Richmond enquirer. [volume], February 10, 1835, Image 3

About Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867

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the p.ut Office.
Co.mm.ttee, as
u’.d ;> it n-; ol
iit * • distant u
He i)n u pioceeiled to vindicate the Department against
the charm- of corruption. He conJennied many of the
acts of the D.-p irtm -tit, but he did n >t believe the Head
of the Department to be corrupt. He beli -veil laim to be
incorrupt and iuc •rruptible. There was not an hour,
however, daring the investigation, in which lie did n t
tremble for tile Postmaster General. He feared perjury.
Tlu* app untment of the t'o.iimi Ur list sessi >n wa an
invitation to all jiers in< to conic tor .vurd In fne tint Co n
mittee, mid state nil they could again 4 tint officer. To
the honor of the country, as well ui the often r. u > one
did ao come forward. He wished the corrupt mlividud
to be pointed out, if corruption really existed, lie to..!;
a distinction between corruption and a wasteful expendi
ture of the public money. It was only Corruption when
the individual was himself a participator in the money so
wasted. Ho condemned the conduct of (). It. Brown in
having uu interest in Porter's contract. But he denied
that the public had lost any thing by the transaction.—
lie adverted to other transactions ns injudicious and im
proper. If corruption wai to be found in the department,
it was in others than the Head of it.
In reply to the question of the Senator from New Jer
sey, (Mr Southard.) whether the people,seeing all they
had seen, would be satisfied with the turning out of a
single clerk, he could not tell what the people would
think, but he was himself satisfied, lie knew that the
Senator would not be satisfied, nor would he he satisfied
it every clerk and the Head of tlu* Department were
turned out. Even if the President were to turn himself
out, or to lay down his life to satisfy the Senator, he could
not do it, because the gentleman who occupies the Chair
of the Senate would turn himself in. So that the Presi
dent could, in no way. sali.dy the Senator.
He afterwards made some observations on the necessi
ty of making provision for the debts of the Department.
Mr. Leigh said, that, if the Postmaster-General had
unconstitutionally and unlawfully borrowed money from
the Banks, the Government were not responsible for the
debt. But if the money was fairly disbursed for the pub
lie k.-i-im.-.- 11... ir< . vi • r • i . 11<. i v * tV.ii.i ik.Iw.m uli.wil.l .. *>--i
i ji u! understood the gentleman from T.-iiia s-.ee as d- < i.u -
ing that no appropriation was or would be asked for
"In reference to the debts of the Department, he desired
a schedule to he made out to tile Senate, cunt lining a
statement how they Were contracted, and a list of the per
sons to vvlmm they are due. If he was satisfied with
this schedule, lie would vote the money to the creditors,
and not to the Department, and he would then consent
to a liberal appropriation. As to the question whether
there was eoiruptionin the Department, he was not now
called on to look into it, and lie would not. Me was dis
posed to judge favorably of all. lie did. lie did not
think that Obadiah had tied all these knots, and therefore,
ull the curses and an Uhenias ought not to be directed
against him.
iur. r.winr replied to unit tnJ la I Ion Iroin the chair
min ot tin- Committee, (Mr. Grimily,) denying that the
report of the last session condemned' the I’ostmaster
General for sending a daily mail to New Orleans. The
complaint was, that public competition had not lu-cn invi
ted to the contracts, and that alth >ugh the •KI.OOJ dol
lars had been paid the contractor, according t> his con
tract, there had been lot) tailures in the course of the
year, lie instanced cases in which large sums had been
paid where no service had been rendered, lie replied
to the remark of the chairman that he feared perjury
would he resorted to for the purpose of criminating the
head of the Department. These tears were ill-grounded.
It was certain that examinations had developed a worse
state of things in the Department than had been repre
sented in any oral or written communication. The dif
ficulty' the Committee hail to encounter was in wringing
from the many persons dependent on the Department
any information against the mass of power which sup
plied them with biead. He expressed his views on the
conduct of Mr. Drown, indicating that the presumption
was justifiable that the public had suffered from his mis
conduct, and that it east a moral taint upon.him.
