Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-12-23
Pacific Mail.

Pacific Nail.
In the spring of 1872 Il large subsidy
WI. Granted the Pacific Mail Steamship
Company, by the Congress OF the United
States. The sum WAS a million anu
half Of dollars, we believe. The argu-
ments-the open ones ut least-were those
usn,Ily employed in such cases: important
line; opening trade with China, Japan
md the Orient Preached from the west
bo,vcver); incstmablc value of the busI-
moss once established, to the country; diff
fcultirs at first too great for private enter
nrise to contend with These, and other
well known themes Of what goes among
lobbyist5 and salablc members by the
name Of "chn music.' We're the ostcnsl-
lie Grounds on which the generous grant
was made.
There were other arguments, and effect
i've oncS. The time was Iroptlous for
tboi,. u-e Credit Mobiicr stock had paid
well. and that untrcamed Of investigation
had not been thought Of 1t was the forty
second Concres,-the one that passed the
salary crab. Mr.. Richard T. Irwin, a
bright fellow in the employment OF tn"
Pacific Mail Company, had the other ar
comments with him. There were seven
hundred and fifty thousand Of them three
quarters of Il million Of dollars.
The subsidy was granted, and Mr.. Irwin
drew the money from the company. lie
ALWAYS claimed he paid ii out for the " cN-
pcnscs." The company afterwards be
lieved, or pretended to believe, that he
used that money himself for himself.
Therefore the company and Irwin tell out:
and the precious fellows thus di>agrcclnE
began to let the story out. FINALLY the
Committee Of Ways and Means were dl-
rcctcJ to take hold of the matter. and see
what there was to it, and for II few days
they have been busy.
Irwin has been III Europe, but had come
hack to New York. and he with other Wit
rcsscS was brought before the committee.
Mr.. Irwin is in poor health, and a sub
committee took his testimony at his rooms.
Irwin told his story frankly til it came to
asking him to whom he paid the money.
As to that he would only say it was paid
ont to get the subsidy bill passed, but his
honor would not permit him to tell to
whom; lie would say that no part of II
was paid toa member or officer OF the
fortv-sccond Congress, who Is a member
or officer of this Congress-
No doubt part Of it went to Lobbyists
perhaps the most Of it, but the commit
tee wants the names of the lobbyists, that
it may strajehtway inquire of them. And
il obtained an order that will possibly open
Mr.. Irwin> lips Since the Credit Mo
biier investigation there is not such an
absolute confidence i'll congressional virtue
as before existed. and there is Il general
expectation that if the truth about the Pa
cific Mail ever comes out, there will be 4
fresh batch of those considerably whtcne'i
rs to the outside, and likewise somewhat
rotten within.
At any rate whether they get the names
of the Congressman who took the Pacific
mail " stock or not, the manner in which
it WAS carried through is made plain and
the revelation Will make the plssayr of
bills giving largely of the public money
to individuals or corporations more diff
cult if not impossible. Everybody now
sees that it is not the merit of IN enterprise
that gives it Il hold on the United States
treasury but a liberal division of the spoi,s.
If it he'd not been for this habit of nvc>-
tigation that became confirmed in the
winter Of 1928 the forty-Sccond Congress
would not have needed any >:tlaryncrtu~c
they could have obtained it IL certainly
and more secretly by granting one or two
subsidies. They would have GOT the mon
ev all the same. and have had instead of
the storm that came about their ears only
the credit Of having f,>tcred some noble
but ailing enterprise, that was carried on
wholly for love of the dear public and the
glory of the republic.