Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1835-02-05

So that the whole sum paid to Rcesije,
which Is founded on no law no aP'
paten, justice 3ilO 1871 IS
Ifiho nan,o Of Mr. RESIDE make thus prom
inen figure IN this summary, it is because IL does
50 in the Report, aud not from any preference o.
ours. The private pccuniaty transactions of the
same citizen with the Postmaster General and with
the Chief Cesk Of tho General Pos. Office arc
brought into view 10 connection win the argeness
of his extra allowances. So also are hs lonn to the
| Chief Clerk, 60. u BRowN) and said BRowNis
alleged partnerships IN the contracts Of h. PoRT ea,
upon which large extra allowances have been made
NC. In relation to these passages OF the Report, IA
II is ,mprae,eable for us TO give the whole we for
benr making extracts which might only give par.
tial and imperfect view Of them.
Adverting again to the generally confused man
ner IN winch the largest and mos, important nc
counts ofthc Post Office kept, the Report PRE-
SCENTS the following curious instance
! In examining the aceoun, of Jaw, Reesde,
| your Committee found to his credit tho follow
| ing
1888. April 30 Cash deposited in the North
We stern bank Of Philadelphia, SO 900 E"
| Your Committee, While in Philadelphia, exam.
med the Books OF the North Western Bank, md
| oboned statement of his transactions with the
Post Office Depurtmen', Ivy which IT appears that
this sum was raised by Recside on draft drawn
by himself in favor Of Il G, Stockton, and accepted
| by o. b. Brown, Chief Clerk, dated the Goth day
of Amll, 1894, and payable three months after
date, which draft was paid by tho Department AT
maturity so that, as the transaction stood al The
time The account OF Rccsde wns mnde oul and
presentcd TO the Committee, he Wns entitled to no
! credit arising from this transaction. II credit
were entered on the books at the time the draft was
| negotiated then when the drni, Was paid by the
| Department., there sh)uld have been n charge OF
an equal sum against Reeslde, 10 balance H. This
WINS not done and this sum stood credit 10
Rces,de, and helped to reduce balance OF S5i 800
VI, which, Notwithstanding his large extra allow
ahees, stood against him on tho books of tho DC.
pattmont ON the LIST April 1891 Your Committee
called upon Obadiah B, Brown To explain this
transaction he stated that the draft on which Rec
side ,alscd this money had not become duo unit,
some time IN the month Of November that since
| that Time there had been no settlement with the
Bank, 80 that no credit could in the ordinary
course OF things, be entered. A member Of your
COMMITTEE, then in the herring of the witness,
asked Tor the statement Of tho CASHIER Of the Yves
tern Bank of Phlludclphin and the paper not being
IN the Committee room II was sent for, and tho wit
ness WAS dismissed until II should be brought in.
After short time the witncss returned stated TINT
he Ind been mistaken that the charge against Mr..
|
mistake entered against Il, &. Stockton, but that
| he had promptly corrected the entry on the books
and TIM, 1t was now ull right, Your Committee
directed The witness TO bring 10 he books in which
he had made tho correction he did so, md II show
cd no less than seven eyasnye5 and CHANGES nj en-
| Try which ho had caused to bc made In tho books
IN Tho short time TINT yoIr Committee had rcspcd
him from examination. Tho credit which IL duo TO
books thus kept and thus altered to sui, tho emer.
senclcs Of the occasion, Gun bc readily appreciated
by the Senate
Alter rerilng the testimony OF G. X. GARDNER,
ono ofihc Assistant Pcsmosters dcrcrol, in re-
gard To this particular transaction, the Committee
sum up the case as follows
e" Thus when these accepanoes ore made they
ore credited 10 the contractor much money prd
by him to the use OF the Department though he, in
fact, pays nothing, but merely lends his name ns a
drnwer or cndorscr--ihe same sum ~ charged "a
the Bank as SO much deposited to tho credit OF the
Department, and tho draft IL at lsst taken up by
check, which IL certified to be for transportation
by the three officers who, according to the improve,
system OF checks, or disbursement, adopted by Mr.
Borry, are required 10 certify every check whci
issues from The Dcparlment-Bu by c1amirin.
these debts and credits and certificates for trans
portation, no accountant, however skilf.l could us
certain TINT such cxpcdcnls had been resor,ed to
.
=, fcntcs, upon whatever grounds they may DO sup
! ported are contrary to the plain facts Of the case
After advcrling farther to the ensures in tn
books Of the Office the conf citing testimony Of wi,
l. nesses, &c. all Of which we are obliged 10y want
s time 10 pass by for the present, the Report comes
: the following conclusion, 10 which VT give nse
ton nj nrgc, as no less due TO the importance of tn
u subject than TO tho indcfal able abos Of tho il
y telligent Committee by whom II has been prepared
. " So numerous and so great are tho abuse
= which have grown W in this Department. that 70
form has become absolutely necessary but the mcu
snres by which it is to lie effected are by no moan
u free from embarrassment They ore the more d.
d fcult, us many Of the evils which require remod
do not nrIse from defects in the existing law, bu
from an habitua disregard Of plain legal provisions
They may, however, be principally traced to tn
> absolute and unchecked power which single in
dlvldual holds the and disbursement
and oil the vast machinery of this Department.
" The checks Of various inferior officers upor
, each other are Of no value when all are guided az,
controlled in their acts by one domnnn, will
Within the comparatively short period Of City
FIVE years this Department has arisen from fc,b
beginning until it has acquired revenue equal Il
that Of the Union itself at the time of its organic
} ton and its extensive and diversified operations
It's patronage, its resources, and lis power must
by the mere force of circumstances, go on increos
ing indefinitely, with the increase of our country il
population, business, and wealth
1.-THE annual Reports Of the Postma,ier g cncra
src Of little value as restraint upon the Hand Of
the Department, or a. incans Of calling public
attention to his official conduct. These E,i,oil $
may be true, yet the state Of affairs which they IN
dcate cannot be understood without that careful cx
| animation, which few none will feel willing TO