The New York herald., 1876-12-21
sANCTITY OF THE MAIL.

POSTMASTER JAMES INDIGNANTLY DENIES THAT
NAIL NATTER WAS OR COULD DE TAMPERED
WIN IN THE NEW YORK POST OFFICE
Postmaslcr James called upon yesterday aftcr-
noon by HERALD reporter, whose purpose IL was TO
Interview him tho charge which Congressman
Hewitt had made in the House OF representatives a
couple q! hours before, that his tHewsl letters had
been tampered WITH having been opened by steam be-
fore they reached their destination. Tho Postmaster
had just received information with regard to slr
Hcwitts speech. He Indignantly rcpudiated the pos
sibility OF letters being opened
Mr. James displayed excitement when the sub
jcct broachcd by the reporter, and said that he
could not believe that Mr. Hewitt had made such an
accusation against the New York Post Office.
II am CONFIDENT said Mr. James, ''that Mr. Hewitt
would never make such a statement No man would,
unless he was fool, which Mr.. Hewitt is not Mr..
Hewitt has, several OCCASIONS expressed himself as
admirsr OF the system We have IN force here. as
you that cnursc hko that would be simply
absurd. SUCH thing opening letter in the way
described could not be done by an cnplovc Of this
department vnlcss he left some evidence Of his act
and II any caught IN an attempt OF that kind
he would be prison by railroad. am here
postmaster for the people, not us partisan olical
and what have to do and wnat try to do Is TO get
in and send out mail matter as quickly as possible.
A good name is better than riches, and can't afford
10 have mine assaiied have just sent telegram to
Nr. Hewitt, aud hopc viii soon receive reply"
VI
saying thai he had sent copy OF II to Congressman
Plat, who was the Post Olicc Invest ligaton CON-
mittec. The despatch reads as iolows:-
- Tng POSTMASTER TuE CONGRESSMAN
Hon. A. Rwrr. House Of Representatives Washington.
informed thai you charge the hoor Of Congress,
that your letters pasn. through this Office have
@ r has bsen o. ys pr IN this
II please supplement- your charges with motion for
utterly and absoinisiy false. T. L. JANIS. Postmaster
rnR PENALTY ILLEGALLY OPENING LETTERS
a., Hal
section OF the Revised Statutes relating to the OBJ
struction Of correspondence, which reads as fol-
lvws.-
Any person who shall take any letter. postal or
packet although does not contain any article OF value
Cd o s mall s1ri % bs
in office or branch post oce or In the custody Of
the whom i directed. with design to ab.
or q e se
shall for such offence be punishable with fine Of
more more than one Year Or BY both ''NN ''' '''
WHAT SUPERINTENDENT GAYLRR SAID
The reporter then asked Mr. James II no had ever
known OF an employe Of the office having opened
letter by the steam process. The Postmaster said hc
had not, and asked Mr.. Gayler who was present. tho
same question saying, at the same time, that Mr.
Gayler could give n the iniormaton desired regard
ing the system employed in the department. Mr..
Gayler said that he had never known OF such in
stance. "Lettcrs have sometimes been embezzed,"
said Mr. Gayer; "but in such cases 1t has invariably
person whom the letter has been addressed
has been in the habit OF receiving money
and the letter has been purloined with the
hope OF obtaining the cash. When this has
been done the letter has always been destroyed
whether not the opener found the desired
tents Mr. Hewitt, as understand 1t, does not claim
that his letters have not been delivered that they
have been delayed but that they have been opened by
before delivery To accom- psh this. the person
who would undertake to do II would be compelled to
conceal the letter letters in the distributing Ia
the presence Of largo number OF employees, well
n special agent, and this would be
very difficult matter TO succeed in. Alter
he had secured the letter, he would
bnva tn ala In onc md Iriu dnub st
OF being detected in putting II back when he had
sesscd himself Of ITS contents, II such were his pur
pose. would be hardly possible tor the person
replace the letter In time tor the mail IN which IL
should have gone, and, IL II did not, the time mark
the envelope would be evidence of it's delay. We
for the benefit OF tho democratic committee,
as well one tho Fifth Avenue Hotei for tn
mediation OF the republican committee, and when
made request Of The democratic committee 10 send
their matter IN as early az possible in order that II
would crowd tho afternoon, they cheeriully
have becn OF the plensantest character, and cannot
believe that he made the charge against this oco
which has been attributed to him. He may have said
that some OF his letters aud democratic documents
had been opened before they reached their destina-
tion and, by the bye 1t was said some time ago that
Governor rilden made similar accusation. But IL
found investigation that HIS Excelency excul-
patcd this Office from any blame III the matter Our
special agents would know II any such practice wcrc
carried out, and would prosecute man
money. II such assertion has been made" con-
cluded Mr. Gayler II deny It, positively and in toto,
ridiculous" In this declaration he heartily joined
by Mr. Ycoman.
Up to a late hour last night Postmaster James had
received no response from Mr. Hewitt.