Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-06-11
ALEXANDRIA,.
WEDNESDAY MORNING, JUNE II 100,
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.

20
neral Post Office had been made, and that ito.
Posed degree of rottenness and corruntios
which will astonish this nation. The No.
shows that the labors of the Senate Cornmi...
have been intense; and the zeal, fidelity ~
accuracy of research, with which their i,,,o-.,
cations were pursued, reflect the highest cra,,
on the majority, Messrs. Ewing, CLAYTON 49,,
Frelinghuysen. The following ANALYSIS &c
Report is g ven in the National IntellGenoo
The Report sets out with stating, as tbo
suit of the investigations by the Committsa &C
the Department is largely insolvent IN una
ton to which, the Committee report that the po'
Master General has, from time to time borro W
ed large sums OF money for the Use of the Pc. ~
flee, without any authority flaw Some NJ ~
loans, it is stated were made during the Iast
sion of Congress, at the commencement ofwb;s@
the Postmaster General had reported the Danar'
ment to be IN possession of considerable -,
plus Of funds. The Report goes on to state ~.
debts and credits of the Department. as neo .s
as can be ascertained, whereby it appears % tt
the General Post Office is insolvent by ai"I
hundred and three thousand six hundred 32!
twenty-five dollars beyond all its resources
Comparing the expenses of the Post OFF,
Establishment Tor tour years preceding the con,
mencement of the present Administration VII?
the four years following them, it is stated bv fba
Committee that the expense of the last GS,.
years exceeded that the preceding four YEAR
by three millions and thirty eight thousand dcIl
lars. Within the last term of four vea7c
is true, some few mail routes have been esia;
lished but their aggregate expense bears bn, =
very small proportion to the amount OF the a.
cess thus ascertained. This excess of eYnenGj
ture, and consequent insolvency Of the Post O.
fee, is mainly attributed to mal-administrafiar
and tavoritism in the making of contracts sai
| extra allowances, Of which the Report goes o.
to spread out in detail number Of pa~tcJla.
cases, as sample of the whole.
The Report declares the reports, afaleo,.,c
and estimates Of the officers of the Fost Office q
be SO erroneous and defective as little p "a ~
lied upon: so little, that unfaVorable &C aia =,
conclusions which the Committee arrive g. !
is more probable that they fall far short o., a.
Their than exceed, the reality. In proof Of whiel
among other circumstances, it is stated tina, !,
the number OF miles in year travelled d. III
Mails, as detailed in the Annual Report o. he
Postmaster General, there is by accurat- CO..,
putation, error to the amount Of no less thar g,
ven millions two hundred thousand miles ~,
Report points out also many discrepancies e..
tween the statements in the Blue Book (t1uG a.,
signaling the biennial report Of official expens-s
made to Congress) and official and other stat.
ments, as to the amounts of contracts, axtrS -
lowances, and contingent expenses snow'r%
great inaccuracy and confusion in lh5 cccor,:S
and administration of the Departments.
The Report also condemns the PRACTICE. yhi,a
is proved to have prevailed, Of pedging The -
partment for loans obtained by contracto.c. ar,
in turn making use of the names CT contrsc,o2
to obtain money for the use Of the Depart en-.
In connection with which, the Commits :E1G3
to certain money transactions betwee@- 2cnt.i :
tors and individuals in Office III the Departmen,
which have omit in horo.. -
Committee, and which they particularg1 r..
submit without comment.
The contingent expenditures OF SIC L2gG',-
ment the allowances of money tc trG7ellir-
agents, the payment Of money to printers n r.
rious shapes, the employment Of printers IS Gu
tractors, &c, and other matters which brin
the patronage Of the Government in 3Clfic,
with the freedom of elections" are handled iii
great force and some severity by the Comm
tee: and the Report ends with series of TaSC-
lutions, decaratory Of errors. abuses, end e.
fects mostly imputable TO the admnstra ca 3.
the Post Office, but in part also Inherent il. h,
system itself, which, in the opinicr Of The Cor.
mittee, have increased, are Increasing, ere
ought to be diminished.
The following are the resolutioa5 appended
the Report, and show some Of the abuses 2hi1'
the Committee have exposed:
l. Resolved, That it is proved arr dn:i,,2u
that large sums of money have been Go-"C II
at different Banks, by the Postmaster Gen2:G:
in order to make up the defciency in he r22rc
of carrying on the business Of the FCs' CflC,
Department, without authority given D. -" 'G''
of Congress- and that, as Congress alone peg
sesses the power to borrow money or The ?feSl
of the United States, all such contracts &c? cas-
by the Postmaster General are illegal ana Fci"'
2. Resolved, That several reports of the ro5-
master General contain statements which -
subsequent papers, he admits to be erroneCrs'
that others especially, those of the 18th o. hp''
1882, and the Sd Of March, 1884, are inconsl-
tent with each other; and thai, therafcrl ~e.-
ance cannot be placed on the truth GnG Gcca'@-
cy of the communications made by he D2b2 Z
ment.
8. Resolred That it is fully p-ovec tha'
practice prevails in the Post Office Department
of granting contracts on bids which v2iy iron
the advertisements, and of changing and Gte'-
ing contracts in material respects after they hf'v
been accepted, and that this practice p:eTen
all fair competition among persons wishing %
make contracts is calculated to give undue az
vantage to favorites, and is in violation OF law
4. Resolred, That it appears, that an indlyd'
ual who made contract for the Transportation
of the mail was required to give it up for no