Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-07-08
POLITICAL.
ADDRESS OF WILLIAM T. BARRY.
PosTMAsrER-GENERA
IN The PpnslIo AZ "a a

confidng in the Justice and ntelpe nee OF The American
reope. mat confidence is undimiDshed. But the ex-
usotu'hary tonduct OF The majority OF the Committee
Tue Senate on Post Offices and Post Roads in conducting
ther recent examinations; the personality msepresen-
tauon and ialsehood, which characterize their tcpor
make my duty to notice /, in especial manner; to
expose It's errorsreiue its ialsehoodsa repe with in
ugna'ion Its base personal illusions and impuaiions-
preparatory 10 This, will be necessary for proper un-
ders,anding OF the subject 10 notice much OF the Pos,
once Law as coniers power the Postmaster eneral
aud defines his duties
The first section OF the act of March q 1923 to ,e
iuce into the several acts establishing and reeustinr
the Post Once Department. ojans lliat the Postmaster
General shall establish Post Offices appoint Postnas-
tiers at all such places shall appear him expedien t
ON the Post Roads that may be established bv law
shall provide Tor the carriage OF the mail all Pos,
Roads mat are or may be established by law aud as often
as he, having regard TO the produc thereof and
other circumstances shall ihink proper sHe NAV direct
the route road, where are more Than one
places designated by law for Post Road which rome
shall be considered the Post Road" "IIe shall paw all
expenses which may ase in conducting the Post Office
and IN The conveyance OF the mail all other necessa
ry expenses arising the collection OF the revenue and
management OF tue General Post Office" The lourfI,
section OF the same law requires that the Postmaster
General shall cause mail to be carried the neares,
Post Office on any established Post Road 10 The cour,
house Of any county which is hereafter may be
established in any Of the States or Territories of tho
ted States and which is without a mail'
In regard to the powers conferred, the duties i'm
pose1 upon The Postmaster General il will be seen that
ms Department Is anomalous from all others in the Co
vernment Ia every other Department. no, only The OH
ec but the maximum of every expenditure is defined by
SUBJECT 10 annual Trea
snFy In ihs Department, no appropriation from the
Treasury Is made Tor lis general objects II rests pom m
own resources alone, No Limitation in this respect is pre-
scribed by law; but all is left the discretion OF The Posi-
master General lie is bound provide Tor the convey
ance oil c mail aud 10 pay the expense; the manner
ana Tie oil conveying II, consequently amount
OF expense winch II may occur subject tisce
lion alone. He draw money from The Treasury
without appropriation by law, involve the esponsib
~ oil the Treasury Tor OF his but so lar
as the responsibility OF his own Department will sus
tain him. he does not transcend The power vested in him
oy law III the expenses OF his Department, shall at any
Time exceed rs revenues, and if he shall anticipate 90
much OF its revenues TO that so long as he
does not involve any responsibility yond that of his own
Department. he does not violate the law And The mover
which he exercises is, By law invested Immediately in
him He is, like all other Executive officers amcsa6le 10
The President Tor the faithful discharge of the duties of his
oiee buie law confers directly him. an indie
OF power which is fully recognized i'm any other De-
parmen oil the Government. The law, these respects
IS similar to what 1t was from The beginning Of pre-.
