A Cornered Legislator

A gentleman who oceupied a seat in tho uppor branch of the Jíow York Legre, Lmt at tlio ti:no was a ratíuiber of the Assenibly, rulatcs the following: Perkins was hs lionust a man aa eïer set a foot in Albany. Money wouldn.t buy him, and I knew it, but I Ihought I would havo a littla fuá witli him, bo I went down to his room óno evsning and said, "Perkins, what do you think oí that undor ground railroad bilí? Ara you going to voto for it'r"' " Well," said Prkins, " I haTen't ínada up ray mind yet, exactly. I atn inclineil to think it a good bul ; lint wby do yoq añk'í" ' . ■ " L tiioiigm you weiu m nw v i said 1, " and as long as you havo coucludcd to voto for it, I just wan tel to eay to you that tho men intereeted in it aro paying fivo hundiod dollars fot volc, and as it is coming uv ou its final passage tomorrow, you eau just a3 well huve thu money aünot; you'll vota for the 'uill anyway." " Vote for the bill ! l'U be hangod first, cried tLe iratci Eer kin i. " No, sir. If iuipropet meana aio. being taken to pasa tliis tbing, aa you say, I for one will vote against it overy time. You caa put me down ' no.'" ( f T flntï'f. n-irii Hnvfhiner about thd bül," said I, "I wasonly tryiug todo you ;i i'avor, and I think I cah yet, for, to teil the truth, tho rival compauies are here ia full forco and are moving heaTen and earth to dofeat it. They ara paying the same nmount for 'noseo,' and as loug as you ara bpund to vota that way, I'U get you tha ñva huudred dollars all the same." " Can Buoh things be," exclaiined Perkiiis' rising from iiis seat and tearing up and down the room in a whirlwind of righteous wrath and virtuous indignation. "What ft stats of tilinga this is! A plague on both of your houses, I won'l vote at all!" " All right," said I, " I'U get you the five bandred dollars for being absent." And as the jolly Senator brought to mind the horror of perplexity in which this last proposition involved old Perkins, ho roarod with laugbter,