New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-30
AND WOODfOhD'
coMsToCWs COMPLAINT l,n plS TI,r prIT 81
TN OF MoREissEY

dec
cor vas shown to-day DiStr'c.-A - ~ o.
.t,,ement that his letter 10 MS ou''4 'Ou-'
,olv from the latter, and at once gave per
'aihou co. ,ts publication. The letter dated New
VI November %, Is as follows:
aoiA' ., .eknnwleds e receipt Yesterday OF your
So cf november y. inviting my e,sg,ittc ~ v"i,r
1aNoi " therein iucOscO tiahNhitcd 70 !VuI
Sol'Si,Tyent by tn Hon. PoStmisi raj 80 ~
pondruce relates to toe case % W. te,c ietteTs a.
u sfae 10 II you regard tie ha.eI ~ - =. ,nare
yours so1,ous import; yOu direct me 10 MAKE
nun inquiry and report me no you" mater and can
am ia,,, ns Mr. Comstock. Post Onice Inspector al
this cv on . For violation OF : con 1884 Revised
stafufe. In sending lottery rcu,drs ~ 60
inf omn Shields issued warrant anu oon
missioner osborn held M.rrsse! 70 Oan ,n ION
%9Sed y the accused man whG had then no 9Cnns ,d
lie had but recently arrived IN lhe country ioNi
MoRR1ssEY An HONEST MAN
s,,,o,n,ntly Richard O'Gormln appeared as his
-. stated that Mr. Morrissey had brought letters
si. N to himself and was an honest gen
,leuap ignorant OF our laws and unwilling to Drr"A
tbe and asked that the might he opened 50 tnal
he could present Mr. Morrissey's explanation ana dc
nlca reasonable request from gentlem N OF JUICE
OGorman's social and professional posi- lon was, Va
se for August 25 and August 81 Mr. Agar wrote Nj
CONS oc6 asking hun to attend ' af al
oIhcr witness that they might be i"i Once
August "a having received No Tnsors Office to md
t te case could proceed next day Word was
vnrned that Mr. Comstock Oui Of town ana "oaId
ie'ua nS -, Monday August % Tns examination Wa
accordingly set for the 2S1h anu Ar A6ai, on 1r
o. wrnte Mr. Comsock thst TIE case was SET ior We e
S.ib ana asked him 10 call Tor cons uItS 9
before then. 10 this no answer NSS osica
Inc m sscuger again sent 10 Couls'ocA S 80
ana he was fouud he out OF town sdi', anu '.Ie
person IN clarge OF his Once Sould ',U' ID nr1ed
&c EISnst 3G when Mr. ComstocS not having ans"erei
SxinI GA OF the mater, the case vas, on Mr.
O'Gornan's motion, and VITA my approval ulso'N
unued.
WHY TIE CASE WAS DISCONTINUED
Nv reasons we're a. follows: Mr.. rri~scy was
fori ner recently arrived evidently an honest
sdycated gentleman. He seeking 10 raise
money for church mission and SCHOOLS
a. Incnore near Dublin. He secretary Tor the Or
phauase and agent Tor the Cnthouc Faher7 VINO hihe
aroma - oil mem Of the Cs,hoc gentry "no "a
Soon a, N Morrssey's wac called o. al viola
ton OF the law lac gave full assurance endorsed 10y
Jude Dlnolue to COMMISSIONS shields that
he would oby tne 'n scnore Ire t.erv ricfers
were an mis- Of the pi al aul 4'rl i-S are Pla,
meut be o4oce pre- D by IN y mt5 mn, ''V
paid Unoer sucn rcumtance iL.Ak. TO Are lioaId
cuted would nave been unjust @Ad uI"Isc HU
AZ inns office discontinued 1t.
Me nj, II day. August 81 Mr.. ComStock appeared at
sctIon forgot The pr,puetes Of courteoI - lyor ana
treated with great Ioi 'e.I4i'' ~, ~ I'' al
souetnrs bcIr1ys aim INTO undue exc emen- ie Us q
rre4t good, and should De con iuu.ilH sustained ".i.e
IN iciousy held IN reasJna0 check Il: tueu I'D mated
mi IN Inc Nor York star after lis arrest
Mr. Agar promptly replied thai a. he would maze ON ial
compI amt Of tIs TACT and turns proof 4or.s'ry
should be AT Tedrrcsted This clare mas ' or Deeh
made nor proof furnished 10 inhca Tor mis- G. ~.
am :, re mat Oh these you would not tllk me
Justified IN removing Mr. Agar nom Ms position
Immediately. even II tney %rIe 10" ,oi a., ,He us,
az the case aud approved OF MI AgIrS acIO1 LEI me
oad ftap M Assi Was originally appointed tn sig
n bItt@l sI
Torkwe HIS professional fitness was lndors-d "y PIT
Wi Iau NJ Lyai,s and Mr.; GARRISON \. Potter NJ.
