Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-01-07
To the President
POsToFFICE DEPARTNENT, :

WASHINGTON, January ), 1852. J
SIR-I have the honor to transmit herewith a
letter from the Hon. George Bliss special counsel
| of the United States for the prosecution of the
stsrroute cases and the report of Inspectors Tid-
ball and shallcross, detailing the result Of the
most careful examination to the responsibility OF
! the surelies upon the bonds mpanying the
bids and contracts for the mail service during the
last four years The report seems to show conclu-
| o1ice Department not less than eleven thou
sand bonds the sureties upon which
va pTnafPs sna %sre 9w to tS
who presented them TO be worthless There Is
large number Of proposals al the letting Of the
mail service of the Mississippi Ever, which is
to take place on the 7th of this month and am
advised that the postmaster-general would have
authority reject such bids if regular in FORM
responsibiiity Of suretes before the time when
contracts must be awarded Under these circum-
stances, it seems to me proper that the attention
of Congress should be called to this condition of
the law, and thst change be made by which
debar from bidding persons who have hitherto
been engaged in such practices, in order to
immediate action on the part of Congress will be
required. call your attention TO the matter in
stead of leaving it to my successor Very respect
fully, THOMAS L. JAMES,
Postmaster General.
The following is the letter from Bliss
above referred to:
WAsHIsGToS, December 80, 1851
Hon. Thomas L. James, Postmaster General:
DEAR SIR have as you incidentally requested
me to do, examined the law with some care to see
rel ct bids for mail service regular in form
because the bidders have been heretofore engaged
similar proposals in which the bonds required By
law to accompany them were in the broadest
the bondsmen either non-existent or
worthless. and where perjury and subornation
OF perjury characterized every step in their
preparation. From the elaborate report of In
spectors Tidball and Shalleross, it appears that
within the past four years Albert Z. Boone and his
associates have made thirteen thousand one hun
dred and ten bids for carrying the mails involving
and ninetysix contracts involving s202 9O5 bonds.
The bonds were and are, with, perhaps, few
yond ali question The sureties themselves now
admit it and tell the whole tale Some of them
entity OF the admissions of the sureties the record
proves the fact The letting of all the mail service
opened. There win probably be forty
contracts must be awarded so soon that it would
sponsibiity of the sureties Even if il IS held that
this is. under the law. open question: after the
certified to them. when the contracts are awarded
time should be taken and good sureties obtained,
and it is the former r which 'Ss'AesF; are or
now. there is absolutely conclusive evidence
against Boone as intending to flood the depart
ment with lids The indications are that he is
pursuing the same system of bogus bonds. Tn
der these circumstances you ask me if you have
the right to reject all of Boones bids AS the law
stands do not think you have this right. 1t
seems TO me clear that there ought to be some
change in the law in this respect II the
facts stated in this report of Tidball and
Shallcross We're brought to the attention OF
the law-making power, do not believe there
would be any hesitation in ma king the change !
propose within day or two to make such use of
some facts stated in the report will relieve you
of the necessity of keeping it from the public IT,
therefore, you concur with me, suggest that be-
fore you go out of Office will transmit O copy of
Congress a laoisi
ton, Your ebedfept servant,
GEORGE BLISS, Special Counsel