He then dated the facts concerning the application for
relief, in order to shew that the committee had not any in
tention to force any appropriation on the Department,
lie shewed that the committee had authorized no step in
reference to any appropriation, further than giving per
mission to the Chairman t > obtain from the Departmvnt
ani estimate of ihs^rcsponsibiJitics. He stated that tin
principal debts duo before January H£*4, were tin tc of
small contractors, who had been ruined by the withhold
ing of their small ipiarterly pittance. These persons did
not come here, hut merely communicated by letter. They
would not be paid by the Department, which would like
care, in the first place, of the large contractors who pre
sented themselves at the Department. Another charac
ter of debts was accepted drafts of contractors lor ser
vices not vet performed, amounting on the 1st of April
last to iSltiOjOliO. flow, then, could provision In- made
iu this biU4or tliej|^ftit of ull these debts? lie hoped
( this ain'ndnrt!%v>!^^and lie would then
Mr. Ducham<nds«BPW4HBSHK-.'..Uw^>'o-.c,
expressed his anxiety to pass the bill in time for action j
upon it in the other House. He thought it unnecessary
and improper to go into a war upon the Department on
this bill, but to reserve that for the discussion on tlie re
solutions offered by a Senator from Connecticut, (Mr.
Smith.) He hoped the hill would be discussed on its
own merits, and suggested tl.jit it might be well to pro
vide for the debts due to the small contractors before 1 ,-'31. j
Mr. Kane said he could not vole for this amendment
ns it stood. He moved to amend the amendment, by in
serting words making the provision more guarded airainst
frauds.
Mr. Cirundy accepted the amendment as a modifica
tion ot the original rcaohition.
Mr. IJibbsaid lie would never vote fi.r the payment of'
one of these debts out of the Treasury. rl uey ought!
tj be paid out of funds of the Post O.lice, ns fast as they
could be paid. Ilebelieved the Post mas ter-General to
be honest .and upright of heart, hut he had notadminis- i
tered the department as lie should have done, lie had
siill’ered himself to be preyed on by the vile miscreants !
who had fastened themselves upon him. lie then moved
to amend the amendment.
[The amend.nent provides for the payment of the I
debts due to contractors, giving to the smallest debts the
preference, where there lias been no fraud, or extra al- :
lownnce, but where they shall be honestly due. It pro
vides that the large debts shall be liquidated, but not paid
out of funds of Ihe Post Office, until report shall have
been made of them to Congress.]
Mr. Southard objected to the amendment, on the
ground of the impropriety of inserting an appropriation
in a hill to organize n department. Nor did lie think the
appropriation necessary to be introduced. Should it be
come necessary before the close of the sc.ijion, another
bill could be passed. Neither the accepted amendment,
nor the proposed one relieved him from another difficulty.
Ihe appropriation was to be made without ku awing to
what amount the debts extended. ,
Me would vote for no appropriation until lie knew the
ninourit to be paid, lie believed there was fraud, cor- !
roption, gross abuse, in many of the large debts to con- i
tractors, and he was not willing to appropriate for them
without further information. 1 lu thought that this amend- j
nient would enable the Postmaster-General to pay oil'all \
tho claims. He wished the Department to say it was '
cinbairassed, ami to ask for relief. He would compel !
the Department lo retract its assertion, that a Committee l
of this House were Pars, before lie would vote the up- '
propmtion. It would be competent to the Head of the '
Department, in eight and forty hours, to give on estimate i
which would form the basis of an appropriation. JJc* •
wished the organization to be completed before any thing 1
else was dm In reply to the Senator from Tennessee, I
tli.it he (Mr. 8.) would not be satisfied with the turning
out of a, clerk, he said that he had heard of no turning
out. He had heard, indeed, of a resignation, but there '
appeared to tie nothing like compulsion on the face ol it.
ile also remarked on the further comment made by the !
Senator on the same point.
M', Webster suggested, that it would have been more
wise if tho Senator trom Tennessee hud made this point 1
the subject of n distinct amendment. ||e thought the
proper course was first ta organize the Department, and
•tierwards to make an appropriation. WJiy then did the 1
Msnator, doubtless wishing the passage of tho present
bill, introduce this extraneous proposition? lie agreed
with the Senator From Pennsylvania, that it would be
I fetter to postpone the discussion of the conduct of the
Department. He thought the Senator from Tennessee
would do better if he withdrew the propositions involv
ing appropriations, and then proceed to act on the orga- j
luxation, f eelinganxious, as, lie did, to relieve th.it wor- 1
thy class of ciUxena who are contractors, lie asked, if a 1
lut oi them could not in* imrneiiiately submitted, (.'on- I
gresi had a riglit to know what were the debts they were
called on to pay. 8uc!i an appropriation as that prop >*ed, |
was without precedent All debts, good, bad, or doubt
ful, were to be paid. They were all confounded in one
common mass. He wished the organization to be, in the !
nrst piac#, adopted.