Iyarts personally advised the ap ointment have
found him UNIFORMLY cap4he' '1ui, - u',es' a."
Discreet. he nv cOnnd-nc'. and ms oucla4 4c.-
thus Jar must frankly add nave my approval
MR. woODFoRD USES An ILLUSTRATION.
il,.ra ION OF TIN. ease ami Of tue discretion
that mus be used IN these Pos Once matters, let me
suggest the following: The I'll that broIsn, your
official let ter to which an replying brought your per
sonal letter my invita'on to our next New
England dinner BY mistake in your office that personal
letter from You put into an Od;ai envelope ana
bore the Endorsement that ny person u.lns II 10 avoid
the payment OF postage on briT@1, m"'e % ANY Emu
Will be subject 10 Inc OF 500 o. cJlIs huV" h-eL
ms. b, your was nauVtllent, ana u "oul0 nave
beer trivial and wrong for me- 10 nave commenced or
suggested PROCEEDINGS 10 co1tet me mn icIc "as
q cse where discreet omission liner TO investigate tue
mater or prosecute iOr the fine was obvious duy.
Precisely examining the case IN qn-sil5n aSans,
stranger, Of our law. bat Ger inca by mono able
duty Of office to dlscon unq- proceedings. ,,.
You close your letter OF the ' lns'ah Dy rem ndlhg
re that IAN, Is the second complaint OF thls character
which he Postmaster General has made to your
I,n+ar,u'e,t ~ INV Office. You edd that You
regret tnat- -,ly explanation III the previous
INSTANCE was satisfactory. Permit me- as frankly 10
rr tba ms as remark is to me q complete surp-r.
T rpS r va, aIIie To vour litter TO me of ne 5
lsSZ iueos,nc copy of letter from the Post once De
artincut acc9mlanied by py OF letter from Lewis a.
k~wcour Posi- Ohice -psctor. r. auug - al -ed
refuse to continue sny az ION 10 cera cases Ia VIOLA
ZION vi postal Jaw. You cautiously asked port al NY
convenience 10 tue facts. Inc report was uadc 10
Sou under ate OF June H. 1s52 II very tuL Tat
Imay recall the crcum7 stances uiF 10 lou memory
beg to lucip-e copy o IL herewith faat report ended
with these words Ny experience during the hye or
ok yeats tlot dye been ID th4' once yea . M 10 be
heve that When parties coinpA1u OF our rcpu. aOle
merchants who nave erred fhro4S ignorance, and wuo
on receiving warning from viii Keep IRON ali error
in the ia ure bOtH and more iu-i 10
t 'Ie frnst .1ll re iowsd the sane DIS.
cretio mt ire Tor believe that Ito exercise teuds
10 tlas repor, aud suggestion have received no re-
ply. Uuu your letter o. N0'emh.I T. which
7ou a~ app 1Ss Rns DID, Or Fo9 y yGf
yong med IN So b.yng Accordney have i.ctnt
exercised somewhat similar discretion IN the case o.
Locus l. Ma"sy' hon PER- Syr e%c Idc eomc,
such discretion mas. think oeen always exercised by
wise aud bencncs But you are my chic, a willie
am IGNORED by this official trust, II IS NY du'y
10 obey Whatever limitations you sAlA put on my eX-
erCse OF profess oual discretion IN prosecuting or dis
continuing criminal cases, snail promptly, cneerfuy,
limitations clear and exact. May ask the FAVOR Of
yoIr reply tns request soon your many pressing
duties viii permit
The Attorney-Gencrals reply held that Nh Agar
was guilty OF ITeguarIty III not holding Morrssey
until Mr.. COmsJoca appeared, and III treating tAe
Government as if It were private individual, and
il prOnounces the allusion to the iuadyerteut phi
vate use OF All official envelope inadmlssible be
tween chief and subordinate and not deferential
and proper. The Attorney General showed
some amusement al Dir. WOOdfuTds
Suggestion that he ought TO have
Seen that the copy of his letter winch was given TO
The public was correctly made As IT," sand he
81 must stand over people who are copying matter
for the newspapers and see that they 40 u right"
reading OF the Attorney, GENERALS reply on tle
- L. L. a.r- I'LL. .rr..-. IL L..