The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-08
AMERICAN FRAUDSABR0AD
BRITIsH OPINION OF sCkNDAJs
UNDER INTERPOLATION.
Going Through the List Bciknap. Bsbcock.
~chenrk and their Doinss-Lcutency that
Could not be Tolerated In EssIand.

COMA not ne TOterhtcd In E0Htnnd.
e.. Notn The London TINES.
Another scandal comes to us from WASH
dramatic and sensational. The nOvelists OF
EaRland OF the ingenious playwrghte Of the
ling conjunction than that between a political
parsonage aud professional burglars. between
forced safe. The telegraph informed us a few
DAYS ago that the Washington Grand Jury have
meriy District n Attorney, Whitley, Govern
ment detective, Miles, at present an inmate OF
open the safe belonging to Harrington On the
30 q the preie1, month 6e case was Ssrd @
detective. Whitley and Miles now say that
This case promises TO equal, " not to surpass,
In interesting details any that now NIL the
columns Of the American papers. THIS Is not
saying a little, for the supply Of scandslous
news In unceasing, and the variety OF startling
details confounda anticipation.
There IL, first, the Impeachment OF Gen. Bel
knap, which may possibly he tried out, although
doubts have been thrown on the Jurisdiction OF
the Senate over one who IL no longer In the pub
against the Secretary for War at the beginning
OF these proceedings, and party spirit impelled
the Democrats to make the utmost use Of the
exposure In order to damage the President and
still animates the prosecution it is dinicult 10
say. There seems To be among the public re
large something OF compensation for Belknap.
~
virtual expulsion from office, and by the impos.
sibility OF reenterna on an honorable career.
II he alone were concerned, the feeling would
probably be to let the matter rest: but so many
Others are involved. ana the system Of corrup-
tion opened to the view OF the public IL 80 wide
In it's ramihcations, that II is dihicnt 10 how
the promoters OF the inquiry can withdraw. AT
the same time, the opponents OF the party now
saries rest on the eve OF the Presidential cleo
tion, or to desist from following up every clue
woich may bring them upon some new de'In-
quencN
Next in importance to- the Belknap impeach-
Inent comes the Babcock investigation. A com
nit ee has sat to inquire into the manner in
which the prosecution OF the whiskey fr.uds
was conducted ut St. Louis, and We seem only
at the beginning Of the hard swearing. the con
tradictions, the mutual charges OF falsehood
rnd fraud. the recriminatio ns aud abuse. Even
" the issue Of the inquiry do not compromise
the higher pers nages who are aimed az, the dis
closures throughout the whole Of this business
show at least remarkable laxity In the conduct
of public affairs aud the connection Of W Washing
ton politicians With very strange set OF people.
Then there IA the Emma Mine investig ton.
fnd there Is the investigation into the soldiers
lie dstone contracts, the latter being qucs-
ton Of the proper disbursement OF ths sum
OF S1OO1O00 an, reprinted To the Identification
or adornnent Of the graves OF the soldiers fallen
during the war. There 10 an investigation into
the administration OF the Navy Department.
There h Mr.. Glover's committee, appointed TO
investigate the "real estate" frauds. Mr..
khbourn was summoned to state what he knew
| nbout the matter and lie refused to testify. He
was accordingly sen. to the District al. where
he has the ex .ortitnar, piyilere of being sup
| uied by the Sergeant at-Arms with whatever he
| peases from the House restaurant. A carriage
| T. used twice - day, says q New YORK paper. to
convey his orders from the restaurant To the
| sol. For the eleven DAYS kilbourn mas been
In confinement the ni for meals and attendance
fuots up nearly 500. The average expense OF
each meal has been So TIE expense for car
| ri &c alone II put down NJ sos thus. eniyen-
| cd ty Interesting aud hu.. pgOus incidents, the
scandals of the time are uailv unfolded To
American IS.
| II does not seem rs u the people ~ere very
nuch shocked. Al 4. 4 there was a Start and
an ou,crr, bat the public Is beginning to accus-
tom itself to the notion Of Official imrropricties,
| md looks vita sort OF pleasurable curiosity to
| the astly revel ,tiOns. certain humiliation
would be felt II tine highest persons In the State
| were to he convicted Of misconduct, and for
tnis re ,son the case OF Gen. Belknap gave "A
Ok to public feeling. But AS long as the cor
| ruptiun - only Brought home to people OF sec
| ouuafy Importance u ere Is no great stir The
| great mass OF the public, In their own wei-being
ana comfort look leniently or at least, languid-
~. on irregularities that would excite storm In
| n European country where all artstocracy gov
errs and a democracy criticises. The most edu-
Gated ana sensitive class in the United States Is
| rather ashamed, and II Is the criticism Of such
| that We hear IN England. But the muss of the
people Is Gpathetic, believing tha; sucn things
are In the nature VI political lfea IL exists at
| the present time.