Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-07-01

them 10 his ,lce whci, the committee scc,I
anu Whenever any member OF the committee present
ne Always permitted the books aud documents to be taken
INTO that room, and there examined at pleasure with or
WHOM" me presence OF any OF the officers OF The depart
"e", oy The Messrs. Bradeys, or by any other
whom the committee thought proper to e,nploy
IN we whole course OF the nvesig alton. tile inquiry
80 'ny gi or graui'y, CT lavor, had heenre cev.d by
y .er VI ule department. from any contractor, (Which
might warrant the conclusion, that IL might hsv. hal ,nv
snec. upon The public Conduct OF the oicrr) was never
"s' Sigh, Of and the result in mind as that nothing
appeared which would Justify suspicion unfavorabI. ~
ne department or,lny OF us officers
was suggested to The committee, that the Postmaster
Gem RAJ had been furnished with money by contractors TO
whom extra allowances had been made The committee
sop@nei and brought before them all the contracts
VINO were supposed TO have any of the tr,ns
acuon referred to and from all the testimony il
mat Col H. NJ johnson had bee bound AS surety or en-
uoser or NJ al Barythai when pa men, as dem, ndsd
" was nor convenient Tor either al them raise the none
Iusi COL Join,on, without the agency or knowlr,g. OF
MAJ Barry, procured the sum OF fifteen hundred dollars
On temporary loan IRON friend OF his who was a con.
tractor That 's hieni, ia making up the sum reunired
was aided TO the amoun, OF $500 by another
hat Maj Barry, time Maid The nancy 10
So' Joihson who repaid 10 the person nom whom he
had received it, The contractor ara ,ha 4, was ,er
OF conversaioneween him and the Postmaster
ueher"; nor did he, IN consideration it, ever receive
any i"vor or indulgence whatever As the whole of tis
S"s1en'h appears TO have been without the agency or
knowledge OF the Postmaster Genera il cannot furnish
ground ior suspicion oil any hing wrong on his part
ihe committee deemed il, Their duty TO in, esgse eve
ny case ~hent VAS known that member OF the Depart-
menu ii"d has any dealings with cont ac or especially
u The least intnaon given of suspicion of amy
thing improper A letter was received bv ~. o,;,,
from ci'iZen oil PennsS vania charging uppn be.sov
c""shce' ha OF an extra allowance oil l0OD0 dollars on
The contract OF Reside SIsymaker in which Mr. Tom
hnson was also inerestrd Messis Reefide, saymaker
and ioniinson, received 5000 dollars and that mo
oheI looo had heen retained by Mr.. Brown the Chief
c,eik oil me Department We therefore, took testimony
OF all The witnesses TO whom had been referred i'm said
, an" ,he charge was not sustained by evidence but
was iuiIy disproved. loan of money was made hy
Siessrs SiAymaker aud Reside Mr. Brown " lch bad
oeen III part repaid, and part reneius sill unpsid but
appears on The cleares testimony 10 be loau Of NANCY
On interest and does not furnish ground for con of
any thing improper. II also appt AIRED ,bat Mr. Rroy
sone uhie before this loan, made loan on interest 10
mr. Porter contractor, OF several thousand dollars:
anu afterwards made an additional loan Mr.. Por
. ~ should seem extraordinary, that he should bor-
row money on interest," While he had money loaned on, at
interest the explanation is found the circumstance that
ne acted as the agent Of the late Doctor and had
eeNeu ms money to The Of several and dol
as ne'ore his dea that he has continued TO act az the
or ms widow and his orrhSn Children and has been
III 'ne mao" OF receiving er money the present time
which he keeps at interest," distinct fund for er he
menus anu that II was OF Thu fund iiat he made the loan IN
Mr. Porter; but that the money bich he borroweJ ss
W purchase property lot his individual heneG These
sfe all transactions of private character having no rla
on 20 oiheia condnc out they broug Il. TO view
~ 'he course oil The examination Of Witnesses we have
!hough 1t p oper to them for the puruoe oG chow
ihs mat every Thing which might, by po.shHy have
CONNIE xion win ocisl relations, has been carefully scru
mere Is nothing subsiamtiated in HE ,ransaciion
Ia relation TO MIR. Brown which can Justify sunico, of
many different routes, vel, s.,.,-.. 49,.
