The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-11-04
POSTAL REFORMS LETTER FROM HON. /. N
MORRIS
CAMDEN, ScgUYLKn Co., In,
AnnuRI 10 IRhI

ste-,s August III 1891
Ny DEAR SIN. From the fact of your having interes-
ted yourself In postal arrangements Of local nature
am induced TO present your notice Of gener
al character believing that 1t viii not fail TO receive your
attention, brought TO notice alude to the pres
ent imperfect laws with reference TO sending money by
the United States mail IL needless say that large
sums of money sent 10 different parts Of the country
by private conveyance account Of the wants Of secun
ty furnished by mails The government has sought to
accommodate, but without making itself responsible and
has thus mended the matter by making it worse. II
The present registry system points out the opportuni
~ without the trouble of search 10 those disposed TO
act dishonesty 1t is clear that the forwarding Of money
by express is of profit else it would not be
gagged in 1t is reasonable TO suppose that with the same
against loss the public would prefer the mails to
private conveyance. And il appears that mode
might be obtained ON the part of the government which
would individual safety without risk to the public
treasury, and at the time be remunerative, Sup
pose A. at this point where drafts cannot be had wishes
to send 500 toB in Cincinnati He payst to the postmas
ter at this place who gives his receipt therefor and at the
time draft for the amount minus small compenss
ton in BIS favor on the postmaster at Cincinnati, who
qures is with bankers and brokers' reference
to b identy and his signature the draft Where is
the risk to the person who sends None No money is sent
consequently none can be lost by robbery accident
the way And post Offices can alone suffer by its ants
for the which intefpose what
ever checks it may think called for
II may be objected that such would tax the
pecuniary ability of posmaste presume this could be
avoided Some such plan ism operation in England and
am informed it works well and pays we'll We require
something of the sort here, and have taken the liberty
OF calling your attention to the subject and submitting
the shadow of outline which wiser heads may fill up
And would be most happy IL representative should be
the means of bringing about change, or introducing
measure which would make the transmission of money
by mail safe for the public and profitable to the depart
ment h
Very respectfully, your obedient servant
JOHN W. POTTER, P. NJ.
sL4 Camden, Illinois.
Hon. l. N. MoRRIs, Quincy, Ill.
QUINCY, September IA, 1857
DEAR SIR received by due course of mail your let
ter of the 18th ut but press of engagements calling
me almost constantly away from homo since tho time Of
OF its arrival, has prevented from asswering until
now 1t will always afford great pleasure during the
term of my official connexion with the people Of the fifth
congressional district to receive from any of them sug
gesuons toucmns OF Fearing upon my duty their rep
resenauye. ne who is invested with responsible
position shou not only seek to acquaint himself with
the views of his constituents all matters of general
but also those Of purely local interest and to
advance them far it is possible to do So Should he
unfortunately find himself in situation where he dis
grees with majority of them duty and respect to him
SELF as well to those who have clothed him with
thory as their agent require he should surrender the
trust reposed in him. for position without honor
trust without faithful observance Of it, is abasement
and would not hold the the other, under such
circumstances, an hour while at the same time should
not hesitate to my individual opinions whatever
they might be, all affairs of public concernment
Entertaining these sentiments your letter well
come one, and oheerully respond to it, Differing with
you In the conclusions you have arrived at subject
you we'll discuss duty demands should state at least
some OF the reasons for that difference. Let me- how
ever in the first place. say agree with you in the opn
lon that the present registry system of the Post Office
department Is far from afordng any great security to
letters transmitted through the mails, and is not per-
haps az perfect as it might be made If for illustration
letter containing money is registered at your Office, and
directed to me at Quincy it would be your duty to in
form the postmaster here of that fact and its arrival
1t would be his duty to notify you of its receipt is
never received but thing is gained by this and that
Is the evidence it deposited in your office Should it
miscarry be absaced there from the mail at any
intermediate Office at the office in this city, the regis
try would afford no clue to the detection of the guilty
party. The utmost it could do would be to put the
mail agent the alert to detect the criminals
by means of decoy letters, in some other way, |
which unsuccessful in far instances than it is
cessfu Hence really guarantee offered by this sys
tenn and, as you wisely suggest it perhaps works moro
injury than good nasmuch it is the direct Of
communicating to those in charge of post offices that
such letters contain money, and this information tempts
the avarice of some which, if they sent letters
ordinarily are this temptation would be avoided from g
norance of their contents and they might go safely
The mere fact of mailing letter at Office, and its
nonreception at another, proves nothing more than
have stated and affords real protection to the parties
Interested. knowledge of this has induced the we'll
informed business of the country adopt very gen.
orally the practice of sending packages of money by
press companies they held responsible for their
safe delivery while the government not responsible if
they should be lost through the medium of the mails
Should each intermediate postmaster through whose
office registered letter might pass be required to report
to the postmaster in charge of the Office it directed
to, little additional safety would be afforded by
that, while great wrong might grow out of IT, Some
Of them might give such notice. and yet rifle the letter of
its contents and then destroy it, and thus throw susp
con the next postmaster, who would be entirely nno
cent. must, then, sir, confess my inability equally
with yourself how individuals send money or
vauabes through the mails with entire safety unless the
government becomes responsible in the event of loss
And this leads to the consideration of the main topic
to which you have called my attention embracing the
constutionay and poprety Of that responsibility For
the government to become liable would virtually cons
tute it insurance company underwater and it is
important to consider how far it become consistent
with it's obligations to the States and the people
Congress is body possessing only delegated power,
and too much cannot be taken to prevent it from
exercising power not delegated which is not clearly
necessary to carry such delegated power into effect In
all of doubt they should decline acting and give
the benefit of that doubt to the States to the people
Most of political troubles have grown out of its
interference with that which did not properly
belong to it, and which it had rghfu authority
Fierce, bitter, and alarming contentious threatening the
stability of the Union have grown out of its resumption
and in nearly every instance it has been eventually
driven back by the people to the path of duty and thus
Its usurpations overthrow. Even 1t is such wise and
good patriots Patrick Henry and others of memorable
note startled at the power the constitution gives
the general government and opposed its adoption for
that reason believing it would eventuate in dcspotism
The Capitalization of power what the trainers of that
organic act and all the conventions which ratified it,
and the people of the confederation at the time of its