The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1872-09-06

the Post-office department as a claim
, ant for increased compensation over
and above the stipulated price in his
contract, and was allowed the sum of
$4,000 and some odd dollars. He
then set up claim to be paid for in
creased distance up the coast, caused
by the change of the route made at his
request and for his benefit, and also
an additional allowance of $50, 900 per
annum from the first Of July, 1858.
The case was, therefore, reopened, and
the new claim denied. Subsequently,
however, Mr.. Chorpcnning did receive
an allowance of $50, 900; the last sum
being for increased weight of mail
although the contract specially provided
that the mails were to be carried with
out regard to weight. Mr., Chorpenn-
ing having succeeding so well, next
appealed to Congress and succeeded in
getting resolution passed, under which
he received $223,717 95 more, and
thus the celebrated case was supposed
to he closed forever.
Not so, however, Mr.. Chorpenning
turns up with another claim Of ISL, coo
which having been examined by Pest
master General Brown, that officer
decides that his former action, and that
the case was res a,yudicata. Mr.. Chor-
penniug next presented this new claim
to Postmaster General Holt, who re-
fused to entertain it. It is next pre-
sented to Mr.. Blair, who, after exami-
nation, reaffirms the action of Postmas-
ter General Brown as final. Choir
penning next appears before the Court
of Claims, where he asks for SIG, 900.
The Court Of Claims again reaifrms the
action of Mr.. Brown as final, and the
case is closed. Mr.. Chorpenning next
appeared to the Congress Committee ON
Claims, and Notwithstanding the pres
sure of an extensivclobby, was again un-
successful-thc amount asked for being
still $4,000. MIR. Chorpenning's
next attempt was upon Postmaster
General Randall. Gov. Randall ex-
. amined the case, and declared it finally
settled by Postmaster General Brown.
President johnson was next appealed
to, and having requested Mr.. Randall
to reopen the case, Mr.. Randall de-
clined to do so. 1t having been well
known that the action of Mr.. Randall
was based upon the report made in the
case by his second assistant, Mr. G. W.
Mcclellan, the next movement of the
Chorpenning ring was against Mr. Nc
Lellan; and at this stage Gen. Grant
first appeared as an active co-worker
with the promoters Of this job. The
relations between Mr. johnson and the
General-in-C Chief were most friendly
and cordial. Gen Grant had just re-
turned from an extended Southern
tour, undertaken at the request of
President johnson and had made a re-
port in which no mention was made of
Ku-klux, but, on the contrary, the
Southern people were represented suffi-
ciently loyal to warrant the rcconstruc-
ton measures of Mr.. johnson.
AS l have said, the next Chorr enn-
ing dodge was the attempted removal
Of Mr.. Mcclellan. Gen Grant there
fore wrote an autographic letter to Mr.
johnson urging the removal of MIR,
Mcclellan for the reason that he was an
Eastern man, a Radical, and an oppo-
ncnt of Mr.. johnson, and asking the
appointment in his stead of Mr.. Giles
A. Smith, Western man, and an
ardent supporter of the President. At
the same time Mr.. Johnson was induced
to order Postmast err G encral Randall
to reopen the case. Gov. Randall,
however, standing firmly by the posi-
tion he had taken, appealed to Attorney
General Stanberry as to his right to re-
open this case, and Mr.. Stanberry de-
cided that it could not be re-opened by
order of the President or otherwise.
, Mr.. Mcclellan was still retained. But
, upon the incoming Of Grant Mr.. Nc
Lellan's removal was one Of the very
first made and Mr.. Giles A. Smith was
appointed in his place, and as Second
Assistant Post Master General became
the chief of the contract Office. This
, significant appointment was speedily
: followed by that Of Mr.. George Earle
as First Assistant Postmaster General.
, Mr.. Earle being the law partner Of Mr..
Q Creswell, and also the attorney of the
Chorpenning Ring. Mr.. Childs, for
t many years chief clerk of the contract
Office, was at once removed to remote
desk, and it would seem that the Post
Office Department had thus been COM
pletcly organized in the interest of the
Chorpenning Ring. But an unexpec-
: ted danger here threatened to render
u the removal of Mr.. Mcclellan, the
: transferring Of Cbilds to a remote desk
q and the appointment Of Creswell, Earle
n and Smith Intellectual to accomplish the
j intended swindlc, for it was announced
J. that Mr.. Boutwell, intended to appoint
O Mr.. McLellan-the rings old enemy