New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-08-19
Office Department gave the following testimony
before A Tinted States Commissioner:

Office Department gave the following testimony
before United States Commissioner:
"Question. What pat Of the Post-0ftce IS rented
by the Government Objection taken by the de-
PENDANT The Postmaster
Ans7-er. The Governmen. occupies that portion
occupied by the Post-Ofice. The rent Il ST. per
month. My Impression il that the newspaper stnnds
are r.uted By the owners Of the building"
And our impression is that there was nice
little Job here, which the Circumlocution Office
would have fouud it economical to investigate.
Under existing Lawn, Henley, al the end OF his
first gear of efice would have been defauter, the
money which be had spent exceeding that per cent
age Of postage which be was legally authorized to
appropriate for the expenses of his office. So, to
get out of this ugly scrape he visited Washington,
and obbied through Congress the Act approved
July %. l'5l, which provides:
SEC That Postmsster- General be- and he Is hereby
authorized and erected in the settlement Of the counts Of
such previous to June 80 1855 TO allow such Post
masters all and reasonable expense. by them incurred in
snd about the business Of their respective omces ana 'ne us
charge # their especial duties
This section, it is believed, covered the heavy
expenses incurred in reedlessly aud extravagantly
fitting up the new office. The preceding section OF
the statute provides:
SIc The Postmaster General my allow to Postmasers
in California and Oregon the July 1883 such
out the postage collected at their respective Office a. VIII
in addition 10 their commissions allowances and emoument
Office
Under these provisions, Henley had no difficulty
in squaring bis accounts with the Department.
AS originally introduced, the bill related to the San
Francisco Office alone. But this was thought
rather too steep aud so it was made to include all
the Offices in California, although at the time the
accounts Of most of the Postmasters under the
preceding Administration had been settled accord
ing to the old law. Though the early POstmasters
had incurred much heavier expenses than those
appointed subsequently to June 80, 1853, they de-
rived no sort Of benefit from the law, which seems
to have been enacted specially for the comfort aud
convenience of Democratic POstmasters.
simultaneously with the passage of this law, the
brother of Senator Weller was appointed Postmas-
ter of San Francisco. Although rents we're much
lower than in the previous year, aud although he
was under no obligation to do 50, he assumed Hen
ley's lease, which was recorded doubtless for
good and substantial reasons. As we have before
stated, the lobby was still let to newsmen, though
We have only the impression of the Post-OAice
Agent as to who got the 5000 per month. The
building occupied by the San Francisco Post Office
since January, 1856, is owned by the United States.
The lobby Of that building is also let to newsmen,
and We believe Government gets from 800 to $50
per month for it, Wether anybody else gets any
thing is more than we know. The lobby is not rent
cd at auction to the highest bidder but at nominal
rent, SO far as Government is concerned. The
stand is given to the personal and political friends
of Weller, to the serious damage Of other dealers
who would willingly pay more than this nominal
rent to have the lobby remain vacant.
These perhaps are small matters; at any rate
they never disturb the equanimity of the Circumo-
cutionists, But let il be- discovered that there ore
seventeen printed words upon the cover of THE
NEw.lORK WEEKLY TRIBUNE, and there is
cacklirg enough to save twenty Romes. The
whole wisdom of the Department is called into
play to prevent such hideOus violation of law,
and standing regulation is adopted to the effect
I" that when circular (the cover of THE TRiBtSE)
{" and n newspaper are uclOsed together the whole
"package is subject to letter postage, and this
" too while, if the newspaper is Enclosed in one
wrapper and the circular in another, the postage
"of the two packages, if paid quarterly in ad-
vance, would be only one. half q cent each" Ia
other words, the pOstage on THE TRIBUNE nclosed
in printed circular without any wrapper is 80
cents while the same articles together with two
wrappers are charged only one cent Well: this
IS q world