Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-05-18
From the National Inieiiiyenccr.

TIE GENERAL Posr-oFrIcE 1t has been formal
~ charged, in journal which is the recognized organ
of the General Post office that What incidentally
said the other dav, touching the financial condition
OF this Department of the Government, ''not true,
and we therefore asked "to retract it," 10
Mace before our readers the facts upon which we
founded the casual rcmarli, that that Department has
been drought upon the parish" insert the report
OF the Post Office Committee, with the document
which accompanied 1t. we should have done this
sooner, but that supposed that the subject would
undergo discussion in Congress, and we did not de-
sire to forestul the discussion Moreover, OPP
position to the Post-ofice Reform was not to the
men brought n but to the prescription of those who
put out, and to the principle of that proscrp-
tion and we had no particular desire to engage in
controversy with the incumbents But since they
will court The exposition by official inputaion upon
us, shall not avoid it.
Fhe sum recommended to be appropriated from
the Treasury for the support of the Post-oGice Is
adjustment, for the present year, is eighty six thou
sand dollars 1t is currently reported that larger
first asked for aud it is already known that
further appropriations. OF larger amount, will he
wanted for succeeding years, q Whut every che ac-
Iuainted With the subject knew, and whist We very
distinctly predicted twelve months ago, lias happen
ed. Appropriations of money from the Treasury
must be made to support the establishments or i.
Urust stop. Whether the deficiency in lis resources
br the consequence of additional allowances for the
expedition or for the frequency of the mails, it is
deficiency still, and is justly mputabe the abstrac
ton from the service OF that Department of long
tried ana well experienced officers, and the supplying.
t,f,lr piaCeS WIN persons eltilCr wholly de-
gree destitute OF the requisite experience and ifor-
rpution. Aud how could 1T be othcrwiscs How could
persons, wholly new II complicated 4 concern,
Know how to proportion their aim to their means?
Who rung the hob with the first quot he pitch
CT, or drove the mark With tho first that he
sped, How would raw lands sail ship, or u
salt seaman drive n team a-fieid? In the nature Of
things, it could not be otherwise than that errors
should be committed /. the outset of entirely new
administration of the Post Obice. The very desire
TO obiige and accommodate i'll itself luudabe, must
have led to expenditures, which wary experience
would have resisted and avoided during the past
year, 1t he's done heretofore. 1t is CASTING no
imputaion on the officers themselves, to say that
they have had to call upon Uncle Sam for help.
That they have done so, their ow" Report and the
Report Of the Committee, siew beyond denial. =
qhe fault IS in the system, upon which, i'll order
convert the Department into ali instrument of pot
cal rewards and punishment, the first second, third
and fourth OF the elder and most qualified officers
were displaced, to make way for individuals whose
party principles of the right complexion IF
MIR. MCLEAN would have consented to he instrument
tai in the party project, he would. in all probability
have been still the Chief of the Post Office Depart
ment, and lts revenue would have still been ade-
luate to it's support
Vhis is the first time since tho establishment Of
the Government, TINT appropriation has been ask
cd for to support that Department. It is the first
time that establishment, intended, in part as q
source OF revenue, and at some times relied upon
snch, has Turned out the reverse, and become bur
then to the Treasury The fact is worthy of remark!
Having been accused, by the authority of the Ge-
neral Post Office, through it's organized peculiar Or
gan, OF untruth-an accusation entitled to some no.
tlce when issuing from official source; ha wing shew
that we have stated nothing more than truth; having
in doing felt ourselves bound publish the Repor
from the Department, we feel ourselves called upon
in addition, to give utterance q few Of the reiiec
lions which perusa of it have given rise to. There
are some things in it which reconcileabit
with the facts within our knowledge within ou
reach. We do not retort the courtesy of the De
partruRnt, by saying that tboy mot true but, @,
OSDanatfOu
In the answer to the fourth query Supposed t.
hnVe been made by the committee, the Depart
ment states that the number of new routes applied
fGr exceeds two hundred and without any ntirnatoI
of the number of miles, the rate per mile, or OF
what data .hair estimate is founded, the cost i:
pumped down ct eighty SIX Thousand dollars q year
As the Department has not taken tho trouble to OBJ
tain the length of each route.from tho member who
advocates 1t, less exactly, to Infer it from the
map, applying to the number of miles the average
rate, as has been the customary practice, are O.
higed to resort 10 calculation to arrive at concu
sions the subject. Mails on new routes have
been usually carried but fortnight until the
Utility teste and the expeDce of such transpor
tation has averaged three dollars q mile. If "
strike off from the two hundred routes fifth part
as being already established, and estimate the ave
rage oftic residue 20 miles each, they will amount
to four thousand miles, and the annual expense
or the transportation Of the mail thereon will be
twelve thousand dollars. Wall bags locks keys &c.
may he set down at twelve hundred dollars: so
that the whole expense would be less than fifth
part OF the expense estimated That Is the estimate
Is too high tor the object stated, by sixty thou
sand dollars.
Again: these routes, if established. would moi
60 into operation until the LIST of January next
and no payment would be made for them unit
May, 1881, two months utter the end of The neil
session Of Congress. 1t would be time enough at
the next session. then, to get appropriation for
the purpose avowed, if calculations are as cor
rect suppose them to be, until contradic
ted.
But how is it that any appropriation at all will be
wanted for these additional mail routes? What ha,
become of the surpfas spoken of in the Postmaster
Generals last Report? What has boone of thu
S23O,847, with all the natural and regural increase
Of hostages which crises from increase of popua-
1ion and business? To aid us this subject have
the annual Reports Of the late Postmaster General
the table Of products and expences annexed to the
BILE of Post Offices and Mr. Barry's Report transmit
ted by the President Of the United States 10 Congress
Any one may see, from these that the funds Of the
General Post Office ought to be more than adequate
to the support Of the establishment with all the new