Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1828-07-09

who annually 20 ont n'oilicc, pst,;rlny aud
experimenting about 2OG suits III law for
recovery.
l3'h. Collecting by drafts and otherwise,
G"orter-yearly, the revenue arising from more
than 1000 post Offices, and reviewing the
account OF each four times in Il year.
iitn. settling the accounts, ana paying
their amount, tour times in the year, Of the
sc'crai contractors on 1.G4i mail routes;
making together 6, 573 accounts
10Th. Procufing mail bags ioT ell the
routes, locks, keys, paper the printing and
Distribution of blank forms for accounts for
the different offices, amounting to many hun
drcd rcams.
ieth. Aecping distinct and separate ac-
counts with the post offices, with contruc-
tors, ana other agents, requiring, besides the
previous entries in accounts current, pay
DOORS, cash books, day books, and Journals,
10000 ledger entries.
'th. Ircparing, Quartcr-ycurIy, for the
treasury, statements of the whole fiscal
transactions OF the Department, co. cring, in
INC year, about 200 large pages, accom-
panied with about 1000 receipts and o.
ooo accounts, besides duplicates of all con
tracts and proposals.
lie correspondence growing out Of the
ABOVE operations will exceed six hundred let
tcrs daily not unirequcntiy open, with
my own hands, between two and three hun
dred letters in day, Oh business relating to
tho various branches of the office. So OK
tensiFc and complicated are its details, that
/ an accurate view of the annual amount Of
!; labor cannot be formed, without some prac-
teal knowledge on the subject. There is;
: believed TO be no civil branch of govern
mental operation, iii this or any other coun-=
try, winch equals this Department in extent,
OF which embraces so great a variety Of in
tcrcSts. Not less than twenty five thousand
agents arc daily and hourly engaged in its
scrvice--a greater number than all the a,
/ gents OF the Government beside, including
the Army and Navy.
IN regulating this immense force, it can
not be organized into masses, and controlled
by responsible heads, as the Army and Ma
| w. Most OF the Agents act separately and
independently of each other, and are each
responsible to the Chief of the Department.
lhls arises from the nature of their duties.
and causes a more extensive correspondence
+ than Is rcquircd in the other Departments of
the Government.
The public interest is Intimately concern
cd IN the faithful conduct of all the persons
employed IN the operations of the mail; and
the slightest omission of duty in any one of
them cannot tail to produce some inconvc-
hience, winch may afford ground of com
plant. Under such circumstances, some
idea may be formed Of the necessary energy
IN tfiS office, which controls and is response
Die ior the individual acts Of SO great num-
Der OF agents. What is necessary to be done
to-day canno: be postponed until tomorrow
f without Injury to the public, and probably
some lose OF character to the Department.
Hence. tho necessity of unccasinn vIr;lnncc
IN all the clerks Of this Office. 1t is believed
; they arc as industrious and efficient as anv
other officers OF the same grade cmployed
by the Government, and that the public is as
, much benefited by their labors They re-
cciyc less compensation than the clerks en-
, pioycd IL the other Departments. 4 rcduc-
tioh OF fh2t number, or Il failure TO author
iIc ihe necessary additional aid, will paralYzc
the operations of the Department, and cause
1t to take rctrogradc Increment. The eff
cctS OF th!s would be severely felt by the
! commercial and other interests oftho conn
try
know Of no expenses incident to the De-
partncnt which can be reduced without
impairing the efficiency Gifts operations. IN
the making Of contracts, ii1l ;,>vcr33 yaars
past, there has been a sroa1 rotyonch12eut Of
expenditure, taking into view ,hc amount of
service provided for; but this can only be ac-
conplishcd by the ordinary progfcss Of ma
king contracts.
With gicat>rcspcct
] have the honor 20 he
i our ohcdiont servant,
JOHN MCLEAN.
Hon. JA~Es HsMILToS, Chairman, $.c.