New-York tribune., 1867-08-13
LEGISLATIVE CORRUPTION.
THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE LOBBY,

ii. Il. WILSON.
Prom Oar Special Correspondent - -. .-
The Select Committee on Official Corruption began
their abors on Thursday of last week, by examining
MIR H. b. Wilson of No. Nassau-st New-York,
whose startling communication of June "a, IN rela
Sion to Legislative corruption, read in the Con-
vention and published in THE TRIBUNE few days
subsequently. The details of this evidence when
published in full will astOnish the public 1t IS very
VOluminOus and will probably occupy elghJy pages
of the proceedings of the Conventlon ~ % HJ
1he experience of four years, during "Iich tlle vi
Wilson endeavOring TO procure the P!Ssake VI VI
nm Underground Railway bill Inc manner i'll NliOI
Nbe onorations of the Third House" are conducted
IS fully developed and interesting facts, names, ana
dates are given. -. ...-.
should be suppressed and the witness headed of.
If il could be shown that the witness merely dealt
tn gttering geDeralities" and knew no convincing
facts OF would swear to none 1t was altOgeIleI
probable that the Convention Committee on COrIup-
tiOn would pass him over and the investigation mus
end in smoke. If IL could be proved be1OTeand that
the witness possessed no facts sufficient TO lhdct any
Individual his communications and testimony Woulu
he regarded as worthless 1t would, in this view be
important TO prejudice the public mind against MN.
on the other hand it may be that those who had IT,
5n their power 10 vndicate the majesty OF the law
were eager to exercise II to clear the Legislature Oh
nniust Odium or TO faSten it where il belonged
fhe public can judge from the following interest
{ug facts what is the probable state OF tine case
If any effort at suppression has been made III Nus
been defeated the select Committee on Corruption
having already taken voluminous evidence, Which
will be laid before the public IN due tune. vorv
In the Albany County Court on SATURDAY III III
Interesting phase of the above case came up' i
Hon Henry Smith District Attorney aegeu ,"b had ~
Sbe case of the People agt. John Doe, summons Ia
faon issned m II B Wilson to attend and testify De-
fore the Grand Jury the 9th inst ms summons m
Mr.. Wilson had disobeyed ne + was no" pi'So"' -
purge himself of a charge OF contempt -,
NJ Wilson addressed the Court and acknowl-
edged due service of the summons On the 5th INST
he had addressed letter to the District Attorney ASK
ing him 10 state when it would be convenient 10
take his evidence He received the following le''er
q" 'oP'S' DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE, J
Albany, n. Y, Aug; 6, 1867
DEAR SIR I have yours of yesterday; The snopena
teryed upon YOU was intended to indicate to You when
your attendance witness was required ana II was eX
ec5e1 that you TUG o Won attend promptly on re-
have T not seen the detail of facts the illegal
'i'i""" '0D Respectfully yours HENRY SMITH.
Please answer by telegram when you VIII De hele'
Mr. Wilson telegraphed Aug Z, that he would leave
that night by the boat. de accordingly arrived
In Albany on the morning of the Sth. Upon his
arrival, being already unCer summons OF the pre-
Vious week TO appear before the COMMITTEE on SOT-
aupton of the Constitutional Convention, he felt 1t
no be his duty TO report to them. Upon seeing Mr.
IOpdyke Chairman of the Committed Mr', Opdyke
requested him 10 consider mmSeh IN IRe nilas i VI VI
that Committee and not to absent himself untl tney
had taken his evidence in substantlatOn OF a com
municatOn addressed TO the Convention, under date
Of June 2f He had taken advice OF counsel IN the
snafter and his counsel had advised him that being
fn the custody of the Convention COMMITTEE ne must
wait until they had finished with HIM: MI Wilson
further stated that the sald COMMITTEE had de-
tanned him until 81 o'clock of the afternoon OF the Sth
without completing his testimony. lie then went
fmmediately, with his counsel TO tne 0ihcS Oh ihe
District-Attorney, where he saw Mr.. Bailey his
assistant to whom he stated the TACT OF ms deten-
ton and said that he should appear before the Grand
Jury as soon as he was relieved by the COMMITTEE.
