New-York tribune., 1879-01-28
BENJAMIN NOYESS CHECK-BOOK

1t is repoltcd on the strength of an Asso-
ciated Press dispatch from New-llaycn that
the Receiver of the National Capital Life In
s,Iranco Company. in replevining the prop
crty of the company in Washington,
has come into possession OF the check
book of Mr.. Benjamin NOycs. the former
President of the company, and that the
stubs show that from $4,000 to S3J,OOO
were used for legislative expenses, i'll oppos-
ing the repeal Of the charter by the Connecti-
cut Legislature of 1879 The dispatch states
that although the Receiver REFUSES to make the
names public. it is known that several members
of the Legislature of that year received IA por-
ton of the money. We suspect that this
assertion is a trife too positive. Ii is proba-
bly not "knOwn" that members of the LcgiS-
laturc received portions of this money,
though the use of so large an amount
for what are called "legSlatIve cxpcn-
"ses" may warrant the suspicion that
some of it was applied to uses not strictly
legitimate The repeal of the charter was
asked for by the Insurance Commissioner upon
the showing of Its condition an ex-
animation by his department, but to de-
feat the movement it W. only nee
cssary TO secure al the most eleven votes
out Of the twenty composing the Senate,
and even if bribery was actually resorted To.
the amount used for the purpose seems large.
However that may be, this one thing
il certain: that the matter should be
Thoroughly investigated and the facts
brought to light. Not only does the
Insurance Department of the State owe
il to the large and important interest it has
in charge to trace the expenditure of the
money of policy holders for such purposes
and in such unusual sums, but the General As
semhly of the State, now III session, owes
il TO the States good name and the credit of
IFS legislation TO probe the business fully.
and either remove the suspicion or discover
and punish the vcnal Legislators. The char
ter of the company remains unrepealed, though
its affairs are in the hands Of q receiver, and
a very proper proceeding on the part of the
Connecticut Legislature would be the ap-
pointment Of special committee to inquire
INTO its condition and find out, among other
things, who received the large sums paid out
in 1870. and whether any portion
of them was used TO Influence legis-
lation. In Connecticut, as i'll other States,
there has been at times more or less loose
talk about legislators who were ycnal
and legislation that WAS bought, and
in 1879 we believe the gossip took such sub
stantial shape in relation TO pending
railroad question that an investigation
was ordered. 1t was very brief, and
ended so abruptly rs to give rise to the
suspicion that &" the trail was getting too fresh y
Mr.. Benjamin Noyess large expenditures
were incurred before the same Legislature,
and it is not unlikely that an investigation at
the present time may be more productive OF
results than when the Legislature searched
Itself.
There were also several legislative investi-
cations of insurance companies last Winter,
and THE TRIBUNE took occasion at that time
to suggest that the insurance interest III
Connecticut was so important, 80 much
capital was invested IN 1t, and it was