Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-02-03
Twcnty-tmird Congress---sed. s,ess.
REPORT UPON THE POsT-OFFICE.

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REPORT UPON THE POsT- OFFICE
WAsniNcToS, January 27.-In the Senate, yesterday,
MIR. Ewing from the Committee the General Post
Office, (Which the reader will rccocc sat by order of
the Senate during the late of grcss made
Report
The reading of this Report occupied the Senate until
the usual hour of adjournment aud concluded
when the Senate adjourned.
AS it is doubtful whether it will ever be possible for
us TO publish the whole of this Report (owever desira
bic 1t would be TO do SOY have awaited ourselves of
casual opportunity to make such abstract of the Re-
port, in this and the following columns time allows
without limiting ourselves to that part only of it which
has hccn rerd in the Senate.
The Report notwithstanding its large volume aud the
evidence which it carries OH its face and in its bulk of
great labor and perseverance, not defntve but rather
report OF the progress of the committee, far they
have gone.
The Report after stating the meeting of the commit.
tee IN this city, the 18th of September last and the
accommodation of in the Posoficc afforded to
them Tor their sittirgs, commences with dccpon of
the confused state ihe Books of the Post-occ which
rendered il impractcablc TO ascertain with any thing
like accuracy, the true state of the finances of the Post
ONCE or oil the accounts ofndivduas with it, In many
cases. the state OF account in important particulars
was only TO be gathered from pencmarks in the margin
of the books OF naccuracy of these, accounts seye
raj instances stated of which, analysis of the
Report must necessarily be very brief single instance
quoted from the Report, follows, must
ample
.' Your Committee called for the account of James
tccside and IT was shown to them the ledger when
there appeared balance against him, on the ist April
1854, OF $1o,369 OI. The accounting officers, how
ever informed your Committee that the ledger did not
present all thecreds to which Mr. Rcesde was emit
tied, and they have since exhibited an contain
ing many additional credits, by which there appears TO
be balance in his favor the LIST Juy, 1884 of 81
$40 50, making difference of about SCI 900 some
OF the credits bear date between lst of April and
LIST of July, but large part of the amount is made up
OF entries which if entitled at all place in the
count belonged to date prior TO the st of April 1884
The correctness of those several credits will be consd
cred III another part of this report
In consequence of the difficulty experienced by the
committee from these causes in arriving at true results,
from the books, the committee employed account
ants unanimously approved, to examine and audit the
books in which business these persons have been and
still diligently engaged the result of whose labors the
committee will report when arrived and examined
Meanwhile, with the materials in their possession the
committee enter noan elaborate comparison the reports
OF the present ss late PostmaSer General and of the
reports Of f present Postmaster General with facts
disclosed ny the books &c TO which nothing hut lite
nn4ng) Of the whole of this part or the report DO
Justice yhcrc IL one Paragraph of ii, however, which
so forcby attracted attention. that have thought
proper, by extracting make exception to the
rest 1t is as follows:
There is one other item introduced into the state
nent OF the 10Th December, 1884, of which your
mittec knew nothing until since their former report and
did not even suspect its existence. II is balance
against contractors for payments made them prior to the
LIST April 1884, for The current services of the quar-.
ter, which ended that day, and for prior services
winch had not yet been placed their credit S2rI-
Sy' IS Your committee did not suppose fund Of
this character and amount existed to the credit of
the Department, because they knew, by former
statements, that there very large sums 0cu-
any dne to contractors Tor services fully and faithful
~ performed, in previous quarters, Which the Depart
ment was bound in good faith and in Justice to nav
Those sums actually due were not paid for want of
funds Large sums were also borrowed from Banks
on interest and it seemed uncomfortable that under
these circumstances, so large of money should
have been advanced to few contractors before they
were entitled to receive it by the of their CON
tracts But the present investigation has satisfied your
Committee, that very large sums were, and still are,
due from contractors for illegal payments and advances
OF money, and that this at least, and probably
much larger sum, ought to be reclaimed from them
and placed to the credit of the Department {"
The next topic embraced in the report is that OF the re-
moval of Postmasters without cause, TO make way for
mere partisans in many wholly unworthy of credit
or confidence, &c In tile prosecution of their inquiry
into the cause of these removals. the committee were as
the reader already knows met by refusal of the Post
master General TO furnish the committee with the infor
nation demanded, in letter which the Postmaster
General with dsrespect towards the committee that is
merely alluded to in the report caused be published in
the official journal here within few days after the date
of the transaction. This branch ofthc Report concludes
at follows:
Your Committee did not think it incumbent on them
TO enter into discussion with the Posmas; eneral
on the subject of their respective rights and duties nor
do they now think it proper in this paper TO examine
them, or to blend argument constitutional law with
the facts which they we're required to examine and re-
port to the Senate This refusal of the Postmaster
General to permit the inspection of those papers on al
legged constitutional grounds, which applied alike to the
whole class of above referred TO- which rest on
the same principle of course put end 10 this branch
of the investigation. Finding the doors closed upon
them here they turned their attention to other subjects
of inquiry, touching the condition of the Depart.
The Report then proceeds TO the examination of tho
practice of the Department in making contracts in
manner contrary to law, and equally Unauthorized by
regard equity and to the public interest The account
of the Impr0red Bids which have had such an unorti-
nate agency in the present insolvency Of the Post Office
will be to many of readers We therefore CO.
Ply it:
practice has of late prevailed extensively in this
Department of advertising proposals for carrying the
mail on the principal mail routes in different manner
from that in which il is in fact to be carried--of re-.
ceving bids for carrying it in different manner from
that in which it is advertised, which arc called i'm
PToUed bids'of accepting the bids made all tore.
Tier, and entering their acceptance applicable TO that
part Of the bid which conforms 10 the advertisement
and Immediately changing them TO the improrcd hid,
and executing the contract; thus in effect letting OF
making the contract without 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 Report then goes 70 shcw that i'm regard to all
this class Of Improved bids which have been made the
ground Of Extra allowances there important discrc
panccs between the Reports Of the Postmaster enera
and the Blue Book 0hc printed list of contracts and al
lowances) and between the Blue Book and tho actual
contracts and that of them are to be relied upon
The practice Of aowine ihese Improve ids" md
ing these extra allow the
| the door wide open to sis
sion. And the Repo nc
thus:
" The public of the purposes or ,
wishesct y rs to the time and manner q.