Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1835-02-09
23l Congress-2d Session,
MINORITY REPORT ON THE POST OF.
FICE


We have mentioned our intention to publish an
abstract OF the Report of the Minority of the Sc.
mates Post Office Committee; and we find in the
Globe OF yesterday mn article, purporing to he an
Abstract, which were given to understand
would be prepared for tfat journal. This Abstract.
however, travcrses, for the most part passages of
the Majority Report which, in our synopsis of il,
we either passed over entirely, or noticed superfci.
ally, in such manner that the defence of the Post
Office, in these particulars would be wholly unin.
tellie,be, unless we were to insert at large the
statements IN the first Report, which are not now
within our reach, and, if they were, could no, be
inserted, because OF their length. We shD there
fore make synopsis Of the Globes Abstract fitting
It's parts, as we'll as we can, TO the notice which we
have elre ndy taken of The Report Of the Majority
of the Committee. MAT. mi.
The "Abstract' goes over the financial compa-
rison of this years with last years estimates Of the
liabilities OF the Pos Office, &c, making il GU, to
be great deal less than the estimate of the mao-
rly OF the committee. The Abstract then re-
counts the visit of the committee TO Providence,
Boston, and Lowell TO inquire int, the alleged i'm
positions practsed by contractors in the supply of
wrapping paper and Irvine, &c. &c, and states the
opinion that these allegations are not well founded
The Abstract then goes into an examination of
The connection of o. B. Brown, Chief Clerk in the
Post Office, with mail contractors, in various par
ucuars, concluding the examination follows.
The committee Of opinion that oil SUCH
transactions. whether for the benefit of the ndv
dual himself others, are wholly improper and
inadmssibe, and their repetition cannot be too IL
sIdIy guarded against, and Mr.. Brown himself ap-
pears TO have come 10 the same conclusion from his
testimony"
The Abstract" then continues
In the account of James Reside he appeared
TO be credited with the sum Of $40 900 on account
of draf. drawn by him on the Depart ment, and
accepted by IT, for the purpose of raising money for
It's use. There was 20 corresponding charge
against him in the account furnished In the nves-
tlga,ion of this subject, Mr. Brown, un,intention
ally doubt, stated in his testimony that the draft
was for six months, and that the time had not ar
rived when the account was made out, when the
charge could be properly made against Reside, the
draft not having been paid by the Department He
afterwards voluntarily corrected his error, and pro-
duced the original draft, which payable al
three months instead Of six, and stated that there
two drafts of the same date and for the same
amount, each-one draw by Reeslde and endorsed
by Stockton, and one drawn by Stockton and en-
dorscd by Rceside-and lha, in making the original
memorandum, from which the entries were made in
othcr-ha, is, he had stated Stocklon's as OF three
months ins'ead Of Resides, and that the $40, 900
was charged to Stockton instead of ReesiJc and
that he had caused the books Of the Department to
bc corrected on the day of giving his testimony
The committee think that the error was uninten-
tional yet, while subjcc, Of that kind was under
investigation by committee of Congress, no
change or alteration should be made in the books
and that explanations showing the errors, and how
they should be corrected, ough. alone TO be relied
on
1t also appears that shortly before the Bank OF
Maryland failed, Mr.. Brown had deposited in it
So, 600 Of his own money. Tha, after the failure
he transferred the certificate Of deposte, which bore
| five per cent. interest, 10 the Department, and
caused the Department to be credited in The books
of the Bank for the same the Department then be-
! ing indebted to the Bank in considerable amount
and also procured crcd, in the books OF The De-
parlment for tho amount to himself.
| "Thc unusual number and amount OF extra al
lowances 10 mail contractors, has boon examined
and the principal cause which has produced them
is believed to be that the Department has not al
some of the lettings Of mail contracts, advertised
for sufficient amount Of service hence has arisen
| the necessity Of an Immediate enlargement OF The
service and compensation and the spirit OF the law
whrch dcsisacd that full and fair competition