Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-04-11
THE POST. oFFICE DEPARTMENT.


opinion ofthat excellent officer, it gvesus pleasure
attempt 10 stay the torrent Of Glamour (which the
Opposition are pouring out against him,Hby pub
fishing the following Letter from Washington, and
annexng il the supplemental clear explanation Of
TO THE EDITORS or THE ENQUIRER.
"WAsHINoroN CRY, April Z.
"Thc numerous and virulent attacks made the Pos
Office Department, demand the attention Of the friends
Of Truth and tho Administration. The Senate stands
buked for i,s assumption Of nqasitoss The vote
OF censure recently passed by majority Of that boy-
eight niue Of whom acting In violation Of
instruetons-hss been fully by the action
representatives. OF the People have decided that tho depo-
sites shs not DO resored-ths the charter the Bank
the U, States shall neither be renewed elongated.
Our triumph on the Bank question is now certain, aud
may safely withdraw senon from the forces OF the
srstocr.cy. long enough to do justice to tho Post Master
"wh.t has Maj. Barry done He is charged with In.
competency snd sxravsgance; and the evidence sduced
In support OF this CHARGE b the fact that the expenditures
Of his Department exceed is income. The tact stated
admitted on all hands; but il is no, generally understood,
that the state Of things complained in the Post Or
nee Department has been produced mainly by the agency
Of members OF Congress. The number OF new Post Offices
and Post routes created by law has been altogether
precodentcd the calls the Department for additional
stage lines have doubled the amount OF transportation
that mode OF conveyance In the las, five years-whe
tho increased speed required must have added hundred
per cent TO the expenditures incurred in keeping up
large number Of the lines III all this had been xci.
sively tho work Of the Post Master General he would
have been justly censurable The charge exavagsnce
could have been urged with plausibiy against him. But
tue operations OF the really extended in
obedience to the wishes of he people, rendered
on the head OF the or press
cd upon him by the Representatives Of the several Con-
gresscna Districts Thus large allowances obtained
for converting weekly, SENT weeky, or weekly stage
lines Into daily lines Tor increasing the speed which
tractors hau agreed to transport the mail sc. Two allow
ances OF this description, amount were made
10 stage contractors residing in the fifth Dis
trict 10 Kentucky. generally known Leichers District
snd what does Mr. Lcicher say OH the subect Though
bitterly opposed TO the acknowledged delicately
situaed--though contcndng with the Hon. r. p Moore
Tor seat In the House, Mr. Letcher uniformly svers
the aIlowa referred to, made the solicitation
OF his fellow and hinsehat such allow
90 Ter a. his information extends have invariably been
made In obedience to the wishes Of the people, made
known through their the great cx-
tension Of mail facilities has been urged by members OF
Congress and that the Post Master General has only
yielded 10 the pressing demands Of the people and the
quements OF laws establishing Offices and post
roads Such the candid admissions OF stern mag.
unanimous opponent of the in ation 10 the
conduct oil the Post M asier such will be the
language OF every honest OF the Senate and House
81 Representatives when the duty Of discussing the con.
quot oil Maj Barry may devove upon Congress- AT pre-.
sent OF them may fully aware Of the agency
which members Of Congress have had, as body or in
the aggregate In producing the of things COM
planned oil In the Departmentbut the investigation now
~ progress will develope al-wl exhibit 10 the two
Houses the agency OF each member. and the ma.
ton that the remarks of Mr. Letcher are strictly true
In Major Barry all parties here entire
II universally conceded, that lie high minded and no.
norabe as man, and faithful and indeagabe prb-
to single object-that of bringing the expenditure
OF MS Department tcthin its income-and no one
doubts that he will attain the object he has in view
nuch earlier than is generally anticipated In this
he has many difficulties surmount-and NAV add that
the greatest is the demands which be made by
members oil Congress for increased facilities and additional
expenditures.
81 happened the other day. to be in the office of the
Ass''ant Post Master General col Gardner and heard
pendure stage line in his State in style so pIausi.
Die, 70 pressing and Urgent that induced Tor
moments to believe II would be impossible APP.
plcauon tie was accompanied by the contractor, Mr..
Mhis, ian opponent OF the Administration, but worthy
man, whose contract WILL doubt be extended 40 soon
as the condition OF the department NAV authorize the
change. There are other contractors in this city
among them, the gentleman owning the lines between
LOUISVILLE and Vncennes. and Vncennes and ST. Louis
urging the Post Master General to their eckly
INES INTO daily lines and declaring, (wha know be
rue) that the mail that great has become too
heavy TO be transported in any other than daily line
mention these facts to prove that il requires
ordinary hrmness the part OF Maj Barry resist the
applications mae under existing circumstances for
Increased expenditures important mail routes
in the Union"
To the Editor of the alexandria Gosette.
Sra-In relation to the subject of extra compensation
propose to give the history of of my contracts an
illustration of the whole principles:
took the contract from w ashington City ITO Lynch
burg, three times week, in four horse post
coaches, distance of 200 miles, at $50 MILE 5000
was ordered to run four additional trips a week
from Washington Ci'yto Warrenton, distance
Of % miles, for which was allowed less than
$25 nile, when for the extra service of four
additional trips should have been allowed $40
mile, amounting to $4,000, instead Of the sum
paid me, OF 1900
was afterwards ordered run four additional trips
10 orange Court House. distance of IS miles,
Tor which extra service entitled 10 Sl0a
mile, amounting 10 81 500, but was allow cd for
II, as extra compensation, only 1000
Shortly alter, ordered TO run from Orange
to Ltnchburg four additional trips, distance
Of lO5 miles, for which extra seroice was en-
Titled TO the extra compensation of $40 mile
nj mi huf NV
ceived the sum of 4000
This last Improvement made the line daily to Lynch.
ourg and was paid as extra compensation, the sum
OF $500 for what? Nothing mo! but for running
four extra trips week from Washington CITY 10 Lypch-
Durg distance oil 200 miles, aud Tor which fairly
ennlied according TO the principles of my contract
sum oil $4,000 These improvements were earnestly
pressed by the people the line and excited some into.
OF our then Representative, Mr. Barbour, show how
he then urged wish of the improvement, in question
Three Districts bind mine, the eastern side of
the Ridge Those Districts have all daily ine and
two OF them have two running 10 different directions.
Why should II be that mine Is alone denied the &C.
commodaton given to others! beg only for equal jus.
tice."
Extra compensation Is matter in the discretion of
the Post Master General The principle prescribed by
law lie cannot allow more than the principle Of the
original contract get $40 mile; and for running three
trips week from Washington City to WarrsntoD, a dis
lance oil 90 miles, get 500 year. The Post Master
General for the extra sepiee Of running three additional
trips over the ground, might have allowed but could
not have exceeded, the sum Of 500 he SLOWED the
sum Of 81 200 only.
III contract is made for horse mail ony that
preserved; and the route be improved into stages in
the hands OF that contractor the whole sum paid Tor This
extra service put down as extra compensation II