Martinsburg Gazette

BLANKS TWINE & WRAPPING PAPER.

[The editor of the Concord (N. H.) Courier gives the following account of the manner in which the contracts for the supply of the post offices with these important articles were distributed among rival claimants. It will remind the reader of the scene in Henry IV where Hotspur, Glendower and Mortimer met to parcel out the English territory.]

We know something of the manner in which this printing of blanks and furnishing of wrapping paper and twine was obtained by Nathaniel Greene of Boston, and Isaac Hill of this place; and we will now give a history of it, as we understood it at the time it was obtained, for it will throw some light upon the manner in which the business of the Department has been done.

The United States are divided into districts as respects mail contracts, and the printing of blanks for the post office department, and New England did, until 1831, form one of these divisions; but New York was then added to New England, so far as the furnishing of blanks, wrapping paper and twine was concerned. The contracts for doing this business have usually been made for the term of four years. In 1824, postmaster general McLean advertised proposals for that purpose, and the most favorable of which was made by Mr. Ide of Vermont.—But favorable as it was to the Government, we believe nevertheless, that Mr. Ide cleared in the business in four years $10,000.

Early in 1831, at the request of a very enterprising printer in this place, the editor of this paper wrote to Gov. Woodbury, desiring him to ascertain at the post office department the prices paid for blanks, wrapping paper and twine &c to Mr. Ide, and also whether or no, proposals would be called for as usual; to which Gov. W. gave early and careful attention, and we were given to understand, that at a proper time proposals would be solicited through the public papers as usual. Accordingly preparations were made by the printer above alluded to, to obtain, if possible, by fair means the contract; and we were to go to Washington with the proposals, and a suitable bond, in case the proposals should prove successful. Being thus engaged, we watched the movements of the "Postmaster General with some little care, until we learned that Mr. Hill and Mr. Greene had prevailed upon him and the President, not to let proposals be advertised for, but to appoint some one to do it as printer to the department.

As soon as it was determined that no proposals would be solicited, Mr. Greene of Boston came to Concord, and urged Mr. Hill to agree to divide with him the district so that Mr. Hill should have Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont; while Mr. Greene was to have Massachusetts, Rhode Island, & Connecticut. To this Mr. Hill would not agree, as he believed he could obtain the district for Horatio Hill and Barton, which he said would enable them to pay him the $7,000 which they were to give him for the N. H. Patriot. This determination of Mr. Hill did not please Mr. Greene, the Boston postmaster, and he left Concord and returned, as was supposed, to Boston, very much offended with Mr. Hill, and not a little disappointed, but he repaired immediately to Washington, and made such efforts there that he was on the point of receiving the whole of New England, when Mr. Hill arrived at Washington, to secure for Hill & Barton the appointment.

On his arrival at Washington, the quarrel about the "spoils" was renewed by Messrs. Hill and Greene, and the former accused the latter of great unfairness, but the latter defended himself by saying that he had offered a fair division, but that now he should get what he could. However a plan was agreed upon soon, which ended the quarrel; it was to add New York to N. England & let Mr. Greene give up Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont to Mr. Hill and divide New York between them. Mr. Greene took the city of New York and all the lower part of the state, dividing by a line between two tiers of counties, from somewhere north of Albany, and running to the west line of the state, while Mr. Hill took the northerly counties, making the bargain worth nearly four times as much to Greene as to Hill. The business thus arranged between them; they went to Major Barry, and took out their appointments, and thus cut off all competition in the business. They allowed Washington prices for all this great undertaking; and those two pure disinterested patriots received annually, in this one item of patronage, $18,725 50, for doing what might have been done for about $9,000 by contract. Here is corruption with a witness.

We have stated this matter precisely as we understood it at the time; and if we have erred in any one thing, if the Patriot will set us right, we will correct it most willingly. We ask them either to admit its truth or deny its correctness.