Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-07-08

nese 'ie eJeeied from iiie Depe; MT aud under all
oc ppassioned feelings OF disappointment and
were employed by the majority OF the Committee TO ex.
shne the books aud documents of the Department and
70 search out cause for complaint Their lone expert.
w .hc department. would enable them 10 discover
'e smallest shadow of prelext complaint if il existed:
ahu 'her hostility would incline them TO give il The deep
oh; =, o s from uis stop, II was evident, that the
w oi We majority was not fair investig alton but
seek or pretext Tor accusation; TO Obtain scrans of
,niornaion which they might magnify. and dis,ort and
g otth an accusaioTy report; the purpose Of
iar egisla on but for political party effect Such
selection might justly have been regarded as an nsi
OF 10 me head Of The DsParmen and the privilege
OF heir Introduction into the Department. ng lit properjy
pave been denied. The people had given them no
aunori'y to act; nor were they in any way respon.
me fullest inv sg on having Disguise no dlspostion
Tor conceairnen furnished the Committee with
room In my oihce and permitted these men TO enter and
examine III presence oil any member Of the Committee
every book or docum mt which they called for The ma
Joy oil The Committee assumed for these men still hi
grounds they made the attempt TO invest them ~ ib an,
ory oy placing in their hands, in the absence of every
member oil the Committee, the archives of the Depari
ment thus constituting these Bradleys an inquest upon
lis proceedngs TO exercise in fact ell the powers OF the
Conni tee. he Committee called before them subor.
snae clerks, from whom full Information could moi he
expected az the same time excluding officers OF the De-
parmen Their examinations carried on i'm secret
aud their conclusions drawn from er urte evidence with
ou being mined 10 those whose characters were 10 be al
ecied by them. They accused byiinplica.ion and on
deavored 10 blast the reputation of HONORABLE. men ,;,
out permitting the accused face their accusers or The
witnesses, without giving them opportunity Tor defence
em They carried their quiries into the trans
actions OF me- and into matters altogether unofficial a
lec'g hdNiouai interests alone. Upon and hear
say 'hey summoned Witnesses examined and cross-ex
amined them, prying into private circumstances i'm
manner that on:rages all propety puts honor 10 the
blush conceang their inquiries int ed victim
last all should be satisfactorily explained thew distorted
pain Vanished transactions, with the view of as,;n
shade upon private character Thew epde avored fass
y inpeach the veracy OF the oks and re cords of The
Department, by mputarions OF iniernealions 6ourss
anu MARKS Each indvidnalo them called for MIS-
settlements, and transcripts, his pleasure Sometimes
through the person whom they employed as their clerk
and sometimes upon a subordinate clerk of the Denart
men', 10 all their inquiries gave the fullest latitude iii,
doubted The popriey Of trusting the archives of tho ne
parmen with the Bradleys, who were undispnised in
Their hostility, and spoBsbe either TO The Senate mr. 10
the Departments therefore directed that the books sbouJ
never be out oil the custody OF member OF the Commit
Zee, or Of the Department also gave direction that ali
ORDERS from the Committee before they could be recog
nized as SUCH should through the proper IN
the head OF the Department No other restriction wa.
laid; aud these directions only in reference o ,h
proper order 10 be Observed aud could not in any epree
mint me means or interrupt The progress their maui
RES When sPprized Of the instruments which bev EN-
poyed and the course which they pursued had no rea
look for candor, honor or veraci,y in their no,
he minority disposed corrective but thew
o,enued by the majority 800
shall now proceed 10 take notice Of the errors in
their report.
They state That the Chief Clerk of the Depar,men,
mas estimated that the nett proceeds Of posages for the
quarter ending 3ist March, 1888, 1881 will amount 70
$ozoooo The estimate OF the Chief Clerk was before
them, and states the be $500 900 This error
which they make, OF 1000 appears be designed 10
magnify the amoun OF the error which thew affect to
have discovered in the estimates as tbey state that fom
their estimate 1T will not so much as $500 600
by considerable sum They also state, Your Com.