Dir Bailey said that Mr.. Smith was absent from the
oty and would not return until Saturday. Mean,
while he (Mr. Bailey stated that an attachment had
been issued but if Mr.. Wilson would pledge HIM
self to appear on Saturday he would see tnat was
not acted upon Mr. Wilson also informed the Court
that he had appeared before the Court voluntarily
the attachment not having been served.
The District Attorney at this point i'll the proceed
ings called an officer and had him serve the attach
ment upon Mr.. Wilson while he was addressing 'he
Mr. Wilson proceeded to say that he was ready to
Substantiate upon oath the statements he hau JUST
made and asked the Court if this were case where
1he nnblic interests were likely to suffer He also
asked whether he could have time to procure depo-
sition from the Chairman of the Committee on Cor
Iuption TO substantiate the facts alleged 10y hlm
The District Attorney replied that he had Issued a
subpena in the month of Alay requiring Mr. Wilson
70 appear before the Court then sitting, Whlch M
officer stated he had left under the door OF MI VIII
sons office, he being absent. Ills not obeylng that
aummOns was an aggTavatiOn of his disObedience III
the present case. Mr. Wilson's excuse of being de-
tained by the committee OF the Convention was not
valid. That committee had no power to compel the
attendance of witnesses. He had great respect for
the Convention but he felt that they were assuming
power which the law did not give them. Their du-
tes were confined to revision OF the constitution.
They had already assumed too much power III clos
Ing up two of the public streets OF Albany lie
insisted that the Court c0uld not receive
the deposition Of the Chairman OF the
Committee (Mr. Opdyke) but if he (Mr. Opdykel
would appear TO make a statement of facts on Tues
day next, he would adjourn the matter 10 that day
On hearing the statement he could Judge of the val
Idly of the excuse. If Mr. Opdyke did appear, he
felt it would be his duty to move 10 iniict punish
ment upon him for interfering with the operations
bf the Grand Jury. His purpose in subpeenaing Mr.
Wilson was to compel him TO testify as TO certain
etatements made by him In communication TO the
constitutional Convention in which he charged the
whole Legislature with corrupt practices. Having
been himself a member of the last Legislature,
bgainst whom these wholesale charges had been
bnade, he felt il to be due to himself as well as the
bther members of that body TO have these charges
Investigated. FOrthe contempt of his summons, the
punishment; and while he would not presume to die
Rate to the Court, he would suggest that imprison-
ment well a fine would not DE too severe pen
alty for such gross disObedience.
Mr. Wilson again addressed the Court stating
that the main facts as stated both by the District
Attorney aud himself, were identical He denied
most emphatically that he had received service
of the summons alleged to have been issued in May,
and offered TO make a deposition to that effect.
During great part Of that month he had been
absent from the city, If the summons had been left
hinder his door it had never reached him. He also
denied that he had charged the whole Legislature
with corruption. In his communication TO the Con-
NentiOn he had quoted statements made by news
papers, charging the majority of that body with
corruption and stating that he believed such state
pents to be below the mark He closed his remarks
10y stating that he now present and ready to 20
at once before the Grand Jury.
The Dstrict-Attorney said in reply that he could
mot take his testimony during the present term.
The Court disposed Of the case by taking Ar. Will
son's recognizance to appear the first day of
the next term of the Court, Sept. 2S
Thus ended a singular chapter in this most inter
esting investigation. 1t will hardly be supposed
that the Convention will be governed by Mr. Dis
striCt-AttOrney Smiths legal opinion, and WILL forth
with, stop itspursuit of Legislative corruption. On
4he contrary the developments of its Select Com
nittee likely TO reveal fully the workings of the
lobby and if they deem it best they give names,
and dates, and figures.