The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-01-31

Tho Air Line RaiirOad-The Chorpcunin0
Ciaim-The Irish Exies-Woman suf-
frage-The Georgia senstorship.
Yesterday was the miscellaneous business
day of the House, In which the States are
called for the introduction Of bills for refe-
renee only and in which it Is in order to move
to suspend the rules and pass any measure by
q majority of tw0-thirds. Among the bills In
troduced and referred was one by which Mr..
Morrill,, Of Maine, proposes to make the old
Maine liquor law applicable to all the military,
naval and civil officers Of the government, by
declaring it an offence against the peace Of
society to furnish any Of them with intoxicat-
Ing liquors and by requiring the dismissal OF
any of them who indulge in such forbidden
pleasures We very much fear that if this
new apostle of temperance We're able to
carry his theory into practice there would be
an active demand for men to oil the numerous
vacant places In the army and navy and civil
service, and that 1t would be very difficult to
find the right sort of men in the requisite num-
Der, unless it might be in the moral State OF
Maine, where people don't drink unless when
ever they get the chance. The opponents Of
Mr.. Ingersoli's bill for an air line railroad be-
tween Washington and this city resorted to a
very ingenious stratagem to prevent any action
upon it. 1t is in such position that it must
come up In the morning hour as soon as the
call of States is concluded, which ordinarily
does not occupy more than fifteen or twenty
minutes but that work was spread yesterday
over the whole hour by the opponents of the
air line measure requiring each bill that was
introduced to be read. By this parliamentary
maneuvre the Air Line bill was successfully
kept out of sight, where 1t will probably
remain till the close of Congress, unless
its friends are strong enough to pass it, under
suspension of the rules, by two-thirds
majority.
The somewhat famous Chorpenning claim
was ventilated yesterday by Mr.. Dawes,
chairman of the Committee on Appropria-
tons, to which the subject had been referred,
and, according to tho showing made, it was
proved to be first class fraud. Some
eighteen years ago Chorpenning had couple
of contracts for carrying the mail between
other points. At his own request and for his
own convenience he was permitted to change
the route SO as to take advantage of the water
communication up the Pacific coast from San
Pedro to San Francisco. For this, however,
he made claim for extra compensation, and
Congress, in 1855. with that liberality which
contractors and claim agents have found 80
easy and the Treasury so hard, passed bill
for his relief, under which he pocketed some
seventy-nine thousand dollars. Ever since he
has been boring successive Postmaster Gene
rails to reopen his accounts and make him still
further allowances; but as he could not con-
vince any Of the officials that he had not been
already overpaid, or that he was entitled to
zone red cent" as Mr.. Dawes puts it, he came
to Congress and there found means of get
ting bill introduced and passed, on the last
day of the last session, without explanation or
debate, directing the Postmaster General to
adjust his claim and to take for evidence the
papers on file in the House of Representa-
tives. These papers had been so arranged
as to keep out of sight the fact that
the change of route on which his claim was
based was permitted at his own request and
for his own convenience, while they contained
scraps of evidence to give some show of color
to his claims and on these, which the Post
master General considered himself bound,
under the terms Of the joint resolution, to treat
as valid evidence, he succeeded in getting an
additional allowance of four hundred and
~ nd I,,I1 tbo
little profit of more than half million over
and above the contract price. Fortunately for
the government, however, the transaction, at
this interesting stage Of it, reached the ears Of
MIR. Dawes, who got the House to pass
resolution suspending the payment of the
the action by the passage of joint resolu-
ton repeating that of last session. Mr..
Dawes attributed the blame in the matter
to the reckless and precipitate action
of the House at last session, rather
generating Postmaster General Creswell for
his share in it, But Mr. Beck, another member
of the Committee on Appropriations, was not
so lenient upon the Postmaster General, con-
sidering that, while he was not actually CEN
surable for malfeasance in efice, he was
guilty of great negligence in not calling the
attention of Congress to what he knew to be
barefaced fraud, and mentioning, as a note
worthy incident in the matter, that Mr.. Cres-
wells law partner and associate was the
counsel who got Chorpenning's claims through
the department. The whole transaction
reflects but little credit on Congress, on the
Post Office Department or upon the claimant,
who thus finds his little scheme exposed and
brought to nought.
The Irish exiles and patriots who
have recently arrived here from
British prisons have had resolu-
ton of welcome and sympathy passed by