sent Government. All the authority OF the law is vest,
ed in the Postmaster General alone and he alone ia held
responsible Tor all She transactions Department Every
oher Department oil the Governmen org anzed with lie
proper sub officers appointed by the President and Sc
nate, who tuperinend contracts or engagements which
involve liabilities, and the adjustment OF accounts before
their payment and whose acts have the sanction of law
This Department small in is be beginnings which rem
dered such organization OF little mportauce; but liza
CROWN, especially wimn The last few years. has been
yond all ANTICIPATION. The rapid improve ments of orr
country, the spreading OF its population over lis widely
extended domain and the increasing onJnegs for intel
gence even among The most distant frontier settlements
have called Tor progressive increase OF mail facilities
beyond all former example, the responsihiltv f
granting denying hem-is in the Postmaster C. Sar,
alone 10 refuse them, would be withholding from the
people, benefit which they conceive il their right 10
claim, under Republic where security depends on popu
lar intelligence; TO grant them, would confer on The
people beBeht Of ncaicula value though il might
subject the Postmaster General 10 anmady erons from,
those who did not themselves need them or whose party
pTeudices were paramount 10 every other consideration
The majority OF The committee have stated that The Ie
Postmaster General In his report OF November IS 1927
expressed opinion that the Department. by ggilan,
he
wants oil the community aud in years TO nav in,n
the Treasury an annual sum Of $500 coo; and ey add
your Committee entertain that had its fairs
beer conducted prudebty with view 10 the nubIc i'm
terest the anticipation would this time have een reel
ized Here 'helr Object evidently is, 10 charge upon The
Encouragement oil tie Department. tchie under mn, nd
mInisrdion, the difference betwe the present condon
OF liz finances and ability pay $500 900 annually int,
the Treasury. This charge the COMMITTEE knew AZ he
time oil making IL, it contained shadow OF truth or ius
tce rested against my predecessor in office and not
agains, me- They had the facts in evidence before them
that the late Postmasier General in his report dated
Nov 17h 1921 showed, that instead OF saving s5oO On
the expenses OF his Department, from the I july 1927
TO the LIST OF July, 1928, upwards OF 600 dol
lars more than all its for the same period
and that he had entered into contracts to take efIsc
from the hrst OF JanHary, 1920, which involved the
Department in expense for the period of only civ
months from the rst OF January the of July 1929
Of S4977S 80 more than all its revenues Tor the same time
that the expenses Of the Department for the year com,
nencing the LIST July, 1925 were 747 IA Is more Than
rs revenues and that this OF expenditure og ether
with the losses sustained had diminished Tie finances of
TIE Department within year, the amount oil SIOI
zoo Oa' La This state OF things | had agency. 1t
was produced before into office Tie laie POST
maser-General, in HE Report Of November 1928 pave
ihis reason Tor bis change of policy "a CONGRESS
at their last session, declined making any appropriation
oil The surplus funds Of the Department. with the ex
pectaOon, as was believed, that they should be an.
pied 10 dIusing mail facilities hroU gou the Union and
increasing them where required by tle public interest an
augmentation to the vance Of the mail TO five h,,
dred aqd hry-seven thousand two hundred aud sixty
tour miles ~ stages and two bunde cd and sxty.ope thou
SAND seven hundred and four les on horse back max
ing Total oil seven hundred aud sit tnosa nj
nine hundred and sixty miles, has been made The psf
year re also adds az is believed 10 be good policy
extending lis operations until tie reasonable wants of
~ community shall be supplied THIS poicy yheIler
good or bad, VII be seen, introduced by NV ofe
cessor. The mourning Of responsibilities In ,ge s,o,
beyond The revenues OF tbs Department. origin ted with
bin, or II before bis day. 1t adopted by hin in Ire
latter part OF his administration, and the facts were known
TO the Committee when The majority Of them reprotated
hs measure, and by exhibiting the subject IN deceptive
hight, endeayorsdto cast the imputed oduln on me-
In Ibis condition iound the Department IFS reepon-
sies we're involved Tor years IN prospect 10 an amount
Of nearly hundred thousand dollars yesr be yond m re-
venues, ne late Posimaser.Genersl expressed 10 me-
In letter. s views Of The proper aud successful mode Of
administering tbs Department. The following il an ex
tract OF bis letter % me, Of tbe 3Isi Of Mach 1927
"Ihe expenditures Of lie DEPARTING nj Ills wear win
exceed The receipts, was the case Lac, ve 10, ~
ncfease Of receipts will show the rapid enhancement NJ
The Department II was deemed good policy 10 permit lie
expense 10 90 beyond lie receipts order h pst of
TIE surplus Of former years Higi be sbsorlrd lis e
uOe policy, 10 keep the funds active, and never suffer
large surplus 10 accumulate. TIE above remarks ste
msde beesuse some persons ignorant enough to sup.
pose mat Tie Department Is sinking providing it, gcceins
90 no. I'd tue current year equal exceed tie expcBd-
Acting this view, proceeded. relying opon the
correctness Of the statements which ute booL ~ ;i,oJ
my annual reports 10 the President was hased upon s