New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-18
ny TgLrGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNE


w.su1yGroN. Sept. 17.-Maurice LanghOne,
= washnoton clam agent, who describes himself as
a, attorney Of twentyour years standing nas written
1s,,er complaining Of Washington dispatch published
An Tur TRIBUNE Of August %. That dispatch described
the Inducements held by himself and others to obtain
ent and fees IN the matter Of postmasters Claims ana
notcd portion OF letter written by him to one OF ms
clients a Nc. Graves, OF LeOnardtOwn, Nd In thaV
latter WAS this sentences AS my expenses nave Dech
40 heavy feel that am compelled to ask you Io'
small part OF my fee. say S25.' Mr. Graves was also
Informed that, in the attorneys opinion his calm
would amount at least $500 In his letter OF CON-
plant Mr.. Lapgnorne says:
When the Act of March 3, 1888, was passed ana
fled my claims. bad performed my part "a my III
tract as an attorney, and mao rient 70 e NTcs On
cials tailed the trust reposed IN tLei1 any ~
fused to execute the law as mas oeeh t NV iat
nor for H. Nor do feel it necessary for me TO
nofce artcles which are intended to inure my standing
with posmasers tor whom have Daso1 b so ins1
ana legal claims and furnished you WIN te Saa oOr
tanned IN your article. so - ,lS pbe Postmaster
Genera wdat cause ne can SHOW way ne snT
not mpeached for his failure 10 execute the S
required him 10 readJust postmasstis saiS rin 70
10 the classification the Act OF 1864 ana ccVruns "
the mode presented IN the ACT OF June; QUA
terry returns made, shat answer can nc l"Ao'
Mr. Ianghorne also asserts that other claim agents
have sent deceptive circulars TO claimants containing
such expressions as these:
The you do not receive !ou' pay 10 "0'
your claim is not attended 10. -. . ,ra
have SPECIAL facilities fOr obtaining inc anou' uo
have citles for getting these claims through In two
weeks.
Mr. Lanshorne complains that the names and prac-
o these agents were not exposed In the offending
,arsyraph He has also written and had printed
another letter to Mr. Graves. in which he says;
Now claim tina. you entitled to more than SEQ
and that when paio you VIII see be,e ccnars or
blanks to 400 postmasers, but TO my local agents n a
WTter Of this article in the papers drew on his own
imagnations for his conclusion ana premises IN H.
Mr. Langhorne, 1t seems, holds that he bad fulhled
his contract by filing expensive brie lobbying 70
secure the passage the law and Ming tue claim h
m tbis perhaps IL is sufficient to that Congress re-
sed 10 pass the bill in behalf OF which the expensive
brief was lied, but enacted very different measure
There is wide difference between the POSTMASTER
General and claim agents as 10 the meaning oil inc
law which was passed. and has been referred to the
for his opinion Pending his opinion the
puestion about the impeachment Of the Posmaster-Gen
e,al can probably ahold wait When asked yesterday
upon What he based statement That he now THINKS
Mr.. Grayes's claim will exceed 500. Mr LahSnorho
paid: upon the increase Of population" Asked no"
be obtained his Information on this subject ana no"
great the increase had been, he replied that
his informant was tavcrnkeeper at Leonaro-
town but he could not give the nsures'
According to United States Census returns the VII
LACE of IAonardtown contained ass inhabitants IN 1870
md 465 III $780, decrease of 20 In ten years Mr.
Langhoruo does not pretend to have examined the
pfcia retdrns of Graves or to have done
anything in that particular except to Tile an apph-
cation In his behalf IN the department. some
thing which IT wQ1 n.t seem well Mr. for S GnSfi
Mr. LanghoIne unable TO show The TRIEUNE CORE
sscrbed although be asserts thai thousand OF them
are being sent out daily BY other Washington claim
agents He DID, however, produce letter from one Oh
eli "a
scented that ne could get claim Wa"i5in0toD
correspondent. Mr.. LaughOrne also showed letter
from anolher Client who wrote 81 have receiyea a
notice from Harvey spaldng. OF Masnh-tOn, sta'ms
that claim Ia DOT settled Is that mas mo-
been attended and he offers TO put II thronSh Ior 20
per cent OF what lie can GET Ihese letters ln,
dicate that there Is pretty sharp compeuu9n
among the claim agens as also goes Tue - W 81 80
C. walsh d Co.. from when the following Is M Aos 49,
We have devoted much time and attention 10 tnese
search we Ina We collected and piled all the nforma-
lion concerning the same, which accOrdlnsV eiaVies
We are ia possession OF special know edge CONCERNING
these poslmasters elaine by virtue OF whicn we are
The acI, ana further in position 10 guarantee 10
each claim the promptest possible adlnheau4 On
asd for g'y% nTOsecuGio oieais of the Post
Once Department say that these representations
are very fa nom correct "All the information re-
specting the claims could be obtained only by an exam
inanon OF the Official quarterly returns each claimant
waicn OF conrse bias never been made. The Especial
knowledge which enables the agents TO directly address
each person can be easily acquired in Washington
where anybody can procure list Of postmasters Tor the
period covered by the claims Inc postntsers ana eH
postmasters who have filed or may tile claims under he
art March last should bear In mlnd thal even Tue
opinion OF AttorneyGenerai shall eOnsrue te law
the claim agents contend should De tne ae
examination Of the quarterly returns o lo,oOo OF moIe
postmascrs for period covering e,sne IT nie re-
and the computations necessary 20 reduuanivn', TO
qure much time and labor none OF ~hicu VIII oe e1-
pedito the settlements single day; that probably
only comparatively small percentage OF the claimants
will be entitled 10 receive anything, anu thd tue claims
which shall he found just cannot 6e paid until after
appropriation by Congress