Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-12-11

these laws must satisfactorily appear first that by their
actment and operation the bos Of his ONCE have been In
the allowed for the year that ended on the 5oth
Of June 1851 c secondly that his ofce was not establish
are sufficiently shown additional commission different rates
is according the present practice, allowed as follows
Where the commissions Of the Tor the year
ending June &c. 1851 did not exceed $So the same amount
of which allowed for that year. with twenty
per cent added thereto, is allowed him, - -. ,
Where they exceeded $780, but did not exceed Sloo the
same amount with fifteen per added thereto is allowed
Where they exceeded $780, bunot 5000 the same amount
with twelve and half per cent added thereto is allowed
Where they exceeded $780, the amount with ten per
cent added thereto allowed but the commissions allowed
any other than at distributing oce are not
permitted exceed the hostages collected at his office during
the period for which the allowance is made.
s. Where the office not established until after the Let
day Of july 1850 &c. such compensation in addition TO his
legal commissions is allowed the postmaster as will make his
equal be, to the compensation
other the section of the country &C.
These contingencies and conditions cannot be de-
erined until the accounts antire fiscal year adjust
ed Commissions therefore computed by in
their quarterly accounts mainly according to the old rates Of
allowance And the adjustment of additional commissions
has become separate business superadded to the
Of quarterly accounts and devoved exclusively
upon this Office First audts and adjusts the quarterly ac
counts Of twenty thousand and then as the
additional commissions dependant for their allowance upon
no uniform rule operating equally and applicable alike 70 all
postmasters upon the OF each particular has
at the end Of fiscal year. reexamne those twenty thou
sand which Of them entitled and in what
proportions, said additional compensation. Posnasers,
meanwhile knowing what additional allowances may be
made unable determine how much they the
Department the end Of each quarter and at the close Of the
year. Their and the post Office accounts necessarily
dagree and by consequence much others not
enough and Others again. excuse themselves from any pay
: ment
Furthermore these Engagements produce confusion and
perplex in settlements retad collections and require in
explanation and removal Of the difficulties they create,
respondence beyond the ability this officer to conduct with
requisite prompness and although the most strenuous
on are made with insufficient force meet and respond
the additional thus made the ONCE postmas
complain and with apparent reason that their letters
not duly answered.
Another evil is that the additional labor thus thrown upoI
the interrupted and retarded its current and
business to degree that calls for immediate relief and have
no hesitation in saying that it impractcable to continue
adjust commissions the present required to
ply with the law The only efecua remedy for these evils
is the adoption the old system Of uniform rates of per cent
age upon the proceeds of Offices depending condition
discreon and would respectfully suggest the following AZ
scale of that should be adopted and tried, viz:
Say for Office collecting postage the amount $4,000 OF