The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-02-01
WASHINGTON.
STARTLING ExPoSEINCON.
GRESS.
Rottenness in the p. o. Department
..-Complicity of Congressman
Cessna,
Attempt to Smuggle Through n Bogus
Claim for Half Million.
The Postmaster General and his Law
Partner Involved.

" 80 ~ VsAs wv ASsAs
When. Mr.. Dawes took the floor to-day
to report on the ChorppGning claim, there
was at once stir Of interest, and mem
bers very generally gathered about him.
He spoke for an hour, making such an
exposure as was very unwelcOmc to Re-
publicans. No one undertook to justify
tho former proceeding, either Of tho House
or Of the Postmaster General, though Mr..
Hill made brief explanation rs TO the
part he had taken in the matter. This
Chorpenning, it appears, some fifteen
years ago, had two contracts Tor car
rying mail, for which he was 10 orecGive
100000. He was paid in full all that
was due him. In the year 1857 he man.
aged TO get Congress to authorize a settle
ment for damages by the Postmaster
General, by which he got about $3.50 900.
In 1866 he got $4,000, and on the last
day Of the last session OF Congress, u reso-
luton adroltly framed was put through
both Houses, under which Postmaster
General Creswell awarded him some four
hundred and fifty thousand dollars addi-
tional. This, however, has not been paid,
because there was no special appropria-
tion, and the excellent law Of last session
had covered into the Treasury all surplus
appropriations lor the PostofllcG Depart
ment. But for this, Chorpenning would
have his money.
One Of the peculiar features Of this case
is that one Earle, formerly u law partner
of the Postmaster General, who was lit
tie while Assistant Postmaster General,
after Crcswell came into office, and then
resigned TO practice as prosecutor OF
claims In the Department, has been attOr-
ney Of the parties making this claim. An
other feature Is, that the highest claims
the condition OF the case made possible
have been allowed. Another feature Is,
that o so-called report, which tho Post
office Committee had never seen, and
which had never been presented to the
House, was acted upon rs the bona file re-
port ofthat Committee made TO Congress
Mr.. Dawes commented severely on the
loose practice Of Congress in authorizing
the executive departments to settle claims,
instead ofsending them to the Court of
Claims for careful examination and adju.
dication, but reirained from comment on
the course ofthe Postmaster General In
the premises. Mr.. Beck, Of Kentucky,
however made some sharp comments on
the point, and 1t Is known that the Post
master General appeared before the Com.
mittee ot Appropriations this morning
and attempted to explain the matter, but
to so little purpose that the committee
voted unanimously to report in favor Of
the repeal Of the resolution authorizing
the settlement.
Mr.. Cessna, Of Pennsylvania, it was
stated in answer TO an inquiry, was the
gentleman who drew up tho statement
which was used as report to the House,
and was also the member who got the
resolution passed last July, under which
the Postmaster General acted. lie was
informed this morning Of the report Mr..
Dawes would make, and that Il he desired
to make any explanation, time would be
given TO him. lie said he would see what
Mr. Dawes had to say. He listened at
tcntively to Mr.. Dawes speech, much OF
which concerned his action, but TO the
disappointment Of most made no attempt
to get the floor.
Mr.. Beck, actuated, us he said, by the
development OF this case, to-day intro
duccd u bill prohibiting persons who have
been officially connected with depart
mGnts from prosecuting claims in them for
term Of five years alter the conclusion
Ot their official connection. He said II was
not uncommon for persons to seek and
hold for little while positions In the dc.
partments, Tor no other purpose than 10
establish such relations as will give them
peculiar privileges and influence in the
prosecution Of business when there, aIid
that n large proportion Of the frauds prac-
ticcd on the government were made pos
sible, il not easy, through these methods.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 81.
There was II fearful expose In the House
yesterday OF the dark ways and corrupt
practices Of the lobby, and its influence on
Congress.
Tic House Appropriation Committee
learned last week that the Treasury De-
partment is about to pay draft on its in
current appropriation by the Postmaster
General for nearly halfa million Of rdollars
to pay the claim of one George Chorpcn.
ming, for an ancient mail service which
Ind been repudiated by the Post Office
Department for tho last ten years. This
led 10 the passage Of resolution asking
for a suspension Of payment until an in-
vestigation could be made by the Commit
tee. This investigation proved u most re.
markable state Of things; that one Of tho
counsel for the claimant was GX.First
Assistant Postmaster General Earle, late
law partner of Postmaster General Crcs.
well. That the joint resolution to pay the
claim WINS put through the House by
John Cessna, OfPcnn., under suspension
ofthG rules withOutrepOrt or debate; tlatit
passed tho Senate the same day and was
soon aNcr signed by the President, COM
prising in all but eighteen hours that
Earle submitted what purpOrtCd to be
the report of the House Postal Committee
to Mr.. CrGSwell, In favor Of this, but
which proved TO he without the slight
est foundation, no such report ever having
been made by such committee or even
having been discussed by them; that Mr..
Cfeswell, instead OF ofwaiting for on appli.
cation to pay the claim, drew draft
against the general fund for II, and that
he paid II In tho face oi the reports made
by Postmaster General Brown, Holt, Blair,
Randall and himself; that this claim had
no foundation In law or equity. These and
many other facts were brought 10 tho ut
tcntfOn Of the House by MCssS. Dawes
and Beck, and created such CONSERVATION
that members generally lett their seats
and gathered around the speakers. When
they concluded, resolution was unanl-
mously passed repeating the Joint resolu.
tlon to pay the claim. Even Cessna, who
pushed tho Job originally, sat In his scat
and never said word.
PROTECTION WANTED IN souTltcAnoLrSA.
The Secretary of War to-day transmit.
ted 10 the Senate an application from X.
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