Western courier. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1837-1838, 1837-07-06
AN EXPOSITION


OF the grounds on which the POSTMASTER
CENTRAL declined executing part OF the
awald of the Unctor ofthe Treasury in fas
vor of Messrs. Siockton and Stokes, and eth.
ers.
The reason why the Postmaster General
rcfusea toexecute part of The award of the
Solicitor OF the Treasury in favor of Messrs.
Stockton and Stokes, and others, was, that in
that award the Solicitor had allowed claims
which he was not authorized to allow by the
act of Congress, from Which he derived his
authority.
The following is the material Part cf the act
of Congress referred 10, viz:
"SEc. l.. BE il enacted Ly the Senate and
House of Representatives cfNe Uaite1 States of
america in Congress assembled, That tho Sos
licitor of the Treasury be, and he is hereby,
authorized and directed to settle and adjust
the claims cf William p. Stokes and Richard
C. Stockton, of Maryland, and Lucius w.
Stockton and Daniel Moore, of Pennsylvania,
for extra services performed by them as con.
tractors for carrying the mail under and by
virtue Of certain contracts therefor by them
alleged to have been made and entered into
with them by William t. barry, late Post"
master General of the United States. and for
this purpose 10 inquire into and ds,ermne
the equity of the claims of them or any of
them for or on account of any contract or ad-
ditional contract with the said Postmaster
General, on which their paw may have been
suspended by the present Postmaster Gener-
al, and 10 make them such allowances there.
for as, upon full examination of all the ev-
dencr, may seem right, according to the prin.
ciples Of equity; and that the Postmaster
General be, and he is hereby, directed to
credit such mail contractors with whatever
sum or sums of money, If any, the said Soc,
itor sha lso decide TO be due 10 them for and
on account of any such service or contracts
and the Solicitor is hereby authorized to take
testimony if he shall judge it to be necessary
to do so and that he report to Congress at
its next session tie law, and the facts upon
which his decision has been founded"
To explain the meaning of the nct, and show
wherein, the Solicitor transcended his legal
authority, il is necessary to give an account
of the origin and character of the claims COM
mitted to his settlement, and the action Of
Congress- thereupen.
The claims embraced in this case arose upon
the mail routes from Baltimore and Washing
ton city to Wheeling, and from Washington
CITY to Baltimore and Philadelphia, during
the years 1892 d and 5. In the summer of
1881. these routes were advertised for con.
tract during the succeeding four years. The
advertisement on the Wheeling route-was for
one daily mail TO run through from Baltimore
to wheeling in three days four hours, return
ing in three days one and a1ha'f hours, with
} daily mail from Washington city to connect
at Frederick, Md.
The claimants in this case, or their repre-.
sentatives, put in proposal embracing many
routes, and among them the routes from Bal
timore and Washington TO Wheeling, on
which they offered to carry the mails daily, as
advertised, for $4, $50 per annum. Upon this
proposal the contract was assigned to them.
At the same time they put in another offer,
the substance of which was, SO far as regards
these routes, TO carry daily mail both ways
in two and half days. and another mail three
times week, whenever directed by the Post
master General, fer the additional compensa.
ton of SS,o50, which was accepted and in-
corporated into the contract.
They subsequently offered to carry the mails
through from Baltimore and Washington 10
wheeling. in two days in summer, aud two