Litchfield enquirer., 1840-07-23
POST OFFICE ARISES


 correspondence took place just before the resig. nation of Mr. Postmaster General Kendall between him and the Hon. Mir. Bolts of Va relative to an allu. sion in of Mr. Botts circulars to his constituents, in which he stated that the Post Office espionage was such that seals not security against depredations upon the contents of private letters Among the let t"rs which Mr Bolts introduces into his reply was the following from our representative in Congress- How or where the extra Registers put into the docu- ments received by MT. Adds we have never seen ex. p'ained: we have no idea that the Postmaster of our village, himsc7f was psivy to the transac,on-but there is something mysterious about ,le transaction.
 WASHINGTON, May 9, ls4O
 Dear Sir In compliance with your wishes, will state briefly the facts touching violation of one of my franks hv some person connected with the Post Office Department. On the 18th of March last, l caused to be sent to the folding of the House of Rcpre resentativcs. hundred numbers of tho letters of the Hon. William C. Rves. of the l5ih February, ls4O which were shortly nfter enclosed md delivered at my lodgings. Within or days addressed md franked the. packages to gentlemen residing in different pnr's of my Congressional ds,,ictone of whom was MT. Thomas Adds. .Jr nf Litchfcld, in said district. who is an inhabont of the village in which reside. This, it will be recollecled, was shortly bef ire tho recent annual election in Connec cut. Not long afer, l received letters from some of my friends. stating that my frank in the nhovp in stance, had been violaied-that ihe envelope had been opened, and newspapers friendly 10 the Admin israt"n. containing matter hearing the election then at hand had heen substituted for paper or document forwarded hy me; The 9.'hiec', was told. had occasioned good deal of excitement in ihe vi lace. and had served to deepen much the alarm which many had felt fur the invioahility of commun cations per mail: mentioned the occurrence to my colleague, tIc Hon William I S,orrs who comnuni- ted it fO vor and 1t upon his authority that 0dvered to the subject in your letter recently pnhI-l,- ed in ihe Richmond Whie, Imake rhs remark, that the facts may appear as they occurred, and not be- cause dread the roepon -ihiy of giving publicity 10 such an outage. Deeming the matter "f sufficient importance to require early attention. ] wrote to ltch6ed for pro"f of inc transaction, and now have hefTe me abundant evidence 10 ius'itv the statement Of niy correspondents. which consists of two depos Ions. one by g'homas Addis. IT,. and the other by cates of sundry of the good people ." ItcheId stating that Mr Addis and his wife entitled 10 credit and eonfidence-a fact to which can speak as of my own knowledge.
 Annexed 10 the deposition is an envelope, ranked iu the usual manner. and directed 10 Mir. Thomas Addis. Jr. Lmchfed, Connecticut, and both the SUI. writing. Mary Addis dcposes that she received. about the first of March, from the Post Office. in Litch6eld small package, directed to her husband, and ranked by me- and that she delivered the same s him with the seal unbruken. and in all respects she received t from the post oce She refers t0 and identifies the cnveLPe annexed Thomas AddIs, J. JepOses that he, the time mentioned by his wife, received the pa ckage from her; e identifies the en- yelope and adds tha' it contained copy of Rives' letter. dirty and s"ed condition, and two copies of" the Colombian Register, of the date of Tuesday,
 
 said deposition thai. pereeiVing the character Of the last described papers, he them pieces, with inc intent @ entirely destrovInG them, and, in do na tore in some measure. the envelope, and this was the first and only package he had received from Ihave no idea that the letter of Mir Rives was, when enyeloped, in a driv soiied condition. as II was fresh from the printing office. and we al know that the work folding room is very neatly as well as 6xpedtonsly done.
 friend has forwarded to me perfect copy of the Columbian Register Extra of the l7,h of March. and by comparing It with the fragments annexed 10 the deposition 0f Mir. Adds, learn that they are identl' cal That paper is printed at New-3aven, and IS distinguished for interruptions support Of the pres- ent administration No one can suspect me ot hav' ing forwarded such a sheet to any person whatever an free Co say that among all the ouponrings of nrafigate party press. never saw such tissue ol iasshood and blackguardism as is comprised in this notification, thus nnceFemonouslv fr0Hked by one oi the minions of this RdministFalion Among oiheI things theFa paragraph n which the editor teis nalpAhle iaGehood about myRelf. and then adds . nrnss libel on one Of nav colleagues 60 that not only are our eeaa violated. but our franks used 70 pro naease galsehnOds and ealumnes against ouFseives- fully believe lha, in this transaction we have only ampse 0 lhe abuses a present pFacIiced in the Pos OfIice DepaFtment. and thank you fur your efioTts 10 awaken public attention to ihese abuses o which inc reopse will doubt not at 10 remote period, apply an s6eeiual eeVTee'ivo
 Your Obedieni seEyani -
 TRUMAN SMITH.