Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-03-03

ther; evidence. too, within own reach aud which
eo!lec ing by to the department.
lcces, 70 It's bcok' AMI the uolimed power conferred
us by tue Ssnae, 10 send any where for persons and
papers.
The Senate will now understand the occasion, pre-
mature AID unnecessary, in his opinion, Tor en'erins
this last wide held Of ACCUSATIONS and, considering the
exeitement accompanying X, they wouii excuse the
trouble no must give them, WI, lilo meeting the chat-
aan on the different grounds travelled over To save
time, he would avoid, much IS possible, any reca
Pitulaton ef thing before Offered by himself the
memb-r from T, nnessee.
In the 6st instance, the Chairman asserts thet the
bankrup.ey" and that this has ell hsppe un Ter s
present head, from the vemova, ct worthy Officers aud
ths aP3ontnent in their stead Of fac,ous. brawling
sent Chief Magistrate"
Pray, let IN. ask, what evidence beyond his naked
assertion has the gen leman copdeseeoded to lay be-
to,e the Senate In support Of these extraordinary po-
siuon:f Does he point to particle Of testimony coll
eeted by the mi.tse, except tho d. position hcb
has been real by the Senator from Tenue ssee, about
rower's bond! ani which deposition proves misman
xemebt VI ~ all, uoder the administration OF MIR
Meiss rather than OF Mr.. Barry. So far as the i'm
pu'ed indeb eduess OF Mr. Barry, one OF Fowler's
ure"te bears ON the present funds OF the department.
Is enough to say, that from that deposition. il APP
pears, our own cours, after full hearing, aud under
tcrmer administration, have rendered judgment in
hi' favor. Although new action might have been
instituted, they never attempted H. Ii would seem
therefore unc6srabe, unjust and indeed illegal, now
70 pronounce him debtor, with our own records and
the cosduot oil our own public officers standing
versed Ia his favor. But the eat reliance in cup
port OF the charge OF bankruptcy u, that from
documents IL can DO gathered that the preseni head
the department has, in his 6rst year. SUNK" as th.
gentleman calls IT, STA 900; that, Of the surplus fund
let IN bank by his Predecessor, he is alleged "to
have spent the whole;" that ." large sums besides
have been drawn from the Treasury" that the ba
lance against him Is amos, 800 ooO and that without,
the 'n'erPoson OF Congress- the operations of the de-
partment must soon IL, " cease.
NOW lev me invoke the Senate to a close examna-
uon Of 'tese alarming assertions and iuerences to
certain whe her there be any thing OF fallacy or faly
In any OF them; rather TO see II they be no, all ut
teriy groundless II have any knowledge OF the his
'ory oi that department, and any judgment under
s'aod It's administration, Il will be seen whether il
Is not now in huanci.I lition highly prosperous
wht ther It has not, during the last two years
fulfilled the public expec atoms and designs in its
establishments and whether its prosp-c cts in future I'M
Tess oias'ed oy our own gissson, n
couraging or brilliant
As TO its general financial condition at any period, e.
very person who reflects moment must be conscious.
mat 1t VIII mainly depend OIL the course of own le-
gslation Ii is well known that not dollar can be re-
ceivcd or paid but by authority of law; and that while
the officers in it conform to the law the balances whe
her Tor or against the department. depend
differs but very little from the Treasury Department.
where the balances for against the government de-
pend on our laws making appropriations and raising
venue, and upon the officers i'm the department
while they merely fulfil legislation. But who ever
heard OF eliminating the officers in the last named de-
par'nent because our own appropriations had caused
uc expenditures 10 exceed the revenue! a little fur
Their attention TO the history Of the balances and the
ments into the treasury from the Post Office Depart
ment, will show the folly of this mode of reasoning
urged against us merely from the balances, and will de-
monsrate to the public, that il such reasoning be
rect the worthy predecessor of the incumbent
whom none profess to impugn, is much more eensura
Ole man the present incumbent himself
allow me 10 read few passages from official re cords
on this point. Under the administration of Mr. Ospood
the balance in favor of the Department was N'
$l5,392 90
onuer MT. fickering, 1854 90
Habersham, 432 9e9 90
Sranger, 500 800 90
. neigs, 1885, 0S 90
Thus IL appears that under Mr.. Mclean the baIaD-
ces "sunk" from about half million to only Sl52 900.
But does any one, save the Chairman and he only by
the analogy Of his argument TO Mr. Barry contend
that this falling of from progacy fraud in Ell
ther the then head of the department or his subord
nates' Did any body deem evidence that the de-
partment stood the brink of bankruptcy? Look again
Tor moment TO the payments into the treasury from the
Post Office. Under Mr. Osgood, 100000 90
Under Mr.. Pickering, 1890 90
Itabersham, 363,3I0 90
granger, POI $40 90
M Mclean, ' sa 10y 90 90
Thus, under MIR. Mclean the payments diminished
from over third OF million to only SIS 1866 Did he
squander the difference parasites and political parti
sans! Yet the gentlemans course OF reasoning as TO
MT. Barry on this subject much more deeply brands
sir: the explanation lies in the compass of nutshell
and 1t is wrong and ungenerous mslead the public
VINO may not critically examine history on this
Pein INTO any injurious impressions against either of
those faithful officers from these other balances TO
which viii soon advert. In the earlier operations of
the post Office, was among other uses deemed pro-
per engine TO increase the of the
WIN heavy debt, small population and large annual
expenditures, il was not policy as government to
establish any mail route which not likely to Weld
nett Acome; and whenever was ascertaned that any
route run the department in debt il was customary 70
discontinue ii by an act of Congress In this way the
balances were easily increased till they amounted in all
to $l,69S95S OF this amount there was paid into the
government, 81 ,1O3 O63.
But since the last war, and the extended improve
ments and intercourse in every quarter OF the country
which commenced few years after the war the call
increased Tor new mail roues and for greater expedi.
ton and more frequent trips old routes and for more
safe conveyances by covered Carriages To answer
which otherwise would have swecd the balances and
payments into the treasury under Mr. Meies and es-
peciaiiy under Mr.. Mclean. Yet still, late as A. d.
oz' the annual income exceeded the annual expendi-
e, anu oul ior more decisive change of policy and
iegis,auon' which occurred the next year, MIR. Nc
Leans balances and payments into the treasury would
probably have equslled though i'm office shorter time
those OF his immediate predecessors In his annual
report OF November A. ID. 1927 he invites the atten-
ton OF Congress to the subject of the surps balances
and suggests the expedency of applying them ali in
AID OF the great object Of the post office establishment
rather than paying them revenue for general
purposes into the public treasury. Among other OBJ
ects he reminds them the surplus might be expended
In making or repairing post roads.
What did Congress do on this new suggestion, Tbev
al once seemed TO adopt the theory that the depart
ment should no longer be treated as a source of gene
raj revenue for general objects; but rejecting the pro-
p0sal repair roads, they appear have thought that
all its funds should be expended in extending the
n IA m In aIl EI9 IF