The New York herald., 1871-01-14
IMPLICATION OF A. CABINET OFFICER,
The st. Domingo Question
Before the Cabinet. ea
Reorganization Of the Internal
xr a Revenue Bureau.
New Workers. Plan for the Revival Of
Y American Commerce.

American Commerce. s ssw
se@ GtA Is fsa
WASHINGTON, Jan. Is, 1871.
Anoeher Immense Fraud ,Exposed-A snug
II Half Million at Stake-A Cabinet Onicer
Implicnted.
The resolution offered yesterday In the House by
Mr. Dawes, instructing che sixth Auditor not TO
pass upon and issue warrant to George Uhorpen-
ming for s443 900, on account Of an Old claim for
carrying the mails from Salt Lake City 20 San
Francisco, until the matter could be investigated,
has created quite an excitement and nut
tering In high official ana private circles.
H has been developed to-day that
Joint resolution was pushed through Congress on
the 18th Of July last the day Of adjournment au-
thorizing ana directing the Postmaster General TO
investigate and ADJUST this claim under the prov1
sons of act OF Congress- passed 1857 relative to
Unorpennings contract on post route No. II sol in
cluding damages for the curtanmenr and annaImcnt
OF the contract THIS joint resolution reserved the
right OF appeal rom the Postmaster General 10
the Court Of Claims, and was shrewdy worded
to hoodwnk Congressional espionage. Mr.
Earl, late First Assistant Postmaster General,
and the old law partner OF the Postmaster General,
was the attorney for Mr.. Chorpenning, and, 1t Is
SAID engineered the joint resolution through Con-
gress. In pursuance Of the OF this resolution
Mr. Earl had the matter investigated and adjusted
by the Post Oiice Department. pressing it with such
pertinacity as 10 cause the Postmaster General 10
allow the claim to pass and he thereupon ordered the
Sixth Auditor to audit the account for $443 000 and
sign his warrant on the Treasury therefor. No ap-
preparation was ever made for this disbursement by
Congress, and 1t Is supposed the money would have
been taken from the General Post once fund and
made mp In the deficiency bill for general Incl
dental expenses. AS consequence the Sixth Au-
ditor, upon this peremptory order, was upon the
point OF issuing draft on the Treasury when the
matter curlously leaked out, Notwithstanding stren
Efforts OF secrecy. The resolution OF Mr.. Dawes
was bombshell In the camp and took the
Interested parties considerably by surprise. The
sum of 100000 was TO be paid by Cnorpenning as
attorney tee, and came within an ace OF being
pocketed By his counsel and divided up by the par
ties that had charge OF the scheme is asserted by
prominent Congressman that this claim IL one Of the
worst cases Galphnsm that has ever been pressed
against the government; that the sum OF 100000
had previously been paid upon It, and tnat both Post
master Generals Blair and Randall had decided ad-
yersey upon the claim In the most peremptory man
ner. Eighteen thousand dollars was pald to Chor-
lpenning last spring under some sort OF adjustment
OF the claim, and but for the merest accident the
Treasury would have been mulcted yesterday to the
tune OF nearly half q million. It Il stated
on high authority that sns Sixth Auditor was not
entirely satisfied with the matter, but would have
obeyed the peremptory order Of the Postmaster Gen.
cra asamAster Of ofhcial DUTY. Now thas the anair
has been fully broached It Is the intention OF Mr..
Dawes and Congress 70 give it the severest and
searching scrutiny, and rumors are rife that q
Cabinet officer may see t to resign before the mat
ter Is finally disposed Of.
Executive Committee Of the Union League.
n T<o of tfo lrpsn
America held meeting this evening at wIlards
Hotel, at which there were present. Governor
Newell OF New Jersey, Chairman; Governor Geary,
Colonel Stokes; Messrs Asper of Missouri; Clark of
Texas; Alexander, OF New York; Rich, of Maryland
Z Rainee, Of North Carolina; Newcomb, Texas; Cook,
Of the District Of Columbia. and others. Governor
Newell was elected Chairman for the ensu ng year,
and Thomas G. Baker, OF New York, Secretary. After
the transaction OF routine business speeches were
made by gentlemen from all sections Of the county,
discussing the interests OF the League Satisfactory
accounts given Of the operations and prosperity
. Of the State leagues, especially in the Southern
States. 1t was resolved to extend Its operations,
determination concurred In by all the speakers. To-
morrow q committee, consisting OF Governor Geary,
President OF the National Council; Governor
Newell, Chairman, and the rest OF the Exc
s cutive Committee, wall wait upon the
President and Cabinet olicers to confer respecting
the future operations Of the League. This morning
Governor Newell, Mr.. Alexander and MIR. Rlch a
committee appointed at the annual meeting OF the
National League, waited upon the President to con-
fer respecting the operations OF the League through
out the country. The subject talked over in a
familiar way by the President and in concluding the
interview he assured the committee he was heartily
willing to cooperate with the League in all measures
calculated to advance the interests Of the republican
party.
Reorganization of the Internal Revenue
Bureau.
The order Of Commissioner Pleasonton reorganiz
Z ing the Internal Revenue Bureau Will be made
known tomorrow. 1t Is stated that this order dis.
penses with the services Of chief clerk or super
visor OF the bureau, position heretofore filled by
Mr.. D. C. Cox, of Ohio, and the de{ails OF this
ONCE win be divided among the three department
commissioners. Clifford Thomson. formerly
first deputy collector under General Pleasonton
In New York. will De chief Of revenue
supervisors and detectives, and assist General
Pleasonton In the discharge OF his official duties
There win also be o reassignment Of clerks, and In
the arrangement Of the plan the Commissioner has
In view . reduction Of the clerical force Of the
bureau. The object to be attained is to reduce the
cost Of collecting the internal revenue proportonate
u with the decrease IN the amount collected To this
end assistant assessors are being discharged daily
A1soon as the President determine upon the plan
for consolidating the revenue districts number Of
the HIGHER grade of ofncals win be mustered out Of
the civil service army. Altogether it is estimated
that the entire reduction VIII diminish the expenses
4 OF collecting the revenue $4,000, 600 per annum.
Fred Douglass Invited 20 Accompany the ST.
.txnscl M, Domingo Commlssi0n. 81
~ The visit Of Fred Douglass to the Executive Man
SION yesterday was at the request OF the President
and the object was to invite Mr.. Douglass to accom-
pany the commissioners to st. Domingo In the
capacity of ournalist-Fred Is the editor and pub
sher OF the Neso Era the organ Of the Africans and
~ favor Of the annexation OF St Domingo. He told
the President he would cheerfuily serve him in any
way that was in his power, but his personal bust
meas required him TO remain In Washington, Just
atthis time and that ne could not leave here with
out detrment TO hia own future. THANKING thn