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

Yer The diic Of the transaction This branch of the
| hcnott concludes as follows:
i"ur COMMITTEE did not tank IL incun bent on
mem 10 enter into "A discussion with the Postmas.
'efGeneral IN The subject Of their respcc,ive riytis
ana duties, nor do they think il proper in this
paper 10 Examine them. or TO blend nm arpun,en,
u" Constitutional law with the iacrs which they
WIRE required to examine and report to tho Senate
his refusal of the Postmaster /, nern,, IN,
Inspection OF thesc papers on alleged cnncttu onal
grounds, which Applied alike To the Whole class of
rases above rrferrd to, which resi- on the 3 ,nr
principle, OF course pn end 10 tbs brunch OF IN.
sesag"iion Finding the doors closed upon them
mere, hey TUNED their a'tcrtion To other subjects OF
inquiry, touching the condition ri The Departue
anu the management Of lis concerns"
The Report th'n proceeds to the ,xamina,on Of
the Praelice OF the Departm, in making contracts
IN IN 'nn"r contrary to law, and gu .lly unau,hor
zea by regard 10 equity and to the pabc ,nier,s
l TIC account oi the Improved Bids, winch hive
h"1 su'h an a't"'innnte agency IA the p,esen. IN
solvency OF tho Post Office. viii be new 10 many OF
our readers We lheref re copy II:
practice has oflnte prevailed extensively IN
ms Department OF advertising pro- ,osals for ca-
rylng the mail on the principal mail routes in iii
iereni manner from that which il Is in fact TO b.,
carried--of receiving bids for carrying II IN n dit
which are called 4" proued b,ds"-of accepting
the bids as nude altogether, aud cntsr,ny their nc
celhance as applicable to tn part of the bid which
conforms 10 he nJvcrIs' ment, ard Immediately
changing them 10 the improved btd aud So execu
ing the c"ntrac ; thus Ia Ell c. liting or makIup
the con'rac without advertisement, This IS II Vi
'l"ton OF LA, aud has gwen rise to, aud is mad,
the q olog} for, other violations Of law and official
duty"
The Report then goes on to show Il A. in regard
To all THIS class OF" Improved BIDS winch hay
been made tn ground OF Extra allowances there
are important discrepancies between thu Reports
OF the Postmns or General aud he b ne Bo k the
rf'n,cd i>t OF c"n'a cls aud aIlowanccs.) aud be.
| tween the Blue Book and the actual contracts and
II none III IN of to be relied on rhe Or etc,
OF allowing these imp owed buds" the Commute,
| say, hro"s the door wide open TO nntalrness f..
vori,lsm and collision. Aud the Report, ON the
same subject, continues thus:
= The public know nothi"g OF the purpose, or
the wishes OF the Department as 10 The time and
manner OF Transporting the mails, except through
the IN dunn of the pub advertisement. And the
honest business man, Who would wish TO SICK Il
Con fac', through fan competition, would naturally
suppose that u bld Pur>uon, to the adver semen,
would be the one, and the only one bv which he
20, Id procure such contror,. An he would fur
- w nth The pnb' al large, ,Ils probably has been
the nsc II app TO have been So " IN the smut
! eoht,aciO's generally. But II has been lar other
wise with class oi l.,ge eynfroctns, who op.
| pear 10 be on Ir,nis oi In'inicy and confidence
with some of thu off of the General Post Oiic.
and whose sHilrs are intima ely blended with the
fiscal concerns III that d, pailmrrt. For exampl, !:
In looking over III bids OF the Fall Of 1881 it will
be found thai sever. individuals who ob n,ncd con
! 'racts upon the great mail routes united included
In their bid, not only proposition To carry the
mail according 10 the al, erlsrmcni but with slii-
ulations, thu, the bddcc worJ hind himself 10 car
ny the mail in a different manner. different
prioe. Of,he favored contrac ots the bids 10 carry
| ne ma pursuant to the advertisement, a,c .erer-
ally, uery iow TO enable tie Department to :.
W nd hem the con while their impToccd bid
III pursnanc. OF winch the contr,c, at last exc
cuted, uery htgh, ensure 10 The cont nc,.
or enormous profit. The ncct ptance Is marked
on the P'opnsal B'"k, opposite he sum which was
bld for ,uying the mail pmsuan' 10 the advertise
nent, aud the II oil bidders will al once, on al
Inspection OF tins book, that they are nnde,bid -
| But the contrecls are executed according TO III,
| tmproued bid, which IL often Twice or tire,
times the sum at which IT is entered on the Propo
| sal Book, lald open TO the inspection Of the pub
| lrc"
VI nc general iHcct oil inns mode OF dlsii lbu my
| It pleasure. the public money TO favored coatrecI
| u s, the Report 3reukS thus:
| II were tedious TO enumeratc the cases n
| which tins differ nee exists between Inc bd mad,
| ,'irsuant 10 the advr,t,emr oud acccpicd, az.
| me contract executed You, commit c have eaus
ed 10 be prepared by their S c,e,a6y, aid they ex
| hiblt herewith, t'bie compiled from books rn'
papers IN the Department., from the Blue Book
from the letter oil The POSTMASTER General oil the 3
| of March, 1884, III reply call OF he Sen Il =
and from his report of the ~ h OF April 1899
which shows, IN each individual case III the con
| tracts OF 1881, the difference between the bd, IA
entered on the bid b 'ok, aud the contract executed
| II shows, also, the cases ic which diff renee
exisls-The same paper shows m y he, column
| opposite the name Of each contractor, whal *
ira allowances have been made him over AID u
bove his contract as exccn'ed, from .hch,t vii b
seen:
"Ist. That the whole amour, Of the bids uccrrt
ed, PURSUANT 10 the ajversemcn nj IN October, 1881
was S3ib, GIG ID
| Amounts Of contracts MS exccued
| for same nivison, 10y the Blue
| Book) 4o6 259 AZ
| Making d. ference Of Sli7 632 81
| " Ind ii will be seen that this whole nj rencr,
amounting 10 the enormous sum above shown, is
made IN favor Of no. more than - con raeo's, OF
companies of conrrsctols, most OF whom your com.
mce will find ii Their duty to noice hereafter ~
the reIort the recipients Of other pecunary ia
vors from The Department
A single case Of many is quoted to shcw thu
anomalous character oi the cont acts, nno the unus
I f ,bIc waste OF the ru'llc money IN the practi e
ot accri ing these impfoucd bis:
" AXE, Tor example. the route from Phlladtlphla