The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-06-12
FROM THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT
Posr orrIcE DEpARrMENr, May %, ls4l

PosT OFFIcE DEPARTMENT, May 20, l841.
Sir: The arrangement of business at, and the man
ner of returns to- the General Post Office, forbid
detailed report Of is operations At the approaching
this time to call public attention to the present stale
its finances far as have YET been able y learn
their condition.
When srst entering upon ny Official duties, ny n
ment beyond the ability Of the Department TO Dis
charge; and with view to ascertain, AZ nearly a.
might be, its undspued liabilities and probable means
on the 9th day Of March last letter addressed
to the Auditor of the Treasury for the Post Office
Department, requesting from him information those
subjects. copy Of which letter. marked A, is here
with submitted. Such statements have not been fur
nished for clearly set forth in letter from the
Auditor, dated the 18th day of May instant; of which
| a copy is hereto appended, marked B.
1t was also important to learn without delay, what
were the pressing liabilities and what the active funds
of the Department. For this purpose directions
given to the chief clerk to the amount due to
tractors anterior TO and for the quarter ending the
December, lS4O so far they had been reported by
the Auditor and also the amount in deposite subject
to draft for the discharge of such arrearages. His
port is herewith submitted, marked G.
BY an examination Of that statement, it will be
that there due and unpaid TO contractors, of
asccrtained balances the first day Of January last
the of four hundred and foriy-sepen thousand and
sepenfynine dollars, 1879 considerable portion
of which has been paid from the of the quar-
ter eDulng on marcn. "A report from hu-
dor upon all the outstanding contracts will undoubt-
ly increase this amount OF Indebtedness to total
ceeding half million Of dollars. In addition 10
which, heavy demands are frequently made on the
Department upon unliquidated claims. Of such de-
mands notice be taken at this time nor is it
proper that opinion to their justice should be now
expressed,
present themselves: How is the Department to be
sustained under its present embarrassmentsa and,
Ukafa ifsfi nau nj hnp f,rs he ,tr
As no estimates, upon which can be based an an
swer TO the first inquiry, be presented until full
statement Of the balances due from postmasters shall
have been reported by the Auditor, It is passed. with
the single remark, that, although it can hardly be
doubted that large aggregate will be found due,
it is to be feared that, from the small amount Of most
Of such separate balances scattered throughout this
wide spread nation the want of responsibility in many
Of these officers and many OF their securities and the
lapse Of time since these balances accrued but in
considerable part Of the amount actually due will
be received Il therefore remains for Congress to de-
termine whether the amount now due TO contractors
shall be paid from the National Treasury whether
this Department shall struggle with its present
embarrassments, consuming lis daily accrung reve-
nues in the partial payment OF old debts and still
leaving large balances which has not the ability to
discharge.
Notwithstanding the heavy increased expenditure
consequent upon the act Of 7ih July, 1888, and al
though instead Of the supposed gradual increase ofre
venue the receipts for the quarter ending 3lst March
last present as compared with the corresponding quar-
Ter of the year before diminution of more than sr
per cent, still the Department would probably find
Sufficient relief in its future operations from the de-
crease Of prices which, II may be calculated will be
hereafter demanded upon most of the routes, were it
not for the continually increasing exactions in other
branches Of the service.
the First Assistant Postmaster General has prepared
tabular view Of recent proposals that comparison may
he made between the amount of present bids and the