The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-05-23
FROM THE CAPITAL.
Regulations in Regard to
POstoffice Employees.
LAND ENTREcS IN MONTANA
The Northern Indians Still Causing
TrOuble-A Big Award-EI
Mahdi Retiring.
Washington Notes.

WASHINGTON, May 22.-The Post
master General has issued the following
order, relative to the renewal of post
masters bonds: "That whenever any
postmaster of the fourth class shall have
remained in Office for five years from
the date of the taking effect of his latest
official bond, he shall execute a new
bond in the manner and with sureties
rs required by law. upon notice from
the department. fs s4
The Chief Postofice Inspector, to-
day, addressed the following letter to
postoffice inspectors, concerning the in
stitution of criminal proceedings for
violation of the postal laws: ''Sir-I
am in receipt of yours of the 18th
instant, the substance of which is
request to be informed as to what
course the department desired pursued
in cases where employees in the postal
service are found violating the law, and
more especially as to the proper course
to pursue where it is discovered that
postmasters are found to be short in
their accounts, by reason of using post
Office or money order funds for private
purposes" In reply, 1 have to inform
YOU that your communication has been
submitted to the Postmaster General,
who directs me to say: Where il is
found by the inspector that the post
master or any other employee of the
postal department, is a defaulter, the
facts must be at once communicated
to the United States district attorney
for the district in which the otfense
was committed, with view to the i'm
mediate prosecution of the offender, and
in all cases the inspector shall be guided
by the advice of the district attorney.
Postmasters and others intrusted with
money departments know Tor, if not,
they are unfit to hold the position) that
70 use the department fluids for private
purposes, is, under any circumstances,
q criminal offense, and in every instance
where it is ascertained that funds have
been so used, the prosecution should at
once follow, and all the facts should be
Immediately reported with a view to
the prompt removal of the offender. 1t
is no part of the duty of an inspector to
determine whether or not an offender
should be prosecuted. Itsi is sufficient
for him TO know that an offense against
the postal laws has been committed,
and his duty is clear, viz: To take
proper steps to bring the offender to
justice.
The Secretary OF the Treasury, to-day
issued warrants for the payment of
about So 900, 600 on account Of pensions.
1t lis estimated that the total payments
on this account for the present month,
will amount to about $4,000 O00
Secretary Manning says the records
of the New York custom house, on file
in the Treasury Department, show a
gradual, but decided, reduction III the
expense of conducting the business of
that ocfie. -, ~ "a.
Quite large number of land entries
were allowed in Montana, declarations
and affidavits were executed before one
r. C. Webster, deputy clerk of
the district court. Webster was
appointed by the clerk as dep
uty for the sole purpose of taking
proofs Of entries. THE Land Office
holds that the laws OF Montana do not
recognize the appointments of an officer
for that purpose, and hence the declara-
tions executed before him We're invalid.
Upon appeal, the Secretary of the Inte-
rior has reversed that decision, and
holds that. regardless of the question
whether the deputy was or was not le-
gally entitled to hold that Office. he was
a deputy clerk de fdctO, and as such, the
department would not question the 'au-
thority by which he held the office, and
that it was not competent to inquire
into the authority by which the officer
exercised his functions.