Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-11-29
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.


IRA TnAvELING ALLowANcE.-Thet travel. pay
Of the Mormon Battalion, after discharge,
was allowed only by the overland route to
Council Bluffs, as that was practicable to q
body of troops, and no mail route had beer
established across the Isthmus in July, 1S47
when the battalion was discharged in Cali
ifornia. The claim was in the hands ef ex-
member Strother, Of Virginia, and was for
some $s5 ,o00, as the difference between the
overland route and the Isthmus route. They
were allowed for 5000 miles, though the
direct distance between the point in Califor-
MIA, where they were discharged, and Council
Bluffs, where they were enlisted, was much
less It is estimated at not more than 1000
miles. Though it will be remembered that
more than one person Travelled the overland
route, trundling his goods in whselbarrow.
| the effort was made to induce on the minds Of
the accounting officers the idea that the over
land route was impracticable. By-the-by, the
pay received on this account by this battalion
was for constructive travelling almost entirely,
not one in fifty of the men having come back
from California. The decision of Mr.. Comp
troller Broadhead, on this case, is an elab-
crate and very able document, indeed, scat
tering to the four winds the pleas upon which
the effort to get this large sum Of money from
the National Treasury on such pretence, was
essayed.
"BoLD SIMON Draws The Clerk
ship of the House is still undisputsd, so far as
a serious opposition TO Col. J. W. Forney is
concerned. No such opposition is yet known
to the Washington public. 1t is very evident,
however that the lobby are most anxious
to compass his defeat The late attack upon
him in the Harrisburg Keystone is sufficient
proof Of that fact That journal is the crea-
ture Of ex-senator Simon Cameron, who has
long been as emphatically the king of the
lobby here, as at Harrisburg. He has at all
times been bitterly hostile to Col. Fornoy, who,
as the conductor. of a Democratic party paper.
was called on to expose Mr.. C.'s party tergiv-
ersations, which all who know him will recol.
lect, were neither few nor far between We
notice the attack of Mr.. Cameron's "srgan''
upon Col. Forney ut this time, simply to con-
| tradict the miGstatements concerning that
gentleman's bearing here. We have seen
quite as much of his conduct as any other man
in Washington, and are satisfied that from
first to last, up to this moment, he has had
neither lot nor part in urging any measure Of
! private profit through Congress. Indeed, VIC
know of no other gentleman, so much here
| who has kept his skirts more clear of such
affairs. So confident are we of the truth OF
this assertion, as to induce US to challenge any
man to produce the slightest proof to the con.
! trary, in connection with any one case. We
have further to contradict, as utterly un.
founded, the story that Col. Fornsy leads ar
extravagant life in Washington. To those in
this city, 10 such contradiction is necessary
to repel this SANDER. To persons at distance
however, we have to say that he lives, in all
respects, as plainly and economically as doe:
| any other gentleman in Washington occupy
. ing anything like a similar position in public
life. His house, It's true, is the resort of Il
great many personal friends, and at times
of the first minds Of both parties in public
life. Yet nothing passes beneath his roof on
which charge against him of extravaganza
might legitimately be founded. We care
nothing about the question of the Clcrkship
and, therefore, refer to this subject only by
way Of correcting the misstatements Of inter.
ested parties. Our duty is to shed the light OF
truth on the current history Of the times; and
we will pursue it, regardless who may be ben
Gifted or who rtied by this course on our part
| The CLOvEN FooT. We have more than
once taken occasion to state that our bad
| opinion Of the every Hard' movement oi
New York politicians, arises from the conyic-
ton thas its leaders are essayins to war Cd
the Cabinet, only because they are satisfied
that they cannot plumber the Treasury so long
az Messrs. Guthrie and Marcy and their aol-
leagues remain at their post Weknow them
| well, and conscientiously believe that they
care for pluHder only, without the slightest
regard for any one Of the principles over
which they are making SO terrible an outcry
We find proof of the correctness of this i'm
preston of ours in q recent number OF their
organ, the New York City National Dems-
crat, which contains a flaming editorial in
favor of the proposed New York Pacific Rail
road swind!e; eharacterizing the many specu-
lators who have put their names down for
| various amounts Of stock, from $I00,00O to
$40 ,O00. goo each, respectively, without owning
SO many red cents in money or property-as
men Of substance, making bona fide subscrip-
lions to the enterprise, &c The editor must
know we'll that he is simply essaying to de-
ceive the public in his representations con.
corning the character of these spectators
and their purpose. 1t will be remembered
that some months age, he attempted to make
a like brazen defence of the Gardiner claim
in which he took occasion to pour out abuse
ON the head Of the last National Administers
ton for its efforts to rip up this stupendous
bogus operation on the Treasury. 1t was our
good fortune to be able to expose the sinister
character of that attempt Of the Democrat
to deceive the public with reference to that
operation, we are are glad to know 49, ~
CLAIMS OF STATES ON THE GENERAL Gov.
ERNMESr.-As much apparent difficulty &C.
ours in the settlement ct the Treasury of de-
mands of the States ordered by Congress 70 be
liquidatcd and adjudicnted there, we have to
say that, when Congress pass a law providing
yayUlent ta n Stata IF &C the elaine uow 70