Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1835-02-16
THE POST OFFICE.

mously) for reforming the administration OF
: the Post Office received its first and second
reading, and was referred TO Inc foSl Olnce
Committee.
II was concurrence Of circumstances rath-
err remarkable, that on the same morning, the
Committee appointed by the House OF Repre-
setatives in June last TO examine into the affairs
of the Post office, should have brought in lis Re-
port The Report was presented by Mr.. Con-
ner the Chairman ofthe Committee, and With
out reading, because of its great length,) was
ordered to lie on the table, and to be printed
Mr.. E. Whittesey on behalf of the Minority Of
said Committee, who, he said, had cot been able
to take, in all particulars, the same views as the
Majority of the Committee, offered Report
on their part; which was also ordered to lie on
the table, and to be printed
We have not of course, had il in our power
to read any material portion OF these important
and volumnous documents. Bnt, DESTROYS to
see to what conclusions the Majority OF the
Committee had arrived as the resu': oil their
investigation we turned 10 the last pages OF their
Report and found them there stated in such
frank and manly terms, as 10 do honor equally
to the spirit and Intelligence OF the COnnittee
who have dared be honest in he teeth OF party
We copy the concluding paragraphs OF the Ma
iority Report, 10 which there Is no occasion 20
ask the attention of every reader.
National IaieHigeRcer.
nThe Committee in concluding this brief
ANALYTICAL review ofthe results of a very patient
and laborious investigation ofthe condition and
proceedings ofthe PoS-Office Department, should
not consider their duty as fully discharged to the
House, and to the country, without frankly sub
hitting the general conclusions, to which their
minds have been brought. The few PROPOSE
tons which follow and which condense these
conclusions, this committee doubt not il eXami-
ned in a spirit ofcandOr and impartiaIity viii
be admitted, as just corolaries from this report:
"lst. The finances of this Department have
hitherto been managed without frugallty, Sys
tenn. intelligence or adequate public utility. The
cardinal principles of an enlightened economy
have been violated. Ignorance OF the real
fiscal ability of the Department has long pre-
vailed. Expenses have not been kept within
the limits OF income. Means have not been pro-
portioned to the ends soughtto be attained; eX-
penditures to the benefits to be purchased. The
records of the Department, in this vital particu-
lar, hav enot been kept with method and accura-
CIV: for the data they furnish conduct tn widely
varying results. The accounts the receipts,
expenditures, and losses OF the Department do
not in fact Illustrate with certainty, the actual
fiscal condition of the Department. No com
mon test or standard appears, NJ any time to
have been employed 10 detect such casual err
rors rs might creep n 10 dernugc the balance
between receipts and expenditures and hence
the existing unfortunate excess OF the latter
over the former. The absence Of such Il test
produces the effects, of incertitude and doubt
i,pon the mind, as TO the accuracy of the cOnclu-
sion which il may reach by any ordinary pro-
cess Of Investigations and upon the practical
operations of the Department, of perpetual
liability to fall into error, without any GER
tain mode Of its detection. This evil is within
the reach oflegislation, and should be corrected
by establishing a proper system OF checks and
balances"
I'd. The negligent and unSystematic form OF
making and preserving mail contracts is such,
no human mind could comprehend tn" whole,
and maintain in order so vast and complicated
q machine as the General Post Office. The con-
tracts are now, and have at all times, which
have fallen under the observation of the com
mittee been most loosely constructed It's oc-
casionally impossible to penetrate their ooscu-
rity often difficult to decipher their interlinea
lions and marginal notes; ami always TO be
doubted whether they are so framed and execut-
ed as to be available in law. An occular inSpcc-
tion of the Mail Contract Books can alone con-
yey an adequate indea of the careless and con
fused state in which they are kept. Certain II Is
that the experience of one generation OF labor
ers i'm this branch of the business of the office
cannot be transmitted, through them, 10 another.
knowledge Of acqured) is To be obtained ra-
Their from those who keep the books, than the
books themselves andthe consequence is that
the loss of the book keeper is the extinction OF
all certain light
sThe Head Of the Department can alone APP
ply the corrective to this evil.
Sd. The mode of preparing advertisements
for mail contracts has particularly inverted the
ends of the law, which enjoned it. The law
designed il as a great safeguard against fraud
and imposition, by bringing the salutary princi.
pie Of competition into active aud beneficial
operation The usage OF the Department, in
conjunction with the highly reprehenSible prac-
tice of receiving amalgamated bids, has trusira-
ted the wisdom of this precaution, and render
ed the system oflettings, i'll regard to the more
important routes little more than an empty form
or a bitter mockery.
The interposition of the legislative power is,
in the opinion of the Commute, unnecessary in
this instance, as they deem the existing enact
ments adequate to their object.
cath. The practice Of granting extra allow
ances has, at various dates in the history Of this
Department, run into wild excuses; some lie
gitimate, and therefore without an apology; and
others legitimate, but very questionable as to
their expediency. To this source may be as
cribed, without hazard oferror, much of the en-
barrassment Of the Department: and, in what
ever aspect this committee has had opportunity
a.