s referred to that committee, he said, were always scrutinized
very closely, and it would need some engineering. He clapped his hands,
and called a page to his seat, whispered a few words to him, when he,
like Puck, darted off on his errand. Jones then turned to me, and
renewed the conversation. I soon saw the veritable Third House
'Sheriff,' whom I have described, approaching us. 'Our member' then
handed him the bill, saying:

'My friend here is very desirous of pushing his bill through. Do you
think there will be any difficulty about it?'

I could not see the propriety of consulting this Third House borer,
especially as he was a total stranger to me. The 'Sheriff' looked wise
a short time, and then said:

'Well' (addressing his conversation to me), 'you know that we have all
kinds of men to deal with here, and some of them will pay no attention
to a bill, however meritorious, _if there is nothing in it_--I mean, if
it brings no money to their pockets. It is very lamentable that such is
the case, but long experience has taught me that no bill of as much
importance as yours, can get through here, without the aid of money.'

I was dumb with indignation! The flood of legislative light thus
suddenly shed upon my unsophisticated mental vision, was too dazzling
for me. I replied, when I could command my voice, with some very severe
animadversions on bribery and corruption, with which the 'Sheriff' and
Jones expressed a hearty agreement, but they said we must take men as we
find them, and deal with them accordingly, or do without what we knew to
be our just dues; and the 'Sheriff' hobbled away, and took a seat in the
lobby. I left Jones with a determination to go over to the Senate and
consult with the Senator from our district, and ascertain whether he
entertained the same views of necessary appliances for legislation, as
did my friends of the Second and Third Houses. Our Senator was a very
sedate man, who had a reputation for honesty and piety, equalled only by
that of Jones himself. I explained my business, showed him my bill, and
he read it carefully through. On handing it back to me, he said,
quietly:

'If there _is anything in it,_ it will pass without much opposition. If
not, it will hardly go through the House. There is a _Ring_ formed over
there, which will prevent any legislation of this kind, unless it is
well paid for.'

Here was another legislative idiom! 'The Ring.' What did that mean? I
was not long kept