Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1835-02-26

traiion newspaper, aud received for Nj
: services as editor $500 per annum. II,
also held the press for some time undess
deed of trust, to secure him for a claim
which he had upon It, TO the amount o
$3.50; and after this was satisfied, the bal
. ance belonged 10 MIR. Thomas Billings
ITS owner. Mr. Case paid visit TO Wash
ington, and on his return informed MIR
Billings that he bad made application tc
be made postmaster, he had not 20, the
office, but did not doubt he would get il I,
and IT he was appointed, as he expected
he would continue to edit the paper as
formerly, without charging any thing
(See Doc. No. 81 After this printed
notice was issued calling a meeting al
Mr.. Gases prtrate room, of the Demo-
cratic COMMITTEE for calling caucusses,
&c, IN town This meeting was held, " Mr.
case was present, and it was stated by
some one that there had been complaints
made against the Postmaster, that he
would be undoubtedly removed and pro-
posed that Mr.. Case should be recon-.
mended as his successor; which was ac-
cordingly DONE" The petition for the an
pontment was "signed by part of the
committee, of Lowell" Mr.. Billings. one
| OF the committee attended but did no,
sign the petition; and thereupon MIR.
! Wyman was removed. and MIR. Case was
appointed, acted as postmaster, and con
tlnued his services as editor; and Mr..
! Billings, who had an interest in the press
and its proceeds, added, that he did not
know that Mr.. C. had "charged ant.
thing" for these services since his appoint
Eent. In this mode, one editor of a party
newspaper has been supported by the pat
ronage Of the department. And this post
master has not failed TO profit by other
advantages from his post Office for the
benefit of his paper. The wrappers of
letters and packages which it is customa-
ny to retain in the offices and use for send
ing other letters and packages, as long as
they can be used for that purpose have
not been so used by him. Ii has been his
constant practice" 10 send "resularly ON
every Thursday, all the wrappers and pa
pers received from other post offices as
envelopes to the printing office, TO be used
in wrapping his newspapers. MIR. Case
thought they made excellent wrappers for
the Mercury Among these papers were
sometimes found articles of another de.
scription. His apprentice In the newspa.
per office stated that he had four times
found among them "letters directed to
the Office" Once there was a package of
letters, how many he could not tell, d.
rected to Portland, Maine as soon as he
discovered them, he returned them to the
post office.-(See Doc. No. 9.
A practice has Of late prevailed exten.
sively in this department of advertising
proposals for carrying the mail on the
principal mail routes in different manner
from that in which it is in fact to be car
| ried; OF receiving bids for carrying it in a
different manner from that which is ad-
vertised, which are called "improred
bids" of accepting the bids as made all
! tog ether. and entering their acceptance as
applied TO that part of the bid which con-
forms 10 the advertisement, and immedi.
ately changing them TO the improved bid,
| and so executing the contract; thus in eff
| feet letting or making the contract with
| out advertisement. This is violation of
law, and has given rise to, and is made
the apology for other violations of law and
official duty.
The tenth section of the act of Con.
gress entitled, "an act 10 reduce into one
the several acts establishing the Post
Office Department" provides "that it
| shall be the duty of the Postmaster Gene
raj to give public notice in one newspaper
| published at the seat of Government of
the United States, and in one or more of
the newspapers published in the State or
States or Territory, where the contract is
to be performed, for at least twelve weeks
before entering into any contract for con.
1 Iuu no haf =
tended to be made. and the day on which
it is TO be concluded. describing The places
from and 10 tohich the mail is to be conreu
ed. and the time at ,chich it is to be made
up, and the day and hour at tvtich IL is 10
be delivered" The clause above cited de-
signates the only mode in which an orr
ginal contract for the transportation of the
mail can be legally entered into, except it
be under that provision relating to packets
and steamboats, which is in its terms still
/ more special and restricted. Therefore
| any original contract entered into for the
! transportation of the mail, which is not in
| pursuance Of an advertisement, thus spe-
cial and distinct in its terms, describing
the places from and 10 which the mail is
to be conveyed, and The time al uliich IL is
to be made up, and the day and hour at
trhieh II is TO be delivered" is not con.
tract made in conformity with the law
but is in violation of one Of its most iul.
This practics. ofentsfiSg into contracts
without the. observance of this provision
of the law, throwsrihe door wide open TO
unfairness, fayoritsm, and collision. The
public know nothing Of the purposes or
the wishes of the department as TO the
time and manner Of transporting the mails,
except through the medium Of the public
advertisement, and the honest business
man who would wish to seek contract
through fair competition. would naturally
suppose that bid pursuant TO the adver-
tisement would be the one, and the only
one by which he could procure such con