Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1834-07-03

Postmaster General. dated the fIth Of Febrgs-
ry, 1881, he states the offer Of George House AZ
! $1,000 for carrying the mail twice week in =
steamboat on the same route. and that the steam,
boat will be ready "ssy the LIST Of April:,, hs
suggests that the contract tcih Buck nas bs ,,s-
PENDED, and asks, ''shsll il BE- doneS" The Pest
master General endorses on the paper. "let il be
doue;'' and thereupon Black received orders 10
discontinue his route from the LIST Of April 1881
No contract appears 20 have been executed by
House; and Black continued TO carry the mail
on horseback his sub, contractor. The effect
OF the whole transaction was 10 shift the contract
out cf the hands Of Black, and place il in the
hands of House, who is well known an active
and influential political partisan. a letter writ
ten by House &c the Postmaster General on the
ID Of August, 1891, states that hc had NOT yet
got his steamboat prepared, aud does not know
when he shall; and Il seems that he never did,
for the mail is still carried on horseback on that
route.
Al the letting Of contracts In October. 1871,
route Ne. ,hsS, from Chillicothe 20 Callipolis.
was bid oft by A, l.. Ross, at Sl,i0D per an
mum, the mail 70 BE- carried three times week
| in four horse post coaches Ills bid wa. accept.
ed, and in the report IDoc. ala, p. ao,l Of tho
18th Of April, 1882, he appears as the contractor.
On the 18th day Of October. 1881. a letter was
written by o. b. Brown 10 Ross informing him
that the acceptance Of his bid was suspended and
that the department wished him to give il op, as
II was important that the stage line from Chilli
cothe 10 Gallipolis. should be concerted with the
steamboat limo from Gallipolis 10 Charleston:
Ross reluctantly yielded to the rcqa.i,ion, nad
ihe mail upon that route was carried by House.,
or some time, but without any contract and
without any teritien end ACCEPTED offr. There
was exhibited TO your committee letter from
House 70 o. Brown, without date or pest mark
in which he says he has carried the mail from
Chillicothc to Gallipolis, aud from Gallipolis to
Coiesnouth, since the LIST Of january, 1882,
,cithouf anu contract; and in this letter was en-
veloped and filed, paper, also without date,
containing proposition by General House to
carry the mail three times week in four horse
post coaches from Chiilicolhe to Gallipois and
three times week from Galiipoiisto Colesmoutbs
on horseback. for the yearly compensation OF
$4,000. On the back OF this paper is endorsed
in the handwriting OF the Postmaster General
"sllowed to take place from the LIST of January,
ls32;" allpapcrs, and the hiiing and entries ups.
on them, are without date, and the officers OF the
department can give no account OF the time Of
their execution. Soma accidental writing
in pencil on enc Of the papers does however
lead 10 the conclusio On that they are all OF very
recent origin, and the contract which was at last
executed pursuant to this proposition, appears BY
the jurat to hare brcn executed on the 9th day
of April, A. ID. 1888.
Thus were the contracts transferred from
their legal owners, against whom there was no
complaint, 10 Gen. George House, at clear loss
TO the department Of y 206 year, amounting
in the four yenrs 10 81. s24. which sum il IN ef
feet pf 10 that ipdi yiduaI made In violation of
law, and under succession Of pretcnce,- wh;ch
had no Foundation In fact
BY the act of the 10Th dav of June. 1890 .
mail rontc was Ell from, fbicsco ~ ~ ,..r
Ba,. n the Terrtorv of Michigan hut h IN rro-
osaIs publ ssei by Inc department on The 94th az
July f,llowine this route Il MOI inel,.sca and no
nesioe whatever was published by order Il the
department for proposals on that roats on.
Brown. al officer IN the department who made
cut the list OF proposals, being sworn, stated il
as his belief that The omission happened IN con-
sequence OF the law establishing tho Post routes
moi having been published at he time he made
out the advertisement. and that he took il from
a conv oftbe bill which Afterwards underwent
alterations. n appears. that the law was ap-
proved on the 18Th day OF June, 1892; the adver-
tisment was signed by the Postmaster General
on the oath Of July following; and il further APP
pears that this route was upon the bill as IL was
first introduced into the House, and was never
struck out or underwent the slightest alteration
during ts progress.
AZ. l. an H.