Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-08-10
The NIonIan1al lob.

Some weeks ago the President had =. ocoa3
sion to send to Congress message vet0ing
bill entitled "AEl act to enable the" New
York and Montana Iron Mining and ManS T
ufacturing Company to purchase certain :
amount of thexpublie lands not now in
market" The objections to this -biii, -Fe-S
cited bys the Presfdentin his veto message,
were considered oundeniably sufficient
They exposed the fact that it was an at
tempt to carve out of the public domain
an immense estate for the benefit OF phi
vate corporation, and this was pfoposedto
be done almost without cost to the specu5l
latoirs concerted, and in a manner that is,
without precedent, contrary to all our land
laws, and discriminating uDjustly Ill favor
of party of spectators against actual
settlers and pioneers seeking homes In our
Western Territories. I7T5
1t might have been supposed that the
character of these objections would have
opened the eyes of Congressman to the
enormity OF the swindle attempted. and
would have precluded not only the passage,
but even the consideration q second
time of this outrageous proposition. The
exposition of this job by the Executive was
so withering, that no attempt was made to
obtain the two-thirds vote necpssary to
pass the bill Notwithstanding theVeto, But
the job was not to be.so easily abandoned,
1 A few days afterward 7itrwas revived and
revamped and repassed by Congress, un-
der the title of ''An act erecting the EerriS
tory of Montana into a surveying district,
and for other pluposes.p These ''other- pur-
poses,Hsq which l formed, in fact, the
whole gist of the bill, were almost lit"ral
copy of the vetoed Montana bill, confer
ring exclusive, unjust, aud unlawful privi-
leges upon this private company. There
was no need that Montana should be made
new surveying district. His already in
cluded in one sufficient fer the wants of the
Territory. The only pur Jose of the prop
Osition- to appoint surveyors and receivers
and registers there was to Introduce sec
'ond time the odious job already vetoed by
the President, and to make these public of
fieers, with salaries from the Federal Gov
ernment, simply the favored agents of =
company of private speculators. mR1
This artifice did not escape the vigilance
of President johnson. lt was promptly
met by, another veto. 1t ought not to es-
cape the attention and condemnation Of
the people. By great stretch of charity,
1t might be supposed that the true charae-
ter of the first bill was not discovered by
Senators and members of Congress until
exposed by the Presidents message; but
its passage a second time, under differ
ent title, is an irrefutable proof of the de-
liberate persistence of Congress in an at
tempt! with full knowledge OF its outrage
BUSINESS, to .consummate a foul wrong and
Infamous fraud. The enormity of 'thiseor-
rupt transaction cannot be excused or pal
Hated 1t cannot be contendea that it hap
pened through any ignorance or fnadvert-
ence. The record of Congress itself fur
nishes the proof that it was done, knowing
ly and deliberately, with fraudulent JIM
tent and purpose. This is only oneinstafice
P Ofdthe shameless corruption and the bare
faced impudence, Of this Congress in the
reckless perpetratiop of outrages upon the
Government the laws, and the people
National IRtelligeneer.L W9E ni b7IFYiffrs