The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-05-11
PHILO c. FULLER, SECOND ASSISTANT
POSTMASTER GENERAL


POSTMASTER GENERAL.
Fyom the NsU York Express.
The appointment OF Philo G. Fuller Second Asss-
tant Postmaster General 10 approved by all honest,
DISCERNING men, and additional evidence of the
tagacy VI the Postmaster General. MIR. Fuller was
Legislature, and Of Congress, for his intelligence,
consistency, industry and devotion to the public
vice. Ills superior merits ack lodged by the
late House Of Representatives in Michigan in select
ing him preside their deliberations although he
was first elected member in that State last fall
The dignity, impartiaty, urbanity, and ability with
which he administered the duties OF the Chair the
confidence ofthe members without distinction OF par
~. lie wasreeected member OF the oath Congress in
1884 from Livingston county, New York where he had
resided than twenty years. During the first
session Of that Congress he selected by the stock
holders Of the Erie and Kalamazoo Rail Road Bank
TO organise, put In OPERATION and conduct the opera
lions OF that nsttuon, and al the close Of that session
he resigned his seat in Congress. Mr.. Fuller had
opposed the administration in its leading measures
from conviction that il his duty 10 do SO, and
notwithstanding this he unanimously selected for
the station mentioned by the stockholders, who were
men Of undoubted property in New York, when
large proportion If not majority, of the stock was
owned by the friends of Gen Jackson. He went To
Michigan ia july 1886, To upon the duties Of
his appointment So well satisfied was he that the
Specie Circular would paIalze the enterprise Of the
country that he advised the stockholders not to
business at that time although the stock upon
which il was intended 10 operations
subscribed and paid He had been extensively en-
ployed in the business ofGen WadswoTth, one of the
most prudent, systematic and wealthy men in West
ern New York, and while he was in favor fjudcious
banking, he was opposed from principle, as well as
from association, to the Jackson Shinpaster system,
which was then being developed and which has since
proved ruinous TO the country.
Ii reported and 80 understood, that afterwards
negotiation was pending between Mr.. Woodbury.
and the institution to make the bank depository, with
every prospect of favorable result, when end
put to il by the suspension OF specie payments in
The bank was located in Adrian Lawrence county,
about "a miles from Toledo The intervening land
generally fat low, exceedingly rich, and at that
time was for the greatest distance covered with
dense forest Large sums Of money had been ex-
pended by the United States to construct road from
the Maumee through Adrian towards the south end
Of Lake Michigan, to afford facility 10 emgrants and
to those who visited the county for various Objects
generally connected with the public domain.
This route was the great thoroughfare from the
Maumee Bay and country, westward. Seven miles
Of the road was constructed CT logs known in the
NEW country as cordoroy,D which by time and use
vas broken through and rendered nearly impossible.
II the emgrant il appalling well expensive,
ior us own team could do little more than haul an
| emptywagon through il. The same low belt of land
runs Palei TO the Maumee to the upper end of Lake
Erie, andthe Detioit river; and the country twenty
miles miami cannos be reached without passing IT,
10 cross this beh of land, generally termed a
| swamp, and thereby op.n communication between
the lake and We interio- the bank aided in con-
structng rallread from feledo TO Adrian at which
last mentioned paces the em,rant found firm foun-
dation. No Kingdom in Europe would have underta-
ken the work half century ago. few enterprising
individuals in the Chem small villages of Toledo and
Adrian finished the road by the aid of The bank and il
the first railroad west of the
To the emigrant and traveller it has afforded safe
and speedy section ofcountry which
before was almost impossible On it the farmer and
| h.vo hal
before was without value; and the United States
have derived great benefit from it, in the sale ana set
Element of their lands. The fiscal concerns Of he
bank, and Of the railroad, had been managed with
great prudence and skill by Mr. Fuller who continued
to redeem the bills Of the bank with specie until the
oen-repeaed blighting acts of the General Govern
ment parayzed the energies and deranged the finances
of the country. After this the bank continued to
maintain its credit and to redeem its bills to large
amount until the spring of 1889, when Mr.. Fuller
resigned his Office Cashier, fiji conviction that
majority of the board impelled by the Specializing
MIA generated al Washington would be likely to in
volye the bank in their private embarrassMents and
from the condition Of a member of his family with
whom his physicians advised him to travel.
Michigan was doubly oppressed by the NAL admin-
istration of the General and State Governments The
directors imprudcnty yielded, after Mr. Fuller left the
bank, as he had anticipated, to the system of expan-
sion without specie basis universally practsed by
the supporters of the then administration. and thereby
put the capital in jeopardy. When Mr.. Fuller re-
The bank had been enjoined by the Chancellor of the
State. From knowledge of MIR. Fuller's intelli-
gence, business habits and his sterling integrity
Chancellor appointed him Receiver of the bank and
under the law, vested him with power to close the a
fairs. He in the progress Of doing it, when the
directors made such arrangements induced the Chan
ceor, in July last, TO dissolve the injunction. Mr.
Fuller settled his account with the Chancellor, and
discharged his bonds. As Treasurer of the Rail Road
Company, he incurred responsibility Of about $780,
COO annually, every cent of which he has settled and
paid.
BY the last Bank Statement the amount Of bills in
circulation is about $1,000 The fair standing of the
bank induced the legislature, at its late session.
tlorze its temporary suspension, and it one of
the few to which that privilege granted, and
was not extended TO bank TO which the least dis
honesty, or unfairness traced. He has discharg
ed every public and private trust with the strctcst
fidelity In him are contained those high qualifca-
tions essential to constitute a useful and popular
officer.
The State of Michigan would not have yielded her
consent to his removing for any other purpose than
devote his time and talents his country in whose
intelligent and upright administration she has
mon interest