Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-03-10

x-rutpffax IA that OF tue if41kIH$ pf1tIteSe.
m n5xer ever con5srred, for wise or unwise
,..r,s.ses has bses 80 scandaleasly abused. In
,sis. - law psusidss that the privilege can be
errre;sed Id BIT onp plAee Mt che Same timc and
trayeIs with the privileged person, who caunot
leave his fank ~ - used by another. or delegate
Il 10 anybody In the face Of this fact II Is noto-
te-ioce That the law makers themselves violate the
Law knowingly. " nat only deiegahng their an-
therjtv, hat actually fraHsf"g the correspond
ence of any friend who may apply to them Ii
has come under orr own observation, ia the lie.
charge Of the duties of P,sstaastcr, that letters
have been deposited in thc malt. bearing thu
frnnk Of members Of Congress who never saw
them but who had subscribed their names on the
corner Of a batch Of envelopes Furnished them. to
cover the private correspondence Of t,eir ffiends
aud thus deftaud tho Pet Oh6cc Department.
In the same way, we have known gloves. hand
kerchief.. and other articles OF wearing apparel,
10 be transmitted from Washington through the
mails.
II the last Presidential canvass, wagon loads OF
documents were sent from Warrington bearing
ostensibly the frank Of a member OF Congress
VIII had never them. We observed such
with .ae name of Charles james Faulkner. Chair
man Of the Democratic Central Committee, sub
scribed on them. whore the name was base forg-
cry.
Not long since person was arraigned in Wash;
ingron, charged with countcrict'ng the frank Of
certain Senator, and though his guilt was obvious
aud the penalty duly rescribed, the result OF the
trial is thus announced by the United States Dis
trct Attorney in letter to the Postmaster Gen
eral:
The jury" says he. "remaned in their room
twenty minutes. and then. much 20 my astonish.
ment, and. think to the Judge. found the dcfen.
dant not guilty In conversation with several OF
the Jurors, was told their reason was two fold
first, that they were not satisfied that Phillips re-
sorted to Judge Douglas frank IN order to avoid
the rayment vi postage; and secondly, Nat me
tdp lad been so COMMONLY and notor'ousfy ROTATED
that no prosecution ought ie lie founded upon it
until at least express personal notice had been
given by the Department that offenders, in all
cases. would be proceeded against"
This IL equivalent to saying that, though the
law OF Virginia preseribes residence in the pen
itentary for persons who shall be found guilty Of
theft, the law is to DO regarded as dead letter,
until Governor Letcher signifies his intention to
enforce it! We cannot 30 much fault tho jury
however for letting this poor wretch go Free when
they knew that members Of Congress were in the
daily habit Of abuses of their privilege scarcely
less reprehen siblo than that for which this sota
ry criminal was arraigncd.
But, there is an ASPECT of this affair which will
arrest the attention Of many OF our readers. now
that thew suffering great inconvenience from
dm'nut'on IN tie maj, service, aud are threaten
e. "ith an increase OF the rates oil postage Tor
Naeh iher1 IS no necessity Whatever.
II is "ae hat ne Est Once Department IS not
n''s ~"t--ns 'n'7ng as 1t once was. 1t rs true,
m''e''e', '"at II rsit"aes :5r the year ending
the 5"'h 81 30 lse9, fell short OF expenditures
nearly sete' ni'i''n~ OF d''l.t4; but 1t IL als'
true that ne' " two anda quarter millions OF Ihis
amount results from the onerou' charge nron the
treasury, incurred ny tue ''h d'hefe"' NAL routes
p" ''o N""o "' NV reS'u"e p" 'AoeS'' "''e'
g'ah.'os~ '"'' pe"Sa'''h Tor the service winch
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. ouarter ,o;,lon ,o,nd. IT rranled matter which
it i. estimated i, Of late wear. annually carried in
the mail.
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