU.
the disastrous influence which the lavish ex-
pesditu1e Of the public money would haze upon
the lnsAtatiene ot Inc County. ..nat lhe sJs.
ten o. c"'rap.lon ~as opeots a'o"eu. I,1 auu u
WIS sslu inal " .ue s'cu.s ~ P9~ei oI'onssu ~
the snon, me nesn'ng O. waien "sa tna' She
ne" ffes;aent hao 10 make "nolessle u's'
ts'ssa' o. tae Puonc etsHuts w'tnoot any Gopa'o
tratnn as q tne aIness lof emp.osmsnto u raose
being committed which all must condemn. It
appeared that it wxa the practice to gra"t pub.
lie iauGs ln the Western Stat for the purpose
OF encouraging sne to' mauon @ =, 'an"a9s' Aaose
gfnn1s ".fe oota1nea lroul eonGisss, ans ~
obtalCed, ihey were aseu q tIe 1noepenusut
o'Ales 10 .9e aaa e. asy tnoakus =, " &C. auu
sppeaTcn eua' TIL loau c"',p1n3 ~ " .seoue.u
had fehlts purchased tne "Ao'e eo'sfnoen' VI
tbat STA e..
!ae1e we're lnlr1eea seaalo1s "ho uae lo@
ceised 9ss.U,V sm2ngsI then' ~ sonls leoa
&s,ooo 10 ~ wv; mere "e1e slA.y nen!osss .'as
OF tue Anwer House VINO hao 'eeeleF" 11oln
1,o''u to G2.ooo EACH aud 'n.!e were Only 'onr
members "ho sotea 1T tne "! nno nau W. ~
beea brlhed+, Laughter and neat heas;
Ihe Govercor hmset! nad feeereu -iV.oo9 ,?e
lis ianaeoce IN Pa'srK Tue nleas.ie' nHu nas
secretary received ~. .ooo Even tae GERS o.
the uot1sc had receifed from @l.ooo 70 +2,oVo
encl. Others had race.reo IaFs7 sums OF money,
. and tie aum of ~, ,oo0 vas paced 'or tne &C.
| ceptance Of th9re who "efe ea!lea ou's1oefs.
| (L.ughter Ihis statement d.anot rest Upon
mere runor. bur IT was the result Of IN omclal
inquiry By the legislature. ond The whole trans
action had been reported hy committee OF the
House Of Representatives. Sucl! was sta'e o1
things which Lad arisen IN the United States
[uear, hesr
Before 1eHvipG This subject there was another
point to which he wished 10 Call attention: liz
. had ttased that The President OF ths United
r States had, with tue naost af.eworhy apirit
wtitten iettar, IN which ht had alluded TO tht
: dcmorafizlng effects OF the aystein described
liz ~as snrry to ray that the President liulse1
was upab'e TO resist the effects Of the 81 stem
Th. re- had b. en- In inquiry into the Etate Of tht
= naval department OF the Uniied States, th'
{ resut Of WHICH hnd hem the publication Q
cert4ia documents WHICH no maa could rent
hab,tua " and avo* ediy made for the promo
= tim not Of 'le public but Of private interests
j. physician had been apolnted to super1nen'
the purchase ot coal, "ho sne" notaanR apo"
coal. aud neser 1aa any tn!"s 10 ~ VIII put
chasing II oefofe. ou. VINO 1ece!sea Tue ap
Polstnaen. n o1ust inas % ~ u'sn' snasa ~
profits with CERTAIN otheI persons' hoEc tba
= one letter had o. en- aod1cssed TO the liehes
= officer OF the government caluns upon h,n
Is graui contracts as reward 1or pohncal sei
10 vices. one letter nag oeen aaafeTseo 10 ~
buchanan. "n-n fres,ue1,' usEnE nln 10 LAX
ry 10 s'eanT,np saoa,! 70 tneu ~ Ps1@'c,
lar house la fniaat,ph's, WIN sle" 10 o'
he tain1nE the'1 potca! :nau1nee IL 'HH eiec'o'
AIs iheic was 10 hseu'ene ~ .ae:. ~ "aa P'
~ | NtS''-J -.
49, obtaining tne'f snPpet11n !ne pcupA'g et cIl1o
I. Tie appenlea 10 !nsi1 Lo1osnlpaH u leAer ~ "
lseu addressed 10 1us pa'n,e n1n',.sr "l 70
b'p country maA0E uenano u uat ANA auo
for It mud been proved tna. ns nao i.9:enea 70
M "bcthcf s"en ptoseeunH "ou'o no1 nu' Pa
. urouaeo t1c ina,sna:!oo .! a.! parties y far't
ment: aha "hetnel ne "ou oot aase neeh sa
~ jectyd 10 Tue seseies1 eensu,ee
- Hut how dld the ttes1aelt oi the unltE
States t'eat me ma LET: 4ne leteF vas sta1p
sent to tne oecfeLaf! VI tue Aa'y, WILL Tue +
dnrsemcn', tue enc'osea teller lren 49,,
Phiiade'ph1a. IS snomuteo 10 te :, a1tsnt'o"
ths Secretary OF me SaFf--J. D: Inc POI
% cal corruption which prevailed In lhe u Ill
Ssnfes had had an .Hsct upon esery lntefe
~ and eTery class. and also. he Was sorry to 80
Ma upon tue courla vi tae la*. SOME years Al
:. - ::se 51ti91lr uvai: 80 court oi tho h1Kht
~. authority, aud its decisions Wefe treated wi
.SI tho greatest respect, not only Al lone, but
vii this and other countries. The Judges OF tt
ar. court we're enlightened and honor able men. q
~. their decS;nns were ufeu quoted for their Grt
u moral weight. How had this stale Of thtr
. lop: | b.cn alterxds Under the system which
.t1 a1iscn in America, the appointments OF tho
=; preme Court. like I'LL olb7r appointments, b
~ ~ been used for the promotion Of party purpose
the court had lost the h:gh cur it iorme
rop pnsseescd. 1t no longer commanded the
Fuect which it cid formerly, and some of its
kd. cent decisions had crea' ed feeling almost
n But ibis sf %as nos o. % tue 1"rst In many o.
Stutes the Judges were eiected-they we're
:f ouiy elected originally, but elected for short
! Ind IN ba ntar ~