Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1838-06-20

amicably halving il be,wixt yourself
and another person, would become d.
'uled 'nto no sin at all Therefore,
my dear daughter, continued the Alb.
bess, | will say bou, and thou shalt saw
ger; and thou shalt say fou, and |
shall say Ter. Accordingly, the Alb
bess giving the pitch note on bou, Mar
garetia responded ger; Margare,,a
continued with tos, and tho Abbess
drawled out ter but still the mules
stood. They do nor understand us,
cried Margaretta but the devil does,
SAID the Abbess. Aud. think, Mr..
Speaker, that these reforming Seereta.
ries will find that they are understood
IN their patent mode Of reform. and
particularly, that the People will not
be guided into the approval Of an un.
authorized expenditure, by dividing its
amount among the Departments.
by this time, think il is apparent
that the duty devolves on the gentle.
man from New York, (Mr. Cambre.
lerfi,) not only to account for his 70
ing against the measure in regard to
the compensation of members but,
also, why Il is that "a judicious sy stem
Of reform" has not been instituted by
his friends, the Executive officers
themselves" whereby the country
might realize what was promised by
the gen,leman's report" reduction
of one.third of the number of clerks in
the several Departments, with safety
to the public interest"
We will now look 10 the Post Office
Department. The General PostO ifice.
as 1t was then called, had the good
fortune not only TO escape the censure,
but to enlist the praise, Of that fault
finding era. | leave il for those who
were familiar with the motives aud po-
lltical currents Of tina, day, to account
for this. The committee said Of it,
"The efficiency of this branch of the
public service is in a condition highly
improved and improving" My frs,
remark on this is, that the Post Office
department passed into the hands Of
General Jackson in healthy and eff.
Gent state. A few years, under his
reform, reduced it 20 chaos and insol.
yency. The details of this mismanage-
ment have been long since proved.-
The evidence 10 on file here and in the
Senate, with the reports of the several
committees appointed 10 investigate its
abuses. ! refer gentlemen to the files,
and will not dwell on the vnrious abuses
which were designated and established.
Their enormity, coupled with the fact
OF the borrowing money, on public
accou (, by the Postmaster General.
without law or authority, alarmed the
country. But bad as ali this was, and
used, as the pecuniary patronage had
been, to confer personal benefits on
lavorltes, until the disorder and insol.
vency Of the Department became ap-
parent, still the political uses which
had been made of the appointing pa.
tronage were not disclosed, and now
never will be. The present Post
master General, Amos Kendall, tells
us, in his account of the late destruc.
ton OF that Department by fire, that
all tho books, papers, and files OF the
Department were saved, except the
" flrs" OF the appointment Office"
and that these were destroyed
In the first six years of Genl. Jack
sons Administration, about 800 post.
masters were removed, aud, in most of
the cases, without the assignment of
any cause. When certain members OF
the committees Of the Senate aud the
House, appointed, in 1884, to in.
vestigate the abuses of that Depart
ment, attempted TO get at the files and
correspondence OF this Appointment
Office" with a view to ascertain and
report whether the reasons for those
removals we're prompted by high and
just public considerations, or by mere
party political expediency they were
denied the right by the Head Of the
Department, and by the friends Of the
Administration, who composed ma.
Jority on one OF those committees -
Was not this inquiry jusil I refer
you, sir, to Mr.. Btnion's famous re-.
port and bill, providing for the discIo-
sure Of reasons in case Of removal from
Office. refer you. Mr.. Speaker, TO
your own remarks, and to those Of
your friends, in the debate on Mr..
Saunders resolution, which have al
ready quoted. But, above oil, | refer
you to the remarks Of the illustrious
Madison, unrivalled as he was in the
knowledge of the letter and spirit Of
our Constitution and laws, and in pu.
rity and honesty OF purpose. As early
as 1889, in the memorable debate on
the power Of the Executive, he not
only denied the RICH; to exercise this
power capriciouslx. aud without as.
signing adequate reasons, but be tho't
If would he such "a hold .~..untsas, or