most Of the contracts which bear his name he asocai-
ed with others who very largely Interested with him
The committee have inquired into al his existing con-
tracts On all the routes in which he is Interested, the
nal - carried IN stages OF in eamhodt; and their extent
Is 1882 miles IN length, which than all post
roads IN The United States 10 in 1891 On these
routes the mail is transported annually, l7l3,9 I0 miles
FOR this service, tile present compensation is SII9 $40
per year, equal six of cent nrr
mile On 30 miles OF these roads, The mail is transported
three times day. OH 526 miles day; on SSl mes
ddily and on f35 nilts, three times week H. where
IL is transported moe Than day. he should he al
lowed compensation Tor the service be ond once
~, mir,
aud sevcn-enihs OF a cent per mile. Ne have also
compared the compensation which MIR. Reesds no
receives, with what he received under his contracts
made III 1927, under s late Postmaster General It ap
pears that he them transported the mail 1872 o. miles
per abnun, at an annual compensation OF 1872 60,
equal to eleven cents and tenths Of cent per mile
Uncr those contracts the hail transported over 573
miles OF post road, 80 miles OF which il was carried
twice day Tor six days IN each week. IL in that
there had been compensation allowed Tor the service
beyond once day, the compensation would amount 60
thirteen cents per mile We pursued these Investigations
10 ascertain whether there Is any ground Tor spicon that
special aVor have heen ex'esded Mr.. Ree.ide under
the present Administration OF that Department. and il does
not appear that the slightest ground for suspicion
exists lie performs the service at much lower rate
than under the former Administrations and il does not an
pear m he hasever received compensation, but FOR
vices rendered FULLY equivalent the same.
An Investigation Instituted before the committee ID
ascertain whether he Mr.. Reside had afforded 10 the
Postmaster General such perunsry aid lrou, which an
Inference might he drawn, that he might thereby become
tie Object Of special favor win the Department Upon an
examination toto tins subject, appeared that the a'ny
been there for me attending his sick SOU wilt
under the Of physician that place. That the
Postfnsster General, when wilt bis family PHI
lddephs, concluded TO hs fmiiy, including III.
SON. nom that place. at earlier period rhon had been in
tended, md 10 enable him 10 discharge The demands
him. Oh aimed BON Mr.. Reesle 1900 dollars upon an ac
cepiauce Of short date, which paid when il Tell due
From Til ransactiOn. wholly unwilling TO dfa "
sOy unlaVOrabic inference. In II discern nothing
but hc performance Of kind Office, for h n praise ra
thfr than censure, is due.
The committee examined carefully into all eases where
complaints se, wheie any suspicion in.iat
ed OF iavorsn having been extended by The Departures
oany contractors os Of any improper exercise U the dis
creon VI the Postmaster General in granting allowance
Every such became the subject Of rigid scruny an,
not single instance Of alleged abuse has Ueen omitted bS
the committee.
The route between Bsitinore, Md and Chanbersburg
Pa, II miles, on which James Rceside is contractor wa
among those which examiner by tie committee.
IL appeared That the pf0posa OF James Reside rdnspor
c mail OF this route, accepted AT 1909 dollars yea
and To under his I've received The rate
S.10o dollars ycsr FROM Tie OF he SCI
vice under bis Contract jan 1882 I'LL the 3lst Dec 1888
when n reduced 10 1900 dollars. On iDvasiiga
ton, II found that bis proposal contained two D o.
positions, the hfsi TO cary tie mail daily in four hois,
IOsi coaches advertised, which leave UsnsOf
daily, al a. ~ and arrive at Chambersburg the SANE
day by P IN, II hours leave ChanbcrsbuTg every d.,
at ~, and at Baltimore lhe same day by .
M, ID hours; and 10 perform the Tor 1900 dollar
per annun. The other proposition was, to leave Bats
daily after The arrival OF Else steam oa from, PhIa
dcbia, and arrive al Chambersb0fg day In time
connect With the mails from Philadelphia Piitsbure
Tor he annual compensation of 3 1876 dollars. The steam
boat ~ that time lett Philadelphia in the afternoon and
rived Baltimore esily hour the ming;
the mail from rhilsdepha for Pntsbnfg passed ihroug
-. a.