The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-04-02


the 10th Dec, 1899.
Inc north American papers have already
spoken very highly If the mission copfded In MI
George Pin, Special Agent Of The pasi Once De-
Pall'hsn' y The United States. Mr. Pli has been
appo'ea 70 ms important mission by thai excellent
olicel, 'he Hon. Amos Kendall Postmaster Gene
Ia, ~ o,ueI 20 make himself more particularly
Sl Nun The Post Office Establishments In
England, France, Germany. &c. DC. with a view 10
iu'urs improvements In the Post Office system Of
NC onieu STATES, and TO make arrangements for
.ne '"'seiehange Of documents, statements and re-
Po.'s hereafter to the end that the United States
anu e enighlened nations of the East may recipro-
each other.
letter from Washington, inserted in one Of
papers, predicts, with reference 10 The
mission undertaken BY Mr. Plilt. that il will be Of
incalcuable advantage To the American severn
u'en', On account OF the many improvements which
nc WIN doubtless be able TO suggest and that the
countries through which he travels will be equally
ps"sn"eu from The readiness with which he imparls
n,s nnowledge oil Post Office affairs, derived by long
experience r,, in the Department at Washington Mr..
ria.s mission, moreover. will have a tendency to
pine Silng ABOUT greater intimacy between the United
o''eo anu the european nations, by an exchange Of
ana 'pefai ideas with respect to great national
"1 ssss, Ia these opinions we entirely coincide.
MI rh't, who isa practical Post Master, replete
WIN experience aud knowledge aud well versed in the
language, arrived last month Leipsic, his
Journey ioln London pia Paris Brussels, Amsterdam,
risMou,g' Lubec, and Berlin, was introduced to
esumso'e rost Master General, Mons dc Huttuer, by
me American Consul, DR.. J. G. Flugel The zeal and
avai'y with which MIR Pitt made himself acquainted
WIN Tue organization, laws, and practical details OF
national Post Office system has convinced the heads Of
the rost Once Department here. that this important
mission could not have been confded better ADLER
hands.
Mr.. Pitt has left our town for Dresden. Prague,
and Vienna. from whence we learn il is his nten-
ton to 60 to Paris and London through Bavaria, Wur-
temburg and Baden, and then to return TO America
hrst, however, paying another visit Belgium and Ho
land, and going TO such OF the German kingdoms as he
omitted on the present tour
AS Mr.. Plilt will have convinced himself, during
his through Germany, that it will be important
aud desirable for the government. well the
ercst Of the industrious and commercial classes OF his
country 10 see greater extension aud facility The
respondence with Germany, (and particularly with the
Kingdom oil Saxony, which is rich in manufactures
he will, assured, take pleasure in making proper
representatives to that enlightened statesman, Mr. Ken
DALI to induce him 10 adopt such measures will tend
TO the speedy establishment Of regular lines Of
nlcation with some Of the ports Of the continent Of Eu
rope, TO those German States which possess
good and regular Post establishments BY this means,
the correspondence between the United States and
Germany. Austria, &. &c. which is becoming Of more
and more importance every year. will not only be great
y accelerated, but be rendered at rate so ressonab
as 10 enable the poorer classes also TO avail themselves
Of its benefits"
Those who are conversant with the system
of putting abroad, will of course easily CON
ceive how the above article was got up. Mr..
Pitt is detailed from other Post Office service,
and receives, we presume, per diem, in adj
dtion to his regular salary Of 81, 600 as spe-
cial agent. Whether the Postmaster General
strictly has legal authority to send such am
bassadors, we will not undertake to decide.
But among the things to be learnt abroad,
the American reader may be reminded, is the
most adroit method Of espionage and suryeil
lance, as it is practised by the mnions Of
European Courts. tits said that Bonaparte's
Minister Of Police had fac SMILES Of every
important seal in Paris, and that he could
possess himself without discovery of the con.
tents Of every letter which passed through the
Paris post Office. This was accomplished by
perfection in the art Of opening and re-seaIing
letters. The practice Of
BREAKING SEALS
at present in this country is imperfectly under
stood It is SO bunglingly performed that the
perpetrators find themselves involved in the
crime of discovery. Witness:
letter from Pottsyile, Pa. written to a
Member Of Congress says:
81 received this afternoon, Gath March,)
package of papers under the enclosed frank,
which was broken open by our Postmaster,
under the plea that the signature was forge
ery'!.
The frank referred to being on part of the
envelope is, "Free, II. A. Garland" Mr..
Garland, on application, has given certificate
that the frank is in his own hand writing.
A letter from Eaton, N. Y. says "A pack
age came to the post office this morning,
March 24,) under frank of III. A. Gar
land" The postmaster opened the package,
and refused to deliver it, unless he was paid
ST. AZ. This we offered to pay, if ne would
give receipt, which he refused to do.''
These postmasters must suffer the penalty
affixed to their offences. Others, no doubt,
have been more fortunate. and perhaps have
prevented discovery by plundering and de-
stroying the entire packages. We infer that
this is so from the fact that very many are
never heard Of after they are put into the
office. Is there no redress for these out
RACES and abuses of official prerogative
against the rights Of the people! Can we
expect redress, when the party in power re-
gard the greatest outrage, if Perpe'rated In
their cause, as the greatest virtue No. 1t
is the practical consequence of the blue
light federal doctrines Of MIR. Wallis report,
wherein the interference Of Executive officers