Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1831-04-06


discovered in 1t. to those and substitute
the 'ruth. But the peculiarly Of this case consists
IN h's-,hat no, erased and substituted bv
hTh, but truth erased and substitutc,fry error
slr Barry had made the allowances--thcy were in
the hrSt instance, properly charged to Mr. Barry
Out a'erwhrds' MIR. Barrys name was erased and
Abraham Bradey's substituted, as the officer making
the allowances. Mistake. How s it possible that
such mistake could have occurred, When n mis-
AXE Is supposed To have been made. il is eyampet
into, aud If it be- found exist corrcc,cd bu, here
the facts arc stated righ, fret aud afterwards nj
tered, wnen investigation if had, must have corrob-
Grated the correctness Of the first entry
We have already expressed tho persuasion that
the Post Master General had no Intelligent arenc,
IN this ma'ter-that he only played the part hi, rev.
erend first clerk was pleased TO assign hm-that ir
fact, although dashing orator, &c he Is not a mar
ofbusness habits qualified for so arluous an Office
We believe still, and the reader in Justice, oupb
to consider Mr. Brown, the responsible man, and moi
Maj. Barry.
From tie Portland .7dreytis,r
TO THE PUBLIC
We have seen many resions of the disc yeries
made by the committee of inquiry INFO the cntus
management" OF the Post Office Department. thu,
II has become necessary to give fair view OF the
case
In April 1880, Nr Burnct of Ohio. offered q re-
solution which was adopted by the Senate caling.
among other inquiries, tor nfor ton of the ex,r
allowances made by he Post Master General to con.
tractors Tor Carrying :he mails over ard above the
sums stipulated IN the contracts and the reasons
or considerations for such allowances This resoIu
ton was so modified by the friends of the Pos, Mas
ter General IN the Senate that it mioh, embrace
| allowances made also by Mr. Mclean and that the
answer TO the call might be made at the commence
ment OF the then merit. last session of CONGRESS-
The answer to the resolution however was not made
to the Senate unit the 10th OF February when three
iourths OF the session had expired The papcrs
which were very voluminous. were referred TO the
standing committee on Post Offices nd Post Ronds
and retained by them until the 22d February and
then the cha rman Mr. Grundy) moved that The. con-.
miltee be discharged from the further consideration
OF The subject and that the part Of tie report which
regards these extra allowance b. referred 10 tho So
ect COMMITTEE OF inquiry ("f which he was n Nom
per- anh be rnted; and the Senate so ordered
These documents. vcrv vouminous, equal perhaps
70 three hundred printed pages of roval octave
were put into the hands OF the committee ON tho
23d, 'ohen ont eight days Of the session remained
The select comm tee TO inquire into the manage
ment OF the Post Office Department were appointed
under resolution offered BY Mr. Clayton of Del
aware on the 18th dav of December last This
committee consisted Of Mr. CLAYTON, Mr.. Grundu
Mr Holmes, Mr. Woodbury. and Mr. Hendricks The
three gentlemen IN italics the friends of the
Post Master General The meetings of tho COM
mlttee mad been frequent, but from a difference of
opinion among the members, to the mode of pro-
ccedng and the extent and object of the inquiry but
little had been done Messrs CLAYTON and Holmes
had insisted, that by the resolution of inquiry thew
were unlimited in the extent of the investigation
INTO the entire management ofthe department. and to
tins end 1t wac prope: To- take the testimony Of wit
ncsseS acquainted with the subject submitted. The
"ther members of the committee. insisting that they
must first ask for information OF the Pos, Master
General mself, to his own official conduct
iht''rngatofi's were consequently sent TO the Post
Masie' General at different periods, to the per-
rm nee " SPECIFIC dut es, the arrangement of those
d. s. al account Of the funds rnd The expenditures
and ne rem val OF subordinate utfc rs from ofire
These 10 errogstnries we sent 10 hAm at an early
pe'i"d I ne session. No answ". was gwen TN il
the IN Of .narch, and the rep,r then Ia:e {, only
"1 of the inquiry. Al The qurs t.. 'lr Holmes
Abraham Bradley, a;c A>slstan, Pos. Ma.ter Ge
neral, was summoned before the committee h d
sworn. IN hrst question asked HIM bv Mr. II.
was t "fiow long were va Assis ant Post Ma
ter q eia ,anG wh.t vrc- tic duties asslrncd vuu
~ re cepai tfnen:' An answer to the question wa,
ohlecte to b, Messrr Grundy ard Woodbury. nm
It W. .sked snd answered. The next QUO ,Ior twas
you removed from office, when. and If you know
for what cause or causes,' met with strenuou o.
Jectons rom the Two last named ntiemen--:he
committee adjourned and b.forr they mt again Nj
Grundy offered hi resolution asking th. Senate L.
forbid the committee to 60 into that inquiry. Tn
Senate did so forbid
n writer IN the New Hampshire Gazette has in re-
ply to a statement in the Journal, denied tina, any
portion of the Senate has attempted keep things
close" After this motion Of friend of the Post
Master General TO suppress The inquiry. and the at
hrmatve vote Of the Senate strictly pnrlv roe tho
public will Judge whether attempt TO smother il
not manifested. But the same writer adds that the
Senate had previous decidedly that ,oas yncon,Ltu
honnt to Investigate The cause u ,emorais! The ques
ton here was. shall a committee of the Senate be
clothed WIN power 10 investigate the Of reno
walls. made by The Pest .Mn,,er CeneraI1 Wh,n
did the Senate "deberotely decide" that such an
inquiry was unc"nstltu nal? Never. They did tn
be sure determine Strange may seem to an i'm
partial mndl they had no right TO inquire of the
President, why he removed man from Office
Though this decision deemed by MANY a dis
graceful surrender of tho oonsi u'ional powers of
the Senate INTO he hands of the executive chief.
yet that case hca'sn sort Of analogy 10 this. The
President Is the cDnStilu iondi .xccntivo head; The
Post Master General IS creature Of the ln,c
and may no always directed 10 answer any call Of
either House, relating to his department or affecting
IT'S administration
The Inq"rY as To lie causes Of removal having