Mr. Grundy thought highly of the bill, and wishing
its passage, and relying on the pioniiscsol’ gentlemen on
uli lor V* ,na^e *l,#? appropriation in another form.
WiUldrow hi<i iimrndincrtt.
amendment was accordingly withdrawn.
Ihe next amendment proposed by Mr. Grundy wai
«* follows: J
“ Sec. 17. And hr it further rn-irtrd, That the bon
the treasury, so far as relate* t> the aeciounts of
General Post OHVv. .|| I... k •;,» ,|r
from all ot.ier accounts; and every warrant foi j
inent of money, for demands amiinst the G. nr
Office, shall [Im- signed by the Postmaster (
the ( loin in is.--1 on. r of the < I.-ie-rxl |',,4 < >
express upon its l ire that the sa ne v.v
Count of the General Post Office."
The words between brackets were
meet by Mr. Kwing, and accepted
The amendment was agreed to a
The Senate then proceeded to tff
Mr. Grundy, as followe
See |fl >„ —J
U> br appointed unde, the pni fij
shall have tho power to transfer debt* due fro
ters, [who do not make depositei in Hanks,]
*.vm -it oonfrai toi », in dt#ch«
_ . ______
Miilrschri, f r servin'* which nnv havr l.een remli n il
prior to the tnue cf dra .vmg Fuoh draft.;. *
I'll!.* word# Within bracks u were inserted on moticn of
Mr. Knight, the amendment being accepted by Mr.
Gruudy.
The amendment, ns amended, war then agreed to.
The Senate then proceeded to consider the next
amendment of Mr. Grundv, as follows:
“ Sec. lit. .Ind hr it further enacted, That it shall bo the
duty of the Postmaster-Genera! to innke to Congress,
within the first torn days of each annual session thereof,
the following several reports:
■* Kust. A report of .ill the contracts in nle for the
traiujtoitat.on of the mail witlin tiie preceding year,
stil.n/ in ea.rli e is*- its date an.I direction; th ■ name ot j
tlie contractor; the route or mutes embraced in the con
tract. with the Ion■/*it i f each; tlie mode of t.-un.«p-jrt:i
ti .n c 'ii racled f. r. and the price stipulated t. be paid
by the Department; also, a Ft ateilient of all such land and
water in ail i as may have been established and ordered
by tiie Department within the year preceding, other
t:iun those let by eontract at tiie annual lettings of mail
eon tracts: specifying in each case the route or water
course on which the mail is established; the name of the
Imts <n employed to transput it; the mode of transports
•i.'i; tlie amount paid, or to lie paid; uud the duration
of tiie order.
“Second. A report of all allowances made to contract
ors, within lh.‘ year preceding, lieyond the sums origi
nally stipulated in their respective contracts, and tlie rea
sons for the same; and of all orders made by the Depart
ment, whereby additional expense is to be incurred be
yond the original contract price, or any laud or water
route, specifying in each case the route to which the or
der relates, tiie name of the contractor, the original ser
vice provided for by tlie contract, und the original plnce;
the date of the order lor additional service, the addition
al service required, and the additional service therefor.
Also, a repot l of all curtailments of expenses effected bv
the Department within the year preceding, specifying in
each case the same particulars as lequired in cases oflul
ditional allowance.
“Third. A report of all the incidental expenses of
the Department tor the year widing on the thirtieth of
June preceding, classifying the said expenses according
to their several objects; as for paper, printing, mail bags,
ami portmanteaus, m ill locks, keys; expenses incident to
mail robberies and depredations, and shewing the sums
paid under each head of expenditure, and tlie names of
the persons to whom paid^ except only, that the names of
persons employed in detecting depredations on the mail;
and other confidential agents are not to be disclosed in
, said report.
“/outtil. The commissioner appointed by this act, shall,
on the lirst day ol November, in each year, [commuiii
catej to the Postmaster General, the condition of the fi
nances of the General Post Ullice for the year ending
I on the thirteenth of June preceding, showing the whole
amount ol balances due to the Department at the begin
] ning ot the year, from postmasters, and all others; the
whole amount of postages that accrued within the year;
the whole amount of the engagements and liabilities of
the Department lor mail transportation during the year;
! the amount actually paid during the year for and on ac
' count cf mail transportation."
