New-York tribune., 1873-02-15
THE UORK AT WASHINGTON.

This ia certainly the worst year for memories
| of which we have any record. Senator Harlan
was on the witness stand in the Senate Credit
Mobilier Committee, yesterday, and his rout
was utter lie could remember nothing, though
he was diligently piled by the Commit
tee for the space of two mortal hours.
The Senator knows he received $4,000
from DR. Durant; that it was used in
his own canvass for Senator IN iowa
and that he got the money on the check, Dr'
Carlton of the Methodist Book Concern hav-
ing acted as Intermediary in the collection OF
at least one of the two checks into which the
novment was divided. Mr.. Harlan knows
nothing else, and he appears to have given
his testimony with great anguish OF spirit.
His reluctant admissions leave him in a
worse plight than ever. Mr.. Patterson IL
another wounded bird whose futtering is
painful The upshOt of his last statement Is
that he never knew that he held Credit
Mobilier stock; that he supposed it was some
thing else that he signed several receipts for
dividends under a misapprehension of the
facts; and that his bankers held his Credit
Mobiier stock and never knew what it was.
This is emphatically story 20 be told to
credulOus marines.
Ii is once moro positively asserted that the
Poland Credit MObilier Committee will re-
commend the expulsion of MesSrs Ames and
Brooks only. This is bringing the thing down
to pretty fine point. Is Mr.. Brooks to be
expelled for being bribed7 And is Mr.. Ames
TO be expelled for bribing himf Was Mr..
Brooks the only man who was bribedf Did
Mr.. Ames bribe only Mr.. Brooks We submit
that the expulsion of these two congressman
would be lame and impOtent conclusion OF this
grave matter. If Mr.. Ames has done anything
worthy such q punishment as that proposed,
il is because he has corrupted Members OF the
House. Who are those Members, and what Is
| to be their punishment People ,oH ask these
| questions; they will not be satisfied with a
Judgment which sends out Ames as a scape-
goat bearing on him the sins of dozen of
his more fortunate fellow members.
Whatever may come of the investigation,
into the alleged corrupt use of money in pro-
curing the repeal of the tax on borrowed cap
ita, it is tolerably clear that Congress has got
q bad name for itself. The circumstances OF
the case are that the New-Y0rk Stock Ex-
change was interested in securing the repeal
of the tax referred to it employed agents
which was proper enOugh-to secure that
repeal. If some of the agents reported that
they had spent money to secure the desired
legislation, it does not necessarily follow that
the Stock Exchange officers authorized cor
rupt use of money; nor that members of Com
gress were bribed. 1t does appear, how
ever, that United States District Judge
and the Clerk of the Ways and Means
Committee are unpeasantly involved in
this business. 1t is also clear that general
impression has obtained that money would
buy legislation in Congress. Mr.. Colgate, the
principal witness, has kindly given Congress
the benefit of his good opinion. affirming that
lie does not think money has influence with
that body. That there were others who
thought differently is not so unnatural as 1T is
unfOrtunate,