Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1834-07-10

Il %'V~@'e" - StoNess James Neeeiuc, anu
Avery X Porter undertook 10 carry the
mat on the came route, three times a
week in steamboats,, for twenty, five nous
and dollars year. They also failed 10
comply, and their contract was also civ.
en- up Edwin Porter then undertook, by
private agreement with the department.
to carry the mail daily on that route in
steamboats, for four years, al forty thou
sand dollars a year. which agreement is
still sabsistiHg. Within tho last year there
were one hundred and fifty fadures on
this improved line. for which the caRlrac-
tor says he stands fined on the books. OF
the department six thousand eight hun
drcd dollars, yet no part Of this sum APP
pears to have been retained out of his pay.
On the contrary, be was permitted TO o.
verdraw very largely, and his draft for
twenty thousand dollars accepted by the
Postmaster General, and not yet paid,
was discounted some time since al New
Orleans, 10 enable him TO raise money to
go on with the contract, which was likely
TO fail by the unskifsiness and incflicien
cy of his agent This contractor, Edwin
Porter, is also the borrower Of large sums
OF money Of o. ID. Brown, three thousand
1889. and four thousand FIVE hundred
dollars in November. 1888, making an
aggregate loan Of eight thousand dollars.
The waste of money on this contract
is enormous. The nett proceeds of all
the hostages in the city Of New Or
leans, & the town of Mobile, are hardly
sufficient to sustain it. The law has
been violated by entering into con-
tract to get up steamboat line for the
transportation Of the mail, without any
regard to legal restrictions. 1t was
violated by the department, when it
entered into contract for the trans.
portation Of the mail, without an adver-
tisement inviting public competition.
And there is another feature in this,
and some other cases which your CON-
mittee have exsmined, which, in their
opinion, is deserving Of the most dsci-
sive condemnation. 1t is the blending
and connecting the fiscal affairs Of the
department with those Of individual
contractors. Thus, while advancing
its funds, and lending its credit TO this
individual, TO enable him to repair his
errors and carry on his contract, tho
department itself did, in several cases,
call in the aid Of other contractors to
assist it in raising money TO pay its or
binary and current expenses. Two in.
stances Of this kind are stated in tho
testimony of James Rooside. About
two years ago, he drew draft of six
thousand dollars at the request of the
and for its use, and got il
at the Western Bank ofPhi-
ladelpha; and some time last winter he
arranged" ten thousand dollars thro'
the assistant postmaster at New York,
for the use Of the department. No
other cases of the like kind are distinct
ly in evidence before the committee,
but from general information they be-
licvo the practice to have prevailed to
a considerable extent. Your commit
tee condemn this practice most deci-
siyely. In their opinion it is placing
the department in an improper and in
furious connexion with individuals. AS
a matter of mere prudence, indepen-
IDENTIFY Of the question of power, 1t
should neither venture its own money,
nor plight its credit to sustain any indi-
vidual, much less should it ask pecuni-
airy assistance Of its contractors 10 en-
able it to keep up its credit. Those
contractors should be required to do
their duty, and they should be asked
for nothing more. Favors are expect
ed to be reciprocal, and if the depart
nent ask and receive them, it cannot
deny when something is asked in re-
turn. But the department has placed
itself in this undignifed relation with
its contractors. II has become the ac-
ceptor for one to enable him TO sustain
his credit and carry on his contract
and il has become the debtor TO another
for his name, to enable it 10 raise mo-
ney 10 answer its own pressing necessi-
ties. The relations in which il is thus
involved, arc partly the cause and part
w the consequence of its present insol-
vent condition. The individuals who,
variously connected and combined,
hold extrayagant private contracts, ".
who receive extra allowances, which
exhaust the revenue Of whole States,
are the same who lend their credit 70
keep up the credit of the department
who furnish funds 10 pay of the debts
and relieve the embarrassments OF IT'S
chief ofiicer-who advance large sums
of money to enable another OF Its oti-
GERS to purchase real estate "at a re-
duced price"-and who send presents
of choice wines to furnish the tables Of
both.
William Smith is the contractor for
carrying the mail from Washington
city to Lynchburg, two hundred
miles, three times week, III four
horse post coaches, at the yearly
compensation of S6,Oou
He was allowed for two chan
Al.