The amendment was agreed to.
l , The Senate then proceeded to the next amendment, as
1 follows :
“Sec. 20. .Ind hr it further enacted, That it shall be
the duty of the Postmaster-General to furnish to the
Deputy Postmaster, at the termination of each route, a
schedule specifying the times of arrival and departure at
his office ; « copy of which the Deputy Postmaster shall
I cause to be posted up in some Conspicuous place i:i his
j oftice; and that the Podlmaster-General shall, in like man
i nor, tiirnisli a notice ot any change or alteration in the
arrivals and departures which may bo ordered by him."
The amendment was agreed to.
I „ , ,u> Senate then proceeded to the next amendment as
| follows:
M'c. i\. .'Inti be it further matted, That the postmas
I ter whose office is situated at the termination of u mail
: route, or at any oil,or place at which the Postmaster-Gen
i l'rn* **hall have designated the times at which the mails
| should arrive in addition to the oaths or affirmations now
required by law, shall take the following, before some
magistrate :
** *• (A- D-) do swear, or affirm, as the case may be,
that 1 will truly and faithfully report to the General Post
Office all and every failure to deliver the mail at my of
fice a I the times prescribed by the Postmaster-General;”
which oath, or affirmation, shall be subscribed by the
Postmasters, respective ly, who maybe in office at the
passing of this act, within six months thereafter, and by
those hereafter appointed, before they enter upon their
respective duties; and each Postmaster shall cause a cer
tificate thereof to be filed in tin* General Post Office;
and it shall be the duty of the Pcifmnster-General, un
nqally, to report to Congress each failure to deliver the
mail, where the same may be conveyed in steamboats,
coaches, or stages; and also stale, in said report, the
names of the contractors, on whose routes the failures
respectively liuve occurred; and, also, vvliat order or
proceedings pave been taken by hiui in each case thus
reported. >
The amendments having bcci
1 t hllidfH^hagpVCd to sf]
hy s! i iking\^,t the
s‘ with the sugVir; tour U:.Mis:ui<g<i.<i^^prr annul
salary , and insert the following ns a suU.,nor) >v
He it further enacted, That the duties now performed
hy the fifth Auditor of tlio Treasury Department, be,
and the same are hereby assigned to the Second Auditor
of the Treasury; and those now assigned to the Second,
to the I bird Auditor of the Treasury, and that the Fitlli
Auditor of the Treasury shall hereafter be known as the
Commissioner of the General Post Office, and shall per
torm the* duties herein assigned, or which may hereafter 1
luMissigned to said Commissioner. M
1 lie Senate then adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Mr. Me\ ran obtained leave to submit the followi
resolution:
litsolrrtl. That the committee on the District ol
lumbia be directed t > rep art to this l louse the amouu
pended by said committee* under the resolution <
oh of January last, purporting “to authorize and id
them to ascertain the amount of fuel that might/
cessnry for the relief of the suffering poor of the
W asbingU n, and to place the same at the disposal
Corporation for that parpoae." And also that i
iniliec he inslrtu 'rd to d. sisl from further expeiij
di r tbs colour ol authority derived from siudj
On motion of Mr. Wilde, u call of the II.
dered- Ayes 1W, Noes 50. A_
i>ir. r.vans moved to amend tlie resolut
out the word* 'purporting to,’ and to ins»
and instructing;' so as to remove any
might be thrown upon the committee.
A Her some remarks from Mr. Chinn,
On motion of Mr. McKennan the re
ly laid on the table.
On motion of Mr. Drown, the lions
orders of the day. __
i he Speaker laid bofufO thfl II0115
(Mll'MI,. V i / ; . -
From the Socretnry at War, w
to certain roads in Michigan. L
derod to lie printed.
I i-oin the Secretary of the Tr
dered by tin' House,as to the
against T. II Smith and S
milieu on tlie Judiciary.
From the Secretary of th
hi hit m:; the amount of duth
: led dur|
I "••>•1 I. lid on the t'dile'
Various eiijrros ed hit
passed.
