United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Allman v. United States, 131 U.S. 31 (1889)

Allman v. United States

No. 214

Argued March 19, 1889

Decided May 13, 1889

131 U.S. 31

APPEAL FROM THE COURT OF CLAIMS

Syllabus

The "fifty percentum on the contract as originally let" to which the power of the Postmaster General to expedite service under a contract for carrying the mails is restricted by the proviso in § 2 of the Act of April 7, 1880, c. 48, 21 Stat. 72, is fifty percent on the compensation for all the service, both as originally stipulated and as increased by additional service, which is to be determined by the rates fixed in the original contract.

Decisions of the Postmaster General imposing forfeitures on contractors for failure to carry the mails according to their contracts are not subject to review by this Court.

The appellant, George Allman, on the 31st of January, 1885, filed a petition in the Court of Claims against the United States asking judgment for the sum of $3,607.13, which he alleged was the balance due for services rendered by him under two contracts for carrying the United States mail from July 1, 1878, to July 1, 1882.