Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-06-20

the mail upon that route las carried by House for some
ume but without any conf aud without any trriften
and aceeptedo6er There was exhibited to YOUR commit
Tee letter from House TO b. Brown without date or
pos. marx in which he says he has carried the mail from
Cnco'he 10 Gslpois and from Gall polls Coesmou;h,
SINCE ne lst Of January. 1882, tcithout amy confrac
anu w mus letter was enveoped and fled paper, also
wNhou' date containing proposition by General House
to carry the mail three times week in four horse post
coaches irom Chillcohe C;apolis, and three times
"on "aipois TO Colesmouth. on horseback. for tho
yearly compensation of 81 600 On the of this pa
per is endorsed, in the hand wrng OF the Postmaster
General aIowed to take place from the ls of January,
1857 All these papers, and the filing entries upon
'hen are without and the officers the department.
can give no account OF the time OF their execution. Some
accidental writing in pencil on one of the papers does
however, lead TO the conclusion that they all OF very
recent origin and the contract which last executed
10 MS propo on, appears by the jurat to have
oesn executed on the 9th day OF April, A. d., 1888
nus were there two transfer from their
legai owners against whom there complaint, TO
Si,-p'a year amounting in the four years TO $4,s24,
winch sum is in effect, gif TO that Individual made in
violation OF law, and under succession OF pretences.
Which had no foundation Ia fact.
BY The act of the 18Th day of June, 1882, mail route
was established from Chicago TO Green Bay, in the Terri
tory OF Michigan; but the proposals published by tbe
Department the Gath OF July following this route is
not included, and no notice whatever published by
order oil The Department for proposals that ..
B Brown an officer in The Department, who made out
the list oil proposals, being ORR, stated il his belief,
mat the omission hsppened in equence of the law
establishing the post routes not having been published at
the time he made the advertisements and that he took
IL from copy oithe bill which alters mt al
,eIs"ohs appears that The law approved the
ION day oil Jone, 1882; the adver signed by
Tie Posimasier Gensrai the 24h OF July folio ing; and
further appears, that This route upon the bill as il
was bret nu oduced into the House. and was YER sruck
out or underwent the slightest alera,on during its pro-
gress
John T. Temple, then clerk in The Deparf,ueut.
made out bid in the OF Asahel Savery of M
by which he offered 10 transport the mail ho. eback ON
mat route once in two weeks, Tor 300S dollars or once
week Tor $500 dollars a-year, which accepted
There was afterwards repres alton made by Asabel
Slavery, in the handwriting OF John 4. Temple STATING
una, '"e Old was loo low and that he would suffer very
heavy less by The contract The distance is hundred
and fifty miles The fair value the service does not
exceed 1900 or 1900 dollars.
Inc Postmaster General, upon this made
an additional allowance OF 1000 dollars year. and the
contract was accordingly execuedby Savery assigned
10 Temple.
In this manner DR.. Temple by means of his stua,on
IN the Department. obtained con,rac, giving him 500
dollars, Tor Carrying The mail $50 miles on horseback
weekIy ior which service il Is believed 500 dollars
Mo" DC very large compensation; much more indeed
Than the state OF things would Justify. The route an up-
important one HE nett amount OF postage received upon
u, alter Ieaving Chicago its termination at Green Raw
inclusive falls short the part the sum gwen
to Temple on this contract, which aggregate sum equals
II Is believed The nett proceeds OF received ia the
whole territory of Michigan
- Pnor TO the lettings in October, 1891 Lindsay and
Shaiiien were Tor carrying the mail ron Ia
seisown 10 hlcSohuelIsburg and at those lettings thew
again bid 10 carry the mail times eek i'm our
aT5ss pos, coaches at goo dollars daily 600
lars improved The bid Of Reside was accepted, and
ne sea down, in the report OF the Postmaster
lars a'year In the report Of allowances OF the 3D.
