The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-17
INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS.

and MIsrepresented-Au inside View Of the
Way Chains Are NIanaged-Advice %
Claimants.
An attorney Of the Court OF Claims writes to the
Burlington tvt.) Free Press the following curious
and graphic account OF the mod,s operandt prac-
tlced by the Washington lobby for putting through
claims before Congress- ~ 1u
bill for the relief Of private individual can be passed
without bribery and q lavish waste Of money. To
this impression has been created will relate case
that came up for consideration at the last session OF
Congress.
bile, Ala, two Northern men, L. Merchent and
George W. Boyd, doing business as ship chambers
under the name and firm OF l.. Merchent Co. Mer-
chent had for several years been q sea captain and
had acquired large fortune He was formerly from
Massachusetts and retained all the peculiar views OF
that State In regard to slavery temperance ana edu
cation. He owned slaves, but hated the system and
was known to be an "abolltionst" in principle. and
was only tolerated by the slave drivers OF Alabama
because he owned slaves to the value of over $4,000
When the rebellion broke out this firm was the
owner OF over $780, 900 worth oproperty. consisting
OF merchandise, Ships steamers, barges, &C., To-
gether with slave property worth over 100000
They denounced secession from the beginning ana
were arrested and imprisoned George W. Boyd,
who was about forty-nve years of age, left the
South and went North but Captain Merchent VINO
WAS en nearly 70 taKe 90
open 1t and go on with his business under pain Of
forfeiture OF all his property The rebel government
IKE rebe Inar ~ e toi ~ Pbe he was Ioyat citizen
OF the United States, and would not aid the rebellion
either directly or indirectly The rebel officer drew
his revolver and calling him "a id Yankeeu
sWore he womb send him 70 hell in moment.
Won and wou,d snon he nciohhors AGAIN y He was
Sragged to nrlson nv dIe Of soldiers while the mob
shoutnd, +" Hang him. hang him." To pay him for
@ Harran i,ara tatyo Gov tba leo ~ tho Confadnr
acy. After being thus impoverished he released,
nroneada Of the ysaIe intn cotton rio bad nasrv a
thhonsen5 ho,ns ond ~ sn,te -; ;nsv,ts ,,nnris1n
nnent and ines nanoged tn Ieen his nrnnarfv Ali
tbi ,n,e ,yse sacrstiv oiI,n onr fdrces nv send
, VG ~ " IT,; " az, aans 81 yoan,'r
,n Ju anu ra,ei .nI bIocpade rnn
s iaaH d 80 nt,p no men 1ab,o 10 servce
ont ~ Tho ronfedarocv Pint To MATE a lonc story
ho - ve our rrcaS unSer conara' cronor too
P M V mop 30 oh ,r l da t y, ht hses
az cnttou which 10 nod sacretaS ahovt ibirt miles
IN .,e anteror' wnere neither repcl nor Oioh TANKER
H. o,;,to al. ,,or,,ss,o, ,ror, caporal
Granger to bring his cotton into Mobile and was
PROMISED projection ior the Same Wnen W'tNn the
UNION lines. TWO Gays from tnat tine inc cotton
was stored IN mobile ana lew days ater Japan IAN
Sanue Loppln, A. z. NJ TOOK possession OF All COT
ton III MoDle, ana, not knowing Mercnents cottou
TO Dc unuer the protection oi the Unteu STATES gov
ernment ana having IL pointed out 10 MN partcu'
larry by several prominent rebels with whom ne was
conyvally intimate, he loaded 1t hrst OF all ana sent
1t on TO New York.
Merchent was absent az the time, and en- MS return
ON b no a ne s od
through Ignorance OF the facts In the case he paid
out 600 TO nave II insured and went TO New lorS
10 attend 10 IL mere On MS arrival IN New iork ne
was told IL must be sold and that he would be PAID
by the secretary OF the treasury.
On MS vlsitlng washington Ior inns purpose ne was
told by secretary McOulloch that 10 should be paid
wilnin Ten days. Inc cotton DrOugnt ABOUT xiooooo
aI.er paying expenses. ABOUT ,nis tne .ne out.
sPohc. os VI .'G o,i niau 9Icnen., gfUugn'
MN INTO dsiavor win Doth tle President ana Secre-
,ary anu tnev ie!nse9 10 pay any atten!on 10 nun:
lie then engaged two lawyers TO prosecute MS claim
unsuspectihg od man was induced 10 engage an az
t0rney VINO was @ 70 S'a1oery anu announcer
WIN was u. eIa. Nic nen'Der vi oousress, puC ou
eAcsnent seIils VIII oaiioey anu .ile rresia1 T.
ne tien Wen' 10 Europe on SOME BUSINESS nuu ei.
MS ahalrs 70 tneee Two prolessioha. geuuemen.
But Instead OF enterng tne case IN tne C0ur, OF Cns
uney engaged seVeral maze ana Ienaie onpyis's anu
a.ep'eu W acs .u o,n gh py .e CV th
me.ee VI -, Lne oe.eIsaiy vi ing
treasury promiseu 10 pay tne Di, retainhg twenty
hye per cent OF the claim provided the ketremch.
ment Commttee recommended nm 10 90 80. Inls
WIS agreeu 10, anu Two cierSs IN ,ne ireasury De
Pnuen' WIZ prom.seu nNe snous'.Iu u1ntIs cacn
LOT .ner innueuce VIII VII, 'e Sec.Stary Inese con-
iohhvisfs emo"nted ~ over @ 1ni,os
In addition RI this thew nronosed 70 retain twantv
thonsand dollars for their own services They then
hronht thnir Johhv insnnnca fo hear on tho CynnIt
Too 80, hut sortnnataiv for tl,a cia,
ants and nnrornnateiv for The lawyers the head -;
the COMMITTEES was senator Edmnnds of Vermont
who IA narticu,arIy down on iobbyists and seein1,
an many of them eager for this case concluded
they We're either irving to cheat the owner of the
cotton or the government and mt his foot an the
whole thing and saueched II entirely About
tbis time Captain Increment returned from
Eurone come on IN Washingtnn and amor
abont two weeks prying abont succeeded in
fnding out what his LAWYERS had done. lie then
went 10 the Secretary of the Treasury and denonnced
fhe whole thing ne n frand mon himself and nart
ner and gave notice that he had disnissad h}s o.
torneys from tbe case Ills statement 70 the Sacre.
terv xas worthy tho man who had onan,v ond boi,v
nrcc,oinaS hin5seIf Imam r,an ~ MANN dnr,g
The darrest dava ~ tho rei,ann The rnan S,,ho Ia
said when oriered 20 ,ynrl ~, ,h on, or " az ,.
ahont Mohije ..No wi, ha shot hesorn viii ne,
nnsIet or Shovel n snadefnI Of dirt in aid ~ the
fd Soraoton - rrhon iv -, s -, hi e
tbonsonJs 81 doars and a.a IN drnao,s trannH
liz a na,,n,on foinn lie sai 20 NJ,
If The onvarnmnnt owe mo three o snrr,s tha, a
mo and viii haya ~, ,'a, a, s , Vmo
or nofh,ng ps,ore win ansr tha ,horon s uue
mis- cty 70 bava A. vii, Ia, tha o,ar'n,o, ho -
ali NJ u Sava nat a,,.ays ~, Ill ,.a az. y
ar, ,ono y, a, sh"i, nnarI, - t o,,I, so
c,ain,. Int vii, ba,.a ny ,cra a a'ir -, ; ~
away any mar, of n !; NV AN'' '"se w s"e
liz came into INV orlce obont a wcek after that and