lliee have ascerianed that there was deposi,ed in
Banks Tor the use OF the Department. within that quar-
ter and prior 10 the first day of April S3I4 7O1 which
n ave 10 me hands Of PostmasIers That day. S2O5
1o4' ana hey take that sum, viz: sS2O5 7O4 az the
amount due OH the isl April, 1884. The Commute.
therefore, have taken it or granted, that all the coec
tons made OF Posimasers between,lhe Isl Of Jsnuarv
and 1T OF April 1874, for the hostages received
within the same period: than which, nothirg can be
more reno from truth Ii isslike merchant, who
makes his collections OF his customers once i'm ,hree
months On the first day of January Ito finds One nom
Them on account prior TO tina, day, $500 600 He calls
on mem 'er Paymens and by the first OF April he has
collected Slooooo In the time he sold goods to the
amount OF $5OOOOO more Then, according to the cacu
aion OF Tue majority Of the Committee there will be due
10 MN Tor goods sod between The LIST January and Let
OF April, but 100000 while, at The same lime Tho
amount OF $500 OO0 due him on the LIST of Jannery
VIII have been reduced TO 100000, leaving The whole
amount oil balances due TO him but $500 600 instead Of
$9OO,OOO. On this principle, IL will be easy TO demon
srale the insolvency OF any merchant oil any depart
mem. ihey nave laen into the same error in timstng
he amount OF balances due 10 The Department for posi-.
ages aecruing prior 10 The lst OF January, 1891
An esnrie was made by the Treasurer and The Pdn.
cipa Pay Clerk, on the l,h Of April, OF the amount OF
balances due on thai day. for posages yhc had accrued
IN all iorne ime up the 3lst day OF December Ia
wbch in'ght be calculated available. The data
from which they made the estimate are these thew too.
up SIX OF e IedgeTs IN which PosDasefs accounts are.
KEPT all Tor so many different sections of the coun,r.
n FINN
he place at which each happened open they took tr.
~ Post Offices, in succession and noted the balance Of
eaeh accouni these sums they added toge her which
gave The amount OF balances due from hundred and
eighty PoNmasieIs This they divided by $50 The
number OF POsimasers and The quoIieni as about twen
y-siX dollars, which The average due from each
Postmaster To avoid TOO high an estimate thew took
twenty-five dollars as the average balance due from each
Postmaster and that multiplied by 10 1000 which ia
NILE less than the whole number OF Post Offices in
The Opied States and the product $3.50, 600 the
amount OF balances due from Posmssters hen in of.
nee rom fos'iuasiers who had gone out of office,
u was estimated tha $4,000 dollars due but to keen
within tile bounds Of safety. tie whole estmae was xed
S5OOOOO as the amount due The Lib of April for
P9ssges which bad accrued ia all oner lme UP TO the
3lst December But what the course pursued bv lie
neJoriiy oil The Committee ia estimating the same ! Ia
The first place. they leave cut, throw away on the 1T
October, every cent that was due the Department on
mat day. though quarter had just ended and most Of it,
proceeds as well as former balances were dre They
then estimate The amount OF possses sccruuo f,o,
the Let Of October TO the 3ls December 10 he d67 40 dol
lars and from this they deduct amount of collec
lion. made by The Department within the same period
$4,000 dosfs, aud give the remainder as the whole
amount due for possges which had accrued in ali o,mer
une, up TO The Bis December 1888 81 3l545. SufeIv
school boy acquainted with lie first rudmenis OF sr.
nee, would blush 10 furnish calculation dicuousy
ahsufd The TACT is that Pos accounts are en-
defed quarterly, according HE calendar year and most
oil them, Of the Of qnaficf owe The De.
pafmenl Tie whole Of the proceeds OF their Offices the
Peced ng quartet II any Of lhe payments made within
the quarter applicable 10 tie posisres acctnp within
The same quarter hey only leave much Of the bslsnces
due Al tie commencement Of that q08fer unliquidaied
he result 10 the aggregate, is the same Whether they
ere applicable 10 The curreut fcsonue The lofer ba-
bnces.
The foregoing is but fair specimen OF their moor
reciness IN heir whole report. They speak frequently
OF the insolvency OF The Department. With a. much
PoPriety might hey, Two years since have pronounced
Tie oiiOn usoven because lis debt WAS more M ~ The
tf IF a..