Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-04-15
Richmond. Tuesday, April Ii.
posi-. OFFYGE DEP.9RJ.uEN-y.

| rus I-OFF1GE DEH.fHI.UEs.NI.
| We understand il has been asserted, on high at-
thory, that the Postmaster General had no power
under the Post-oicc Lac, give contractors extra
dHo,odnceS for extra services. To do away this oh
lection at once we lay before our readers the follow
ing extracts from The act of 2l March, 1927:
Sec TO- iadoe further enacted rh" !, hall he duty
cd a" the of S us T".s
more Of the published ia the State States.
before entering into eonrae, ,ucn
TO ns eoseLuorD, TO wnicm
.ps S MAJ rs 70 sr eSsrs,sO ,.E TINE a. wen
sD' &c Sc Pre.ad That sa,e'sd into
SSs 49,. 49, aa& % f.,4f, eaoet4 ha, ALLOW
tho %n a"y route" Se G
addition" shall ss s""" q" qs,S aud
a PROPORTION oi the original amount to tho additional rcqu
Now, the Postmaster General has acted under
this law. His proposals and his contracts every
four years, and his extra allowances in the intermc-
d'ae time, strictly conform to its provisions.
we understand the rule to he this:
congress passes the law for designating post
route ihnt is TO say, for running the mail from 10
ID; ana IT is sometimes specified, by the way of c.
Inc POSTMASTER General then selects the road
between these two extreme points-and also desg-
| uutcs the post offices on the road, Sc. &c.
The contract is made for running the mail only
once week, unless the interests of the public and
OF lie Post-ofiice dictate frequent transinis-
sion of the mail
The Contracts IRE made every four ycnrs-and in
case the public interests require the mail 10 be expe
diteu, from one contract term to another the Post
master General makes extra allowances; never more
ana generally less, than the pro raa contract prices
The mail is never expedited but for ,rcent con-
sderations; strong petitions from the People
backed strongly by their Representatives in Con
gress, &C., &c.
Sometimes it is found that the new arrangement
Is worse for the Post Office itself: and tlInt Tho
income does not cover the expenses But il is ey
tremeiy difficult to ascertain this fact until the ex-
pertinent has been tried for about two years-In
consequence OF this, where the improvement has
been made on liberal scale the expenses NAV
overrun the income, and the Department get
into debt 1t is then that the Postmaster General
reduces the run of the mail, as he reserves
to himself the right of doing so in his contracts
lhis has been Gone to a considerable amount in
the course of this year, boil, to the North and the
South OF the Potomac, but tauch more so TO the
South than the North; and il is hoped that i'm the
course OF the next year, the debts may he discharg-
ed, and the whole Office rounded off by Major Bar
ry.
These statements may to refute many of the
misrepresentation that afloat on this subject
winch have been eagerly seized upon to excite and
inisead the People, in these agtatng times of The
Virginia Elections. The contractors have been held
up us corrupt agents of the Administration scattered
through the South, and brbed by extra allowances
to operate on the Elections. But il turns out nfor
tunatcy for the truth of the insnuation TINT very re-
Gently the allowances to the south of the Potomac,
have been curtaed more than Si0O,000 and that
many oil the contractors are complaining of re-
ductions aud losses
We presume that most fthe contractors will now
come ont and explain their transactions as Mr.
smith OF Cuipeper has done; and as Messrs Porter
~ Co. are doing in the following Communication
Dun Green says by the by, that T. Porter is Pro-
tese OIL the Richmond enquirer. This is in the usual
reckless style ofthe Telegraph We have not seen Mr.
Porter for several months-and understand, on en-
quiry, that he is in New Orleans-and he is certuin
ly one OF The last contractors, whom we would sus-
I,ect OF meddlng with Elections, or exertiuu
hmselffor the Administrations
Mr. w. Smith has clearly explained why it is, that
SO many more additional allowances have been made
20 the South than the North The latter country
is more densey settled, the mail runs ofiener :.
ana fewer changes IRE called for by the People
Hence the greater Southern Galaxy of stars, which
rs said TO grace the Blue Book!
TO THE EDiroRS OF TIE ENqUlRER
THE MAIL.
"ENTLEMEN:-Heeing a statement in several papers
respecting extra pay allowed TO mail contractors and find.
ing IL so stated misead the public and we being
part OF the firm OF E. Porter s. Co., we have thought II
incumbent on us to give fair statement of the original
contracts and after which, the extra services required Of
us on the different lines. In the first place, all of the
contracts made in 1880 the Isl January
1881 TO last four year'-he p M General reservng 10
himself the right to make any alteration that NAV bo con.
ducive to the public good
From the city Of Richmond by the way Of Scott.vie
10 Saunon T. Porter Co. contracted carry the mail
IN wo horse coach three times per week. On the Is of
july 1857, We were eriered 10 put four horse coach
which was petioned for by the ScosviIle citizens
Again; we were ordered the LIST of April 1892 10
carry the mail Richmond to Charlottesville sir Zines
per week. instead Of three times Ute original
Ags,n-porer. Belden & Co, were ordered time
IN 1881 or 2 10 carry the mail from aunton To uysnJore
seven times per week, instead OF three times and from
thence TO Cncinnai they ordered carry il, by
Steamboat SIX times week of three times 1.-THE
original contraci and also, added $50 miles more 10 Lou
isviile KY, six times per week.
Aga'n-te Mobile ine OF Steamboats, to New O, leans
was Increased from three times per week, be original
con'racD to daily line, and also the speed of
carrying the mail from Washington city TO New Orleans
so as to deliver IN eleven days inse adj fourteen or fl
teen days: thereby causing great expence for the
Increased facilities OF conveying the mails On the Guyan-
Dole, since the original contract from Lexington by Co.
vingon to the Guyandoe line, and from iarrisonburp
TO The same line each Of them from fifty 10 10 miles in
extent, and also increasing the speed the
ne from 90 to 40 and 80 miles per day On the l., Of
January 1884 Porter, Beiden s. Co.. were ordered to re-
duce the Guysndotic line three times per week. again;
n course, taking off the trtrd pay.
The public will perceive that f. Porter & Co.. have not
been allowed too much for their services including
their increased extra number OF steamboats, horses and
coaches, oil their extensive lines. These improvements
were called for by The people generally.
Messrs. Editors, you make Of the above state
nenIs in any way you may think best, we know them
to be correct. With due respect,
We are your ohHt. scry'is.
JANES NJ. BOYD, Of the firm of Il.
ROBERT EDMOND. ) Porter 4 Co.
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THE ELECTIONS.