Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-01-21
VENEZUELAN CLAIMS.
A DIsGRACEFUL LOBBY EXPOSED AMI
BROUGHT TO LIGHT.

WASHINGTON, January 20.-A persistent
and influential lobby came to grief through
the action of the House in passing a bill
providing for commission 10 give a new
hearing TO Venezuela, 10 regard to the
claims which were awarded through gross
corruption by the former commission. The
facts in brief are these: The commission
corruptly increased claims which Iwere less
than $500, 900 to an award of S., 225,000
Part of this has been distributed By our
State Department, and the lobby has been
working for long time to secure the distri-
button OF the rest. This was about to be &C
complished, when Venezuela succeeded in
arousipg interest in Congress, and the For
eign Affairs Committee took up the case
The chairman, Mr.. Williams, of Wisconsin,,
set forth the character of the award in Ian
guage which, for plainness and directness, is
not often heard on the floor. He said:
Mr.. SPEAKER-If this bill were brought
to vote now, l am sure it would pass by
handsome majority. Whether we would
endanger it by further discussion remains to
be seen. / ana aware, sir, that strong Ian
guage is not argument, that denunciation is
not always fact, but it seems to me that If
ever a case was before Congress which should
be characterized in uns lated t. rms, hat
case is this one. Sir, il IL were TO be sup
would not speedily do what ought to be done
in the interest of justice, then / have no
hesitation in saying that this pause of Of.
ieen years over such damning facts as those
contained in this report, which have been 30
analytically and exclusively detailed by
the cha irman of The subcommittee having
the subject in charge, the gentleman from
Massachusetts, mr.. Rice), the government
and the Congress itself would become almost
porticeps c1imiris in one Of the fouIest wrongs
In the history OF this country.
i venture to say that If proceedings like
these are not to be corrected, aud tn at speed
lily and effec,ually, this government might
as we'll start its corsars on the sea, and or
ganizs its bandits on the land. l measure
my words when cay that in the corruptest
days OF Rome's procopsnlates no fouler thing
was done than this. Yet fifteen years have
brought no correction yet. 1t is said that
fraud vitiates everything; that the tnint of
fraud sets aside judgments and solemn rec
ords. Why, sir, this case is not only tainted,
1t il saturated with fraud. From its incep
ton to Its end there is no clean ground any
where to place your fost Oh. 1t is muck
and mire, all; it lie scoundrelism everywhere;
it reeks with corruption and dishonesty,
and all perpetratsd by the accredited repre-
sentatives Of this government, which pirates
30 much of justice to the citizen, and
fair dealing with weak and friendly
nations. hope that in the action OF this
House to-day we shall take one step, at
least, to discountenance what seems to be be-
coming too prevalent, and that is a disregard
OF honor and justice between nations, espe.
cially il they he not backed BY shotted guns
10 enforce just demands.
In the details given by Mr.. Williams and
Mr.. Rice, OF the committee, there appeared
such q history of brszen fraud as has seldom
been uncovered. The exposure was such
that emily one vote was given 10 the negative