The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1873-05-30
CREDIT MOBHRR CRAFT.

"a CREDIT MOBMIER CRAFT. a
How First Rlsrteage Became Second
The Pscinc Railroad =Bin % ls04-A
Leaf of Cengrcssional Hisfory. e
i5e.- tFrom the New York Trihune.1 -
The Credit Mobilier scandal could never
have existed had II not had for bose that
most extraordinary bill which ever passed an
American Congress, entitled Can act TO smerid
an set to aid in the construction Of railroad
line from the Missouri river to the Pacific
ocean, and to secdre to the Government the
use of the same for postal, military and
other purposes" approved July /. 1852 -
This gigantic sch emo of plnnder, bribery,
robbery and fraud was conceived in the sum-
mer and fall Of 1868. The Congress met on
Monday, the 7th day Of December, 1868.
Schuyler Colfax, Of Indiana, WAS elected
Speaker. The .iron-clad oath" MAS admins
tered to him by Mr.. Washburne, of Illinois,
| 'the Father of the House. In the new
House we're many men of conspicuous ability.
Mr.. Thsddsus stevens, of Pennsylvania,
called by his friends the ',Great Commoner,"
was the acknowledged 'leader of the House."
as well by his ability as by virtue OF his posi-
tion as Chairman of the Committee Of WAYS
and Means. Mr.. Stevens was then in health
Honse superior to that ever exercised by any
experience hold. dasbinr. reckless skiilfnl in
debate and terrible in invectiye and sarcasm.
only few men in the House cared to grapple
with him, such as Washburne. Of Illinois:
Holman, Of Indiana; Spalding, of Ohio, and
Randall, Of Pennsylvania ~
+ THE SPECIAL COMMITTEES ASp Irs cHAIpMAS. .i.i
The jobbers and lobbyists had planned
their campaign with great skill and care and
they were on the spot in force at the opening
of the session. On the 18TH tlsy of December.
1853, Mr.. Stevens, from the Committee OF
Ways and Means, reported certain resoiyitions
for the ss'tiistribrtion Of the Prcsidentss mes
sage and one of those resolutions provided
for the appointment by the Speaker of
special committees of thirteen ON the Pacific
Railrosd. On the following dav the Speaker
announced the special conynittee. and il in
due to the gentlemen that their names shonId
be known to the countrv.s ssee T1rr
Steyensg OF Peunsyiysnisss Chairman. Wilder.
of Kansas: Steele, OF New York; Price, OF
Iowa: Cole. Of California Noble. of Ohio;
DonneIly Of Minnesota. Mcbride of Oregon:
Steele. Of New Jersey: McClurg. of Missouri:
Onkes Ames of Massachusetts. Yeaman. of
Kentucky. sweat Of Maine. -
On the 18th February 1854. Mr.. Stevens re-
ported the Pacific Railroad biiI to the House.
and il Was referred to the Committee of the
Whole on the State of the Union. On the Id
of Jupe Mr.. Stevens finding that he couh
not we'll got At his prev;ons hill which had
been referred TO the COMMITTEES Of the Whole.
reported another Pacific Railroad bill and
moyed that II he made a special order in a
week from that d.y and from day to day mn
iii di,posed of. Mr.. Holman. Of indiana OBJ
;ected and tbc order IA. mot made =. Il re-
1nired unapimous consept BEING defeated
in fbs, attcmnt an the qth Of lime Mr. stew
ems reported the bin which the sneaker de-
dded would come up as unfinished business
Az n.,, A., Nf - N
-
Mr. Steven. having urocured his hill to be
msde /. .r,s<.;., o,ier fcr tte 1esb d.v NJ Juoe
II was determined that II would be better TO
n,icrtske the ioh ~ n.ss;ry h Al a NIGHT ses-
sion. Those who are familiar with the wsy
In which Legislative iobs are sput through
| Congress- know that NIGHT sessiiour are Al
wnvs ,leened the most favorable The hill
| bad been tboronvb,v lobtied Inv ali the means
| known 10 the most skillfuI. There wus no
| longer n ouestion "A TO the psssage of the
bill. but some of it's provisions were so mon
| strous that many timid members decline ed
| voting for !, i'm the YEA. and usyp. Il was
| kpovn thar two or three members were in
| tensely hostile to the bill. Washburne, OF L.
| iipois. and Holman. OF Indiana were reok-
| oned upon as certain to give trouble by their
/ violent opposition. by resorting TO dilatory
motions. and by Calling the yeas ua,d nays.
| Thus it became a mstter of the first import
! nnce tina, the Huuse shoufd be rendered 70
unanimous for the bill that there vouId not
1 he enouc members i'm oppositiop /, call the
yeas and NAYS; and the msnipulators ad-
/ dressed Themselves to that object, On the
/ 18th dny of June the bill was first brought M
! by Mr. stevens. who offered certain amend
ments. An amendment WAS offered by Mr..
| Holman. of Indiana. declaring the road to be
| public highway, and that the road should
/ transport the troops and property OF the
! limited states free of toll and other charges.
A discussion followed, leaving Mr.. Holman,
! who had been making sn able speech. entitled
4 TO the floor when the bill should next come
mn, After n debate Of am bour. the bill went
over to future day, it's friends then giving
| cut that the next time it came up they intend
ed ito put it through"
THE NIGHT WHEN THE BILL WAS PUT ON rrs
I . PAssAoE.
The hour OF final trial came on Tuesday
night, June II, 1854. Old members OF the
House still speak Of it as = most extraordinary
| scene. In the House, few years afterward,
Mr.. Wsshburne, OF Illinois, made graphic
speech that lives in the memory Of all present
in which he described the scenes OF tnst night
session. The Capitol and the Hall OF the
House were brilliantly lighted. The lobby had
packed the galleries and the ..gilded corri-
dors." AL the doorkeepers, clerks and other
employees of the House had been " seen, and
were Insrshaled by William 3. King, the Post
master Of the House. Some effort was made
in the early part OF the evening to keep out Of
the hall all persons who were not privileged.
Among the privileged persons present were
many ex-members OF Congress, called from
different parts Of the country; having the
privilege OF the hoor and An sequsintsnce WIFI
members and q knowledge Of the rules, they
are considered by jobbers as the best OF al
lobbyists. But as the evening wore ON, ant
the debate in the House became exciting; IN
doorkeepers relaxed their vigilance, ana the
hall OF the House WAS filed with ioboymcn
who boldly came M ana occupied the vacah
seats OF the members.
TACTICS TO CUT OFF OPPOSITION.
,At.7:SO the Speaker took the chair Tn,
proceedings Of this celebrated session will b