OF March, 1884, allowance on this contract ia
noeu ou' ~ ha part oil the same report which gives
statement oil me rerenchments ordered this route is no.
ted thus On page 253) "i2sI, HageIs,own TO McCon
nelsbug James Reesde four weekly trips reduced 700
dohsts moi UNDERSTANDING precisely how 700 dollars
could be deducted from 40 dollars, without first addn
something to The lesser sum, me mber of your con,
tee, who happened 10 discover the discrepancy gave N
eir clerk written paper, stating the difficulty and re-
qnesnng an explanation, and asking also for conv ~
some papers, which was supposed would show the true
q and ogl,a
much delay and pevaricaton before any distinct
WIS gwen TO The inquiry, and then the Postmaster
RAJ dreIhed answering II, because il not signed bv
ne chairman Of The committee. This difficulty was re-.
moved The chairman signed the paper, and some few
oays a,er' ana alter the arrival OF James Reside the
Contractor In The city, the Postmaster General sent in hs
answer The 10th day Of May, 1884, which accompa-
mics this report
In this, he says that after the contract was sd,d .
heesdc on his bid OF 40 dollars 90 dollars bo
was ordered TO run daily, instead of ,r-weeky and
we amount oil compensation for increased service Was
'e unsettled The report goes state that Re esido
represented 10 the Postmaster that there had he
Two mistakes in his bid that he had made on, in Mcneil
marks, and his clerk had blundered in copyiup IL Thst
'"e ~ dollars was intended for 400 and the 80 dollars
which occurred twice, intended for 900 and bs
PosmasIerGeneral adds, that o. b. Brown reported TO
MN al another time these sayings Of Reside and stated
mat there cods no other bid his route MIR ReesiJa
was iheTcicre SLOWED 10 correct his bid making Il, 400
and 900. nse al Of 40 and 90 Tho reoor, =,
say That Mr. Br0ion also mistaken faf there tcere
M fact several other bids, and that Us soon a.. this was
made known 10 the Postmaster General he promptly in
be rod
TO The amount at which 1t would have been liked had bo
known The other bids The time il was arranged The
une ~ which this discovery made and the notice.
given DO, being named in the report the Postmas,er
Gehersl your committee inquired OF him on that subject
aud lac stated that IL took place alter he received The bo
lore mentioned informal inquiry from member Of the
committee. Wv
IT proper add that other inquiries informal a. ,,.
when first presented, had been heretofore amended with,
ou' opJecton; and your committee cannot resist the con
cuSiOh maj the hesitation al first manifested and The re-
usa al last TO sDswef, merely for the purpose Of ain
lag Ine and waiting tie arrival the conractor 1yLo
had been subp@u@d by your cOniniltee) that better
exhibited. '''
James Reesde is alec contractor for CARVING The all
rom Baltimore TO Chambersburg, n miles daily fonr
morse post coaches, 900 dollars wear from lie Is,
OF January, 1882 The schedule was 40 cbanged ON tho
~ December, 1882, as 10 lessen the lime and conse
qnny, 10 Increase the speed, but The differences was so
light as 10 be wholly unnotced by sub contfactor On
part Of the route who examined by your committee
AID on he 18Th OF April 1892 long after the change of the
schedule, the eonraet reported Congress doe 2I2
y. I5) subsisng At 900 dollars I the reuott of
The Sd OF March, 1884, which poiesses 10 give ali tho
extra allowance there is stated On This route but
In that part Of hat report which gives the cuainent OF
mail Iacihhes, (Doc l35, p 263) the 'ibcfessed ex-
petition reduced TO 1906 dollars yearly; and on ex
animation Of The books Of The department. Ape ars that
the contractor did iD fact receive on that route 405 M
lars yearly instead OF 900 dollars; which sum and no
more, he was entitled by fair aud legal contract
The increased expedition ives OF importance 10 The
contractor TO enable him compete with other rand
lines IN the transportation OF passengers, II does not
appear 10 have bosu OF any cOnsiefshs value 10 the
public, and had IL been Of impOrsnce the Increased
compensation is much great tor the additional service
rendered.
lis stated in the repoff If u,. Iou If A..u toso