New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-06
p ROM WASHINGTON.
THE HoxM,4s GRANT SPECULATION.

THE HOyMaao thANi orL0ohaiiOn' =
pr,m Our Own Gene. 'pondens. N.'ih
WASHINGTON, Jan. 4, 1850. z
g,me twenty yes. ago, Mr. Senator SEdell and
other speculato7s in Louisiana, porchased Of two
mart, VINO were come csed with the Government
Land Office there, and t.'Sp had opportunities q
mskipr favorable seleca'onH sbout 10000 serss OF
yaluabls sugar lard, aroa n % the Hounas grant,
DOW considered amory the ricLsH IN tne STATE ANN
estimated to be wortk. evar ntAion or doSsss
The tract was bought rspA cnlatson, bur, owing 70
the financial pressure vticTr followed; 1t atied a.
the time. A part of the palxhase msney was nos
paid, and they contested il on the ground ossn im-
perfect title. The Court cfEdaisans held tat TIE
purchasers Only bought wtattite the holderv hae
to convey, and consequently gsv Judgment for tAe
whole amount numerorsbc>'y of settlers had
oceuped part Of this tract ara re b0Hs ds ocsu'
pants when the sale was nsds to sEseTl' g. CO.
They protested against beiDs d'yes'ec- Of tnen'
rights, but apparently without sfea for y,ers
Wien Mr. Bibbwss Secretary a the Tfsasurr
under John Tyler, claim for exs at TO- this lsud
was prosecuted befbre him. la .Johnscs, thea
one Of the Senators from Louisians O fered reso
luton intended to restrain the issue a the rstes,
bu. 1t was made OFT and signed the ven day action
was tahen By the Senate. After his sharp prac-'
tiee, Cseeress passed an act authorizing the Uxted
States Dstrct-Attcrney to bring suit fta the rsvo-
cation Of the patent opcn the ground esn cgalarty,
and for other That suit resulted In revok-
ing it, and the case remained in suspense unHl Ao7
last session of Congress
Mf Benjamin was then, as now, CAaA man CT
the Committee on Private Land Claims. bill
was introduced to confirm certain Chains In tho
Stats Of Missouri. To shat bill Mr.. BeEjania''
added On amendment e the same effect for Louis
lana, based upon certain reports among tho public
documents. No refereaee was made to the we'll
known Houmas claim, which was perfectly familiar
to both Houses of Congress-, and the msse mention
of Which would at once have provoked coufro-
versy. 1t went through the Senate wittezi diff
Guilty, and passed the House, receiving the veto of
Mr.. Miles Taylor, who represents the very settlers
whom the bill was intended to eject from their
honesteads. The whole movement was contrived !,
SO artfully or SO innocenty that nobody ever sus-
peated the scope of tho bill until it went to Louis
lana, and the victims Of this snap Judgment found
themselves about to h. ousted from house and
heme. They immediately met and peti6Qned Con-
| qFess and then the act of last session was sus-
pended. It is propsn to state, in justice to Mr.
Benjamin, that there were other claims in Louis
lana besides the HOumas projected by his amend
ment to the Missouri: bill.
| This subject was brought to the notice Of the
Senate to-day, BY e. memorial from the settlers.
presented through Mr.. Toombs which Led to spicy
discussion on the point of reference but resulted in
being sent to special Committee. If the inquiry.
is prosecuted as il should be, the public may expect
some rich Developments At all events, the country
will see that Senators are sitting in judgment upon
their own interests, and that legislation largely
affecting their pockets is controlled, if not By their
direct votes by their influence. The fact is nots-
rous here that there are Democrats in both
branches of Congress who came TO Washington not
many years ago with very limited means, and who.
have acquired fortunes by the advantage Of their
positions and their real or supposed control over
legislation. Everybody familiar with Washington,
since 1850 has observed the progress of deRoraiza-
ton here, and been compelled to know the corrupt
ing influences which have reached almost every
department of the Government. The pernicious
practice of lobbyingon large scale was Introduced
with the special legislation subsidies and grsnts
made by Congress, until it became established into
system, with force Of managers, stipendiaries.
and agencies which was only partially checked BY
the exposures of the XxxIyth Congress. Some
of the operators who figured so discredtsbly in the
investigations then, are here boring now but with
the certainty Of being overhaued if half an oppor-
| tunity is afforded.
From the period designated down, obects Of
special legislation have been carried through ~
doubtful combinations by selfish and sinister in
fuences 1t isl deplorable fact in cur history thas
members of both branches Of Congress have been
exposed to this sort ofcensure. And when gentle
men occupying high trusts as party LEADER are
foand wiling TO sit silently while their own inter-
eats are legslated for, thus conniving a. not
actually participating in, the bis under conssdera
ton, the country may easily understand 10 what
pass public life has come. This may be considered
honorable among the men who profit BY it but
there are others who regard such completely a.
criminal.
We had glorious weather yesterday over head, but