Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-06-19
osT OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
VIEWS OF THE MINORITY.
rcoNcLUDED.1

town. in Maryland, at the time when the arti-
cles of agreement referred to in MIR. Browns
statement were entered into between the Penn
sylvana and National Road Companies-that
that agreement contained an article tending to
injure him by driving him off the road; and
that he learned from Mr. Carter and Mr.. Tom
lnson, that MIR. Brown received fifty dollars of
Mr. Garter for the part he had taken in bring
inc about that agreement. For the part which
Mr. Brown took, we refer to his statement on
oath, by which it appears that he was not the
author of the articles of agreement nor were
they dictated by him-that he was only the
means of bringing the parties together, and
urging the necessity of an adjustment of their
differences, and that he wrote articles for them
after the parties had agreed upon the terms;
and that what he received from one OF the COM
panies was on account of the expense which
he had incurred in performing journey to
Pittsburgh and Wheeling, for the purpose of eff
fecting an agreement between his friends. Mr..
Horton was not a mail contractor nor did he
carry the mail in the stages which he was run
ming. 1t was rather an opposition line to Mr.
Stockton, the contractor. If an agreement be-
tween the companies, who were contractors,
operated to the detriment of an opposition line
upon either of their roads, we do not conceive
it to be proper subject of interference, either
BY the department or any other branch OF the
Government Every citizen has a lawful right
to run line of stages upon any highway, at his
pleasure; and the proprietors of other lines, In
making their arrangements for passengers, are
under no obligation in law to guard his interest
But as this is a matter which has no reference
10 the transportation of the mall but pasSen-
gers only, and that i'm stages which do not car
nv the mail, nor bear any relation to the depart
ment, it is not proper subject of inquiry or
interference on our part. There was nothing
official in the transaction, nor any thing over
which either the department or Congress could
exercise any control.
Mr. Horton also swears that he has been en-
ieavoring for four year past to get contracts
from the department, but he has not been able
10 succeed; that he has been the lowest bidder,
he believes, dozen times. yet the contracts
are always given to others. He instances two
mail between Washington and Winchester, via
Leesburg, for 1900 dollars, but the contract was
given to MIR. Stockton at $500 dollars
We have examined this case, and find the
facts to be as follows The route from Washing
ON City, by Leesburg, to Winchester, 20 miles,
and from Fairfax G.. II. TO Winchester, Sc
miles, both three times week. in four horse
post coaches, were proposed to be taken by
Messrs. Stockton Stokes, in 1880, at 1000
dollars for the two routes, with the improve
ment on the former to run six times week, for
half of each year, between Washington and
Leesburg, and to run three times week be-
tween Alexandria and Leesburg and to extend
L.
ngton to Baltimore so as to deliver the Lees
onrg mail in Baltimore the same day it leaves
:Ieesburg, instead of suffering it to be detained
m Washington until the next day.
Mr.. Horizons bid on the route.from Washing
ton by Leesburg to Winchester, was for $3.50
n year, and the lowest bid on the route from
Fairfax G.. Fl. to Winchester, was 1900 dollars
If Mr. Horizons bid had been accepted on the
one route, and the lowest bid on the other route
Shen the two routes would have cost the depart
ment 3175 dollars a year. Mr.. Stockton was
already the contractor on the route; and his
Did at 1000 dollars for the two routes, with the
improvements, was accepted. The difference
vas S25 dollars year; and for that sum the
department received, by this acceptance, the
additional service of three mails week, in four
horse post coaches, between Washington and
Leesburg, and six afternoon mails week be-
tween Washington and Baltimore, by which
the mails from Winchester and Leesburg, and
other places in the northern part of Virginia,
we're delivered in Baltimore the evening of
their arrival in Washington, instead of being
detained till the next day. and the facilities of
an afternoon mail to Baltimore given to the CT
,izens Of Washington. Georgetown, and Alex
andra The Postmaster General considered
This the best bid and therefore accepted it.
The other case which he instances is that of
The route between Washington city and Lynch
purg, Va, 300 miles. He alleges that his bid
was lower than that of Mr.. Smith by $500, as
ne believes; yet Mr.. Smith obtained the con-
tract. The facts appear to be as follows: Will
liam Smith, of Virginia, had, about year be-
fore the advertising of this route, in 1880, the
period to which Horizons affidavit refers, esta-
blished line Of four horse post coaches, to run
three times a week on the whole route between
Washington and Lynchburg. When, in 1880,
the advertisement was issued for proposals for
the whole of the southern section, Mr.. Smith
proposed to renew his contract on this route at
$4,000 year, for four years, from the first of
January, 1881. Mr.. Horton proposed to take
The contract at $5450 year, as appears by the
proposal books, making difference of $50 dol
lars year, and not 1900. as Mr. Horton sup
posed. Mr.. Smith also proposed without any
further compensation, to furnish the mail with
guards, if, at any time it should become neces-
sary on the route, as it had on several other
routes He also bound himself to make such
provision for passengers on the route from Win
chester, connecting with this at Fairfax C. H.
as would supersede the necessity of extending
that route from Fairfax G. III. to Alexandria
ID miles The Postmaster General considered
NF. pliOihla Of he e