The New York herald., 1868-03-14
BROOKLYN CITY.
supaEmE ccvaI-clRcuiI.

How Political Appointments Arc secured
Il y A Suit for Lobby Services.
Before Justice Lott f4
z J. She1rr,an us Samuel Il. Roberts. The plain>
tie alleges that IN the month Of May, 1865. and 40
various times, George B. Lincoln. President Of the
Board Of Health. came to his once, accompanying
General Rooerts. who was . stranger 70 him, and
palntir $1,000 70 procure for him the office of
collector OF Internal Revenue for the Third
sowsa VINO was to o removed in this e
ts failed, ou, eventually applied for the position
Roberts, me successful applicant, carried OF the.
prize In the face OF hundreds OF others. who ha6
pointment were not 10 be sneezed at. Mr.. Thomas.
Kinsella who had only been appointed few month3l
M Se ena
promise, but Mr. Roberts had no recollection at thae
time q ever having made such PROMISE shsrman'
threatened Mr.. Roberts with the law; but u appears
he was not sufficiently terrlned oy the threat to
then then Instituted, and It was called on for,
trial In the supreme Court yesterday afternoon.
that this suit had been brought against the PostA,
master OF Brooklyn TO enforce claim against hin
wach was ns aaa ,sIoaRh friends in
ington that Mr.. Bowen who at that time held ths1
position OF Collector In Brooklyn was ao0ut 20 os
livery stable was spoken OF as the man who deslree
the position. The plaintn and Mr.; Roberts Sssra were
COZ Connection with wit j. parties who Gould help him TO-
got IT, sptoa to give Mr. sherman 81 600 General Pratt
however. received the appointment, and Mr koDer.S
nsn &c aSe NJ ss
was appointed. steps were taken for the removals
Of MT Knsea and Mr. Roberts received @ a ns
hand; but Mr. Roberts pleaded poverty anu staoeA,
that he would pay the day on which & ne Was Wa ap,
called upon for the money the day after his appoint-
ment, when he said he would call upon the Raintlm
al his ofice. He failed TO do So. In closing @ tne
counsel argued that II was Just as important thau
men should keep their promises N these matterSi
General smith moved to dismiss the case, on the3
ground that suit could be entertained Tor services
or influence In obtaining an ONCE u Deln8 agaihsY
The court denied the motion and the plaintiff too1
the stand. He testified that the defendant came ,9
him In 1868 and asked his advice as TO how ne shouo
Ills instructions he got letters from Generals Gran9
m Prat. being appointed, Mr.. Roberts then Sought
the position Of postmaster and witness took mea eat
portion OF an editorial, which MT Kinj
sea had written at the time q tn9
% had said. as m near as witness could remember thaa
no man who was not brute naturally wouid taik ~
when he was drunk This witness sent 70 tne ffent M
believed that II he had not sent this TO the Presluenl
Mr.. Kinsena would stll have held the position VIZ
ness was cross.examined at some length Out no'hih
OF interest In the matter was elected
The counse for he defence then moved lor non,
suit on the ground that nothing had been shown oy
the evidence Of the plainlin on which suit for
services could be based =
The counsel for the plaintiff argued that It had
been shown that the services had been rendered 1
that they purely professional IN their charac-
ter, and he was entitled to be paid for them
The Judge said that he could not rule that the cons
tract in question was which could be recovered
in law lie could not see that Il was " any part .n9
business Of lawyer TO hunt up files OF newspaper
and pick out articles containing personal remarks
about the President for the purpose OF influencing
| hm. The case was. therefore, dismissed. 49