, 1873-12-06


Tho recent death Of John p. Hale royives tho
fact that his service In the Sonaso waA brought
to close by MI act on hia part which only
eight ycars ago was regarded rs discredtable,
but which. iu tho light Of tho proaont oxperi-
cncoa, seems very trivial. Duling tho War,
somo person in tho Quartcrmastor's Department
was arrostol by the military authorities for
Bwind!ing The Government, and Imprisoned at
FortrcsH Monroe. Through hiB frloatlH he Of
Iered aIr. Hale $1,000 to procure his roloaso.
AIr. Halo laborod with 1lr. Stanton mud the
President until ho obtained tho discharge Of tho
prisoner. Subsequently,, the matter got out;
Mr.. Halo frankly stated tho facts, elailning to
havo been retained Us counsel for tho mon in
prison. Upon Investigation, it was discovered
that Halo'H conduct WIS not illegal; but 10
greatly WAS tho Senate acandalizcd that law
was at ouca passed. prohibiting any memhor Of
either House Of Congress from practiclng us IN
attorney Tor hire before any Of tho Departments
Of TIN Govern mont In any suit or claim against
tho United StasoB. Tho scandal Of this case 90
fcated a1r. Halo's recollection to the Senate, aud
itIng md obtaining IN appointment Us Minister
to Spain.
Now, however proper this troatmcnt OF Mr..
Halo may have been, md however much needed
the law that prohibits members Of Congress-
practiciug as attorneys before tho Departments,
Ia not nil this comparatively trivial whom we
consider tho frequency with which Senators arc
retained Us counsel by groat corporations which
have deu!ings with Congress- or arc liable to
huve? Take, for instance, tho Centrul pao!nc
Railroad Company. How many Senators arc
thers who layo bocn retained III counsel for TINT
Company, at foes amounting perhaps, to 100000
year each 1t III truo they aro retained as at-
toruoya, to attotld to bNEincBs before tho courts
tint is tho business for which they aro nomiually
pnia. But in tho Nale case while tho u 300
wan theoretically paid to him aH counsel, tho
country considered that it was tho Senator and
not tho lawyor who had bcou retained.
II tlsta wero truo III that isolated caBe, what
shall wo think OF tho laut that eminent lawyers
in tho 6onato ure tho h!,od attorneys Of corpora
liona which Iaye moro Or less busineas to
transact with The Government j? They ero not
htrc1 nor paid to logislato for tho railroads /;
but they are tho hired aud pal attorneys for tho
corporations. aad 1t IL question Of which tho
country will form its own opinions whether 1t
Is the Senators or tho lawyers who nro in fact
employed. It is no reflection upon Senators to
say that thcro Ia as eminent legal ability out Of
that body as there ta IN 1t. Why, then, should
lawyors elected to the senato, never previously
thought of by tllese corporations, DO sought out
aud pnid largo foes, nominaly tor attending To
business in the courts ? Tho fact Ia. tho sanato
stands before tho country under the roproach Of
being iu tho control Of those Of its members
who aro tle rota!ucd council Of tho great corpo-
| ratlons. These corporations posHess a,ld claim
sl,relal privileges. nu,ong which may 10 uo1!-
t!onod the privilege Of not paying what they owo
10 tho Government. They arc monopolies at