Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-06-16

James Wright for publishing in San 10
dy Hill Herald, }" New York, proposals
for carrying the mail in New York
18th July, till September, 1892. 40 =
- will ho co.,, $l,636 81
now furnished by the department, that vEiIounnt
Globe weekly, semi-weekly, and daily rn e
publishing these very g mail proposals, was
whole Union and while the Albany Arrn ,Oi uC
the Courier and Enquirer were publish 1d
same for the State Of New York, and transs. .Hf
ting them to every part Of the State from VII
bid could be expected, these four papers son
Of them scarcely circulating through . HolHe
county in the interior, and published tvso
three times week. were kept up at an evno, ~
of S 636 35 for two months PRINTING nF ~
mail proposals for the whole State For a. "t
and other similar expenditures now brona','
light by the document annexed, We can nera";
no precedents in the former history Of tho ~
partment
The year 1892 was also distinguished nv a..
amount Of expense incurred for the seryiC2es"'r,
sundry agents and secret emissares who wcr~
put IN motion at an expense Of nearly ten thn,
sand dollars for that year These trips ofinrou
tlgatlon do not all appear on the face of ibnaa
count. The sum OF S6;005 is credited for sr,,.
paid TO 5. Gouverneur the postmaster AZ N@'.
York. From an endorsement on one oC Nv
vouchers to support this charge. il apnoarc ti.-
he has received credit on the books of tba 80
partment for that amount, by him paid Gy H..
incidental expenses his office from which w.
infer that by the direction of the departmem,
he made these payments, and allowed them Nv
settlement for hostages. Mr.. GouYerueur -
not responsible for these payments ordered
by tie department. Among the receipts Is ono
ofP. S. Loughborough, travelling agent forona
hundred dollars paid him the 4th day oCEma
1882; and seven Of Barnabas Bates anotber
traveller for s ,253 cash paid him as "sppcia,
agentl' between the lst of August and the l2A
of December, 1892 inclusive
Mr.. Barnabas Bates, in October, 1893 nra.
sented an account Of which tie following is
literal copy:
General Post Office.
1898 April 80.
To services from July !, 1892 to date
30l days, at 3 per diem 1912 OG
Do do expenses during the same
81 50, go OF
Do do steamboat and stage fare
do IS! ca
$E852 90
So that Mr.. Barnabas Bates set good p.;ca
on his travels, and although, by an endorsement,
it appears that Mr. G.. X. Gardner the first Is
sistant Postmaster General, doubted about the
allowance of so cents Of the So 50 per diem 10,
" Expenses, in addition to the &c per diem Sc,
vices" and the " steamboat and STAGE fare"
yet on putting the question endorsed on he
voucher" shall the additional sc cents be al
lowed under the circumstances the POstm?c-
ter General UNDERWRITERS" allowed" and On
the 18th Of October, 1888, MIR. Bates giyes
receipt for credit allowed him on accouHt ior
the whole amount of S $50. The most curious
part Of this matter, however, is that the depart
ment has directed Mr.. GUuVcTneur to pay these
agents for travelling as it appears they did. as
Especial agents." in New York and New Emo
land, and then covered and concealed lhc
charges under the name of incidentdI erpeus5
Of the Post Office at the City Of Ne1c FORK" "
the returns for the first quarter for 1889 ii also
appears that p. S. Loughborough who receives
an annual salary from the Treasury OF the y
States Of sixteen hundred dollars as 2ene.l
agent" of the Post Office Department, vaS paid
in addition thereto the sum of SS467 &c Is
especial agent" for expenses in travelling in
Virginia, New York and the western States, PEI
order the Postmaster General, from Isl NOyep-
Der. 1881, to 3lst December, 1892, making the
whole sum paid that officer during thai period.
S4,067 sc. During the same periol, It ';il Jr
seen from the account that other agents fe2c"
ed 4,099 40, which, with the paymen: 20 8GtC,
made by GOuverncur. make $3.50 GG IUT ia.
yelling agents in about one year. I s in e.
dence before the committee by O. =. 3ccwn
that Mr.. Loughborough started on ancrbc, .rir
Of investigation about four weeks AGO
Finally, the incidental expenses from H. Isl
of July, 1929, to the lst of July, 1872, l." hIe
returns made for the four first years am h.
Postmaster Generals estimates, 70. ,he las,
amount TO the sum of S3J7, 573 o.; hrs e',cr2u-
ing the incidental expenses Of the ~ ,el.5
previous to the st January, 1929, ~ the 9nI 81
one hundred and sixty thousand i've hundred
and f0rty-one dollars. The necessity t.: lcga.
restraint in this matter We think, TOO anpc.eH.
to require further comment and We row al;
miss this part Of the subject
On the whole, your committee haze found 'D2
affairs of the department in a state 81 2ter de-
rangement, resulting, as it IS believed? ron -,
uncontrolled discretion exercised b. lis oLctiS
over its contracts and its funds; and tbel: 0aDi,
tual evasion, and in some instances ,heI' !ote5
disregard ofthe laws which have De2n prcvde"
for their restraint. And yOnr committee sec ~
means within the power OF Congress OF eAn.
eating ii from its present condition, enc ie2'U'
ing it to a healthy and efficient action, vino
providing by lava more strict system 10 ~,
government; prescribing to its officer mo'
n ,,,Ia. C,r q par(Ornlapcp of tlGI St'