The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-06-27
Hon. AMOS KENDALL,
Late Postmaster General.
WASHINGTON Cry, May 2, 1910.

A. WASHINGTON Cry, May q 1910.
DEAR SIR:-In compliance with your wishes,
will state briefly the facts touching violation
of one of my franks BY some person connected
with the Post Office Department On the 18th
of March last caused to be sent to the folding
room of the House of Representatives one hun
bred numbers of the letter Of the Hon. William
c.. Rives of the 18th Of February, 1910, which
were shortly after enclosed and delivered at my
lodgings. Within one or two days addressed
and franked the packages to gentlemen residing in
different parts of my Congressional district, one
of whom was Mr.. Thomas Adds, Jr Of Litch-
field, in said district, who is an nhabtant of the
village in which reside. This il will be recol-
lected, was shortly before the recent annual cleo
ton in Connecticut Not long after, ! received
letters from some Of my friends stating that my
frank, in the above instance, had been violated
that the envelope had been opened, and news
papers friendly to the Administration, containing
matter bearing on the election then at hand, had
been substituted for some paper OF document for
warded by me. The subject, was told, had
occasoned good deal of excitement in the vii
lage, and had served to deepen very much the
alarm which many felt for the inviolability of
communications per mail. | mentioned the cir
cumstance to my colleague, the Hon. VIM. l..
Storrs, who communicated il to you, and il was
upon his authority that you adverted to the sub
ject in your letter recently published in the Rich
mond Wing. make this remark, that the facts
may appear as they occurred, and not because
dread the responsibility Of giving publicity to
such an outrage. Deeming the matter of sulii-
cent importance TO require early attention,
wrote TO Litchfeld for proof Of the transaction,
and now have before me abundant evidence TO
justify the statements of my correspondents,
which consists of two dispositions, one by Thos
Adds, Jr. and the other by Mary, his wife, to
which are appended the certificates Of sundry of
the good people Of Litchfeld, stating that Mr.
Adds and his wife are entitled to credit and
confidence fact 10 which can speak as Of
my own knowledge Annexed to the deposi-
tons is an envelope, franked in the usual man
ner, and directed TO Mr. Thomas Adds, Jr of
Litchfield, Connecticut, and both the superscrip-
ton and frank are in my own proper hand
writing Mary Adds deposes that she received,
about the last Of March, from the post office in
Liichfield, small package directed to her hus-
band, and ranked by me, and that she delivered
the same to him with the seal unbroken, and in
all respects as she received il from the post office
She refers to and Identifies the envelope an
nexed. Thomas Adds, Jr. deposes that he, at
time mentioned by his wife, received the pack
ages from her--he Identifies the envelope and
adds that il contained copy Of Rivess letter, in
dirty and soiled condition, and two copies of
"the Columbian Register" Of the date Of Tues
day, March IL, 1910, fragments Of which are
annexed to said deposition that, on perceiynp
the character Of the last described papers, he