Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1831-04-07
POST OFFICE AFFAIR.
IN SENATE.

hr. CLAYTON, from the Select Commit
tee appointed on the 10th December last. to
inquire into the present state of the Post OF
hco department, made a report, enumera-
ting cerialn papers which the Committee were
instructed to have printed, but making no
comments upen them, the printing was or
dere5.
Mr.. CHAMBERS presented the fellewiag
memorial irsm Abraham Bradley, late Assis-
taat Post Master General
rHers follo,cs The Memorial Of Mr. .ALraLam
Bradley, ,rhich sas pyblished IN tAs .Martia,-
burg Ga-e.te ef the ion March,
Mr.. CHAMBERS moved that the order
for the printing of the report referred to be
rsscinded.
Mir GRUNDY thought the better course
would be-the way TO do justice--te print
the report and subjeis to il the memorial of
Mr.. Bradley, and the testimony Of Messrs.
Brown, Suter, ct. al.
Mr.. CLAYTON, Chairman of the Select
COMMITTEES to whom these documents had
been referred, rose and observed that they
were very volamlnous, purperting to be an
swers to the resolution of the Senate Of the
18th April last, whish directed the Post
Master General 10 report "eopies of al! ex-
And1S ny HIN OF DIS pfSQS-
csssor In office, on which allowances have
been made fer additional services, designa-
ting in each case, how much and what addi
tional service has been periorned, and by
whom 1t was required, and designating also
what sum has been allowed in each ease for
such additional services, aud bv ,choia IL seas
aRoired." The answer to this call was kept
back until about the 10th Of last month Du-
PHI he hafa xubi ~
resolution Of the gentleman from Tennessee,
among other things then said, complained
of this delay as an evidence OF design TO
battle inquiry iato the concerns of the De-
partment; and after that, the report called
for in April. 1890, came in. 1t was first re-
ferred to the Standing Committee On the
Post Office, although prayed for its refer
ence to the Select Committee. to whom ul-
qusstienably. as we now see, it properly be-
lenged. The Standing Committee, without
examination, as we suppose, recommended
it to be printed, and the Senate ordered it
TO be printed. After this, and about week
since, 1t was referred 10 the Select Comnlit-
tee. They examined it, and have ascertain
ed that In thirty-s,g cases oil extra allowance
to contractors scattered through these docu-
mcnts, embracing some Of the grossest vlo-
latiens Of the law IN granting away the pub
lie money to mail contractors, the allowances
have been falsely set down us having been
Rade by Abraham Bradley, as Acting or AS
sistant Post Master General, when, in these
very eases, the allowances were actually
made by the present Pest Master General:
and fer the truth of this, | refer to the depo-
sitions OF Mr.. Bradley, these Of the Clerks
in the Departments, and tae report itself of
the Post Master General in answer to the call !,
all now en- the table before you, as well as to
the statements of the Senators from Maine
and Tennessee, (Messrs. hoLMEs s. GRUN-
DY,) who went to the Department az sub
committee, by our directions, to ascertain
the facts. These documents, in each Of these
cases, exhibit to your eva palpable erasures,
where the name of "SVilllam L. Barry, Post
Master General" has been rubbed out, and
that Of abraham Bradley, Acting Post
Master General inserted. The result Of TIE
examination was, that hr. Barry's name was
originally written down on the documents as
the person who made the allowances, accor-
ding 10 the truth-thst the name of MIR.
Bradley was afterwards Inserted, and now
stands in each sfthese thirty six cases, which,
call them ialsehoods, errors, or what you
please, certainly misrepresent the fact. Then
1t IS also necessary to state, that the letter Of
Aerahasa Bradley to the President, which
was read Ia the debate here on the resolution
OF the Senator FROM Tennessee, charging
MIR. Barry with gross violation of the law in
semc oil these cases, particularly in the case
OF the South Carolina contracO was written
more than year ago, and shortly after his
removal from Office; that this letter had been
sworn TO by MIR. Bradley in the committee,
and that the tendency of this Justification Of
the documents, If uHderteeted, was to con-
Wet Mr.. Bradley Of swearing falsely, who in
saying, on his oath. that the Post Master
General made the allowances, stated the ex-
act truth Sir. have bestowed much stten-
ton on these papers, and dc not undertake
to say, that these are all the misreprescnta-
tons contained in them.--Tkey are enough,
however, to induce the Senate. beth in jus
tice to its own character, and the reputation
Of an excellent citizen aud an innocent man,
to refuse to give any Publicity TO documents
which all can see, and all now admit to be
spurisus and mutilatea. If they bs printed,
even With the evidence which proves them
| false, still injustice may possibly result from
| it: for it will appear TO the world, that the
Senate had some confidence in these papers;
aad it may happen that these who shall here
after read the calvary will not, among such
! mass of pagers, also advert to the refuts-
| tien 81 il. At the time these papers were sent
| in, Bradley was witness against the Depsrt-
ment. s. under examination before the Com
| miitee. All here knew what az effort was
! made in public discussion to impeach bis ve-
/ rarit,- and I truss all will now admit how