Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-08-11

owanc. rhr Is, and 5th represent il to have been
made by Mr.. Barry the 2d by Mr.. Mclean; tho Sd
originally Barry but erased, aud attributed to A.
Bradley.
ask which of these fvc statements is corrcct'
There can be but truth, and it was that truth
the Senate called for. If corrupt
motive for making these d'scordant reports they
must certainly agree with me, that ii fully makes
out the chargc-tho reign of confusion and disor
der.
This is enough of that species of confusion to
dclineato here. In my lettcr on the waste of the
public funds there will bo necessarily involved one
or two other samples.
s. The Postmaster Generals report to the Prcsi-
dent, dated Nov. 81, l629. and by him con,muni-
Gated to Congress. [Sco Elk. Doc. No. =,
page i4)
hibit balance OF 1850; whether for or
against is not stated. This is another instance of
confusion.
tits Afterwards stated: viz: 'covcTs all the balan-
CTS due from Postmdeters and ohcrT OF every dcs-
crption, which have been accommodating for forty
years" From this, one mue. infer that such bal
ance was outstanding and due TO tho Office, from
| Deputy Postmasters and othcrS-but, towards the
close of the account, arc led TO infer that sum
| of S5l36,iiS IS consisted not in balance due to
| the Office, not in an outstanding debt, but OF cash
| in hand, 'sIn opposite" This balance is therefore
reduced to $si05 ,23l due from Deputy Postmastcrs
and others. Now, it is known, that there sun
dry her accounts, such as Transpor alton, Incl
dental, Suspense, Profit and Lose, Bad Debts, &c.
Tho balances of none of these accounts are stated,
prct: ndcd TO he stated; and yet it is indispensable
that they should BIO stated, i'll order to apply the
rule they have adopted that half of tho out
standing debts cannot DO collected. There is no
data given by which you can divine the amount of
bad debts. They have adopted false onc by
which they represent that tho amount of bad debts
! is $50, while tho real amount was in fact,
according 10 tho best estimate that could be mado
to tho time, but Sl72, 900. Sec Doc. Senate, No
IS, page VI. Thus making of $SI2S, $50.
But If the of 8 405, 23l was actually duo
| HOStmaStcrS others. nv i,rir 10,
one-holf might have been considered bad that is
5000, 6i6, and then by their own rule the error
would have hocen S10S, 2l4.
! The inference from reading the document must
be, thu MIR. Barry wanted TO throw the ccns,Iro
cast uron him, of hardness of payments, upon his
predecessors. That is, by showing that tho funds
left by them small, and the fault was theirs
not his; and that he either did not know how to
make 1T out, or care, so as it appeared plausible.
The last line OF this cXtraordinar statement, D.
10, is in these words Balances due from PoSfma;-
fcrs and others 1874 400 81" Tho head or claus,
preceding the statement represents n balance due
from Pos'n,Gsfcrs and others, of SSH $50 Which
of them is true! BY reading the whole statement
1t may be inferred that the last line was intended
TO moan Good debts duo from Posimaaicrs and
Others, So 400 81" But it would not mend the
matter any way: for it would be wrong by his rule
OF statement, which he bottoms Mr.. Mclean
and misappcs to the extent of SIOS 2II. that i,
tho sum 'houd be 5000, 6l6 by his rule
But every should depend on his own cts
We have nothing to do with Mr.. McLane; he is not
under examination; and he conducted the establish
mcnt much to the public satisfaction while tho
Office was under his control, that there is not the
least probability he ever will be.
In the previous item of bad debts, was contained
a sum of bad debts and bad money, amounting to
$26,5i2. This is set down in y. a. and rcpeatcd
m 40; being taxed to the excess of expenditures
beyond the profits of the year. so as to increase the
loss from S74,7l4 to Sl0l,25 He states that
this S26,542 arose prior July l, 1923. Ii must OF
course, compose part of his hypothetical loss
] by adding 1t here, lie counts it twice over He
T again repeats the sum of SOL 2::j, as a dminu-
D ton OF the funds in 1929 when, according to his
+ own account they suffered dininution of only
$74,7l4.
Mr.. Barry goes on TO statc-s.In this result, ali
collections made of former debts, well as losses
within the year, are coiEprscndod." Is that rue
suppose one OF these supposed bad debts HAD been
collected by tho marshal and the amount had been
drawn tor IN favor of a person TO whom the Office
, was indebted: when would it appear? There is no
Item q that kind. IT. could not opcrafo 30 nc IN
be conprehended visible until the whole or,orrt
OF goot and bad debts, estimated on his hypothesis
was rctuced to SUI equal TO his estimate of bad
dchts. 1t might indeed have reduced the amount
OF goot duDts for that is the very operation of his
s mode If proceeding. The collection of every des
Pcratc or hopeless debt, takes as much from the
good debts to fill up the space of the bad one which
has been collected.
), The clause which represents that tho co,+r,.
had been made for the whole of the current year
and from one to four years in prospect is untrue
1t should have been three years instead of onr: and
tlidL tIie contracts ila0 been made
the whole country, why does he say sin the 1nost
expensive sections of the country" unless he had
an idea that the whole did not include the parts
In page 10, he says his circular has not been
without effect. The proceeds of postapas for thc
quarter ending Juno 30, 1929, exceed the amount
OF the corresponding quarter in 1928, by $50. 1916
%; inns trfiIng circular, which had such effect
Is GATED the 18TH of May, and probably printed
and began to be forwarded by the LIST of June IS20
bnt many of tho Postmastcrs could not receive -
TIL after the end of the quarter He mirht as y,c
attribute to it tho 100000 or 800, 900 numbers If
persons added to tho population in the wear.
nave, IN another place, explained that the circular
was Illegal, and gave great dissatisfa cion; and il
dd without doubt reduce the hostages for a while
But the ratio OF increase of hostages has been less
under MI Barry, than it was Under his predecessor
and this gives color to believe that it had ! had
I effect. SEQ Mr. Cleyton's Speech
He again that mail tciN be c,,;el t,,, h,,
meek, after the 1st Of January then next nv ,v +
georgia TO New OrlCans, though il wa, new ,iing
when had actually been carried so fen for several
years, ana thAt III stages and by i'm four
teen or fifteen days. He gncs on afieTv a,ds IN a,,d
hat the above and several others can,e5 iii .dJ 81
wv miles 10 the annual transportation Of the ms n
| Stages; ana mat he had made the
100 81 less than the old ones 70. the sevea ron o. I,
mas 5ren shown before That The expense OF anspor,a
non ana incients, mad been greatly increased Eryprd
all the extra allowances which he had rcDorc, :, Ci
lows Of course that he failed TO report all tho ~
mar ms saving rs untrue. From reports which e,,d
AT TIE time, cannot doubt that he actiaIIy cn.rc,ed
10 pay considerably higher sum instead Of r. &
ne expense oil Transporting the mail and incidents
"'en ~. birfy came into office, at the rae II
Sl,Z%Sf4G yrFT the expenses the war ENDING limo
80, i"5 were 1887, f73, leaving an INCREASE cit1so
t~7' raw, Tie III fled reports Of winter su,y nr
y Soncw're neat $50 oDD extra allowances