The Arkansas banner., 1849-05-08
Oemcrmi apoaIaaicn Denartment,

Gencrai roateahce Department.
 Ihs WasAiagtsn correspondent ef the Nsw ToFk Journsl O< Commerce communicates lAs following Information, relative 10 the nraaner in which this eomPllcaisd Part of the eovsfansssi machinery is cssdnetsd. He savs.
 " 1t may be interesting to yoar rus1ers 10 be in- formed of he arrangements by which saeh vast piece of Tnachiaery Ia government is uasaaged. 1 shall reHtnfe uPoa a brief sketch. The PostEsas- ter General may bs considered usetsphosicsiiy. the great locomotive conductor He has three nssis- tsRts. each O whom has pee aaF aud dstiact class ef daties. To the first Assistant are assigned alI The duties of arranging mail routes, csBtracs. con- tract IettiBgs. supply Of mails to postofhecs. and qussti0aa of recognising mail ssrvire, &e. To the second Assistant heiong all the duties of executing removals and appointments of postmasterx, when determined upon by the chief or exeeatIye-of ay. ranging and fling all papers, i'd relation the ap~ Pointmenis aud removals, and ia supplying post cf6ees with blanks. &c- To the third Assistant beieng the 6nhneial arrangements, the providing means to carry on the operations of the department and the placing of the funds ia the proper places and al the proper times to meet the departments engagement He has also charge of tbe dead letter department Formerly thess Guiies were perform ed by the chief clerk of the Department. proper, and the third Assistant had charge of Inspection duties. The latter. being, however, Givtded now between the chief clerk of the Department proper, abo Auc tbefe lA no fQnErT GiSlIncl Of Inspection duties- No officers under the govern Uept better adapted t0 Inc performance of their duties than the present acumbents O. th0se respee tive divisions of tas Postmaster General's office. Ii might seem ibat within the compass above sketched are comprised all The clements Of ccndaet- Ing the machinery of she Department The chief conductor and his clerks-the Princi ;al presiding over the mail service and his cerks-she principal presiding oyep tho fnaBces and his cieFks-snd the Principal presiding over Postmasters aud Postefii- ees, and his clerks Not 90, however. The sur veilaaee of the Treasury Department over all this machinery, is necessary; and that is accomplished through it's Anditor and hts corps of clerks. now 6S in number. To this Audtorship are assigned, under the law of 1886. the duties of keeping the accounts of postmaster, contractors, and all other agents of the Department, and the custody of docu ments, vouchers, books, and records affecting &C., counts; the decision of all questions of Rdebsed- ness to or against the Department, and the collee- ton of all debts. and certifying for payments to contractors sgcats othsrs the state of their ae- counts.
 By the law of 1886, 4s clerks wers allowed for the Auditors duties. But this force was adapted merely 10 the cnrrent business. When applied also 10 the bringing up of vast arrear, the cnrrent business necessarily fell into arrsar, and couse- quenty. additional force cAJisi for. This ad- ditional force was parsrnoHioasly deied out. by 5 clerks at one time and 6 at another making II up to lall. When Mir. Whi,tlesey became Auditor NcaEy Ne LOOK tOatiSF m h1H1, WtlA pro- per energy; aud obtained a grant tf IA additional clerks between iS4l-2 and ,, making up the pre- sent nnmber 6s. He was proceeding with steady aim and certainty of success with he clearing up of the srrear of years, and inc ptrfeeting of the originally weli-conceived classci6caton of business when, being intercepted by MT Tyl,r's exercise of ihs appointing power, he resigned and NIT. St. Clair Clark appointed AuditoG Uaaer Mr. Clark the work proceeded steadily aD. but had not reached the desired point when Mir Tyler's term Of service expired. Soon after MT. C,ve Johnson s appointment Postmaster General he became aware of the fact that ihe settlemeus of accounts was yet in arrears. and that he coud not expect success in his administration until III arrears of business was brcugh; pY. In view cf this object, when the Authorship became sacam. he pressed upon the administration the necessity of acyanc- ing more practical man to the ofiise, in prefer eBee to PolitieiaR of no experience in ,he busi- ness Of the Department. He named Mir Wash ihgion the chief clerk; and upon his strong re- eommendation, Mir Washington got d,e norIna- ton, instead Of Col Gardner, who uudoubieaiv, had reason to expect il. Mir. Washington kaew exactly what was 10 he done, aud the best way of doing ii; and hs set 10 work accordingly, with miraculous effect. For the first yesr he was re- taraed by the operation Of removals sad the sp- pointrnent of inexperienced rervonz. vIs eOui1 do iittir for ucutbs but learn preliminary duties. very important step, however, vas kept in view 10 separate the debts 6ae up to lst Jay '4j from those su uhseqaeuiy aecruiHg. That date select ed because il commenced the new of cheap postage and the 30ih of June closed the fiscal year
 The debts due 10 the Department up 10 Ina; date. aecumulating for years upon years-wtre Euppos- | ed 10 amount 10 nearly S40D.0o0 IL was deter
 mined that cefacatioas should be permitted, and that as much possible of this arrea- should be
 instantly collected. The most effective means were
 adopted for these ends, and in a shors iine it Was
 obvious that success was certsin--not however, to
 the full extent of The old debts for pan should be | hquGated bad debts. and part was open t0 con-
 tested credits-but to the full extent of preventing
 further 6efacations. The most rigid accountability
 was enforced. Zeal ana ability be- excited and conspicuous. Promotions were made as the re.
 ward of these evidences And the frst rsport of Mir. Washington 10 the Postmaster Genrrai in the
 winter of ls47, announced the gr.'ifyac fact that bis desire was accomplished. One treat object
 which Mir. Washington had ia view vas 10 con
 soia;e the four geographical sections for the col
 lection Of debts, in view of giving te tsI nportan
 business unity and precision of actioI. The rise
 of the present chief clerk from the lowest to the highest salary ia the office, by progressive steps
 grew out of his successful arrangements for effect | ing this consolidation. Bat the complete success 1 of the whoe office due to The Cooperation of
 every branch of business. and the zeal energy ana
 efficiency of the clerks conducting the operations
 so 10 eouduce to the general frsuir tn,ed al by
 the Auditor, and expected by the Postmaster Gene rsl."
 FIoSged by a Female.
 The fashionable side of Broadway yesterday