New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-03-11

EXPOSING the GAME Vt ihH S'NAi''-'
MAIL CONTRACTORS.
10y TELEGRAPH TO THE TRlDuNE'l
w,surxGroS March 1O-Ihe publication OF tho
f,ll sreech of Mr. WIllitts. Of Michigan, a part OF
which only he had an opportunity to denver Ill INC
House of Representatives, on Friday. SHOWS hoW
narrow was the escape from legislation that "ouiu
have been, to say the least unwise.
Tho naragTaph IN the SuuGry Civil Appropriation
Bill of last Winter, providing Tor the pay hcnt VI
ante-belium mail contractors contained tl' lo"o"-
ING two provisions: First that the money
should be- paid only for services rendered oeioi'
soid states respectively engaged in against the
United States" and secondly, "tnat any snch
claims which have been paid by the Confederate
s,,tes Government, shall not be again paid The
SECRETARY of tie Treasury refused to execute thls
law and To pav any Of the claims Med at the Iost
Once Department until all should have been sub
,nitted in order that he might ascertain II TIE APP
prspriaticn was sufficient 10 cover all anu not
what part Of each be paid.
This rulnc made necessary the Introduction OF
ioint resolution directing the disbursement Of the
appropriation previously made. The JOINT reso!$
non was prepared by Mr.. Reagan, OF Texas ana
was reported 10 the House by the chairman OF the
Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads. Both
provisions above quoted were omitted from the res
olution. as forming part of the original law max
ing the appropriation.
The United States Government ordered the dis
continuance of all mail contracts in tho insUrrec-
tionary States on the 31st of May, lsG1, and the
Confederate Government assumed control Of postal
matters within its borders on the day. following.
But the war began before the first OF june, 1851,
the average date of the first overt acts committed
by the different state Governments being nearly
three months earlier than that time. There fore Mr..
Reagans resolution provided for the payment OF
mail contractors in the Southern States for services
performed during the first three months of the war;
The Appropriation Bill of the last Congress shut
out all claims which accrued after the actual seces
sion of the several States. but the second provision
of that BILL which was omitted from the joint reso-
luton. was far more important than the first. 1t
excluded from payment all claims tina. had been
settled by the Confederate Government.
Mr. Reagan had asserted that the Confederate
States had never paid dollar Of these claims, and
that the provision referred to was OF 10 use.
Mr., Witt asserted that these claims had
already been paid and in proof OF this he first
produced the proclamation of the Posmascr-Cen-
eral of the Confederate States (Mr. Eeaganl order
Ing the surrender TO the United States Government
Of all stamps and stamped envelopes in the hands
of postmasters on the LIST OF June, 1861, but re-
curing them TO retain in their possession all
revenue which should have accrued from the postal
service. lie next QuObSb ait d't Vi tho N"i'"oi"'
Congress, approved August 80 1861, appIopriaing
the balances which renamed in the hands of post
masters on the first of June of that year to the pay
uent of claims of mail contractors accrung before
that date Ii appears that act of the Confederate
Congress, approved January %, 1862, authorized
this money 10 be used for the payment of claims
which accrued after June /. Thus 1t will be seen
that the Confederate Government appropriated
balances due 10 the Cnted States which II found IL
the hands Of postmasters on assuming control Of
postal matters, first with the intention OF using
these sums for paying claims against the United
incurred after the United States Government ordered
the dlsc0ntiuuance Of the service.
In order TO settle all balances due on mail con-
tracts prior to June l. ISL the Postmaster OF the
Confederacy was by an Act Oi September 20, 1867.
authorized 10 pay the contractors tie sums spect
lively found due and owing u them for postal ser
vice rendered i'm any of the States OF the COnfcd-
eracy under contracts made by the United States.
o. those sums audited and aScertained by him.
The amount of these claims Presented to the
Confederate Government WAS reported by the
Fist Auditor 10 be S7734if y. few
claims the auditor said had not been pre-
tentcd, but in his opinion 5000 would
be sufficient 10 cover the whole. In accordance
with his recommendation the Confederate Congress
in October. 1852, appropriated 100000. and sub
segment reports by tie Postmaster showed that he
discussed on account Of this appropriations at least
SJG45ii %. No report on tins subject later than
December T. 1868. has been found bat the infer
ence il that the whole 100000 was discussed, and
that all the contractors who are now seeking from
Congress to be PAID for services rendered prior
june l. 1861, were actually paid by the Conicd-
crate Goycfillnen nj more than fourteen years ago.