New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-03
Mr.. TILAS 4 L4W-BREAKER.

Inc POStmaStcr-Gcncral mas maze MS annual
| report, and has devoted the greater part Of it
not to Il clear statement of departmental bust
ness, but to q labOrcd and not even ingenious
defence of his official misconduct in Gefying the
Act of Congress apprOpriating $4,000 for the
expenses of foreign mail transportation in
American steamships. THE TRIBUNE has
already discussed Mr.. Villas and his excuses so
thoroughly that all he says now is stale We
have given him credit for every point he makes.
But now that with the most painful care he has
framed them in the precise terms which he con-
stitutes his official defence, we may take a
glance at them and see how quickly they col
lapse and fade away when the truth touches
them.
He has put them together clumsily, drawing
conclusions before he lays down premises and
in other ways getting the cart before the horse.
But the following statement Of his case un-
tangcs the thread and gives it the additional
value of cohcrcnCy. He says that the recent
law was not mandatory in its relation to him,
nor even advisory, bat that it authorized him
to spend the money if he chose; that in case nc
wished to spend il, the law provided the way
by letting out contracts to the lowest RESPONSE
bic bidder at rate not exceeding 30 cents per
mile that it was physically impossible for him
to obey these conditions, because only two
routes are navigatcd by more than one COM
pany. He explains the meaning OF this appar-
emily irrelevant objection by arguing that The
bidding required by the law pIc,umcs COM
petition that there can be 10 competition where
there is no rivalry, and consequently Il single
bid would nulify the purpose OF the act. OF
the two routes where there would be more than
bn Iot he sail "a
different times, and if one bid lower than the
other it would secure the contract and the
mails would only go half as often as they 90
now. He declines to carry out the law, there
FORE because in the one instance its presumed
provisions cannot be complied with. and be-
cause in the other the compliance would not in
his judgment be advantageous tC the service.
Mr. Villas then shows what he has done.
Concluding that this law was not good one TO
follow, he lOolc cd back upon the statute books
and found one which authorized him To pay the
companies the sea and inland postage. When
that law was passed the postage averaged thirty
cents a letter to all foreign ports. Since then
by international agreement il has been fixed at
3 cents. But Mr.. Villas, without referring to
THIS fact, mentioning that the statute is OBJ
solete, declares that he regards the compcnsa-
ton sufficient lie concludes his defence by
declaring the recent law to be a subsidy, by i'll
forming Congress that he dsapproycs Of sub
sides, and by praising his own administration,
which he maintains to be excellent.
OF course the public viii be amazed by this
display of unboundcd cgOtiSm and impotence.
Further than to point out that law expresses
the will of Congress, that the Congressional
will, duly enacted and approved, is always SUI
prcmc; that the cnactlng power, after express
ing its wish and the extent to which it desires
to go with regard to Governmental policy,
almost invariably leaves details to its executive
servants in the shape of authorization that it
prc,umcs its servants ID b. capable of adapting
its will to existing conditions, at least 50 far as
to know that if there is only person who
can do a specific thing and he offers TO do il at
rates within the fixed limit bis bid is fail
compliance with the law-aftcr pointing out
these simple facts, there is nothing left Of Mr..
Nilas's arguments. When he says that be could
not spend the appropriation because he could
not precisely follow out the stipulated manner
OF spending it, and then proceeds TO spend the
greater part of it in way not contemplated by
Congress at all, he becomes a mcle law breaker
and should be so dealt with. The trouble with
Villas is that he does not know his place. lie
should be speedily convinced that lac is the ser
want not the master of Congress.