Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1834-07-24
33olttiral.

BLANKS TNiNE & WRAPPING PAPER.
THE editor Of the Concord IN. H.
Courier gives the following account OF
the manner in which the contracts for the
supply Of the post offices with these i'm
portant articles were distributed among
rival claimants. II will remind the reader
Of the scene in Henry vi were Hotsput.
Glendowder and Mortimer met to parcel
out the English territoryl
We know something Of the manner in
which this printing Of blanks and furnish
ing Of wrapping paper and twinc was OBJ
tanned by Nathaniel Green Of Boston. and
lsaac Hill of this place; and we will now
give history Of it as we understood it at
the time it was obtained, for il will throw
some light upon the manner IN which the
business Of the Department has been done
The United States are divided into dis
tricts as respects mail contracts, and the
printing Of blanks for the post Office de
partment, and New England did, until
1891, form one Of these divisions; but
New York was then added to New En
gland, so far az the furnishing of blanks,
wrapping paper and twine was concern
ed. The contracts for doing this business
have usually been made for the term oil
four years. In 1924, postmaster general
Nc Lean advertised proposals for that pur
pose. and the most favorable of which was
made by Mr.. Ide Of Vermont.-B But favor
able as It was to the Government. we be
lieve nevertheless, that Mr. Ide cleared in
the business IN Jour years $4,000.
Early in 1881, at the request of very
enterprizlng printer in this place, the edi
tor OF thus paper wrote to Gov Wood
bury, desiring him to ascertain at the post
DtiIce department the prices paid for
blanks, wrapping paper aud Irvine sc to
Mr.. Idle, and also whether or no, propo
sails would be called for as usual; 10
which Gov. w gave early and careful
attention, and we were given to under
stand, that at proper lime proposals
would be solicited through the public pa
pers as usual Accordingly preparations
were made by the printer above alluded
to, to obtain, If possible, by fair means
the contract; and we wers to go to Wash
lngton with the propo sails, and a suitable
bond, in case the proposals should prove
successful Being thus engaged, we watch
ed the movements of the Postmaster Ge
''i'h SptbV Cart uUiii We tCdIH
ed that Mr.. Hill and Mr. Greene had pre-
vailed upon him and the President. not to
lei proposals he advertised for, but TO ap
point some one TO do it as printer to the
department
AS soon as il was determined that no
proposals would be solicited, Mr. Greene
OF Boston came TO Concord. and urged
Mr. Hill TO agree to divide with him the
district so that MIR Hill should have
Maine. New Hampshire and Vermont;
while MIR Greene was to have Massaehu
sets. Rhode Island. & Connecticut To
this Mr.. Hill would not agree, as he be
lieved he could obtain the district for
Horatio Hill and Barton. which he said
would enable them to pay him the 81 900
which they were to give him for the n
II Patriot. This determination of Mr..
Hill did not please Mr.. Greene, the Bos
Ton postmaster, and he left Concord and
returned, as was supposed. 10 Boston,
very much offended with Mr.. Hill, and not
little disappointed, but he repaired i'm
mediately to Washington, and made such
efforts there that he was on the point OF
receiving the whole Of New England,
when Mr.. Hill arrived at Washington. to
secure for Hill s. Barton the appoint
ment.
On his arrival at Washington, the quar-
rel about the "spoils" was renewed by
Messrs Till and Greene, and the former
accused the latter of great uniairness. but
The latter defended himself by saying that
he had offered a fair division. but that
now he should get what he could How
"A pIan "a
ended the quarrel; it was TO add New
York to N. England s. let Mr.. Greene give
up Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont
to MIR. Hill and divide New York be
tween them. Mr. Greene took the city
OF New York and all the lower part of the
state. dividing by line between two tiers
oil counties, from somewhere north of AL
bany, and running 10 the west line OF the
state. while MIR Hill took the noriberiy
counties. making the bargain worth near
~ four times as much to Greene as to
Hill. The business thus arranged between
them; they went to Major Barry, and took
out Their appointments, and thus cut off
all competition IN the business They al
lowed Washington prices for all this great
undertaking; and those two pure disinfer
ested patriots received annually. in this
one item of patronage, S1S.725 so. for
dong what might have been done for
about 10000 by contract. Here is cor
rupton with witness.
We have stated tbs matter precisely as
we understood it at the time; and if we
rave erred IN any one thing, if the Patriot
"iii set us right, we will correct Il mos,
willingly We ask them either to admit
Its truth or deny its correctness.
The friends of General Jackson have
universally styled HIM the s'Second Wash
,ngton," without any claim to the title |
however Col William Duane, who adj
vertises to revive the old aurora" and
whose prospectus was published in a
nei9h6oring print week or two since, we
think will hardly say .4nien to ii, # We
may Judge by comparison OF he senli
ments now expressed and those formerly
held by that gentleman. Let the Amer.
can patriot read the following extract
from the Aurora of March ath J7ae tn |