Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1835-03-05

Wv" VI N~oo w cvHHiuo lot one year"
for running through in two days and a
half, instead of thsee days and half.
Ia the letter of the Postmaster General
Of the 80 March, 1854. document 1873
page 46J this contract is thus stated.
"saa. Hays & Bennett were the con-
tractors for carrying the mail from Belle
lonte TO Meadville, 1875 miles, three times
week and back ia stages, from list Jan.
1898, to the 3lst December, 1881. at an
annual compensation of $4,000
They were allowed on the 9Th OF Janu.
ary. 1880, for so expediing the mail az
TO perform the tripsin two and hall days
instead OF three and half. from, Ian. I.
1880, 10 3lst Dec. 1881, at the annual
rate ofS50o"
Preparatory 10 the lettings 10 Oct: 1881.
this route was advertised to run through
in stages in two days and seven hours.
Il. Plat s. Co bid Mt $3.50;
Moore, Libo s. Co at 1850: and
y. x Bennett at IS 500, in four horse
post coaches; and tho bid Of r Plat and
Company was accepted.
On the 9th OF October, after the accept.
anee of this bid, letter appears 70 have
been addressed by J. and B Bennett To
~ the Postmaster General, still pressing
their claim 20 the contract Then fovnw
letters aAa petitions from various ndiyidA
uals. praying that the mail be carried in
four horse post coaches instead of two
horse stages. and that j. and n. Bennett
might have the contract And on the
10Th OF December. 1881. there appears
to have been a letter written nj Washing
ton city addressed to Obadiah II. Brown.
by w. w. Fenton, who seems 10 have
been member Of the firm Of r.. Plat &
Co. agreeing 10 relinqush his bid on thi,
route. Il the REIMBURSEMENT he not per-
mllted TO injure his standing with Tie de-
partmeni; and the contract is granted TO
the Bennetts at So 300 year.
The language Of this letter, copy OF
which IS appended 10 this. report. evident
~ conveys the idea that The writer was
yielding something which the department
wished should be yielded. He proposes
the terms on which he viii give up his
bid. and adds. "uness The REIMBURSEMENT
be accepted on these terms, ought in
justice 10 aahere to the contract.n There
must have been some kind Of negotiation
going on. or some wish expressed 10 get
clear OF the accepted bid Of Plat &. Co,
otherwise a member OF that company
could not have written such letter as
this. The Postmaster General had no
legal right 10 eyoncrate that company
from their bid, on any terms; his duty 10
the county required. not only that he
should allow. bur that he should require
the performance of the contract on the
terms offered by the lowest bidder But
why this effort to put aside other and bet
ter bidders, and give the contract 10 these
individuals
II was noticed in the former report Of
your committee. that John Bennett was
an active and Efficient supporter OF tho
present Administrations. aud that he was
the owner Of partizsn press in Mead
willie, PenasylvanIa, one of the term ma
lions OF The mail route on which hc rot
this contract, The Posin. ter General.
~ h's address TO the people Of the United
States, does, il is true, deny the correct
ness Of the statement. lie SAYS. - Is.
Bennett was never known a. a politician
or on editor; be never owned printing
establishment, or had any concern ~ q
50 far as he or his partner en-
tertaIned political partialities they were in
favor OF the late administration and OPP
posed 10 the present.
These assertions appear, however, 10
have been made somewhat at random /:
and they come in direct collision with tho
evidence taken by your committee. II is
proved by the testimony Of Benjamin
Bennett. that his brother was strong
supporter OF the present administration
and, on the subject Of the partizan press.
Andrew Smith, the brother in law Of John
Bennett, tesiiiies as follows.
"ln 1881. MIR. William w. Perkins
had commenced the paper in February or
March; he continued il I'LL some time in
August of said year. and perhaps longer.
In August, as far as my memory serves
me, he made an assignment Of said press
to David Dick and Henry G. BasIer, In
trust for The benefit of his creditors. On
the 2ist November, 1891. MIR. John Benz
nett made purchase from the asslgnees
of this press Perhaps the next day, Ben
nett mentioned 10 me what he had done
also observed there was Ten dollars Of the
purchase money left TO me TO pay. He
stated there had been a meeting Of a few
of them together, and proposed 10 pur-
chase the press, and authorized him to
make the purchase. Judge Barlow. and
John Ill. Work, and Edward A. Reynolds,
are the only ones OF them, chat now re-
collect. who were TO pay part. assented
TO the arrangement for my part On ex-
animation OF his papers since bis death,
find the sum Of eighty dollars, as paid by
him, entered as charge against the press.
The whole cost was one hundred and ten
dollars. Mr.. Perkins commenced the pa
per as neutral press three or four
months before be assigned be came out in
flavor of the present administration. The
wear before, and before Perkins owned il.
i was an anii-masonic paper. Between
The period of the assignment and sale, The
paper FOR portion Of the time was not
edited, Perkins edited ii after the sale.
Bennett had no claims on Perkins at the
TING &c ihe assinnlnenf. that | know Of