Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-03-27

entitled to the highest respect, that the in the
proved FORM finally contracted for, better worth
to the Department and the public the put at,
IN the bid and contract than the service advcrs
ed at the amount asked for it,
tabular statement is embraced in the minority re-
port Tor the purpose OF showing that the mail carried
less distance annually under the improved bid, than
under the advertised proposals. The dcccpycncss of
The comparison thus made, is exposed by the fact that
five routes two Of which daily in horse post
coaches, two IN stages twice and three times week,
and one horseback, week, are omitted i'm the
calculations under the head of the improved bid. al
though taken into the calculation under advertised
proposals. These routes, well the rest were EN-
braced in the improved bid and duly placed in contract
all of them, TO Magce Il Co. or their assignecs But
these the only errors of the statement There
is admitted in the calculations under the improved bid
the daily mail in ourhorse post coaches from Penn Yam
to Geneva; and the daily mail from Geneva TO Bath is
calculated running only four times per week Such
inaccuracies must create distust in The
which the minority base their argument. Whilst ON
the other hand the testimony shews that the Depart
hent IN accepting the improved bid adopted the best
and cheapest mail arrangement, and paid the con-
tractors no more than moderate compensated for their
services
There in operation in each year. 23OO contracts
The Committee have questioned the proceedings of the
Department in only ninety, oftiose embraced within
period extending from lS2B In 1885, that is less than nine
out OF every thousand The transactions in relation to
those contracts from which the committee appear to have
drawn their corollares. very small when compared
WIN the immense mass and variety ofts other business
and interests.
The concluding remarks of the committee are general
and therefore do not admit of any regular specification
facts to dsprove them. They purport be given as
coroaries from the report and alike applicable to
every administration OF the Department But the pro.
position contained in the Report shown to act-
tious; and therefore they establish corollarcs They
are without proof and without foundation. The com
mttec have not noticed single act OF the Department
as worthy of appreciation. Is it because none can be
found? OR is there indispostion to acknowledge
themf M'rs tian tlrce-fourihs of the improvements
made in the transportation OF the mail the under
signed came into the department. have been done much
below the pro rata expenses aud the average expense for
transportation is less than at any former period. The
bed and the transportation steamboats, and stages is
nearly three times as great as il was i'm s2o The num-
Der OF post Offices has been increased from 5000 TO 063
The revenues arising from hostages have increased more
than fifty per cent The losses known have been
tanned by mail deprcdatons and robberics within the last
i've years. do not exceed the amount of what had for
mer time. been sustained in year. System and
ganzaon have lcen given TO the receipts and payments
oil moneys, so as to guard against individual respon-
sibhty or temptation. Lines of stages have been cs-
tablisbed TO the western boundary OF Nissouri TO ST
Augustine in Florida through Indiana by the scat of
Government in that State through the whole territory
OF Michigan and State of Illinois, from Detroit to Chica
GO and from Chicago to ST Louis, in Missouri The mail
transported between this place and ~ Orleans in half
the time which formerly occupied Lines of post
coaches have been established from Nashville to Mem
phs ON the Mississippi river, in TENNESSEE from Tus-
cuInba, IN Alabama, to Nachez, in Mississippi; from
Iuscumbia TO Tuscaloosa, the seat of Government i'm
Alabama; and from Tuscaloosa to Montgomery com
pcting direct line from Nashville in Tennessee dali
the other Western States, to the city of n Orleans
seni-wecky line of twohose stages has been improved
to trweeky line of iourhorsc post coaches from this
city, through lynchburg, in Virginia, Salisbury North
Carolina, lorkville, South Carolina and Washing on
to Mledgeville, in Georgia. The from Augusta
TO Savannah, IN Georgia; from Augusta Charleston
South Carolina; from Charleston Columbia the seat
OF Government in that State and from Aillcdoeyillc
In Georgia To Mobile, in Alabama, have all been mprov
ed from tri-weeky to daily lines of post-coaches A
t-wecky line of post coaches has been established from
Augusta the northern border OF Georgia. through that
State, TO Tallahassee and TO Pensacola, in Florida The
mails from the Seat of Government and Atlantic cities
have been so expedited TO to Cincinnati i'm Ohio
to Louisville, in Kentucky, to Nashville, in Tenncss
"a l.OnlS in in
time than was formerly occupied and TO Nashville they
have been improved from tri-weekly a daily line
These are but few among the many improvements which
nave been made IN mail transportation and in facilitating
the transit of travellers The impetus given by the De-
partment to the spirit of improvement the CELEBRITY and
convenience OF travelling is every where felt and
knowedged The expense of these improvements is but
little compared with their utility and the public have en-
Try Not cei!t been drawn from the Treasury nor
was IL ever anticipated desired from that source The
mpro emens, taken in the aggregate have cost much
less than the ratio of expense for the service before per
formed They incurred debt, which, at its greatest
amount was less than sixth part ola years revenue
OF the Department. and the increase which they are Civ
ing to the revenue is rapidly liqudatng that debt
While the Committee giving constructions
10 the law, the undersigned was quietly acquiescng in
what ne could not doubt to be violation both of the
stiiution and law, their part The constitution does
not recognise the power of either House of Congress
act when they not in session When the session ter
inmates, the legislative authority of the House ermi-
natc and the power TO act by a committee, when the
power OF action with the constituent of that committee
has ceased, be admitted. commission MIGHT
be established by law, by Joint resolution of the two
Houses constutonally passed. to the authority of
such commission every patriot would cheerfuy bow;
but the power OF one branch of the legislature
ute such commission to during the recess in the
exercise othe underlined and their proceedings
subject TO principle of law is unknown consii-
uton and every act of such commission or committee
is regarded violation of the constitutional rights of
the officer or individual who may be affected by such act
The power exercised by the committee of trying OFF,
Ger or notwithstanding verdict, and nfictng upon
hun the heavy penalty of public censure without con-
fronting him with the witnesses against hm-witlout
giving HIM an opportunity of being heard in defence
without apprising him of accusation against hints
regarded violation of the Constitution and the VS.
and destructive of the vital principles of government
In all this the undersigned has quietly ucquiesccd
the only means of being heard, he presumes ad-
dress himself TO the Representatives of the American Peo
pie 10 the judgment of an enlightened public he is will
ing to submit Let the facts they exist be known
Let every official act of his life, without color or com
men be spread before the people, and in their decision
he will cheerfly acqucsce Conscious ofhc rectitudc
OF intention which has always governed him. he cannot
consent To the sacrifice of his reputation without eff
fort TO sustain it, IL is all he sought and all that he
has acquired 1t is dear to him than life OF for
uneit is the best legacy he bequeath to his chill
dTen; and while nducement could persuade him TO
forfeit the claim, lac confdcs in the Justice and magnan
nifty of the House to sustain him in the effort to confirm
to them this invaluable bequest.
have the honor to be- with high regard
Your obedent servant,
w Il. BARRY.