Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-06-17
POLITICAL.
THE GENErAL POST OPTIC

hours.
or dccumen' of such great length, We shall not ven.
ture 10 give, from the hearing any thing Ike an
analysis Deieuing tho full satisfaction Of aders
this particular, until publ'h the Report large.
(Which shall be Jraciicabe,) content
ourselves Tor to day, with attempt sketch its general
complexion.
The Rrpor, sets out with stating, as the result Of the
investigations by The committees that the Department 10
largely nsoivent In addition to which. the committee
report that the Postmaster General has, ON time
tme borrowed large sums OF money for the oil the
Post Office, without any authority OF law Some OF these
loans, IL is stated made during the last session Of
Congress- at the commencement oil which the Postmaster
General had reported the Department 10 be in possession
oil considerable surplus OF tnnds The Report goes
TO state the debts and credits OF the Department.
~ as can be ascerained, whereby appears that the
General Post Office is nsolvent by eight bundled and
three thousand six hundred aud twenty five dollars be-
You'd all its resources
Comparing the expenses OF the Post Office Establishment,
tor four preceding the the present
Administrations with the four years following hem il
stated by the Committee the expense OF the last four
years exceeded that OF the years. by three
millions three hundred and thirty eight thousand dollars
Within the last term OF four years. is true some lew
mail routes have been estsbshed but their aggregate
pense bears but very small portion The amount of the
excess thus ascertsncd. This OF and
consequent insolvency OF the Posi- office, ia mainly
uibuted TO administration and iavosm in the making
OF contracts aud allow OF which the Report goes
10 spread in detail number Of particular cases as
a sample oil the whole.
The report declares the repurs, statements and es
OF the officers Of the Post Office TO be so erroneous
and defective as little to be relied upon little, that
favorable the conclusions which the Committee ar
fves at II is probable that they TALL far short
Their than exceed The reality In proof Of which, among
other circumstance il is stated ,a, the number OF miles
in year, travelled by the a detailed in the Annual
Report OF the Postmaster General there is by accurate
computation, 10 the amount OF less than seven
millions two hundred thousand miles The Report points
out also many discrepancies between the in the
Blue Book us designating the biennial report of oiral
expenses made 10 Congress) and official and other
mens as 10 the of contracts extra allowances
and contingent expenses, showing great nsccuracy and
confusion IN the accounts and administration Of the De-
parmen
The report also condemns the practice which is proved
TO have prevailed, Of pledging the Department loans
OBJ ained by contractors and IN making OF tine
names oil contractors to obtain money for the OF the
Department. In connection with which, the committee
aiude TO certain money transactions between contractors
and individuals In Office in the Department, which have
come out in evidence before tho committee, and which
they partculsrize, but submit without the
Senate.
The contingent expenditures Of the Department. the
allowances OF money travelling agents, the payment OF
money 10 printers in various shapes the employment OF
printers as contractors. &c. and other which
bring the patronage OF the Government in conflict with
the freedom oil election handled with great force
and some severity by the committee and the Report ends
with series OF resolutions declaraiory OF abuses
and defects, mostly mputable the the
Post Office but in part also inherent in the system ITSELF
which, in the opinion OF the committee have
are increasing, and ought TO be diminished.
Upon the whole, it will be allowed on all hands. when
orOs III iise the best explanation OF The search
ing operation in the Government thai has yet been made
Wat. Int.
From tho w. Giobo.l
The Committee OF the Senate OH the Post Office and
Post Roads, after long investigation, only into the
condition OF the Department. the priva ATE business
aud circumstances OF some OF off GERS have AT length
reported Their report il, TO have been expected
n oil party prejudice. Besides many destitute
oil the shadow OF truth, II is covered with false coofing
unwarraniahle inference, showing de termination without
the least regard TO justice pour those HON
They have selected as victims. But the committee il APP
pears were divided; three in favor OF the epor two
against IT, The tvs who constitute the minority are Mr.
Grundy, the chairman of the committee Gen Robin
son, OF Illinois. In justice TO the Department. 10 the Adj
mina'ien, and TO the COUNT they have conceived TO
be their duty present counter re port which the hay.
offered IL Is in all its features the very OF that
which was offered by Messrs Ewing Clayton, and Knight
the other members Of the comniiIIee.
IL will be sufficient convince the public oil the deter
minsiion TO condemn when is kHown that they employ
ed the two Bradieys Abraham Brsdley and Dr. Pineas
Bradley, the two late Assistant Postmaster Generals to
aid them In the Investigations Yes, the majority of the
committee, composed OF Messrs. Ewing, Clayton aud
kDight, employ ed these Brsdleys who had be dis
missed from Office by the Postmaster General aud who
had five years before declared open hostility against him
10 assist them in making out their report They took these
two disappointed aud highly inceDsed into The De.
psrlmen aud documents which they desired look into
that they might point out shadow Of error
which might, by the powers sophisty distortion be
spread before the public prelext Of complaint But
with n that the Of revenge could excite and with
the advantage OF the long experience OF these two men in
the administration OF that Department. all that they could
present is demonstrated, in the report of The minority to
be incorrect IN every material point which they have
rested their accusations.
The counter report Of Messrs. Grundy and Robinson
on The condition Of the Post Once Department gives
clear and lucid exhibition Of The and condition OF
hat department., and furnishes strong testimony OF the
fidelity with which IL has been administered. The long
experience OF Mr. Grundy al statesman, and Is.
PeciAy as Chairman OF that Commitiee-hs SUPERIOR
W OF aenisbs industry aud business habit altogether
qualify him for the investg bch he has been en-.
gagged quite as well, is believed any other gentle
man IN either House OF Congress His cosdJfor Gene.
RAJ ROBINSON IS also gentleman OF clear discDina iing
mind, indeiaugabe ~ his application 10 business OF un-
bemlshed honor sud wen qualified for the service which
wrong improper, could c,cspsd the scrutiny
OF these gentlemen Their high Characters pledge Tor
Their iaihiuness. Whaeve may be the momenisry in
uenee OF pay feeling upon The minds Of any portion of
the public, we confidently the assertion that none
VIII question the ability the inegity the bdely Of
either OF those gentlemen. For every position which
they have ssued, they refer the evidence bv which
cd person will be convinced alters careful perusa Of this
document that there nothing deseryiss tie repfoaches
visited on The department. by the maioriiy report Such
Is the clear testimony Of This report aud such will be the
firm conviction Of every dispss.ouste mind.
This report accounts satisfactorily the deficit IN the
finances OF the Department. II shows that The yearly in.
coiae deficient before the present incumbent came
into oicetbs dminuon OF its funds he'd commenced
more than year bgore aud That they had declined al
the time Of his taking possession Of The Department about
100000; aud that The falling Oh continued from Us be
ginning, 10 1871 or early Ia 1928 the close Of the last
year. u shows that the debt Of the Department beyond
is available means about $500 OOO which de b rests on
the cfedir Of The Department. aud OF The Treasury
that The Pos'masei General by llusofy system which
had ever prevailed Of accounting for the eApe0ccs Of tic
Department, had not known real condition Ia time 10
prevent The embarrassment; but lie cause
vas disclosed, The corrective applied. II shows the
improvements which ihe present Postmaster General has