The New York herald., 1871-03-08
WASHINGTON. March 8. 1871.

WASHINGTON llaTCn
More than for anything else the Forty-first Con-
gress IL to be commended for its ''uncomntted
s,ns.r
The number and magnitude Of lobs on the Speak
er's table ana Senate calendar that slaugh-
tered last Saturday simply by being let alone IS
astounding.
When Congress assembled, early in December
last, all signs indicated session Of unusual pro-
figacy. larger number Of schemes for plumber
ing the Treasury ere IN q fair way OF getting
through both houses than at any previous session.
The lobbyists were having everything their own
way until the 12tl OF December. wnen the HERALD
opened It's batteries upon them by the publication
OF an expose OF
FIFTY-FIvE DISTINCT JOBS,
or subsidy railroad bills, asking a free GIFT Of
1s9 224 $40 acres OF national domain. The name
and number OF each OF the nftyhve bills were given;
also the amount or subsidy demanded by each aud
its status on the calendar. Twenty-three Of the
bills giving away 800 or land had passed
the senate, and thrty-two more, giving away
114,2lS 600 acres, were pending in that respectable
body at the time Congress assembled, the first week
in December.
The HEaALD's expose OF the whole brood OF jobs
was copied far and wide, with and without credit,
botn by the country and ci.y press 1t was used as
editorials ard by Congressman in their speeches.
The result was that only two Of the ffty-lve bills
succeeded in getting through Congress.
NOT TOO MUCH CREDIT.
must, however, hot give Congress and the Presi-
dent too much credit. Two bills giving away to
oyergrown corporations about 81 000 600 acres OF the
peoples heritage passed both houses OF the Forty.
first Congress, and received the Presidents sigma
lure. These were The two big jobs OF the season.
The smaller fry did not fare as WELL as VIII be
Twenty bills, asking, or rather demanding free
gift Of 81 0O132o acres OF land. passed the senate,
but were killed by being let alone to death IN the
House on the Speakers table. Tnirty-two bills de-
maading 1i4,2l8G COO acres OF land were introduced
In SeLate 10 he smothered in committees meet
Gniet death on the Senate calendar.
40 be BRET the lobby demanded $780, pa, 800 acres.
| OF THIS amount 370oo,0op acres were given away,
while the application fors l52, 221 g20 acres was
finally rejected. II quite certain that but the
HERALDs exposure OF these Jobs. every one Of them
would have succeeded. 49,, 24 920 acres OF land Is
taxes. AT the low price Of 81 per acre, which is
less than the average price the subsidized corpora
| tIons get, II Is worth the handsome sum OF
so0S. 500, $50. IL had better be used To pay of
national debt than given 10 subsidized corporations.
THE oAEES-AME5 JOB.
The most bareiaced job OF the session was the
Stewart amendment 10 the Army Appropriation bill,
releasing 'he racine haLroao corporation from tner
just Obligations 10 pay interest on their subsidy
bonds except SO far as one-ia OF their government
transportation bills Will go towards It, The sublime
lmpudence OF the great railroad SwinGlerS Is almost
1 beyond the power or language TO describe. The
fact that tins nefarious job was engineered
through mainly by Stewart, who claims TO re-
present large tract Of country west OF Utah, with
population less than haii of good sized ward in
New York city, IS conclusive argument against the
admission Of any more states without populations
/ Tie few thousand honest miners and tradesmen
VINO roam over the wi3s OF Nevada hold this Stew
art responsible Tor nothing. lie really represents
the Central and Union PaciGc railroads. In law he
is 4 United states Seuator precisely on the same
legal footing with me Senators from New York,
Pennsylvania and other states containing millions
of inhabitants; but IN cfiect he is really Independent
or any constituency IA the ordinary acceptation "a
the term.
LOYAL CLAIMANTS.
The Southern loYa claimants job, smuggled into
one n the appropriation bills curing the last night
OF the session, II not repealed win double rate
OF taxation ana largely increase our national debt
All these loyal claimants were exempt from the draft
and from taxation during the war, aud IL might be
thought they need not be 50 forward now In push
pg tleH claius. But 1t must be horne In mind tuat