is objection, and it was, with the others, laid aside for a
second reading. I never knew the arguments which were presented to
induce him to withdraw his objection, but he probably found _how much_
there was 'in it.' In the afternoon my bill passed without opposition.

The 'Sheriff' now informed me that I must hurry up the transcribing of
my bill, or it would be a long time in getting over to the Senate. I
told him that I supposed all bills must take their course according to
their numbers. He said he would go to the clerk with me and get it
'hurried up.' When we spoke to the clerk, he said it could not be
transcribed for a day or two, for it was nearly at the bottom of the
large package that had been passed. The 'Sheriff' quietly handed a
five-dollar note to the clerk, and his mind suddenly changed, and,
'seeing it is for you,' he would have it attended to immediately. The
next thing to be looked for was a transcribing clerk who would do it.
Another five-dollar note accomplished this object, and the work was
finished up that night. In the morning it went to the Senate, and there
it went through smoothly.

After my success, I called on the 'Sheriff' to see how much of the
$3,000 he had used. As I anticipated, it was all used; but I strongly
suspected that the whole ring, in this case, consisted of Jones, the
'Sheriff,' and the objecting member who went into the rotunda, and that
the two former made a pretty large 'divy,' and paid the others,
including the clerks, as little as possible.

In the course of my investigations, I learned that one of the Third
House often receives money on his own representation that certain
members will not vote without pay, when they (the members) are entirely
innocent and unsuspecting, while the leeches of the lobby are selling
their votes and charging them with bribery.

Such is the little 'mystery' which I paid five thousand dollars to
become acquainted with. As our company has no more acts of incorporation
to ask for, I hope never to be obliged to learn the lesson over again.

Perhaps others may manage better and cheaper from taking note of my
experience.

THE CONFEDERATION AND THE NATION.

When the States which are now in war against the Government, declared
themselves no longer bound by the Constitution, and no longer parts of
the nation, they rested their action, so far as they deigned to account
for it, on the ground that the United States were nothing more than a
con