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

'conefeu under each or IN each other. lT such pro
portion cannot be arr,vcd nj, tho law fo,blds IA,
Increased allowance. But in truth no law applies
=" this species Of contract. !, seems to be of by
brld race-ncithcr an original contract, which IL,
Ia" will recognize, nor legal extra allowance Tor
increased services. II ls about eqo distant bet wceu
them, and sustained by neither
| In few words the Report shows how this whole
pr c''ce, and the allowances growing out of it,
nave been officially screened from the view of Con.
sress and the People, until the Senate forced rev.
n.aton of the whole system
| Your Committee have shown that tho Post.
master General did not report the increased al
| 'owances, made IN consequence of these imprdpcd
6ids, as any part of the original con racts IN which
they were cmbodled--ueilher did ho report them as
extra allowances, when called upon, 10y the rcsolu-
i'on OF the Senate 10 report the amount of those al
! low""crs made for extra services since the 9th oil
| ap''l 1899. They pass wholly without his notice
u any of ms reports ID Congress, and seem IN his
| Jnl!men' TO be rcicrrlblo To no class OF cases
whatever. Indeed, no could but feel thu, they
were wholly wnh,ol legal warrant, and hot they
c'ul', therefore, tail under no known legal head.
| M vtthrl' ss,mmense sums of money have through
thc'r means, been Transferred from he Department
| Ia the peck, It's of individuals and the American
Congress and the American people have until this
investigation commenced been wholly ignorant of
disPoslng OF public funds"
The Rcroh next proceeds 10 a further gamma.
| ''on of the manner Of making ,heso contracts aud
extra allowances, with especial reference to the
Report of the Postmaster General Of the 18Th A =
| pm, 1882, which the Committee argue, from the
'dcs disclosed by this investigations to have been
wholly deluslve and calculated To deceive They
go SO tar as To say that II Is evident from the facts
| mat that report must have been drawn up and
presented 10 Congress- deceptive II 49, purposcly
! So, aud not by accident Upon which they make
| the following severe onimadyersions
" la Whatever manner this matter may have
been considered by the Postmaster General, and
| whatever may have been his reasons for the pre-
senl t"h OF report, IN ITS tendency certain &c
mislrad whatever opinions or views unknown 10
your COMMITTEE nctuaicd him this feature IA his
report, according their deliberate judgment can
not be justified It's, indeed unnecessary TO enter
into dlsGusltion upoo the subject it il n sucs-
! ton rctcrrble TO the forum of plain common sense
and Common honesty. II ia simply whether the
Obligations Of Truth extend or do not extend to the
fetal papers OF high funciionuics. II they do
DOT, this paper may be justified; If they do, il is
breach Of official duty
! There IS another circumstance touching tho n
bovc named report which on. h, not TO be entirely
overlooked. 1t was mnde out and presented to Con
irrSS lilst before tie commencement OF the PrcS
| irnrlnl canvass in 1892 and 1t was paper, the
tendency of which WIS 10 bear upon that election
II held out to the American People delusivc view
OF the prosperity of an important Department o
;he Government, and naturally induced a belief lha
II was wisely and economically administered
while, IN tub the public moneys were squnnderel
wnhou, STINT ard the Department was ropdy
sinking TO insolvency"
After contrasting the practice OF the present with
| former Administrations OF the Posi- Office, the Com
miltrc revert to The Postmaster Generals Address,
to the Poo lie of the United States at the close of Ia,
last Session Of Congress. and rcbuke some Of il,
statements, &c.
The Committee then proceed to rc-cxnminc IL
detail, and NJ vciy great length some OF the cnsc
Of extra allowance contracts which were NOR brief
Is no,Iccd IN their report 10 Congress at the las
Session and especially The cases of J. +. Robin
son J. aud B Bennru. w. T,ow, Resides con
uGcrS from lIagefstown McConnesburg, from
Bedford to Washington, from Cumberland I,
Bln'rs Gap, from Baltimore to Chnmbersburg
from Philadelphia 10 Plisburg, Rresde & SIuyme
ker- cxirn $40 900 per year, Resides oon,rat
, f,om New York 10 Philadelphia, &c. The allow
E ancrs 10 MIR. Reesde most dwclt on by til
COMMITTEE, apparently because they are the argcs
and he 10 the most ex ensivc contractor. To TIN
gentleman in one form Or other. of contract
loWancc, the Committee say there has been paIt
Wuh'n Two years md half (fom LIST January
1872, to LIST July, 1884, for carrying the Mails b
, tween Philadelphia and New York, 1882 G
80 71S sc per year. The COMMITTEE conclude hi
luxurious examination Of contracts with the folio
nag summary, sheWins the aggregate of pa yIne nj
which they ave, TO have been unowfully and vi
! usihably made 10 single contractor:
, " Passing over those cases in which a C mira
4 on allowance was made contrary TO law, but +.
which equivalent ervIce has been rendered an
III which uiso no service whatever rendered
or in which the allowance much above the ia
and just value OF The services, nni then taking IN
elec5s 0niy Of the allowance over and above tn,
vaInr, your committee find The following sums pal
to james Roeslie, since tho LIST April, without an
warrant OF law or jus,,cc--to vii:
," the contract % cnsry the mail from
Hagcrsown,o NcConnolsburg ~ o32 O
F,om q dorI To Washington 1888 &
F,om CunberlanJ 10 Bls,,'s Cop 3d.
$50 81, less 81 500 year for 2 years
S3,0n0 $3.50 s.
F,um Philadelphia 10 P'tlsburg, excess
Of allowance over service $4,000 for
two years and SIX months 10000 On
Same route Carrying newspapers in
most rapid line, half $3.50 o.
From Bnl'lmorc 10 Chanberyburg 1887 81
From New DIRK to phllajeIphio-Al-
lowance for exploiting from January
|. 1929, to December 81, 1881, So
600 service pad for, not perform
ed $4,000 oC
| Detention, waiting for distribution OF TO-
reign maiis-an Unprecedented al
lowohcc, and without sufficient evil
| bence $50 OF
Carrying mail bags from Philadelphia
10 New York charge wholly un-