Subject: Lobbying

A broadside letter addressed to the California Legislature, circa 1890s, protesting the acceptance of the Commission Bill as a substitute for the Funding Bill. The letter was written by Adolph Sutro and expresses his opposition to what he perceived as monopolistic practices.

Four-page letter written on Senate Chamber letterhead by U.S. Senator John P. Jones (Nevada) to William Ralston on March 12, 1875. The letter discusses an appointment Ralston seeks, pending legislation, and Adolph Sutro's lobbying efforts against mining patents near the Comstock Lode.

Three-page letter written by Samuel Josephs, a Jewish legislator in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, to Moses A. Dropsie, a prominent Philadelphia lawyer and Jewish communal leader, from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on February 18, 1873. Josephs discusses a bill stalled in committee, mentioning opposition from parties interested in railroads and offering advice to Dropsie on ensuring its success. The letter provides insight into Jewish lobbying efforts concerning railroad legislation in Pennsylvania during this period.

Newspaper clipping from the *National Intelligencer*, published in Washington, D.C. on November 30, 1858. The clipping features an excerpt from a letter by Abraham Hart regarding the Mortara Abduction Case, urging President Buchanan to intervene. It also includes the reply from Secretary of State Lewis Cass refusing to do so. This represents one of the earliest instances of concerted lobbying by American Jews.