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


THE PosT 0FFtcE REPoRTs.--We have la,
since our last, an opportunity Of looking over tn,
report Of the Minority Of the II. 0liee committee
1t Is work OF great labor, exhibiting evidences O
unwearied Industry, with the results Of accurate
research, SO far the committee were allowed
TO carry il. The Report consists Of statement:
under yarioas heads, exhibiting the particulars Of
abuses, such as have led the Majority as well as
/ the Minority ofthc committee, TO the whitening
I conclusions which have already been published
statements Of great interest, but which cannot be
condensed, or made the subject Of abstracts
without the consumption Of more time and space
than we are able now 10 give the subject w
reserve, therefore, till after the adjournment
2 the details, Of which we then shall consider II
our duty to present as ample view as is prac-
/ ticable.
/ Notwithstanding the extent and enormify Of
the disclosures made by the committee, il ap.
pears that there is much yetto be told if the facts
could be fully arrived at Thus, the Minority
say. in the outset oftheir Report:
q Ii is doing no injustice to the Department to
say that they received no voluntary aid from any
ofits officers. What they have been able 10
find oui they know and, from what is known,
il may be inferred that much yet remains TO DC
known.
The Report Of the Minority further states -
&c 1t will be apparent, from the records of the
Committee, that from an early day OF their sess-
ion, there was a majority and a minority
The minority do not claim anything for them
selves that they do not accord TO the majority
They disclaim all party views, in entering upon,
or conducting the examination on their part, and
shall give full credtto a similar disclaimer on
the part Of The majority. The fact, however is
mentioned, as accounting in some degree, for the
mode Of bringing forward the examination, the
prolixity and rrclevancy Of portions Of the tcs-
timony, and the manner in which Il was taken.
The minority believed it their duty 10 80 for
ward, and examine into the proceedings Of the
Department, to see whether they were right or
wrong. The Majority were Of opinion that it
was not required to search for abuses, but TO eX-
anime only where probable cause was alleged
This would, in fact, have limited the examination
to abuses already discovered.
The effect of this difference of opinion will be
seen to have related 10 the calls Gu the Depart
ment for information, and 10 the production Of
witnesses"
II appears further, that the neglect Of the De-
partment to answer intcrrogatorics, absolutely
defeated, to a certain extent, the object Of the
inquiry instituted by the House of Representa-
tiyes. Thus says the Minority Report :" 1t is
but justice 10 themselves to state, the Minority
arc not responsible for the course the examiaa-
ton has taken (tac direction Of which was be-
yond their controQ or, that 50 Little has been
done, and SO much has been left uHdonc-they
do not say which ought 10 have been, but which
could not be done on account Of tie neglect 81 hie
Department 10 daSseT the Efs0f@hons o. he
Committee"
The close Of the Report, {the total of which
fills 31l manuscript pagcs) we copy entire, be
cause ii concludes with a suggestion, the signif
canoe Of which will not be lost upon cur readers
s'Thc minority have now presented TO the
House an account Of the investigations they have
been enabled TO make. Many important sub
jects other than mail contracts and extra allow
ances remain to be examined, particularly the
incidental accounts of the Department, and of
Post Offices, and the most important Of all, the
pecuniary condition of the Department
"The Committee were not authorized to re-
port by bill, or to propose any course for the ac
ton Of the House much less would the Minori-
" feel themselves warranted in Offering an OPT
mon as TO what that course shouId be--whcther
TO revise the pest Office laws aone-or TO exer-
else the Constitutional power Of the House as the
grand inquest OF the Nation. Nat. Int