[i j’ A meeting otA
i 11ml
iiiHl., (tint ln>iiijr (g
Hi;' -i < 'ommitU'e
tin - I >.>.t i H ! . in tlj
i'll1 next * ’<
nl_
r\ND NEi
A detormini
oi' Hiclimontl,
>tli nulrsj
modi.ms (|
and rill otlm
barracks,
<1 l >i
now wcl
lint land,
lai
^■ittlj
Kichiikoaidj Tuesday, B*YI>. EO.
jh rio/n
Tin* Democratic Republican Members of the Virginia
legislature, held a meeting on Saturday night, ami ap
pointed a Committee of five, for tlie pur| o.e ofongra ting
an Address to tlie people of Va., on the present crix s. The
finest spirit picvailsninonglbem. They d • not feel as if they
were beaten : on the contrary, they bear a lofty, tui terri
fied, and invincible spirit. They feel that the People are
with tliein. and that the soi-disattt \\ bigs have undone
themselves by their recent victories over the freed >ui of
opinion, and tile Right of Instruction. From whatever
quarter we hear, we understand that onr political friends
mean to do battle, and we cannot entertain the slightest
doubt of n glorious victory in the Spring.
We are aware of the issue winch the Opposition are
making. '1 in-ir members told iis indebnte, it must be Van
Ilmen or no Van Huron. Mr. Marshall, Delegate ofi
Fauquii r, announces the same issue, when, ill a lettem
to bis Correspondent in that county, (published in tlJI
^ amnion Register of the 7th inst.,) he boldly states, t
“The question of Van Buren or Anti-Van Kurcu^^H
Ur uio test throughout the s*tatc at our next Spruir^H
tiuim, and arduous will be the struggle between
tending parties. In some counties 1 fear we shall i
the ascendancy) but 1 trust that compensation wjJ
made bv success in others. In Fauquier I Hatter
we shall not lose ground. Mr. French will n^B
again. Who is likely’ to he brought forward in lii^BI
1 expect to appear again us a candidate for tht-^^J
It is not a time to withdraw, after having rrcei^HSl
Irrqucnt gratifying proofs of public eooliJj^HBH
great poli’seal •: niggle u hieli is going i.^T^BBBH
as r hr u le \\ • uht probably soon se a
ot the \\ big v le other person; i^^^Bfij
slide that a go. d deal of trouble will be sav^^BBB*
old euu: .da tes eoa1 i ii .led he lore the |. 111 d i e. ^B's^i-'A.’ ,
though liiunble, lias been so uniform in j^HjBRH
absoi hiug guest i ns of the . 1 ty. that c ver^B^j^if'
uilh liis suffrage, will kn^^^^KBB
"'ell as tor v. bom he is voting. Will t
t nMi h i III.- d'eiinle | M-.-pei-t and est^B.j.V^^S^Cw
.'"t.hly as a . iitlem n. but I am
1 ' '.I ■>•*'> '• h ■ 1 > 1: f r V■ ! lei or.i «
■B^B
Mr. Marshall states the issue in hij
we wen* to .ask him, why he docs noj
ruts whom hr is for as President; w li\l
ly come f<>ilh and (lx his finger ugmifl
own party, what would lie say? Is^|
than Mr. Van Huron? Is ho lor W'^Hg
\\ hite. Leigh? Whom is In- !oi-?^H||
dmh, and yet charge ours ior hc^^HB
the Non-Committals? *1
\N o know, indeed, there is n^EH
among the \\ hips upon tin
1* i it mini e Itepnhlicaii s', Vs.tJ^Bflfl
'Tm'TIvtich- in \>
to noiMOiilr .1 caiiilidate fora
upon sonic of the individual
In:ve been nanu d for tin- ■“
been a1." idy formally non
As a reason in 1.1vor of mai"
that tlio people will bo uJ
next to determine for wjr
give theimupport for thjf
oil to require from c&ndf
Congress, pledges in fjT
the consequence, it isr
l»' chiinri'ii wit.'i the
Mr. Calhoun, Mr.
do not ineun to
imputed to them
dividual most pa
Thus are tlir. i i.fj
been noinihated Ii
swept away I<yA
witlistandin'T lid
K-lcIlllSCtt.:; .Mr.l
l« < n liii- pr>'iiii^|
it r lispi nil!
N11! f i! i < im:.-^H
•fiti ii
'
11 • ■ i .< '^Ef||||
H
k i . MSXm
Bk
C'! p i'nl pd vu tl^
nei’cr h iv«* got it, if
Ftop o M not m
U II da'o IUOTW til/
Might w • not mi.
t ii|> —III r«; tln|
d. no ?
Mr. Ix'lgli'*
ha i culled lortf
lots. We hul
liy <>1 these kA
u iuli-i s heictfl
i:i<h^ii:itii.ii m
tk'^A
i e^H
• WA
ii 11 iMm
■' 11 K