Alexandria Gazette

HOW THE "GOVERNMENT" Is BLED,—

"Mack," of the Cincinnati Enquirer, tells the following story :

"During the war, and while David Tod was Governor of Ohio, the latter was arrested on a warrant sworn out before Judge Van Trump, who was then a circuit or common pleas judge—I forget which—at Lancaster. The arrest grew out of the Edson B. Olds case, I think, and was based upon Tod's allowing a citizen of Ohio to be taken from the State without due process of law. At any rate, Tod had to appear before Judge Van Trump as defendant. The War Department here instantly authorized him to employ counsel, and an eminent lawyer of Lancaster was retained.

The amount of service he rendered was very trifling. My informant says he has known the same lawyer to do more work for $50 than he did in this case. Yet the United States Government had to pay him for 'services rendered' in the defence of Tod fourteen thousand dollars. And that amount was paid out of the Treasury. The rules of the department required the endorsement of the judge to the bill. Judge Van Trump, however, refused to endorse this bill of fees; but it was paid, nevertheless."